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Meeting of the Minds Publications

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SHunter-Wilson

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I don't know if any of you ever heard of Meeting of the Minds Publications. I want to warn other writers about them. In case people missed it in the other thread for experience with publish america (that I posted). Basically the manager of Meeting of the Minds Publication or (journal) is harassing me, which will not stop calling my phone, even though I changed my number. What I tell you is true and careful thinking should be made before submitting to them. I'm not out to bash them but to share my story with them, in hopes to give other writers a chin up on what they are about as it stands. the manager of the press, use to be a friend but I did not know she would scam me with my work, which is awful. I strongly feel they need to be added to the list of publisher to avoid.

Books are published poorly, do not provide the ISBN#, books are stapled bound though they exceeed 30 pages.

They've gotten several author complaints.
The publisher (manager) is not very nice, unless you are submissive to her, bossy ways.
Their contract states that you must buy if I recall copies of your book. Your contract expire in a year.
They sell your book at event and do not tell you.
They sell your book on their website to (that's okay)
however,They do not provide a royalty statement that tells you if any of your books sold.

The cover artist of the books was the managers boyfriend and all the cover seem to be pencil sketches. There seems to be no option for photography or digital art, or art other than pencil and ink sketches.
One of my poems are broken into two poems in the book, which was not.
One author states that she tookd some work out of his book without his permission and published the book without certain work.

They expect you to attend three of their writing workshop, in which the manager of the press acts as the teacher most of the time. Though the writer is not a well known writer and could use criitique on her work (she does not accept critique) but forces the people she publishes to be criitiqued in the workshops and tries to force them to attend.
They have gotten several thousands dollars in grants, charge door fees for the poetry readings and the authors see barely any of it, in the promotion or marketing of their books, so where does the money go?

It is also important to not that she is a writer who is still rising as well but is bossy with the authors of her press and some of them are exceptional writers.

She claims they got 10,000 in grants, which sounds right since the grants that are listed as awards to them, show an estimation of that much as a whole. Now added with that and the money earned off her poetry reading shows which be packed. More money could have been put into the books and money can be put into marketing the books. She charges door fees for the family and friends of all the authors.Every author got to sell their book for five dollars at the show, regardless of the price of the book. Every authors book is not priced more than $10.00 no matter how large the book is or the quality of the work. The poetry readings do not provide refeshments either. Besides this, there is not promotion of any of the authors, also she reads from her own book at the shows as well which some people think is a conflict of interest for a publisher to do that.

I estimated after researching that for the 24 author books they already published, they could have spent 900 dollars and got the ISBN# for all of them.

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I went to meet the manager at her house during this time, she said she had my books. I told her the book were not printed goo and that she needed to fix a big mistake they made in the book and the cover color was awful and faded. She said she would and never did.

The printing source for the books is not revealed, and it is obviouse the printing is done by someone who is not very experienced, mostly likely out of home somewhere. She speaks of an office they have (not at her house) but tells no one where it is. They have a P.O. Box if I recall. The books are so bad, they are not marketable at all. I had my book looked at by booksellers and people tell me, the book does not look good, that it looks like a bad program.

The manager gets cool with local organization and uses her "personal" relationships with them as intimidation with their authors who are not pleased with their books, because they are so bad.

In a nut shell, the manager uses the publication of authors books, to boost their own name in the poetry world, with no regards of the quality of the books or the relationships with some of the authors.
Most of her authors want to avoid a fight so they are just waiting for their contract to be up.
She makes all her authors wear the same colors at readings (black and white mostly) and she wears a totally different color, multicolors. Some of the authors does not like this. I'm more concerned about my book.
At the reading I did earlier this year of theirs, she made me wait an hour in the heat and did not barely speak when she arrived and did not apologize or felt she had to. As she did not feel she had to with stating i'm a great fiction writing on television in their reading activity, though she has not read one piece of fictino by me and I was in the reading for poetry and reading poetry published by her press. lol. So it didn't make any sense at first but then I found out the person who managed the teleivions program was looking for fiction writers. She keeps trying to push me in fiction stuff, and does not applaud any of my poetry, though her press published it and I'm one of her top rated poets based on her audience, and queried me to submit my poetry. As I stated, she is about bringing exposure to her own work and if she feels another writer who is not on a personal level with her, is recieving alot of attention for their poetry, she treats them like crap.
She is too busy being jealous of some poets, (some she has published), who are not in personal relationships with her and wish to take attention from their work, unless she specifically approves it. lol.
I even advertised for her press for free when she made me think she'd reprint my book, the right way. I advertised for her press and still she did not print my book correctly, and fix the faded ink color and broken poems they messed up on.


