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Headline Accent (formerly Accent Press ) / Xcite Books / Octavo Publishing
- Thread starter Old Hack
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So do I. I am not happy. Just because a story is free doesn't mean it's there to be copied. I have a lawyer on stand-by just in case. I hope I don't need to use him, but it's nice to have the back-up.
To give them the benefit of the doubt, it sounds like one of their authors copied your story, and they had no idea what was going on. It seems positive that they removed it for investigation, but I would've been more pleased if they'd removed it for good. I'm wondering now if any other stories of theirs are plagiarized or copied - and I hope not.
Good that you have a lawyer on stand-by, though. And sorry to hear this has happened to you.
Good that you have a lawyer on stand-by, though. And sorry to hear this has happened to you.
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It's good that they temporarily removed it, and it's good that they're investigating.
Given the facts as stated, the "temporary" will undoubtedly become permanent.
While we know you, firedrake, they don't--for all they know you're a netkook trying to cause trouble for an author. So they have to check before taking any other action.
Given the facts as stated, the "temporary" will undoubtedly become permanent.
While we know you, firedrake, they don't--for all they know you're a netkook trying to cause trouble for an author. So they have to check before taking any other action.
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BTW, did this post ever happen? (Yes, I realize this post is four years old. That just means that if the blog post did happen, it's buried too deeply in the archives for me to find easily..
@FireDrake -- How awful!
I hope everything gets sorted out satisfactorally and quickly.
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Just to bring you all up to date.
I've just received an email from XCite. The book has been permanently removed.
I am really impressed with how quickly they dealt with this, given that there was a weekend between when they first received the email and today. So, yep, I'd say they've handled this very well.
I've just received an email from XCite. The book has been permanently removed.
I am really impressed with how quickly they dealt with this, given that there was a weekend between when they first received the email and today. So, yep, I'd say they've handled this very well.
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Ah I knew they would. I have faith that this is in fact a very legitimate publisher. They are a UK publisher but even have books in my small local New Zealand bookstore. (Only one very specific imprint out of their full range, but still, impressive they have that reach.) It's rare that smaller presses get any shelf space in New Zealand bookstores. I also know they have a reasonably long history in business.
Glad to hear the good news firedrake.
Glad to hear the good news firedrake.
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I'm sorry that happened to you, Firedrake, but glad it got sorted out quickly and professionally.
And with LindaJeanne, I'm now burningly curious about Old Hack's idea four years ago.
Interesting how the prediction then--that more and more publishers would turn to vanity/self-pub side operations--doesn't seem to have come true (in fact, it looks like a lot of the pay to play branch off have closed down. Fingers crossed? Am I being overoptimistic again?).
And with LindaJeanne, I'm now burningly curious about Old Hack's idea four years ago.
Interesting how the prediction then--that more and more publishers would turn to vanity/self-pub side operations--doesn't seem to have come true (in fact, it looks like a lot of the pay to play branch off have closed down. Fingers crossed? Am I being overoptimistic again?).
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I think a handful have developed vanity arms in that time, so while there were some that took that path but it certainly has not become the norm.
I only just saw these comments--sorry!
Yes, I did blog about it. The gist was that if trade publishers were to provide what would essentially be vanity publishing services they could only do so if they were completely upfront about the chances of success, and the differences between their trade and vanity arms; but that they could provide added value by encouraging their editors and designers, etc., to offer freelance services to the paying authors, probably through a central website-and-forum thingy. The publishers could take a small commission from the editors etc to cover their costs; and they could even offer some distribution services for any books that seemed promising.
They could also offer things like editorial reports on people's manuscripts (all interested authors--self or trade published--could volunteer to give these, and give details of the fees they'd require), again with a commission to the publisher.
There are all sorts of services that could be provided, reasonably easily, and at fair cost, in ways that could help writers improve and publish through the scheme if they wanted to, without anyone being exploited. But so far the trade publishers which have gone forward with a "self publishing" service have chosen to work within the bounds established by vanity publishers, rather than creating something newer and more flexible.
I'll stop ranting now.
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Whaaaaa? It HAS come true! It's a billion dollar industry. It's a nightmare! http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/the-author-exploitation-business/
The vanities tell them they are being published as part of the Penguin Group etc...
Then this kind of thing happens. Click this link
Google any of these "companies" plus the word "scam" (I mean the companies that David Gaughran mentions in his article) and see what actually happens to all these people. It is really extreme. Here is just one list of complaints. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/directory/iuniverse
Have a read of them. It's worse than you would ever imagine.
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Since this isn't really the place for this rant- I'll shut up now.
As far as I know Xcite Books doesn't even have a vanity arm that they are pushing to anyone at least not right now. . Looking at the Accent Press guidelines they don't seem to have one either. http://www.accentpress.co.uk/submission-guidelines.html
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In fact if you read Gaughran's article he shows evidence that it is the norm.
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Octavo site currently "under construction". Its associated bookstore: https://octavobooks.co.uk/
Perhaps related, Access Press reported to be scaling back after "overexpansion" in '17. (Bookseller)
Xcite URL has reverted to http://www.xcitebooks.com/home
Perhaps related, Access Press reported to be scaling back after "overexpansion" in '17. (Bookseller)
Xcite URL has reverted to http://www.xcitebooks.com/home
Xcite is back to (NSFW!): https://xcitebooks.co.uk/
In '16, Octavo Publishing merged with Onion Custard Publishing to form Octavo Group Ltd. (Bookseller article), but vanished soon after. (Onion Custard found a new home with Wordcatcher.) (Not to be confused with Octavo Publishing, LLC.)
In' 19, Accent "partnered" with Headline. Per Bookseller:
In '16, Octavo Publishing merged with Onion Custard Publishing to form Octavo Group Ltd. (Bookseller article), but vanished soon after. (Onion Custard found a new home with Wordcatcher.) (Not to be confused with Octavo Publishing, LLC.)
In' 19, Accent "partnered" with Headline. Per Bookseller:
No longer any separate site. Books being published as Headline Accent. https://twitter.com/AccentPress