YouWriteOn.com / New Generation Publishing / Legend Press

[Old Hack]

I've just been emailed a link to a PDF which details the Arts Council's latest round of funding--December 2008. You can find it here (but be warned, it will download a small PDF file).

Nationwide, non-specific

Edward Smith

YouWriteOn.com Publishing Project

Funding to develop an automated publishing system to enable new writers to publish their books for free through print on demand.

5,000

The Arts Council can no longer claim to be uninvolved with the YouWriteOn publishing scheme, as it has now directly funded a part of it.

 

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

Man, this is going to turn into all kinds of ugly with so many people...

 

[TheRightEyedDeer]

Why would a nationally funded arts council give money to a project that enables new writers to do something that they can already do all by themselves (i.e. self-publish through Lulu, etc.)?

Gotta say, that looks like five thousand quid that could have been spent on something WAY more useful.

ETA: And what's with the 'free'? Doesn't YouWriteOn charge a fee to publish?

 

[Gunn]

Well that explains why Ted has never removed the 'banner' but what are the Arts Council playing at?

 

[victoriastrauss]

ETA: And what's with the 'free'? Doesn't YouWriteOn charge a fee to publish?

Yes, if you want an ISBN. Otherwise, you don't have to pay (at least in the version of the scheme we've seen to date).

Even so, it's no different from Lulu or CreateSpace or WordClay, all of which offer a free publishing platform for ISBNless books.

It's amazing to me, after the Arts Council's specific disavowal of the publishing scheme, that they would buy into it. This must have been pitched to them as something new and different, when in fact it's a less-efficient version of a service that's already available from several providers.

- Victoria

 

[petec]

what are the Arts Council playing at?

Continuing to supply Ted with an income. Which I believe is tax free.

Incidentally, has anyone heard any more about the competition he was paid 11 thou for October 2008? Ted may have special dispensation, of course, but normally a function the AC pays for should be activated within 3 months.

 

[Anna Magdalena]

I'm saddened by this turnabout but not altogether surprised. The Arts Council is a government body and all government bodies have a habit of changing their minds and opinions depending on which way the wind's blowing. Or the right hand doesn't know what the left hand's doing.

When I think of all the wonderful arts organisations in the UK (not just those that are writing related but orchestras, art galleries etc) that have lost Arts Coincul funding and went under, it really grieves me that YWO continues to get money.

And yes, what's this about free publishing?

 

[qwerty]

Well that explains why Ted has never removed the 'banner'

Not fully. The AC approval logo still has no place on the page that states:

"YouWriteOn also offers its own book publishing initiative funded solely by us."

While that logo remains in place, how the devil will anyone work out that the vanity, fee-paying scheme run by YWO and Legend Press is not endorsed by the Arts Council?

 

[Gunn]

But it is now endorsed by the Arts Council surely. He got this latest money for -Funding to develop an automated publishing system to enable new writers to publish their books for free through print on demand.

Or are there two seperate schemes running?

 

[TheRightEyedDeer]

Not fully. The AC approval logo still has no place on the page that states:

"YouWriteOn also offers its own book publishing initiative funded solely by us."

While that logo remains in place, how the devil will anyone work out that the vanity, fee-paying scheme run by YWO and Legend Press is not endorsed by the Arts Council?

The description of what the Arts Council has apparently funded with YWO:

Funding to develop an automated publishing system to enable new writers to publish their books for free through print on demand.

5,000

indicates to me that the Council IS funding YWO's 'publishing initiative'. As far as I'm concerned, that's just not a good use of public funds.

 

[qwerty]

The funding to develop an automated publishing system is for FREE publishing. Not for the services advertised on the ABOUT OUR PUBLISHING SERVICES page. Although that still carries the AC logo despite the fact that the AC has stated they have not endorsed it.

Obviously, the new automated system that cost £5,000 of public money CANNOT be used for the private publishing business run by Legend Press and Edward Smith because it is stated to be funded entirely by them.

However, they are using a web site and a scheme funded by public money as a vehicle to promote that business.

 

[priceless1]

I've just been emailed a link to a PDF which details the Arts Council's latest round of funding--December 2008. You can find it here (but be warned, it will download a small PDF file).
The Arts Council can no longer claim to be uninvolved with the YouWriteOn publishing scheme, as it has now directly funded a part of it.

Hackie, this is beyond horrible. Someone must have friends in very high places or knows how to talk a smooth game in order to be the beneficiary of the taxpayer's hard-earned money. You've done so much investigative work and talked to the Arts Council, and I'm bowled over (even though I shouldn't be) about the government's apathy.

 

[Old Hack]

This was posted earlier in this thread:

I wrote to the Arts Council and they replied as follows:

"Dear

Thank you for your enquiry.

The Arts Council funds a distinct part of YouWriteOn's activities, specifically the peer-critique section where writers can upload and receive feedback on their work. The offer of self publication by YouWriteOn is not endorsed by us and we have asked them to make this clear on their website.

We understand that there has been a delay to the self-publishing programme, however we have been assured that YouWriteOn.com and Legend Press are working hard to address this problem. We therefore have no reason to believe that they will not fulfil their obligations.

Although we are unable to directly manage organisations who receive funding from us, we will ask YouWriteOn to contact authors with an update on their books and let them know exactly what is going on.

I hope this information is helpful.

Best regards

According to a subsequent post by Parchment, that letter was signed by Keir Gill, Operations Manager, Enquiries, Arts Council England.

Now, according to the PDF I linked to in (I think) my previous post here, YouWriteOn received £5,000 from the Arts Council in December 2008 to provide:

Funding to develop an automated publishing system to enable new writers to publish their books for free through print on demand.