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She has taken the time to bad mouth me to other people, stating that i'm jealous and also telling people that i'm fiction writer (people who may seem interest in my work or may give me exposure). The same people she is looking for attention from. I'm not a fiction writers, yet she got on a televiion program and said, "I think she is a great fiction writer" though I was on their poetry reading to read from my poetry book they published.
She specifically told me before the reading that I'm not allowed to mention my other book.

She also told the show taht anyone who wants information on authros books chould contact her, she did not want anyone contacting the authors.

She tries to keep careful watch on the activity of the authors in the literary world.

She saw me speaking to two of the other authors and questionsed them about me and me about what we were talking about. She claims the authors are hers, meaning if you speak to authors in her press, she wants to know what about....etc, and if they ask you about another publisher, and you tell them, she will harass you for doing so and try to bad mouth you.
A girl at her reading ask me about other publisher, I told her that I was considering opening my own pressa nd I told her about other publisher.
She wanted to know for her second book in which they do not publish second books by authors they already published.
Well, I guess the girl got scared when the publisher approached her and lied and said I just gave her the info without her requesting it.
I told the publisher, that I didn't and that she asked me and I'm aloud to tell any writer about other publishers that are out their if they ask me.

She says, "how could you, when I published you"

Notice how she feels she can control all her authors.
She calls her authors and tells them lies about me. I spoke two one of the authors about his business and he told me she called him bad mouthing me, saying that I'm this and that....
This was all after I told her I want out of her contract.
She gave my personal information out to the a lady from a televisions channel who then called me about her, claiming they were like sisters and that she was upset. I told her everything and she said, she did not know all this. Well since then, the manager has been harassing me, calling me from blocked numbers. I changed my number, she managed somehow to get my number, which woul dhave had to be through accessing my persoanl info, cause only my family has my new number. She then called me again, saying if I don't buy the books she is not letting out the contract. I told her I have had it with her abuse, the books are so bad, i refuse to by them, and she was asked to never contact me again. when I hung up she calls back and says, "don't be scared now"

She call me over and over again, for about five minutes straight and then let this awful message. I even have her text messages with her accusing me of trying to "steal" her authors.

My new number she managed to get, is my cell phone number. Though each one of them she claims I tried, have told her that I did not, I'm good a person and they wish not to be involved with her lies.
We never spoke about her press until we realized we both was scammed on the books.

She has tried to make people think she discovered me as a writer and does the same with other writers who are already published and accomplished. Some how a lady who was in touch with her, was under the impression that she discovered me, I told her no. She took offense to this. I told her, "because you did not discover me nor do you mentor me" She has looked through my biography and contact people in my biography and has dropped my name to people (new writers) who she wants to publish who are writers who never had a book published. She states, "we have published books by S. Hunter-Wilson"
The one writers she did that with, I was already speaking to and had known known that I was S. Hunter-Wilson and I was shocked to find out that it was me whose name she was dropping to her. LOL.
it doesn't make sense for her to drop my name since she is bad mouthing me and I want out of her contract. Another sign of being crooked.

So far I have heard complaints from two other writers and I heard from another author 1 other author went and looked attheir book for the first time at one of their poety readings and walked right out, disgusted.

Two writers who went to her workshops refuse to go anymore because they refuse to deal with her. I can post names...etc, but I won't on the board. If you have submitted, please be aware of these things. For they are facts.

I have a copy of some of the letters between me and one of her author (who also was a victum of her publishing). If people want to speak directly to a few of the authors (whose books were done awful), I could give you their names and you can look them up. It seems most of her authors are to scared to to confront her in fear of what I'm going through with her.

