• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

Wool Press Publishing

Figgy

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
Registered
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wool-Press-Publishing/492259774152256?fref=ts

http://woolpresspublishing.com/

This company was brought to my attention about a month ago, and I was keeping an eye on them. At the time, I had nothing more to go on than their lack of proper punctuation and grammar.

Since then, the situation has blown up a little.

A "rant" was posted by one of the owners on a facebook writing group, claiming their intent to revolutionise the industry, and make traditional publishers sit up and take notice, make them stop "twiddling their thumbs."

A few of us noticed an awful lot of grammar and punctuation errors in his short post, and pointed out that people might be a little sceptical of a publisher who can't use possessive apostrophes or full stops correctly.

They explained that they had "the best editor's[sic] in the business" on staff, and that their products would speak for themselves. This prompted us to ask a) "What are your qualifications?" and b) "How do you test your editors?"

In response to these rather standard questions, we were told that they would "not put up with your threats" and that we had "been warned."

There was a lot of back and forth, in which our questions were called "silly" and "irrelevant" and we were told how boring we were for not dropping the questions. Eventually this ended when one of the owners asked a friend of mine if he would like his number, so they could have a real chat. They spoke, and the situation was smoothed over, to a point.

Along the way, we were told by one of the owners that they covered editing expenses, and by the other that the author had to pay those costs. And since the arguing stopped, I discovered that these editors who they claimed were "the best in the business" are non-existent. They don't have ANY editors on staff at the moment, unless you count Mike, one of the owners, who doesn't seem to have much of a grasp of grammar either.

I now believe that Carl might just not have an idea of how it all works, and how unskilled he is, and that Mike might be trying to take him for a ride, as well as the young authors they seem so intent on signing.

Oh, and they have links to a racist site on facebook...

Waiting for the next blow up, but the facebook page and the website certainly DO speak for themselves.
 

OhTheHorror

jlw
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
232
Reaction score
16
Location
The Land Downunder
Wool Press Publishing Services
Here at Wool Press Publishing we offer a wide range of services to help writers get the best possible value, guidance, and advice.
All services will be priced & charged according to Artist and Editor Fees & costings at the time of submission.

There really is no need to read any further. They're not a publisher, they're vanity ... or worse.
 

Figgy

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
Registered
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Yeah, they're a vanity parading as a small press. A lot of young or inexperienced writers (coincidental that this is their target group?) don't realise that the money flows TO the author.

I am a freelance editor, and one of my repeat clients almost signed up with Xlibris, thinking they were a "real" publisher.

ETA - She almost signed with them, then came to me with some questions and soon realised it would be in her best interests NOT to go with them.
 

Figgy

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
Registered
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
36
Reaction score
14
Location
Melbourne, Australia
The two owners have works displayed on the site. One of the pieces is incredibly offensive to Aussies, not well written, and hard to read even with the knowledge of the local slang. The other is just... poorly punctuated, and I don't find myself compelled to find out how it wraps up.
 

OhTheHorror

jlw
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
232
Reaction score
16
Location
The Land Downunder
They are, but they're not being very clever about it. ;)

A post on their FaceBook calling for children aged fifteen and younger to submit to an anthology they're slapping together is a bit worrying.

Wool Press Publishing - Sunday
Hello everyone.
Back to real business.
Wool Press Publishing is still seeking junior authors.
If you know of any Children up to age 15, who show even the slightest talent with creative writing, we would like to be able to consider them for our 2013 anthology.
Please pass this on to parents and guardian's so they can contact me.

I haven't decided if they're scammers or just woefully ignorant of how real publishing works.

Either way they're a "stay away" for me.
 

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
13,954
Reaction score
1,751
Location
Coastal Desert
Lasted at least through May, but is gone now.