Anyone have publishing expeirnece, negative or positive, with Noble Romance since the new CEO took over?
Well, if you're saying it's only in some contracts some of the time, then it's not boilerplate, is it? That's my point. The way it was said implied that this super restrictive ROFR clause is in every base EC contract and must either be lived with or negotiated out. I'm saying no, that's untrue. The end.
If you're asking because you're considering them, I'd definitely go elsewhere. I've had relatively positive experience with the new CEO, but everything with Noble is up in the air right now. People have very real grievances, and those that are talking haven't been as fortunate as I have.
I am very tempted to accept the offer, but having read this entire thread, and having asked some clarifying questions about some (what I perceived to be unusual) wording in the contract without receiving any response in over a week...
Posted on Aleksandr Voinov's Facebook page, and quoted with his permission: (bracketed text is mine for context/clarification)
"Noble Romance has illegally published a print copy of Forbidden Love, which contains my short story Deliverance."
"I emailed them on 1 August that I'd be reclaiming my [print, audio, and translation] rights. As of 1 September, these are MY rights, as per my contract. Noble published a print copy of my book on 30 October. I'm wow. I'm really quite angry."
"I want my print, audio and translation rights, but I'm not even getting a response from him on most things. And when I call him, he says one thing one day and something else the other day. I can't trust this guy. He's lying, he's insulting (claims my English is so bad he doesn't understand what I'm saying - funny, he understood me just fine.) [...] After we'd talked for an hour, he's like "You have such a strong Indian accent, I don't really understand what you're saying" - funny, he understood me when it suited him." [I'd like to add here that Aleks has a German accent, but it is hardly strong enough to keep someone from understanding him.]
Uh. The book in there looks the size of a non-fiction text book.
They're not even responding to rights-reversal requests, even after violating the terms of their own contracts?
I haven't received any responses to my registered letters. He responds
to some emails, and only partial, usually ignoring anything about
rights. That appears to be a pattern, too. He's also misrepresenting
what's been agreed on the phone, and has stated that "nothing
said/written on the internet is legally binding", which is clearly
wrong. There's also reports of Noble Authors being underpaid for their
POD books, and Jean refusing to remedy the situation, even if people
quote chapter and verse of their contracts to him. It's an incredibly
frustrating experience. There are authors who've been worn down by
that strategy of passive-aggressive ignorance and (real of feigned)
incompetence.
I've never had any response to any of my emails or certified letters sent starting last August. Ever. I've gone so far as to post on their Facebook page, they delete the comments. I respond on their Twitter feed and they've unfollowed and blocked me. I have had a semi-response from one staff member who supposedly forwarded my emails yet again, still nothing, but I suspect my emails were never forwarded. And yet they are still selling my titles. They've owed me money for over a year now on both titles. Contract clauses give me the right to terminate and I have done that - but they just ignore any communication I send.
I'm definitely looking at legal action, it seems it's the only way I'll get my rights back. And I will continue to be vocal on my blog and on Twitter, etc. about how they are screwing their authors. It's not like I'm saying anything that isn't the truth!
Weren't they offering $2,000 advances to YA authors just a year ago? Sad to see an e-pub go downhill so quickly. I hope you get your dispute settled!
Did the publisher print any of his/her own books? If so, we probably know who got the $1,000 (or $2,000) advance.