She gets good (tries to make friendships)with people running literary organizations and then uses her relationship with them as intimidation to any authors of her publication, who wish to speak out and up to her about their books and statements not recieved and royalties not recieved.

Since she refuses to stop harassing me, as like she said, "don't be scared now" gave my personal info out, slandering me (which are lies), to other people), all cause i want out of contract, now I'm to the point in which I'm getting a copy of my phone records and if continued beyond this point (have told her) I will get a PFA on her (a restraining order). She has not called any further.

Even though I brought the issues to her, she refuse to be fair and fix the books.

She tries to intimidate authors with who she knows, that many will not speak up to her, for they are new writers, never published and is afraid of the problems she will bring them and having trouble marketing future works because she is good at lieing to people who run some literary organizations.


So far, I have to watch my back now, (which I'm not scared) cause a few of the women she is associated with seem like trouble., one who have told lies about me to along with her. Over four writers have told me she has come to them about me, this was all during the time we are fighting about how poorly my book is published. it doesn't even meet publishing print standards, bound requiredments...etc.

I notice the one author who informed me of her contacting him bout me, has decided to change his number just like I did, after she contacted himabout me and done what she done to me. He is a reveron, and stated to me the last time we spoke, "You changed your number and that is good, she that her evil shows in her behavior her need to not want to see you succeed and what she is doing with her press"

She published his books and messes it up to, his is poorly published to and he has bought more books as the contract statedm, it seems to avoid problems with her and he wants out of his contract cause of that.

They provide 25 copies (poorly published) and unmarketable.
So this is my story with the publisher of my second book.

I will post the link to the blog to where another author has complained about Meeting of the Minds Publications or (journal). she may have removed the blog postingss, because she basically have had it with Meeting of the Minds Publications, all of its drama.

I'm at the point of getting a PFA against her, cause of all the phone calls, text messages, (costing me alot of money) lies to writers who don't even know me, and when they meet me, they tell me.

I also found out she already has a PFA against her and she has a history of being sneaky, taking peoples information (not just name and phone number) without their consent.


I won't tell any other write to not go with them but consider my story when considering submitting to them and take time to contact the other authors, go on the product not any lies she may ahve told them. Some are too scared to confront her or stand up against her and is just accepting this and just trying to ride out their contract. Spending money on more copies of books (required to buy) that is not selling cause they are bad.


If you want further info, contact me private message. I have no doubt that the manager of Meeting of the Minds Publication is following me around no line as she is off-line, talking to everyone who knows me (if she can) cause already managed to get my new cell phone which only family and best friend have and neither would give to her.

To be honest, what I have express as for as meeting, communciation, product and representation of the manager of Meeting of the Minds Publication, is worse than what I experienced with publish america.


Blessings

Shar
 
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TwentyFour

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Thank you for the heads up, good informative post!
 

Sarashay

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What exactly is this doing in the Publish America section?
 

SHunter-Wilson

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YUP, that is her. She is the woman in the flowerly dress int he center of all the people in the picture further down the page and that is me to the right leaning against someone, in the brown dress. I was not happy at all. That day she was an hour late, meeting me at the event, made me wait an hour in almost 90 degree heat and ofered no apology, just had an attitude.

She wants my ideas but does not want to give me credit, and just want to take the credit.

She is still at it. LOL. I notice that she named her next event "spit fire" at my suggestion for a event title, some months ago, during the publication of the book, yet as I stated what ever her authors contribute to the press, she does not credit them. Just like with the advertising I done for them. That is another things she does. LOL. Though I specifically told her that she must credit me. lol.

She is pissed off cause i want no affiliation with her and so she will not get any more ideas from me to use as her own and not give me credit on purpose and say it is all her ideas. lol. That is the reason why she won't let me out her control and because she wants to profit from my book without sending me any statement and to use my literary name whish is sort of known where I live, to promote her press. That is why she drops my name to new writers. LOL.

