• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

YouWriteOn.com / New Generation Publishing / Legend Press

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Parchment, I've just been told by someone else that the previous phone number is out of service. The Companies House one is more recent, so probably more likely to be right. It could well be a solicitor's office, or YWO's registered address (which isn't necessarily Ted Smith's home address).
 

gothicangel

Toughen up.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
7,907
Reaction score
691
Location
North of the Wall
There used to be a charity number displayed on YWO; but has now vanished???

Look what I found:

"The site will display whether a book is available to buy as a paperback on Amazon or as an eBook."

Ted never intended for books to be directly available from YWO; did he?
 

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
6,704
Reaction score
1,314
Location
Far from the madding crowd
Website
www.victoriastrauss.com
A bit more evidence that Kevin is not who he says he is:

Over in the Authonomy thread, he claimed to have worked for PublishAmerica, "who are a considerably well known company who might be considered 'old'." A little later, when I asked if he'd really worked there or was just trying to get the peeps wound up, he responded, "I think PA may have a bad rep here from what I am reading but they always treated me well, free coffee, etc, good work stations, and the bosses were pretty relaxed." Which (and let's forget for the moment the, um, peculiarity of describing PA as having "relaxed bosses") certainly makes it sound as if he actually worked for PA at PA's offices, rather than remotely.

However, not only does Kevin's IP address match Ted Smith's, which suggests he's in the UK (actually, that's the least it suggests), he consistently uses British slang (chuffed), spelling (realised), and punctuation (single quotes, as seen above). It seems pretty safe, therefore, to assume he's a Brit. So I'm wondering how he wound up working not just for PA, but at PA. Work visa? Big fat lie?

Maybe "Kevin" isn't actually Ted. But it seems clear enough that he isn't "Kevin," either, and that he is here to troll. The most evil thing you can do to a troll is to ignore him. Which is what I suggest we do.

- Victoria
 

petec

Lurking
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
709
Reaction score
432
Youwriteon.com limited addresss


Kevin Who?
 
Last edited:

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
3,389
Reaction score
802
Location
Here and there
Parametric:
Was YouWriteOn claiming to be a charity in the first place? Its Arts Council funding alone gives it a turnover higher than £5000, so it would have to register with the Charity Commission under the Charities Act and get one of those numbers, which it doesn't seem to have done. And the Art Council website talks about funding "national, regional and local organisations, both private and public", not only charities.

I always thought the grant application was going to Ted as an individual running it for arts-based reasons (which are certainly permitted under the Arts Council's funding rules), but it isn't something I looked at too closely.

If YWO has incorporated, then it is possible that the reason the Arts Council may decide to no longer fund is because a company is usually set up for the purpose of making a profit for distribution to shareholders, which is not permitted under their funding rules. However, this is pure speculation on my part.

Parametric:
Does forming a limited company perhaps signify a refocusing on the vanity publishing business

There are a number of reasons to set up a company in addition to running a vanity publishing business, e.g. preferential tax rates if a business is earning or anticipates earning significant profits, the limited liability regime offers protection against defamation suits brought in relation to the message boards, if there's a possibility or desire to sell the business later on then it's easier to do so as an incorporated trading company than it is to do so as a sole trader etc.

MM
 

jpfife

Registered
Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
34
Reaction score
7
Location
Fife, Scotland, UK
Website
www.shadowdevil.com
I found myself lurking here more and more so I've just signed up for the board.

Firstly, the 'SpyBus' author made it into one of my local papers this week, The Dunfermline Press, they have his book signings down as being sponsored by Waterstones and the publisher as Legend Press, not YouWriteOn.

I was also in a Waterstones shop today (damn those three for twos) and happened to see the Caligula book that is prominently advertised on the YouWriteOn home page; and I'm guessing that guy would have had a good crack at getting published even without YouWriteOn as what isn't mentioned on the web site but is mentioned on the front page of the book is that he is the assistant editor at the Scotsman newspaper.

http://www.scotsman.com/food/Dinner-with--Douglas-Jackson.4437641.jp


I know it isn't automatic that a journo would get a book contract but they are in a better position than the average person at convincing a publisher they have a viable product.
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
I can back up some of what JP says: I've been informed privately that the Caligula book was picked up via the usual submissions process, and the author's membership of YouWriteOn was purely incidental.
 

gothicangel

Toughen up.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
7,907
Reaction score
691
Location
North of the Wall
If I'm right newspapers are connected to publishing houses which are then swallowed up in huge conglomerates.

The book does sound like a cracking read; I'm sure he would get published anyway.

Is Jackson doing a signing at Waterstones in Dumfermline? He's doing one in Stirling - the display in our Waterstones says he's a local author.
 

