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Drollerie Press
- Thread starter JL_Benet
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Net income is fine--that's royalties paid on what the publisher actually receives from retailers and wholesalers (which can be 55% or more off the cover price). Many smaller publishers pay on net income.
Net profit, on the other hand--royalties paid on net income less other costs, like production or publicity expenses--is not fine, because it greatly reduces the amount of money on which royalty percentages are calculated, and allows the publisher to recoup its expenses in part by penalizing its authors.
A contract won't necessarily help you out by saying "net income" or "net profit." It may just say "net"--which means you need to pay careful attention to the portion of the royalties clause where "net" is defined. If there is no definition of "net"--which I've seen in a fair number of contracts from small presses--you need to ask for a definition, otherwise you can't be sure exactly what amount your royalties will be calculated on. And don't rely on verbal representations--get the answer in writing.
- Victoria
Has anyone been accepted by Drollerie recently? Because I'm having a load of problems with these people. Not big things, you know, but just a bunch of little things that add up to a red flag.
So, they accepted me in June. I signed the contract and jumped through the hoops. They said my story would be out in December. I didn't hear anything back from them.
Around November, I email them asking if they need my edits. My editor tells me that "oh, I forgot which story was yours" and that she needs the file again. First off, I don't know how you can forget which story was mine when my contact information is in the file and my name is on every page, but sure. Fine. Whatever. I emailed her the file again.
Radio silence. December goes by without a word. January, I email the editor again. I'm told that she was sick the whole month of December and that they're very backlogged.
So I wait some more. March, I email the editor again. I wait two weeks. No reply. So then, I email the submissions address, basically asking what the fuck. I'm told that they lost my story for the second time and somehow, had no way of contacting me about it (nevermind that I put contact information into every email). Could I please send my most recent copy of the file to them?
So I did. Silence for two weeks. Then, I get an email from a 'queenoftheramen' saying that she's my new editor and do I have any questions.
Well, I do want to know what the fuck and why my editor doesn't have a Drollerie email or any kind of professionality, apparently, but that doesn't seem like a nice thing to say.
If they don't publish my story by December 2011, my contract expires and I get my story back. If I terminate the contract before then, I have to pay them a $250 'early termination fee'.
Just... I don't know. Any advice, guys? I feel awful about this.
So, they accepted me in June. I signed the contract and jumped through the hoops. They said my story would be out in December. I didn't hear anything back from them.
Around November, I email them asking if they need my edits. My editor tells me that "oh, I forgot which story was yours" and that she needs the file again. First off, I don't know how you can forget which story was mine when my contact information is in the file and my name is on every page, but sure. Fine. Whatever. I emailed her the file again.
Radio silence. December goes by without a word. January, I email the editor again. I'm told that she was sick the whole month of December and that they're very backlogged.
So I wait some more. March, I email the editor again. I wait two weeks. No reply. So then, I email the submissions address, basically asking what the fuck. I'm told that they lost my story for the second time and somehow, had no way of contacting me about it (nevermind that I put contact information into every email). Could I please send my most recent copy of the file to them?
So I did. Silence for two weeks. Then, I get an email from a 'queenoftheramen' saying that she's my new editor and do I have any questions.
Well, I do want to know what the fuck and why my editor doesn't have a Drollerie email or any kind of professionality, apparently, but that doesn't seem like a nice thing to say.
If they don't publish my story by December 2011, my contract expires and I get my story back. If I terminate the contract before then, I have to pay them a $250 'early termination fee'.
Just... I don't know. Any advice, guys? I feel awful about this.
priceless1
Banned
Rysta, chances are that they contract independent editors and would explain the lack of a company email addy. As for forgetting your manuscript twice...there are no words. And after they've treated you so miserably, why would they insist that you pay them to terminate the contract? Haven't they blown the contract already by not getting your book out when it was promised?
And you should feel awful about this. I can't understand how any signed contract could fall between the cracks - unless the company keeps no records and has no idea what's going on. No matter how you slice it, it's achingly unprofessional.
And you should feel awful about this. I can't understand how any signed contract could fall between the cracks - unless the company keeps no records and has no idea what's going on. No matter how you slice it, it's achingly unprofessional.
Yeesh! Sympathies for your frustration, and hope you get it worked out.
Has the "early termination fee" always been part of their contract? I glanced back through the thread and don't see prior mention of it.
Has the "early termination fee" always been part of their contract? I glanced back through the thread and don't see prior mention of it.
Were you dealing with Deena directly? Because she's just gone on ill-health leave, according to the website. There was also a crash somewhere around the last year (mentioned on the old site) that wiped a lot of emails from their system. I got in touch with Deena about something else back in February and she said she was glad to hear from me because my emails some months before had disappeared from their system. In combination it would explain both the missing emails and the new editor.
The anthology I'm in has flown past multiple 'coming soon' dates, and I suspected something might be up, so the news didn't surprise me. I'd need to dig my contract out, but off the top of my head the one I signed has an 18 month deadline on publication before the rights revert to the authors, and though there is a termination fee it's within certain time limits and only applies to stories of certain lengths.