So far her poetry workshop called "write now" and her event "spit fire"

If you look up write now poets, you will see I had a workshop titled that in meet up, and if you see the date (long before she starts her workshop) and suggested to her, when I did not want to run it no longer. She wanted me to be a secret poetry lecture at her workshop, but without making it known or giving me any formal introduction. Basically a literary mole who gives lecturues and fiction writing advice.

Lots of her poets seemed to enjoy the workshops when I was there, cause I didn't act like their teacher.lol, and was not bossy like she was. So I stopped going and so did some others cause we could no longer tolerate her. lol.

Was all my suggestions:). a few months ago, and that is why it is shocking that it all turned out to be one big scam. LOL. She refuses to let me out of my contract unless I pay, because she wants to use me for my ideas.

I can even prove they were my ideas cause I have an archive of them on-line and on my computer (dated by my computer as well) lol. I didn't mind her using them until after she published myb ook and I discovered she was a scam.

you know the old saying, "biting the hand that feeds you"
Well her activity is an example. Me giving her several ideas, just to to turn around submit my work to her and get scammed. down right awful.

I'm starting a blog soon, to tell my stories and iI don't care what comes of it.
People need to no how the horror of getting involved with meeting of the minds publication and publish america. If more of us speak up about it, keep them in the hot seat, less writers will become victums of theirs.


lol
 

SHunter-Wilson

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sorry, shay, can this thraed be moved? if not, what should I do. should I repost it. I noticed just now I posted it here. I meant to post it in the conference room. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry about that.

Shar.
 

Tilly

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I'd just contact a mod and ask them to move the thread. :)
 

soloset

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Ugh. While I appreciate the edit, it's not really making things much clearer.

I am sorry you had an unpleasant experience and I certainly think that we should share both good and bad experiences with agents and publishers, but this post is almost unbearable to read and even harder to follow.

The impression I get from this post is of a squabble between ex-friends over petty slights, bruised egos, and crossed personal boundaries, not of a professional dispute and certainly not the story of a scammer's victim. If this wasn't your intent, you've missed the mark.

SHunter-Wilson said:
They got several thousand dollars in grants for their publishing.
during recieving the grants, the publisher (manager) bought a brand new computer and told one of their authors they were robbed and raped, which was not true, as scene by the damage they tried to show me of their door, (there was no way a robber could have gotten in through the tiny broken glass way high on the door (taller than a human being) and be able to reach the knob on the other side, and I don't think they called the police and when i was there, it didn't look like anything was taken. There was lots of nice stuff thee. lol. This was at the managers house. lol.
Wow. Just wow. This does NOT belong in a legitimate complaint against this publisher and, frankly, undermines any credibility that you might have at all. There are many, many possible scenarios, and to settle on "the manager lied about being robbed and raped to avoid an author's demand for more marketing money" on the evidence you outlined is both unreasonable and offensive.

(If you decide to remove it from the original or make substantial revisions, let me know and I'll remove my quoted bit.)
 

Tilly

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There are some specifics that would concern me, like a contract that specifies the author must buy books and the lack of royalty statements.

Shar, are authors charged for anything, such as the workshops or editing? How many books must the author buy?
 
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SHunter-Wilson

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I think it is about 25 to fifty copies. I know she changed the contract a few times. That also concerns me.
the author doesn't get any editing services at all. She formats your book the way she want without letting you see a sample before, saying it is a go. That is another reason why peoples poems are misprinted...etc, she never let me, and some other see a sample. She converted my work to pdf, formatted it the way she wanted, didn't let me choose the font...etc, and just printed it and it is awful. If you don't like the cover art they done, you got to pay the artist and then get your own cover artist.
I could send someone a copy for free because I can't do anything with the book because it looks bad.


Soloset,

Your are jumping to conclusion and did not read carefully everything I stated, please read again. There is nothing gray in this and if you want to speak to other authors like Erin Monahan who always have gone through horrific stuff you can. Just look her up in google and you will find her blog.

[several paragraphs removed by moderator]
 
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Sheryl Nantus

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Tilly said:
There are some specifics that would concern me, like a contract that specifies the author must buy books and the lack of royalty statements.

