Lighthouse Christian Publishing

Undercover · Mar 28, 2011

What should you do?

I am extremely vexed over a certain publisher (not gonna name names yet) but I am one step away from exposing this editor.

I threatened him a second time, within a year's time and the book still isn't done. I gave him till the 15th of April and if he doesn't I am going straight to Victoria Strauss on Preditors and Editors.

It's been a full year and nothing but a headache, AND I had to pay for this mess.

My complaints:

Very poor communication involved on this editor's part.
NEVER answers a lot of my questions.
Keeps dragging this on and on.
Shows me the crapped up pdf...with massive grammar errors, that I keep telling him to fix.
Won't show me the cover.
Horrible editting on his company's part.
Bad illustrations that I had to convince myself an okay on.
very vague contract.

and the worst part of this all is, I am afraid IF and when the book ever does get done, I won't get paid for it. He has shown nothing but unprofressionalism.

Should I keep waiting?
I said till the 15th, but I have a feeling he still won't even reply.
SHould I start investigating how and where to go for this mess?
Should I just bail out of this headache now while I have a chance?

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT and I repeat NOT Eternal Press. This is a very different publisher. I've been dealing with quite a few of them lately and I will say, Eternal Press is the very best.

If anyone has any idea as to how to guide me with this, I would appreciate it.

Sheryl Nantus · Mar 28, 2011

Is there a thread currently up on AW about said publisher?

And what did you pay for?

Undercover · Mar 28, 2011

As far as I know, it isn't. I am afraid if I expose them too early, it will backfire on me.
I paid 300 dollars for it...stupid I know, but this was my first contract...little did I know then what I know now.

CACTUSWENDY · Mar 28, 2011

I would have already sent a PM to Victoria on the side and check with her about this company. Only my two cents.

KathleenD · Mar 28, 2011

You've got kind of a high post count here - too high for the usual Speech to Newcomers* to be news to you, so I'm curious as to what was different about these guys that you gave them any money at all.

From what you've said, my instinct is scam. Pull out if you can.

* For the benefit of actual new people, in whose numbers I still count myself in many ways: Money flows to the writer. Publishers edit, arrange cover art, format, and upload without charging the writer up front. They get their money through a cut of each sale. Anyone you pay up front is at best a vanity publisher and at worst a scammer. This does not include work-for-hire, which is where you as a self-publisher hire editing, artwork, and other services while retaining all rights to and all royalties from the resulting book.

victoriastrauss · Mar 28, 2011

CACTUSWENDY said:
I would have already sent a PM to Victoria on the side and check with her about this company. Only my two cents.

Please do contact me, either by PM here or directly at beware [at] sfwa.org.

(And BTW, I'm with Writer Beware, not Preditors & Editors--Writer Beware and P&E are separate organizations.)

- Victoria

Undercover · Mar 28, 2011

Thanks. For the record, this is a publisher that I signed on with a year ago, and was new and a green horn to all this and before I signed on here. hence the higher post count.

Victoria, thanks. Sorry I got your website confused. You will be hearing from me soon. Thanks

scope · Mar 28, 2011

I still don't undestand what you paid the $300 for.

Adobedragon · Mar 28, 2011

scope said:
I still don't undestand what you paid the $300 for.

High blood pressure and an ulcer, it would seem.

thothguard51 · Mar 28, 2011

LMC...

What does your contract stipulate as far as when the book is supposed to be published.

What can you do?

Keep it professional. No threats. State your case as per the terms of the contract and if notify them that if you don't get results by this or that date, you want your contract terminated and your fees refunded for breach of contract, if indeed they breached the contract.

Was this a joint venture deal?

brainstorm77 · Mar 28, 2011

thothguard51 said:
LMC...

What does your contract stipulate as far as when the book is supposed to be published.

What can you do?

Keep it professional. No threats. State your case as per the terms of the contract and if notify them that if you don't get results by this or that date, you want your contract terminated and your fees refunded for breach of contract, if indeed they breached the contract.

Was this a joint venture deal?

This.

Stacia Kane · Mar 28, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
As far as I know, it isn't. I am afraid if I expose them too early, it will backfire on me.

Sorry, backfire how, exactly? You're already being treated shabbily, and do you really want your book to come out with these jokers?

Look for the rights termination clause in your contract, and use it. Pull your book. And start a thread on this "publisher" immediately.

Undercover · Mar 28, 2011

Thanks everyone, I sincerely appreciate the support. I have already emailed Victoria as to how to guide me on this. Thanks.