(on that note, is anyone else in the 'Crossings' anthology? PM me? I don't think there's anything hugely worth fretting over, considering the recent announcement about Deena, but it'd be good to hear from people in the same position)
The anthology I'm in has flown past multiple 'coming soon' dates, and I suspected something might be up, so the news didn't surprise me. I'd need to dig my contract out, but off the top of my head the one I signed has an 18 month deadline on publication before the rights revert to the authors, and though there is a termination fee it's within certain time limits and only applies to stories of certain lengths.
(on that note, is anyone else in the 'Crossings' anthology? PM me? I don't think there's anything hugely worth fretting over, considering the recent announcement about Deena, but it'd be good to hear from people in the same position)
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I was working with Deena, yes, but it still strikes me as odd that things keep getting lost and no one but her has any records of anything.
In my contract, at least, the termination fee doesn't have anything to do with the length of the story. It says:
"The author may at any time after signing this Agreement, request release from the Agreement in writing. The Publisher is not obligated to grant this release. If granted, the Author will be liable for a $250.00 release fee and the Publisher will provide a written notification of release upon receipt of the fee."
I sort of expect there to be long wait times with a good publisher, and I understand how Deena getting sick could cause a lot of problems. But how is it that one person falls ill and the entire communications system crumbles? Are there no written records? Does no one talk to each other or print anything out? How do I keep falling through the cracks like this?
Contract says they've got 18 months to publish after getting the story before the rights revert back to me, so they've got time yet to fart around.
It sucks, but I don't see that there's anything I can do.
In my contract, at least, the termination fee doesn't have anything to do with the length of the story. It says:
"The author may at any time after signing this Agreement, request release from the Agreement in writing. The Publisher is not obligated to grant this release. If granted, the Author will be liable for a $250.00 release fee and the Publisher will provide a written notification of release upon receipt of the fee."
I sort of expect there to be long wait times with a good publisher, and I understand how Deena getting sick could cause a lot of problems. But how is it that one person falls ill and the entire communications system crumbles? Are there no written records? Does no one talk to each other or print anything out? How do I keep falling through the cracks like this?
Contract says they've got 18 months to publish after getting the story before the rights revert back to me, so they've got time yet to fart around.
It sucks, but I don't see that there's anything I can do.
It's not the first time they've had comupter problems; I agree they could do with some better back ups and failsafes. The impression I'm getting is that though there are multiple editors for the most part it's been a one-woman show, and as Drollerie's expanded it's become far too much work for one person. Hopefully Deena's illness (may it be brief and easy to recover from!) will cause them to re-evaulate this and spread the load a little more.
As a writer, I don't know much about Drollerie...except that I've heard they take forever to respond.
As a reader, I like their stuff.
As a reader, I like their stuff.
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I don't know if my story with them will help you any. I submitted a short story to their Greek mythology antho in (I believe) September of 2009. I didn't hear anything for a long, long time--one year later, in September of 2010, I received word that Deena had lost my submission, and then found it again, and that she wanted to publish it as a standalone.
In that time, I'd revised the story (in anticipation of sending it to another market!). I asked if she'd be willing to consider revisions, and she said she would. I sent it off.
In December, I received word from Selena Green that she'd taken over the Greek antho and would be moving forward with edits. At this point, I hadn't signed a contract and had been led to believe I was (maybe) being published as a standalone. I told Selena about this, and the revisions I'd sent to Deena. She said she'd be happy to find me space in the antho--which honestly, I preferred--and that she would have Deena send me a contract right away (she did warn me that Deena was having some health problems, which might have been the source for the confusion/lack of contact). I received my contract, and within a few weeks I was doing edits with Selena.
I was very impressed with Selena's editing and her promptness, and the final anthology is just gorgeous, very nicely done. However, I can definitely understand your frustration, and you weren't alone in this. Their website lists Selena as one of the contact people, and I do think it's worth dropping her a line with your concerns. Hopefully she'll be as prompt and responsive with you as she was with me!
In that time, I'd revised the story (in anticipation of sending it to another market!). I asked if she'd be willing to consider revisions, and she said she would. I sent it off.
In December, I received word from Selena Green that she'd taken over the Greek antho and would be moving forward with edits. At this point, I hadn't signed a contract and had been led to believe I was (maybe) being published as a standalone. I told Selena about this, and the revisions I'd sent to Deena. She said she'd be happy to find me space in the antho--which honestly, I preferred--and that she would have Deena send me a contract right away (she did warn me that Deena was having some health problems, which might have been the source for the confusion/lack of contact). I received my contract, and within a few weeks I was doing edits with Selena.
I was very impressed with Selena's editing and her promptness, and the final anthology is just gorgeous, very nicely done. However, I can definitely understand your frustration, and you weren't alone in this. Their website lists Selena as one of the contact people, and I do think it's worth dropping her a line with your concerns. Hopefully she'll be as prompt and responsive with you as she was with me!