Anna Magdalena

Your friendly cynic
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
235
Reaction score
53
Location
Yorkshire.
Website
theelephantinthewritingroom.blogspot.com
I don't think any of us would deny that YWO, as a showcase for unpublished writers, was a good idea; it certainly wasn't bad, although it seems to me that those manuscripts that rose to the top would probably have found a publisher without it anyway--but it didn't hurt.

It was only when YWO started vanity-publishing (and at a mad rush, too) that things began to unravel. Now whether Ed always intended to vanity-publish and the showcase scheme was a sweetener or he later felt it would get him out of financial difficulties or earn him a nice remuneration we don't know--yet.

All I know is that a lot of people are not very happy and Ed doesn't seem to care. (Didn't someone--can't remember his name (!)--say Ed was 'relaxed' about it?)
 

qwerty

exiled Brit
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
222
Location
Burgundy
Beneath the Arts Council logo, the YWO message board now says:

YouWriteOn Author Publishing News Update - February 2009
We will next be offering free publishing set-up for new talented writers interested in publishing with YouWriteOn in there months time, click here or email [email protected] to express an interest and we will contact you when we launch our next publishing

No more mention of new functions being added, or when the message board will be open for members of the originally funded scheme or the public.
 

Gunn

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
71
Reaction score
3
Yet another typo from Ted - there not three. His messages have always been littered with them, along with barely comprehensible sentence structure. Easy to why some writers have spelling mistakes on their front covers.

YWO R.I.P
 

Gunn

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
71
Reaction score
3
Oops missed a word out and can't get the edit thingy to work!

Must be getting 'Teditis'.
 

qwerty

exiled Brit
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
222
Location
Burgundy
This is what the Arts Council England says regarding use of their logo:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ACKNOWLEDGING OUR SUPPORT

The terms and conditions which follow set out information about the use of the grant award logo and Lottery grant award logo and what your responsibilities are in using these logos.

This permission is specific to the funded activity and may not be transferred to another activity, person or organisation.


So, I ask again, how and why is Edward Smith using that logo on pages promoting his own publishing scheme?
 

qwerty

exiled Brit
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
222
Location
Burgundy
Arts Council standard conditions for grants:

"You should feature the Grant award logo/Lottery grant award logo on all information, marketing and publicity materials relating to the activity we have agreed to fund, including printed and online material. You should also incorporate verbal and written acknowledgment of our support into your communications."

The key words being:
relating to the activity we have agreed to fund,
and
verbal and written acknowledgment of our support
 

petec

Lurking
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
709
Reaction score
432
YWO public message board

Does anyone see anywhere on this page, under the Arts Council logo, that refers to the activity that the Arts Council sponsored? Or acknowledement of their support?

If not, does this mean YWO is using that logo under false pretences?
 
Last edited:

gothicangel

Toughen up.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
7,907
Reaction score
691
Location
North of the Wall
This has appeared this morning:

"The Arts Council fund critiques for new writers from leading publishers each month on YouWriteOn.com.YouWriteOn also offers its own book publishing initiative, funded solely by us."


That's still not completely true is it Ted? First no mention that it's self-publishing; secondly your not even funding it by a penny!
 
Last edited:

SassyB

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
74
Reaction score
6
Location
UK
I used to be a YWO member but left because of the insidious nastiness and bullying. I've watched what was happening over the past few months and have to say I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole now - I feel it's lost all integrity through a combination of member attitudes and this whole self-publishing debacle.
This is an interesting thread and has brought many things to light I didn't know about.
On an interesting note, and not to dismiss his being published because his book has received some good reviews, but Keith Mansfield acknowledges the fact that he was already friends with Wayne Davies who founded the publishing house, Quercus, who published his book, so perhaps YWO's credit taking is rather overblown.
 
Last edited:

anneboleyn

Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2009
Messages
18
Reaction score
3
Location
UK
I don't know if anyone's noticed, but if you scroll further down on the mesageboard page, it does say the forums will be back up in March. There's hope yet!
 

M.R.J. Le Blanc

aka Sadistic Mistress Mi-chan
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
2,195
Reaction score
271
Location
At the computer
I don't know if anyone's noticed, but if you scroll further down on the mesageboard page, it does say the forums will be back up in March. There's hope yet!

Given the track record so far, I can't say be terribly optimistic about that. How many times has Ted posted about the message board coming back only to see the indicated timeframe pass by? If it does I'll be surprised, but I'm not holding my breath.
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
The Bookseller has now published a blog article by Ted, which you can read here.

He has the time to write blog articles for the bookseller publicising his business: meanwhile his own message board remains down because he doesn't have the time to police it, and many of his own writers don't even know what's happening with their books because he's not got the time to update them.