Shar, are authors charged for anything, such as the workshops or editing? How many books must the author buy?

details, please... the ranting is nice, but doesn't advance your case and in fact detracts from whatever points you're trying to make.

:Shrug:
 

Tilly

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She is out of line, harassing me by phone she even got my new number which is not listed and it is a cell phone number and I found out there is PFA AGAINST HER ALREADY.
Only my family has my new cell phone number, so how she got it beat me but my mother and sisters and bestfirne did not give it to her.
I don't know about US harrassment laws, but I suggest you contact the police.

Well just ignore it, if you don't believe anything or conduct your own investigation, cause I have no reason to lie.
Lets be clear on this. No one is accusing you of lying.

it doesn't matter, cause if she calls again, I will get a PFA and I was told I could, cause of her activity on my phone, no matter if I change the number.
Good.

then there is nothing I can say accept there is FACTS BEING IGNORED.
It really isn't a matter of ignoring the specifics you have stated.

if you read my entire post instead having an opinion the moment you read about the rap enad robbery thing, you'd see that I'm not lieing. She has told nothing but lies to me and another writer I know of.
I'd be surprised if you said what you did without honestly believing it.



tilly you had something to say in different post of mine if I recall.
I think your post is arguementative, in starting flames.
I'm not flaming you. I'm not sure which post you're referring to.

Yes, I'm angry because I refuse to let anyone make me out to be the bad guy in ANYWAY, when this woman harass me, produced my book so bad that buyers are stating that, and she has not sent me a royalty statement and she is doing this to others.
Being angry when you've been treated appallingly is normal. My concern was only that the specifics of your complaint were being lost because your anger was dominating your posts.


Don't have read someones post, pick out what you want out of what someone say.
It would be impossible for everyone to respond to every element of a post, and pointless. I'm responding to specific parts of your post, not because I don't care about the rest, but because I'm only quoting the bits I'm responding to. And I'm only responding to the parts where I have something to say. That's normal on a message board.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm not trying to flame you.
 
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Tilly

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To me, contractually obliging authors to purchase books sounds like a vanity press.
 

SHunter-Wilson

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A list of what happened

I read the other post and I edited this to only cover the most important stuff. Sorry if it is unreadable I have little time to edit. So I just edited what I saw.

As clear as it gets.

1. She published the book poorly. large books, more than 35 pages with a staple bound and you are not suppose to or the book won't close. The book ink is faded and format and lines breaks are bad. She does not provide editing service and if you don't want the cover her cover artists did, you got to pay him and then provide your own cover.

2. she did not give several authors (that I know) the opportunity to see their book (a sample) before publishing it)

3. She gives no name for the so-called printing source for the books

4. She does not send royalty statements
one author name "Erin Monahan" that I know of, did not recieve her royalties. Her books were shipped poorly and some other stuff she mentioned. We found eachother cause I did research and found her blog and contacted her to tell her, I was also going through the same thing. She also told me that the publisher dropped my name to her when she was querying her. She wants out of her contract and mentioned some other stuff.

5. Another author who is a reveron (if I recall) said his book was poorly produced as well, I have a copy of his book and the work he said was suppose to be in there, isn't in there. He wants out of his contract and he informed me she contacted him, bad mouthing me (after I told her I wanted out of my contract). I never told him, he knew because of her.

6. She got $10,000 in grants and does not provide the ISBN# or copyright on the books. she also charges fees for the poetry readings (not for the authors but for all their family and friends). So she continues to make a profit but none is seen going into the marketing or promotions of the books (we didn't even get flyers or marketing packages).
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8. She already has a PFA on her, because she harassed another woman.

9. She is calling me, harassing me (since I asked to be pulled from her contract). She got my new cell phone number some how which was only given to my family and good friend and they didn't give it to her. She costed me almost 50 bucks in text messages, that were threats, "you will never be nothing without my press...etc" She gave my old phone number out to a woman from PCTV. A publisher is not suppose give out personal information without the authors request or permission. The woman called me approaching me about the press, stating she is like a sister to her and she wants to know what problems I have with her. However, once I informed the woman of everything occured she said, she did know any of that and that the publisher said I was a fiction writer, which I'm not, "just getting into fiction' such as novels and she has not read my play or short story. She did not know we were not being sent royalty statments either. Now the publisher is calling me from blocked numbers and leaving nasty messages.

