[Publisher] Month9Books

James D. Macdonald said:

The short answer is, the authors did nothing wrong. The publisher did.

The lessons learned are to wait to submit to startup publishers for the first two years, to avoid one-person shops, and to publish around (have more than one publisher, so that when one collapses (and they all do, eventually) you aren't entirely out in the cold).

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Sound advice. The first publisher I went with (in 2007) went under two months after my publication. They took two of my books with them--and 26 other authors. Since then I've been with different publishers and it's worked out.

YA Interrobang has done detailed interviews with various writers and editors who were screwed over by Month9 books, and one author who had a positive experience, as well as an interview with owner Georgina McBride. It's a fantastic article and I really appreciate the bravery and candidness of all the authors quoted.

That... is an incredible series of articles. Thanks for posting. The threats and insults are almost as troubling as the publisher's callous, flip dismissal of those accusations.

I am getting my rights back! Looks like everything is going to go smoothly. *fingers crossed* I definitely appreciate them being speedy about this. It's going to be so great to move on to a new chapter. I'm hopeful for the future.

I signed with Tantrum last August 2015, and the announcement for my MG went out in December. I went through several rounds of substantial edits and was paid my ms " on acceptance" amount. I turned everything in on time, or sooner. Last March my project went to copy edits, and my editor was lovely.

Then the notice went out to authors about rights reversions. Those without agents would have been informed already, others would speak with their agents. Two weeks later, (I do not have an agent.) I get the email from Georgia, going forward my book doesn't fit with their long-term brand strategy and my rights will be reverted, which are (hopefully) on their way! I suppose I should feel good to get out, after reading all the horror stories. I'm scrambling to find an agent again. If there's one thing I've learned, its that I need/want/deserve to have an agent. This is soul-crushing.

Oh, Karen. That sounds horribly frustrating. I'm sorry to hear that, but thank you for sharing your experience.

In case anyone missed it, Writer Beware did an article on what's going on with Month9Books. Here it is: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2016/07/month9books-scales-back-its-list-amid.html

I've talked to no less than 30 (former and current) authors and staff members, and we're all wondering where the money is going if none of us is being paid for our books.

A great number of we Illustrators and Authors went through a similar "publisher implosion" years ago with Lobster Press and I so feel for all of you Authors just beginning your recovery process. The very worst part of something like this IS that it takes what should be a very happy and proud time in an Author or Illustrators life and makes it sad and ugly. I found myself turning down (paid even) school visit requests, because I could not face talking about and showing the books I had Illustrated, once it all started unraveling. I also did NOT want to promote the books, once we all understood any sales were not going to result in Author or Illustrator royalties. While I personally ended up with a small amount of royalties near to the very end of the Pubs life, most got nothing.
We all eventually got our rights back, even though the publisher was hoping to keep them and start up an ebook press with the existing titles. Also the very bad contract clause that was mentioned in the PW story was never enforced by the Publisher, a fortunate thing, and I and my Author were able to salvage some of the books and enter into a decent licensing contract with a good, well known interactive epublisher. That has turned out better then we could have ever expected, royalty wise, but even after all these years, there is a twinge of disappointment over that "dream" shattered.
Time does take a lot of the sting out of it, hoping this for the Authors here too.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/...e/48785-lobster-press-pauses-to-catch-up.html
http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2011/10/alerts-lobster-press-and-dailey-swan.html

Victoria does an excellent job of highlighting the MANY problems happening within Month9/GMMG. Please, please, please stay away from this publisher. I cannot stress this enough. The poor marketing, the lack of support, the continued struggle to get paid (I've received two very meager payments since my first book released with Month9 in 2013), the questionable royalty statements that you have to fight and push (and push some more) to even get, the bullying and intimidation, the severe impact all of this has on our well-being and ability to create new work, the isolation, the fight to get your rights back (I have mine now, thank god)...it's profoundly awful to be in this situation.

Run, don't walk, away from Georgia McBride/Month9Books/GMMG.

Wow, this all makes me so sad. I remember looking into Month9Books many moons ago and thinking it seemed like a really legit indie publisher. I'm so sorry to everyone who hasn't received payment or has struggled with them

The impact on well-being from all of this is the worst. I've been trying to be positive as I can and hopeful about self-publishing, but this has been extremely hard. It's so depressing that something I was once dancing with joy over turned out this way. Makes you wonder if good things are even possible. I won't give up, though. I will keep going no matter what.

pinkbowvintage said:

Wow, this all makes me so sad. I remember looking into Month9Books many moons ago and thinking it seemed like a really legit indie publisher. I'm so sorry to everyone who hasn't received payment or has struggled with them

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I also held them in the highest esteem and thought they were the cat's meow in independents.

