Firefly & Wisp Publishing

Mary Duke said:

...and has just paid for press releases in her local papers.

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Paid for press releases? Why do (or, well, did) press releases have to be paid for? Are we now moving into vanity press territory here?

Mary Duke said:

The authors should not be targeted because of the publisher. Their not at fault in the matter.

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No author is, or has been, or will be, "targeted" in any conversation on Absolute Write. Our base rule is Respect Your Fellow Writer, and anyone who sees any violations of this rule should click the little warning triangle beside the comment in question. The moderators will address the issue from there, either in private or in public.

The reason we put publishers under such close scrutiny is to protect authors. Publishers that can withstand careful scrutiny by experienced people in the industry are much better choices to publish people's books than ones that turn out to have lied about their skills, or have too little experience to deal with the realities of the market.

I feel sorry for the authors. I hope we can get some more insights about the recent promotion and then the sudden business closing. I can't say I didn't think it would happen soon because I did, just not...this soon, you know.

Mary Duke said:

The authors should not be targeted because of the publisher. Their [sic] not at fault in the matter.

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I agree, Mary. I've checked back through a few posts and can't see where anyone is "targetting" anyone, but if you disagree then do please report the posts concerned. We won't put up with such behaviour here.

Joseph Rubas was a beta reader at Xchyler Publishing when we started in January, though was very quickly terminated.

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That's a bit drastic, don't you think? Ha!

These authors are scattered this morning. As of right now everything they have worked for, is under a bus. Lisa Morgan had a release party last night and has just paid for press releases in her local papers.

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Which is exactly why I always urge people to avoid signing with start-up publishers, or with publishers run by people without appropriate work experience.

It often ends in a mess, and it's always sad for the writers concerned when that happens.

Mary Duke said:

These authors are scattered this morning. As of right now everything they have worked for, is under a bus. Lisa Morgan had a release party last night and has just paid for press releases in her local papers.

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And, sadly, this is why we do not recommend brand-new publishers with no publishing experience.

This--for those who asked--is how authors get hurt by them.

Wisteria Vine said:

From F&W Facebook:

Firefly & Wisp Book Publishing
about an hour ago
Firefly & Wisp would like to thank everyone for being great fans to our awesome writers. We are sad to say that we are closing our doors. But on a happy note: Xchyler Publishing will be taking over our book contracts, per author agreement. If you haven't yet fanned the company, you should.

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I wouldn't hold your breath; if you look far enough back into the online history of the principals of Firefly and Wisp, there's a great deal of Internet drama, and yes, ye aucient arte of sockepuppetry and claims that are at best dubious.

Hey Mary, I noticed on your Facebook Fan Page that you're a marketing director for Firefly and Wisp, as well as the person behind Xchyler Publishing. So since you work for Firefly & Wisp, maybe you have a better idea of what's going on behind the screens? Is the company really closing its doors, or have they changed their minds, because the FB message is missing. Are they doing anything for the authors besides dropping off their manuscripts at Xchyler Publishing's doorstep?

When I go to the domain name for Firefly and Wisp, the page turns up missing. I'm seriously hoping they don't just vanish, but wrap up their business properly, or at least as well as they can.

I feel so bad for all these authors. They even started a fan group on Facebook We Love Firefly & Wisp.

Whatever they say, it is NOT acceptable for anyone, especially not a publisher, to just close the doors without further ado and drop the authors. Release rights first, and at least have the freaking courage to admit what's happening. Don't just vanish off the face of the earth.

Mary Duke said:

I agree with you all 100% I never said the authors were being targeted, I just said they should'nt be.

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Since authors aren't being targeted here, why did you feel the need to instruct us not to do so?

In point of fact, I daresay I speak for everyone here when I say our hearts hurt for the authors.

eternalised said:

I feel sorry for the authors. I hope we can get some more insights about the recent promotion and then the sudden business closing. I can't say I didn't think it would happen soon because I did, just not...this soon, you know.

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Insight... Each and every one of you are looking at this from an outside perspective. Granted, that may be the only perspective that truly matters because it is the same for the consumer, but you don't know the behind the scenes and what led up to certain decisions.

JRubas's position with Xchyler, and promotion with FFW is irreverent in what you are claiming this discussion is about. If you really want to attack him for working with multiple companies, than you might want to google his name and read every listing that comes up closely. He is an established writer who has done well getting his work out there, and isn't afraid to multitask his time between companies and jobs. He is not only a writer, but an editor, a proofreader, an assistant marketing director, and more.

