Publishers Behaving Badly

Complaints are emerging about Silk’s Vault, their accounting practices and delayed or missing royalty payments. In replies I see Mardi Gras is also mentioned as a ‘publisher behaving badly’. I would be interesting in hearing more about Silk’s Vault and remind you that Mardi Gras, along with ABCD Webmasters (which has several imprints) and Ocean’s Mist are also not recommended at this time. I have concerns and would like to hear more about Sybaritic Press and Genesis Press and will probably add them to the not recommended list soon. Several others have received mixed reports and more input would be appreciated. At this time I do not approach publishers before listing or changing their listing status but if they wish to contact me to provide counter-evidence, context or information relevant to any complaints made I am very open to this.

‘She said/she said’ situations (clearly evident at sites like Piers Anthony) provide only a general indication of friction, what is more useful are factual statements about publisher behavior—especially relating to accounting and payments but including any professional duty. Suspicions about sales figures are common; it is easy to assume one should be selling better but the facts are that sales at poor publisher are poor, no matter who you are. However, empirical inconsistencies between fictionwise and publisher sales reporting is rock solid and irrefutable proof of shoddy accounting at the very least.

‘Not Recommended’ status is currently purely a judgement on my part based on a preponderance of evidence with an emphasis on reports that are public, or private and confidential but specific, substantial and not anonymous. I would also draw to your attention that comments may also be made to this blog anonymously. At this point the mandate of the blog to allow authors to share information supports communication even at the risk that this may sometimes allow personal attacks or unsupported rumors. I credit authors with the ability to treat isolated, spiteful or unreasonable accusations skeptically. There are already many influences out there that lead to silence on the down side of e-publishing and I hope to provide some balance to information authors and prospective authors have to draw upon.

So, if you have had a bad experience with an e-publisher please do let me know—or at least cc me what you send to Piers ;)