10. A few of her authors are scared to confront her. They told me this. they are new writers. They bought the books even though they are awful and is riding the contract out.

11. She ask for donations from people as well, though she regularly makes money at their poetry readings and got all that money in grants.


These are the facts. if you want a link to the blog to one of the authors or the name of those who also have problems with the press, I will send it to you in private message. They are too scared to come forth and just want out of her press. They have went through enough, like i have.

if she continues to call me, I'm just getting a PFA, no questions asked. If only you all knew what she was like as a publisher to her authors accept who she has got personal with. she is much kinder to her authors who just accepts how it is, and they are mostly young new writers or people she had built personal relationships with.


Blessings and take care.


Shar
 
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soloset

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SHunter-Wilson said:
Soloset,

Your are jumping to conclusion and did not read carefully everything I stated, please read again. There is nothing gray in this and if you want to speak to other authors like Erin Monahan who always have gone through horrific stuff you can. Just look her up in google and you will find her blog.

Hmm. I'm not sure what conclusion you think I've jumped to? I'll admit, I had a very hard time following your posts because of some technical issues. Since you've said your online time is limited, may I suggest that you write longer posts offline, edit them, and then post them when you have time? This might save everyone some confusion.

As to the publisher; so far nothing you've claimed about this vanity press seems particularly scammy to me except the issue of the royalties and the harrassment. I think I've figured out that you're saying the manager's personal tragedy was a lie to cover for missing royalty payments (not additional marketing as I first thought); is this what you intended to convey?

Putting aside the issue of royalties and harrassment for a moment, if the contract doesn't include editing, custom covers, marketing, etc., then I'm not sure why it's so terrible they're not provided. And if it does include requirements like purchasing copies and attending workshops, well... I wouldn't sign that contract. If there are services included in the contract (or promised by the publisher) and you're not getting them, obviously, there's something wrong.

But then, I've just visited their website, and I probably wouldn't go with this kind of vanity press anyway. It looks to be presented as such to me from what I see on the pdf they provide; is the publisher making false claims about this to prospective clients?

I agree with the person who suggested calling the police about the harrassment, by the way.

SHunter-Wilson said:
I'm all for women and do not support rape or robbery, I will be a certified crime scene investigator in ten months, so after I saw it, it was hard to believe.

Far be it from me to argue crime scene logistics with someone who is going to be a certified crime scene investigator in ten months. :D
 
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NicoleJLeBoeuf

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OK, the one angle from my deleted post that still seems relevant:

I am constantly amazed at people's capacity to be shocked, shocked, that after they appear out of nowhere and make unfounded claims about others, their word is not taken as pure gold falling from their lips.

Of course someone is going to get questioned after the facts and clarifications if they come onto AW shrieking accusations of others. In a case of one person's word against another, the person who shows up first on AW doesn't necessarily get a point towards their credibility for it.

I personally am skeptical that "someone who is going to be a certified crime scene investigator in ten months" can look at a room in a house and instantly know that the owner of the house hasn't been robbed or, Gods forfend, raped. I'm damn skeptical that anyone who thinks that such instantaneous knowledge is possible is only ten months away from being certified for CSI. The "I" doesn't stand for "instantaneous"; it stands for investigation. And said person really burned her credibility with me when her reaction to being questioned was to start SHOUTING in ALL CAPS because she is SHOCKED that ANYONE wouldn't BELIEVE her, we must have FAILED to READ her POST!!! Such a person is not likely to find me taking her accusations of "she's a habitual liar!" very seriously.

Look, if this publisher is a scammer, let's see some facts. Let's steer clear of the personal smear campaign and investigate actual verifiable truth. What did the parties sign to that the publisher subsequently failed to provide?
 

