Damnation Books

brainstorm77 · May 9, 2010

veinglory said:
I've seen worse.

This.

brianm · May 9, 2010

J.Henry said:
Alex didn't like the cover, I believe, because it in no way represented his story.

Fine.

Then he has three choices:

1) Pays to get out of the contract.
2) Sues to get out of the contract.
3) Forgets about the book and moves on.

What he doesn't do:

1) Offer a different version of the book himself on Lulu.

To quote UJ for emphasis:

James D. Macdonald said:
The only thing worse than being unpublished is being badly published

The book's dead. Move on.

~brianm~

brainstorm77 · May 9, 2010

brianm said:
Fine.

Then he has three choices:

1) Pay to get out of the contract.
2) Sue to get out of the contract.
3) Forgets about the book and moves on.

What he doesn't do:

1) Offer a different version of the book himself on Lulu.

To quote UJ for emphasis:

~brianm~

The best advice here thus far.

James D. Macdonald · May 9, 2010

"Blurb: In this supernatural thriller, three aimless souls collide in a tempest of lust, violence and vice in Washington, DC, where the elitist country clubs they call their home can be as cutthroat as the business of staying popular. As their triangle grows tighter, they each battle to hold on to their sanity, one fleeing to Africa, the other two signing up for a cruise to Mexico. But they cannot evade their fate. And as they face down doubles and triples of themselves stalking them wherever they run, they will learn that the demons that haunt them will accept only blood for their final sacrifice."

I don't know about the cover (or about how important covers even are in e-publishing), but that blurb sucks the big hairy wazoo.

FOTSGreg · May 9, 2010

Uncle Jim said, I don't know about the cover (or about how important covers even are in e-publishing)

Yeah, like I believe that.

If you do, come see me about this bridge I have in Arizona along the seacoast...

I firmly believe everything Uncle Jim ever says except for that. And maybe a couple other things. But other than those he is an absolute sage.

(actually, he is an Absolute Sage and newbs ought to listen to everything he has to say and then some).

showme · May 9, 2010

I actually liked the cover EP did for my book. They supplied an art information form, and gave me what I wanted. But I agree, the cover Alex got was awful. Anemic, springs to mind, and really wishy washy. It looks as if the artist wanted to save on paints.

Don West · May 10, 2010

showme said:
I actually liked the cover EP did for my book. They supplied an art information form, and gave me what I wanted. But I agree, the cover Alex got was awful. Anemic, springs to mind, and really wishy washy. It looks as if the artist wanted to save on paints.

Maybe it's supposed to look like a bloodless zombie, crying tears of blood, because it's losing a game of golf. That's a golf club it has, I think. Is there anything like this in the story line?

Sugertime · May 10, 2010

Don West said:
Maybe it's supposed to look like a bloodless zombie, crying tears of blood, because it's losing a game of golf. That's a golf club it has, I think. Is there anything like this in the story line?

I think it's supposed to be a riding crop. But the figure is dressed in the clothes of a cricketer, not an equestrian. Weird.

JL_Benet · May 10, 2010

I can't count the number of people I know who have been unhappy with their covers. Many of those people are with big houses, and have agents who have their back. I think that putting up a self-published edition on Lulu while trying to negotiate out of a contract is just about the worst possible thing a writer could do for their case. Legally, even going to the editor's mother's house and giving her the privilege of a Cleveland Steamer would at least not have been a gross violation of a signed contract. Any stance the writer had for claiming that he/she shouldn't have to pay to buy back rights is incredibly weakened. Write another, better book. Chalk this one up to a learning experience, and try to resell it when the rights at the current publisher expire.

Deleted member 42 · May 10, 2010

James D. Macdonald said:
I don't know about the cover (or about how important covers even are in e-publishing), but that blurb sucks the big hairy wazoo.

There are real questions about what a "cover" means in an ebook. There are some ebook file formats that don't support images at all, for instance.

CaoPaux · Nov 12, 2010

Damnation Books has bought the beleaguered Realms of Fantasy magazine.

Some community reaction:

http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2010/11/10/tread-carefuly/
http://jimhines.livejournal.com/538539.html

Note: I am reopening this thread under double-super-secret probation. I.e., don't be stupid.

Momento Mori · Nov 12, 2010

Well, if it is the real Kim Richards from Damnation Press who commented with such professionalism on Tobias Buckell's blog with this little gem, then I'm predicting more fireworks ahead:

Kim Richards
Oh yes, we paid a LOT more than $1.00.
Did you guys actually READ the thread at AW and all the other forums spammed with this? Did you notice the date and players? Alex no longer sells his bootleg copy of The Berserk at the advice of his lawyer; Damnation Books does sell it.
The other smear campaign didn’t work either. Same author posted as multiple people and stalked our staff. Is that someone whose advice you want to follow? Both Eternal Press and Damnation Books are stonger for having to prove ourselves. Guess you missed that.
We love our websites. They’re current, they’re gorgeous. They successfully sell books. This is the only place I’ve seen hate on them to date. Most people actually like what they see. I guess there’s always a first.
If you hate us without actually knowing us, that’s your problem. “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” To each his own.

Stay classy, Kim.