KathleenD · Mar 28, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
Thanks. For the record, this is a publisher that I signed on with a year ago, and was new and a green horn to all this and before I signed on here. hence the higher post count.

I get you. I echo the others, then - pulling your book cannot possibly backfire. Everyone makes mistakes. There will be no black mark on your record, so to speak. This one guy might hate you forever, but sounds like that might be a mark in your favor.

The money sounds like a lot, but you're already three hundred bucks worth of upset. It's not worth it to dig in deeper, not if you can still get your rights back and try again knowing what you know now. Hang in there and keep us posted

AC Crispin · Mar 29, 2011

Speaking as the other Chair of Writer Beware, I'd say that the handwriting is on the wall, and you'd be letting yourself in for more misery and probably more loss of money if you stick with these people. Seems to me the handwriting on this wall is clear:

Cut your losses, cancel this contract, and refuse to pay another sou.

-Ann C. Crispin
Chair, Writer Beware
www.writerbeware.com

A.C. Crispin
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom
Disney Editions
May 17, 2011
www.accrispin.com

brainstorm77 · Mar 29, 2011

I hope you can get your money back.

Namatu · Mar 29, 2011

AC Crispin said:
Speaking as the other Chair of Writer Beware, I'd say that the handwriting is on the wall, and you'd be letting yourself in for more misery and probably more loss of money if you stick with these people. Seems to me the handwriting on this wall is clear:

Cut your losses, cancel this contract, and refuse to pay another sou.

Definitely this.

Lmc71775 said:
I threatened him a second time, within a year's time and the book still isn't done.

But do it without threats and with the epitome of professionalism that covers all your bases.

Atlantis · Mar 29, 2011

You sound like you've been scammed. You should never have to pay a publisher anything to get a book published. They should have the money to be able to edit it and put it together themselves. You should also never be charged to get out a contract. You should tell people who the publisher is so others can avoid them. I hope you get your money back. Good luck.

PortableHal · Mar 29, 2011

Best of luck with this, Lisa.

I'm glad this experience hasn't killed your interest in writing. You've found other publishers with an interest in your work and you seem pleased with Eternal Press -- good for you.

Susan Coffin · Mar 29, 2011

Lisa,

I agree with what others said. It sounds like a scam. I won't tell you to never pay an agent or publisher for their services, because I know you know that now. Hang in there and be sure to utilize appropriate resources (the bewares forum here, and you've already emailed Victoria). I don't know the particulars of your contract, but it sounds like there was some breach. Perhaps you can get your money back based on that.

Undercover · Mar 30, 2011

I have decided to let everyone in the free world know

LIGHTHOUSE PUBLISHING COMPANY IS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will fight to make sure this does NOT happen to any writers looking to do business with Andy Overett the Owner who has put me through the ringer for a year! And still did not publish my book.

Will have more on this soon.

Lisa

Undercover · Mar 30, 2011

http://www.lighthousechristianpublishing.com/

kaitie · Mar 30, 2011

I just wanted to quote this from their submissions page:

The books that sell well are those that are taken on enthusiastically by the author. Believe it or not, we’ve had authors who haven’t bothered to buy a single copy of their work. If they think so little of their book, then others will probably share their opinion. As well as persuading your family and friends to buy copies, you will need to work out a plan for contacting various magazines and other media outlets for reviews, holding book signings, and thinking of every way possible to get your book known. You will be able to buy unlimited copies of your book at half the cover price. Publishing a book is a partnership between author and publisher.

While I didn't see anything saying upfront that they require payment, this certainly gives a pretty good idea of what their business model is.

I guess that since the New Standard Version doesn't explicitly state that scamming authors for money is amoral that makes it okay.

Marian Perera · Mar 31, 2011

Believe it or not, we’ve had authors who haven’t bothered to buy a single copy of their work. If they think so little of their book, then others will probably share their opinion.

By that token, Stephen King must be buying his own books by the garageful.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 31, 2011

Believe it or not, we’ve had authors who haven’t bothered to buy a single copy of their work. If they think so little of their book, then others will probably share their opinion. As well as persuading your family and friends to buy copies....

I did, once, buy a single copy of one of my own books. From a bookstore. Where it was already shelved, and not because I'd begged the manager to stock it. Because I needed a copy right then, and didn't have one with me. Because I don't generally travel with a case of my books in the trunk of my car.

kaitie said:
I guess that since the New Standard Version doesn't explicitly state that scamming authors for money is amoral that makes it okay.

And here I'd been under the impression that Exodus 20:8 covered it.

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