SHunter-Wilson

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I graduate in 10 months from college, (I will be attending south university) I get certified in ten months, meaning I have my certificate stating completion of crime scene investigation major. I'm in my last year for my bachelors in it. So do your research. Collge do offer cerfification certificates for crime scene investigation.

I'M A JUNIOR IN MY LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE.

Once again, you are barking up the wrong tree.

LOL

Shar
 

SHunter-Wilson

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so far there has been four attacks on me in this thread, whether nicely put or not. People making assumptions, menipulating my post, picking over things and avoiding the facts that I DID NOT RECIEVE A ROYALTY STATEMENT. I know what was done to me and it is offensive that anyone would dismissing this girl harassing me and not sending me a royalty statement but feel I should see it fit to believe her about her reasons and this is gone on for a year with her reasons given.

I'm totally shocked and appalled at the behavior of some people in this thread.
In all of your energy shows people who have personal feelings towards me, why else over look the most important things here, SHE DID NOT SEND ROYALTY STATEMENS TO ME, OR ERIN MONAHAN (gave her reason why she didn't pay her royaltis) and as I stated, she is harassing me and I have my phone records to proove it.

You can just visit erin monahand blog and read her experience if you think I'm just blowing hot air.

This is outragous, all this crap in my face all over telling the truth about a publisher, who is not sending people royalities or royalty statments.
It has been almost a year, and still none for me and still my book has not been fixed.

So I don't care what eanyone has to say against me in any personal attacks whether sublime. If you doubt me, then submit and you go through it. BUT I'M FINISHED, with that publisher, as so are some other authors.
I don't care what programs or things she run she is not going to take advantage of me and longer and I'M NOT THE BAD GUY HERE.
 

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?
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Phew! I'm glad I don't have to read CSI reports.
 

Joanna_S

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I would suggest writing shorter posts and using that extra time editing.

In the case of this thread, you could break it down to this:

1. The publisher is a vanity press

2. They require the purchase of x number of your own books

3. The books are poorly made and therefore very difficult to sell.

4. The owner has a history of shady dealings, royalty payment avoidance, harrassment and untruths

Because of the above, you are attempting to negate your contract.

If I missed anything, I apologize.

-- Joanna
 

roach

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S. Hunter-Wilson, I don't think you're understanding what people are writing here. They are not saying that you should believe this woman, they are asking why they should believe your say. Usually newbies are given the benefit of the doubt here, when they state their case clearly and without histrionics. Sticking with the facts, such as the non-payment of royalties and the insistence of authors buying their own books, gets across your point (stay away, bad press!) much better than speculations on your part as to what did or did not happen to this woman (and no matter how close you are to getting your degree, it is speculation).

People here have been politely trying to point out that your posts are hard to read because of the grammar and spelling errors. I'll be honest I've read only half of all your posts because about two paragraphs in they become almost incomprehensible. It's a mark of a serious writer, and I feel a sign of consideration to fellow posters, that time and care is taken to make one's message as clear as possible. You state that you don't have time to edit, however you've posted in this thread eleven times today, some of the posts within an hour or even minutes of each other. Perhaps it would be better to post less often, taking more time to edit? I have a 2 year old so I know how hard it can be to try to post to a forum with a child underfoot.

Finally, some of your complaints about this press are, well, not signs of a scam. Poor production and no choice in cover art is unfortunate. However, would you believe that many authors don't have a say in their cover art with the large commercial presses? While proofs are nice, unless your contract states you get to see them for approval, they aren't a given either. Especially when you are dealing with a small press as this seems to be. Nor is it a crime that she has her boyfriend provide the cover art. Small presses often employ the help of friends and family (my husband was the webmaster for my site when I was still in publishing). These complaints can be rolled into the banner of: does not put out an attractive product, but they are not indicators of a scam.

I'd suggest that now that you've posted your experiences with this company and Publish America you put your energy in more positive pursuits. There's a poet's forum at Absolute Write, as well as other helpful writing topics.
 

Patricia

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Me thinks you are trying too hard to convince us. I repeat my question here that I asked on the other thread --were you not here about a year or so ago, while still active on the PA message boards? A simple yes, or no, will do.
 
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