MM

Jamiekswriter · Nov 12, 2010

I loved Realms of Fantasy. The artwork, especially back in the 80's was unbelievable. I used to rip it out of the magazine and hang them on my wall. Now, I wish I still had those magazines.

Unimportant · Nov 12, 2010

It's a relief to read that the Realms staff will be continuing in their jobs. Doug Cohen has said that he and Shawna McCarthy, and likely the columnists and copy editors, will be remaining with Realms (blog entry here). He's also said that he and Shawna are comfortable with the new owners and their plans for the magazine.

The biggest pitfall I can see is $$$. So many magazines have folded due to low subscriber numbers (though few have managed to have as many Lazarus moments as Realms) -- they're bloody expensive to produce. I hope Damnation has a tonne of funding to pour into Realms.

eqb · Nov 12, 2010

I'm really glad to see that Shawna and Doug are still on the staff. Have they updated the submission guidelines, or are they the same as before? (Length limitations, pay rates, etc.)

Unimportant · Nov 12, 2010

From what Doug said on his blog, everything remains the same -- pay rate, contract, etc.

Unimportant · Nov 12, 2010

The latest info I can find:

RoF is open for submissions:

Effective immediately, the magazine is reopening to submissions.

Locus reports that "the April 2011 issue will be themed “dark fantasy” to coincide with World Horror Convention 2011, where Damnation Books will be hosting a party, and a booth in the dealers’ area."

D Cohen is asking authors who have/had mss with Realms to let him know if they'd like to have them remain under consideration, and he'd like everyone to pass on the word:

Shawna is going to have a lot of reading ahead of her as we build the magazine’s fiction inventory back up....If you had a story that was with Shawna and would still like it to be considered, please email me ([email protected]) and tell me the name of your story. It will save Shawna the trouble of reading a story that has since been withdrawn. It also wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to let me know you’re officially withdrawing your story or that you’ve already sold it elsewhere.

D Cohen expects that Realms will expand in the e-sale arena:

Our new publishers have already have found some ways to cut costs for the magazine without hurting the product. They also have a wide distribution in the digital realm thanks to their book publishing business. This could help lead to additional electronic sales for the magazine while it continues being sold on newsstands and through subscriptions.

The new owners will honour all existing subscriptions:

All current subscriptions will be honored and I understand that includes Dreams of Decadence subscriptions (which were applied previously to us to Realms of Fantasy subscriptions).

The new owners also assure readers that RoF will remain Fantasy:

I don't know why people suddenly think because one of our companies sells dark fiction (not only horror, but dark fantasy, thrillers, erotica, science fiction and more) that Realms will suddenly be a horror magazine. It's called Realms of Fantasy so it will remain fantasy.

victoriastrauss · Nov 13, 2010

eqb said:
I'm really glad to see that Shawna and Doug are still on the staff.

I would not take bets on how long that will last.

- Victoria

Unimportant · Nov 13, 2010

IMO, if Shawna leaves Realms, it won't be Realms any more. Without an equally well known editor (e.g., Ellen Datlow) to replace her, it'll drop off the face of the earth in less than a year.

eqb · Nov 13, 2010

Unimportant said:
IMO, if Shawna leaves Realms, it won't be Realms any more. Without an equally well known editor (e.g., Ellen Datlow) to replace her, it'll drop off the face of the earth in less than a year.

I agree it would collapse, but I think it would take less than a year for the magazine--more like six months, or three issues.

Given that Damnation has taken on a failing magazine with huge debts, does anyone know if they have the resources to keep it going?

Stlight · Nov 13, 2010

I don't see the logic in taking on the magazine, with all respect to the magazine.

I thought about this last night and there are a few possiblities.

1- she has the funding to pull it off and keep the magazine going.

2- she plans to re-issue the old issues, either in e form or paper. This could be both cool and not cool.

Please note I don't know anything about producing magazines.

Unimportant · Nov 13, 2010

I reckon it's not just funding. No one can fund a losing proposition long-term. RoF is a popular magazine with a good readership and a well-deserved reputation for quality, but the readership hasn't been enough to cover the costs of running a high-quality mag. So the new owners will either have to find a way to increase revenue to meet the existing costs of running RoF, or find a way to reduce the running costs. The previous owner presumably tried and failed at both options. I haven't seen any evidence that the new owner would be likely to pull it off, but as with any new press or new venture, all we can do is wait and see.

veinglory · Nov 13, 2010

Wait and see, and locate your deck chair outside the splash zone.

Unimportant · Nov 13, 2010

Well, yes.

Do they pay on acceptance or on publication? I couldn't find it in their guidelines. That will likely make a huge difference to a lot of authors, given the higher-than-average likelihood of a story being accepted and never getting to print.

victoriastrauss · Nov 14, 2010

eqb said:
Given that Damnation has taken on a failing magazine with huge debts, does anyone know if they have the resources to keep it going?

I wouldn't take any bets on that, either.

I think the folks at Damnation--lacking as they are in professional publishing experience--may be under the impression that they can make money. Let's see how long it takes for RoF to either fold or become a non-paying market.

- Victoria

Damnation Books

practical experience, FTW

Brian Boru

practical experience, FTW

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