You'll notice that the post from Parchment was dated 3 February 2009, at least a month (probably more) after that Arts Council funding was confirmed to YouWriteOn. And while we don't know exactly when Parchment received that communication from the Arts Council, or how long it was in his or her hands before it was posted here, we know that it refers to a delay in publication: which means it has to have been sent after the middle of December, as that is when the publishing deadline was orignially set. And with Christmas following on so close after, it's likely that the letter wasn't sent until much closer to the date that Parchment posted it here--well after the Arts Council approved that latest dollop of funding for YouWriteOn (does that make any sense? I feel I'm garbling now, sorry).

So what's going on here? Does Mr Gill not know what funding has been given by the organisation he represents? Did he not actually check his information before he replied? Is the Arts Council a little sloppy in its record-keeping? Or has he not been given all the facts?

 

[Parchment]

Unfortunately I have deleted that email. I'm fairly sure I wrote to the Arts Council mid-January. I was beginning to get very fed up at the time.

My book did eventually get published (official date December 2008): first appearing on Amazon etc and then the email from Ted arrived inviting me to order copies. I ordered on 18 February.

Apart from friends in the UK, I was hearing from contacts in Italy, Australia, Sweden telling me that they'd received their copies from Amazon and were reading. I still hadn't received the 10 copies I'd ordered from YWO/LegendPress.

It seemed ridiculous that my book was being sold around the world and yet I, the author, still hadn't seen a copy so I ordered one from Amazon and it arrived almost by return.

My emails to Ted got less friendly.

I eventually telephoned Legend Press to ask when I might expect them - they had had no difficulty in taking my money! I spoke first to a young woman who passed me on to Tom Chalmers who gave me some long winded explanation, but no apology.

Feeling even more angry, I emailed Ted again saying I was seriously considering contacting the BBC Watchdog programme. Miraculously the books were delivered by carrier (not Royal Mail which is what I had asked for) a couple of days later - on 9 March, three weeks after I'd ordered. The address sticker on the packet gave Ted's name and address. No mention of Lightning Source or Legend Press.

The book looks okay. I haven't had time to check every word. However, my experience of dealing with YWO/Legend Press was shambolic and stressful from beginning to end. An experience!

Free publishing? Yes, I suppose I have to accept that my book was published free of charge, except for the £39.99, but the problems attached to the deal were enormous.

I've thought a lot about whether I would do it again, I have waivered, but my final decision is a definite 'NO'. Quite simply, I don't like being lied to.

The YouWriteOn website should carry a health warning.

 

[qwerty]

So what's going on here? Does Mr Gill not know what funding has been given by the organisation he represents? Did he not actually check his information before he replied? Is the Arts Council a little sloppy in its record-keeping? Or has he not been given all the facts?

It has to be assumed Mr Gill consulted Mr Beckett, the AC officer responsible for YWO. ([email protected] Direct line: 020 7608 6187)

ARTS COUNCIL RENEW FUNDING

 

[Anna Magdalena]

Thank you, Parchment for sharing your story with us. It shouldn't happen to anyone. It makes me wonder (not for the first time. I must say) what the AC think they're doing and why.

 

[Anna Magdalena]

I just saw this on the YWO website. Not only did it not make a lot of sense to me as a piece of English but I wondered how it would work in practice.

Quote

New Function for Writers This week we have been finalising new changes on site, including the board and we have also introduced a new function for published writers to link their sample chapters and short stories to bookseller sites. Over YouWriteOn’s history we have had many readers saying they’d like to read more of new writers’ work, so interested readers will now be able to click to buy completed books.


The aim is to encourage members to develop their writing further, and to help try to increase writers’ book sales further – as each review a writer completes of another members sample chapters, will lead to a review back for their own story in return. If you are a published writer, will your next review be from a reader who wants to buy your book?

Unquote

 

[Old Hack]

I'm not sure where to start with that quote, Anna: it nearly makes sense, but when you read it closely it just... doesn't.

Meanwhile, here we are on Friday March 20 and the message board is still not yet open. Although that message which promises that it'll reopen this week is still in place, so perhaps there's a chance... after all, it's only 11am. There are a few more hours to go before close of business today.

 

[priceless1]

Gee, Hackie, think this is a good time to open up a betting pool? Be sure to put up a "Never" square. Just in case.

 

[HJW]

It's back up now, but no facility to post yet...

 

[Old Hack]

That's what it says, HJW, and yet a member who isn't part of the admin has posted there.

It does seem a little thin, though: might some of the posts have disappeared, or is my memory failing me?

 

[Anna Magdalena]

I've taken a quick look.

This is Ted's 'welcome back statement as of today. Any comments?

http://youwriteon.com/forum/Welcome-back---March-20th-2009-Topic-12797-1.aspx

 

[victoriastrauss]

...aaaaand cue Bufflehead Sisters!

There's plenty in Ted's statement that I could try to refute, but honestly, what's the point? He's trying to sell (in the sense of pitch) a service, and inevitably he's going to spin things in his favor.

I do wonder about the claim that YWO books are "selling on average higher amounts for book titles in comparison with other publishers." Without knowing the basis for this comparison--which publishers? Over what time period? Sales to public, or sales to authors?--such a statement is impossible to evaluate. Of course, many people won't ask those questions, and will take it at face value.

- Victoria

 

[Gunn]

I've just tried to post and got this;

Approval Required
Thank you for your post.

Because this forum is moderated, your post needs to be approved first by a Moderator or System Administrator before it appears publicly.


That never used to happen. One good way of stopping adverse opinions!

Shame on you Ted.

 

[jpfife]

So does it technically count as the Boards being back if you can't post and what is available is "the preview in the meantime"? Although people have already posted ... confused? You wont be after this week's episode ...