I suggest that before you continue pointing fingers, check all of your facts. There are several aspects in this entire situation you have failed to even notice. Do your digging, but do so correctly. Otherwise, you look no better than the companies you claim to show red-flags and are highlighting as scetchy.

Mary Duke said:

I am a freelance marketer, and have been for several years. I market for the authors, not for the publisher. I also market for Gypsy Shadow Publishing, and Xchyler Publishing.
I am not behind Xchyler Publishing, I am just the Marketing Director.

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Now I'm confused. You are the Markting Director for Xchyler Publishing, but you don't market for them? You don't market for the publisher, but you market for Gypsy Shadow Publishing and Xchyler Publishing?

BHastings, I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about. Nobody here is targeting JRubas, if anything I feel sorry for him that he just received a position with a company on the very same day that company is allegedly closing their doors. The reason why I also pointed it out is that, from a logical point of view, it makes no sense. Why offer someone a position if you're about to close your doors on the same day? You claim this is irrelevant to the discussion, but in my opinion, it shows the unprofessionalism of Firefly and Wisp. Hiring a person on the same day you close your doors, that ranks as highly unprofessional in my book.

If there are things we, according to you, failed to notice, please point them out.

BHastings said:

Insight... Each and every one of you are looking at this from an outside perspective. Granted, that may be the only perspective that truly matters because it is the same for the consumer, but you don't know the behind the scenes and what led up to certain decisions.

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Right. True of any publishing company. However, when the outside perspective is of a company with no publishing expertise, run by a person who makes public statements of very dubious veracity, what are authors and consumers supposed to think? That it's a great place to send your work?

JRubas's position with Xchyler, and promotion with FFW is irreverent in what you are claiming this discussion is about. If you really want to attack him for working with multiple companies, than you might want to google his name and read every listing that comes up closely. He is an established writer who has done well getting his work out there, and isn't afraid to multitask his time between companies and jobs. He is not only a writer, but an editor, a proofreader, an assistant marketing director, and more.

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Now, I haven't seen anyone attack Mr Rubas for having multiple jobs. What I do have a problem with is people showing up to defend this company when they don't declare an interest. Do you have an interest? Did you declare it above? (I just checked - you did.)

And since you brought it up: I have been working in real publishing for over 12 years and I have never met anyone as multi-skilled as that. Do you mean to say that Mr Rubas is good enough at all those professional and specialised roles that he could be hired, by a publishing company, as any one of them? If so, wow. Grapple him to thy soul with hoops of steel. If not, then what you have is a kind of dilettante.

I suggest that before you continue pointing fingers, check all of your facts. There are several aspects in this entire situation you have failed to even notice. Do your digging, but do so correctly. Otherwise, you look no better than the companies you claim to show red-flags and are highlighting as scetchy.

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Well, geez, tell us what they are! I do have a job of my own to do, you know, and I do a little digging in my downtime as a public service to aspiring authors. Can't you help them out a little yourself?

If publishers don't want to be described as sketchy, they ought to stop behaving in a sketchy manner in public, no?

(Bolding mine)

Bubastes said:

But on a happy note: Xchyler Publishing will be taking over our book contracts, per author agreement. If you haven't yet fanned the company, you should.

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And how interesting, someone from Xchyler posted on the thread this morning.

Bizarre.

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Mary Duke said:

Xchyler Publishing Submissions team have agreed to read through the Firefly and Wisp manuscripts, when we get proof that their contracts have been terminated.
The authors should not be targeted because of the publisher. Their not at fault in the matter.
Joseph Rubas was a beta reader at Xchyler Publishing when we started in January, though was very quickly terminated. our staff can be found on our website.
These authors are scattered this morning. As of right now everything they have worked for, is under a bus. Lisa Morgan had a release party last night and has just paid for press releases in her local papers.

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Sorry, which is it? Are the contracts transferred per an apparent clause providing such in the F&W contracts, or has Xchyler agreed to consider those manuscripts once their contracts have been terminated (as pretty much every other publisher in the world would do)?

Wisteria Vine said:

And it just gets weirder... (Sorry I can't screencap - I don't know how to do that.)

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Talking about Windows machines here: Somewhere on your keyboard you'll find a Print Screen key. (PrtScn or something similar.)

Press that key.

Open up a graphics program (e.g. MicroSoft Paint). Select Paste from the appropriate menu (often, Control-V works). There you have it. A nice screen capture. Save it to your hard drive.

Long-time visitors to this forum know to keep regular screen-caps. Nothing ever vanishes permanently.