I saw a Tweet from another author the other day gushing about her wonderful publishers: Month9 and Limitless.

So, I guess there's a group of "loyal" authors insisting that nothing is wrong?

Yes, some appear to be happy. Some may actually be happy. To continue to acquire, you have to have the lure of happy authors, usually your most visible, bestsellers. Top of the iceberg.

Also, there is that little thing about not getting your first royalties until a year after your first book with them publishes. So if someone signs with them, and it takes the usual year or so for the book to come out, then another year... There can be a long "honeymoon" period before the author notices problems with that particular issue.

Victoria Strauss did an interview with Georgia McBride: http://www.victoriastrauss.com/2016...isnt-new-qa-with-month9books-georgia-mcbride/

[FONT=Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Palatino, serif]>When we first started, I paid on a "commission" type basis where the freelancers income was tied to the book's performance. It was a good idea to motivate and encourage people<[/FONT]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Palatino, serif]SO much of what she said in answer to Victoria boggled my mind but the above just floored me! NO, it's not a good idea (she says in the interview it did NOT turn out well, with these unpaid editors not doing a good job, so she did not pay them anything, having to get someone else to redo the work!)
How could she ever imagine a good Editor would agree to work for free, especially with a small and new publisher! It was not to motivate or encourage, it was to not have to pay for Editing!!! Just say it for gd sake! And then what kind of work did she think she would get.... for FREE![/FONT]

Same post, different blog. Readers are commenting at this site:

https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2016/07/cutting-lists-isnt-new-q-with.html

ctripp said:

>When we first started, I paid on a "commission" type basis where the freelancers income was tied to the book's performance. It was a good idea to motivate and encourage people<

SO much of what she said in answer to Victoria boggled my mind but the above just floored me! NO, it's not a good idea (she says in the interview it did NOT turn out well, with these unpaid editors not doing a good job, so she did not pay them anything, having to get someone else to redo the work!)
How could she ever imagine a good Editor would agree to work for free, especially with a small and new publisher! It was not to motivate or encourage, it was to not have to pay for Editing!!! Just say it for gd sake! And then what kind of work did she think she would get.... for FREE!

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As one of the editors hired at the beginning, I can assure you that the quality and timeliness of the freelancer's work was not a problem. She's just talking crap to divert attention from herself.

For the record, I worked at Month9 for two and a half years for love of the job and team. With the creation of the Tantrum imprint I was being given more responsibilities based on my work, but I decided to quit. Because not getting paid is kind of a problem.

I've never received any payment for the books I edited or other work I did.

ash.y said:

As one of the editors hired at the beginning, I can assure you that the quality and timeliness of the freelancer's work was not a problem. She's just talking crap to divert attention from herself.

For the record, I worked at Month9 for two and a half years for love of the job and team. With the creation of the Tantrum imprint I was being given more responsibilities based on my work, but I decided to quit. Because not getting paid is kind of a problem.

I've never received any payment for the books I edited or other work I did.

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This just blows my mind. Why has nobody gone after her legally? 2.5 YEARS of not being paid?! *faints*

Sage said:

So this part:



isn't accurate, at least in your experience? Because, certainly, if they kept giving you more responsibilities, they can't claim that your work was extremely late or not up to their standards. Putting aside whether it's right to not pay editors in those circumstances either and whether paying on commission in the first place was a bad idea, there's an element of redemption in the story of paying editors for their work regardless of whether the books sold and despite the contract. So it's important if that part of the story is not true.

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As far as my experience goes, no, that's not true. When I was working there I wasn't the only one not getting paid, but I don't know what happened with payment to those other (awesome, enthusiastic, competent) people.

It was absolutely a bad idea to accept commission-based payment.

Holy crap, that was one of the saddest 'interviews' I have ever read. The arrogance and misdirection are incredible.

Ash.y, 2.5 years and no pay at all? So they basically said to you that in all that time nothing you worked on earned anything? Surely something sold.
And I feel bad, I'm sorry and I meant no disrespect in my earlier post, I just didn't imagine that Editors would take the same risk that some Authors are willing to take.

I wonder if others at M9, such as layout and cover designers, also agreed to work on a commission bases?

>but I later realized that sometimes a book simply does not sell. And, even if it does, after distribution, printing, marketing, etc., there is little left to pay the editor.<

And here she clearly admits to having no knowledge about Publishing! She didn't know some books don't sell well? and never gave a thought to what percentage the Editors would [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]receive from the books that do sell? She is also implying here that Editing is the least important factor in the success of a book, getting only a fraction of what monies are left after everything and everyone else has taken a piece of the pie![/FONT]