BHastings said:

Insight... Each and every one of you are looking at this from an outside perspective. Granted, that may be the only perspective that truly matters because it is the same for the consumer, but you don't know the behind the scenes and what led up to certain decisions.

JRubas's position with Xchyler, and promotion with FFW is irreverent in what you are claiming this discussion is about. If you really want to attack him for working with multiple companies, than you might want to google his name and read every listing that comes up closely. He is an established writer who has done well getting his work out there, and isn't afraid to multitask his time between companies and jobs. He is not only a writer, but an editor, a proofreader, an assistant marketing director, and more.

I suggest that before you continue pointing fingers, check all of your facts. There are several aspects in this entire situation you have failed to even notice. Do your digging, but do so correctly. Otherwise, you look no better than the companies you claim to show red-flags and are highlighting as scetchy.

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Again, no one is (or has, or will) attack JRubas. But you can't point fingers at us about honesty and not be truthful about your own vested interest in his reputation.

You're in a relationship with him, no?

It's great to defend your significant other, but make sure that there's an actual reason for that defense. Otherwise, you just look, well...defensive.

There are several aspects in this entire situation you have failed to even notice.

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Firefly & Wisp is an amateur-hour publisher that writers who want to a) be read, and b) would like to be paid for their writing, would be well-advised to avoid.

Is there some other aspect? Did I miss something?

Just a note here: I'm a freelance editor. I personally know of no publishers who will allow you to freelance at more than one publisher (even with a pen name at another) because of risk of competition and spying between publishers. Any time I have applied at a press, I'm asked to disclose any potential conflict of interest, and I know of several cases where errors were introduced into works as a competitive "strategy." (Yes, I can provide links... I think. I have to dig back in my archives.)

Sharing staff between two publishers seems bizarre to me as a result of my experience.

fourlittlebees said:

Sharing staff between two publishers seems bizarre to me as a result of my experience.

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Add it to the list of bizarre things.

Okay. I have read all the posts. I have no dog in this fight beyond being an advocate for writers. AW goes the extra mile to get behind the curtain and dig, dig, dig for information to keep new writers from falling prey to less-than-upstanding publishers and agents.
First off I'd like to extend a hearty "I'm sorry" to the authors who have been caught up in this mess. It must be heartbreaking to see all of your hard work and time do a virtual swirly.
Don't let this set back keep you from writing. Work on that next project, edit, keep creating. The future is what you make it.
I'm also wincing for the owners of FF&W. The level of red-faced mortification at being caught in such a debacle of lies and half-truths (and I say half-truths to be kind) is something that will stick with them for quite a while. Actually forever on teh interwebz.
It seems such a radical 180 to suddenly close your doors, shutter up the windows, pull the blankets up over your head and hide when you should actually be honest and own up to your company's assertions and claims. Yes, this just turned around and bit you on the bum, and the company's reputation is damaged beyond repair, but you can still turn this around and salvage your authors' future endeavors with other publishers.

No one here is trying to be a big meanie. We are advocates. We are only here to provide information. You have learned a valuable lesson over the last few days...If you lie then you will be caught.
Let's remember that lovely adage: The road to hell and all that rot. Your original reasoning is moot. You did it. And got caught. Oopsie.
Padding (embellishing, boosting up, lying, etc.) your resume (ahem) is NEVER a good idea in the electronic age. NEVER.
I wish everyone involved in this situation nothing but luck in their future endeavors. Lessons learned, everyone. Lessons learned.

The Surprisingly Short Saga of Firefly and Wisp is one of the most surreal things I've ever read on AbsoluteWrite. And that's saying something.

Let this be a lesson to all novice writers: research publishers THOROUGHLY before you entrust them with the fruits of your labours.

And Danielle Zwissler is listed on Xchyler's page as Editor in Chief. But...but...but...I thought F&W had "closed their doors" and that Xchyler said that F&W threw their authors under a bus. Why would they hire someone who would do that as their Editor in Chief?

From their FB page:

Xchyler Publishing
About
About
Enhancing readers lives, one author at a time...
Description
Submissions are currently open. We are accepting all types and styles of fiction. We would like to have a specially featured collection of steampunk and paranormal books.

Submission Guidelines are available on our website.

Owner - Carrie Beeson
Marketing Director - Mary Duke
Editor in Chief - Danielle Zwissler
Editor - Melissa Ravelli
Editor - Margaret Grady
Beta - Caitlin McColl
Beta - Rob Hardin
Cover Designer D. Robert Pease