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My novel will be published with Drollerie in their YA imprint - Kettlestitch. So far everything has been going fine with my editor, Emily Jo. All her emails come from a Drollerie address and I talk to her at least once a week. I haven't had any problems with her, suggested edits, or my contract.
I don't know if it's because Kettlestitch is an imprint so a different person is in charge of it, but my experience has been very good and has run incredibly smoothly.
I don't know if it's because Kettlestitch is an imprint so a different person is in charge of it, but my experience has been very good and has run incredibly smoothly.
Perhaps this is one of those cautionary tales where you have to know the people behind the press, and if it's a one woman show, you need to be prepared for the day when the pub runs into trouble because the person running things becomes too sick to, well, run things.
Hey all! So I had sent my story to Drollerie Press, and Selena Green said she loves the idea but my story needed some editing (and she was right.) I edited it, but now they're not only closed to submissions, but the way you submit a story to them is done with an online form instead of a direct email. Problem is I already emailed my "Requested Material" the same way I did before. Unsure whether they even got it or not, I emailed Ms. Green directly to ask if it went through, or if she wanted me to send it right to her. That was at the end of July, and I haven't heard anything back. What's the traditional wait time to hear back about something like this? Or am I just being too impatient?
I think they're very busy right now. I've got a novella in production with them at the moment and my editor suddenly dropped off the face of the internet with no contact or warning. I think Selena's now left picking up a lot of slack, left over from Deena's departure and now from the missing employee.
Though, on the other hand, she's usually really good about replying to emails regardless. If I were you, I'd probably just send the copy straight to her. With her record of amazing!fast replies, I have to think maybe she just hasn't gotten it.
UPDATE: In the spirit of disclosure (as I would have liked to know these things going in) I have an update on my saga, may it not damage the pitiful possibility of my publication further.
I was right. My editor flaked. The warning signs were all there and I should have known better. 'Queenoftheramen' managed to stick it out until it came time for cover-art. Then, she fell off the face of the internet. Didn't hand the appropriate things off to Selena. Didn't reply to any emails. Limbo, and once again, radio silence. Haven't been able to get a word out of her for months now. This hasn't stopped her personal tumblr from updating loads of anime things three times a day, but a job and clients are apparently no longer a priority. Even Selena (whom I had assumed to be her boss) can't get ahold of her.
I feel bad for Selena. She's prompt and professional and I really feel like she tries her hardest with everything. But followed by my accepted manuscript getting lost, not once but twice, 'queenoftheramen' has left an awful taste in my mouth.
The cover art is really gorgeous, though. Now if only someone will get to see it besides me and the missing ramen queen. :/
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Based on Phoebe's experience, I decided to go to Drollerie's website to check them out, see if they were looking for specific stories for anthologies, etc. After being on there a moment, I got slammed with pop-ups and was forcibly redirected to another site that spawned video and sound. I had to ctrl-alt-del my way out to close Firefox.
Anyway, all that's apropos of nothing re: Drollerie as a press, but was pretty annoying and surprising nonetheless.
Maybe they've been hacked?
Anyway, all that's apropos of nothing re: Drollerie as a press, but was pretty annoying and surprising nonetheless.
Maybe they've been hacked?
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There's some information on another writer group that says Selena Green sent out a letter explaining she's resigning because Deena has gone radio-silent on her, she doesn't know what the financial situation is or if they even have money to buy ISDNs. It sounded very much like an implosion.
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That silence/illness/mega computer issues/editor flake were a problem as far back as 2007/8 when I subbed there.
I hope there's an official announcement at some point, rather than just letting it filter through the grapevine. I've reached a point where I've stopped asking for info about the Crossings release date - not that they weren't always polite and prompt to reply - because so many "definitely this time" dates have flown by now without a single status update for the authors. The contract expires at the end of this year, and if it's not out then I'm resubbing the story elsewhere. After all, if it sold once it can sell again. I'm disappointed because I love Drollerie's books and I was really looking forward to being a Drollerie author, but if things are falling apart behind the scenes I guess it's better this way.
I recently received the rights to my novella back, upon my own request, since it had been two years since acceptance and it wasn't ready to be published yet and I didn't know when it would. But we parted on good terms; everything handled professionally.
Jodi
Jodi
I got the email announcement about Sandra's leave of absence last week, and Selena returned the rights to my story in the Crossings anthology a couple of days ago.
I have to admit, with a short story in an anthology I wasn't exactly expecting to make money off it anyway, but I had been looking forward to adding Drollerie to my list of credits because as a reader I've always loved their stuff. I hope things get sorted out internally at some point and they get back on track.
I have to admit, with a short story in an anthology I wasn't exactly expecting to make money off it anyway, but I had been looking forward to adding Drollerie to my list of credits because as a reader I've always loved their stuff. I hope things get sorted out internally at some point and they get back on track.
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I just now heard something about Drollerie closing up shop. I'm trying to get confirmation. Anyone else heard this?
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That's what I heard today from a friend on LiveJournal. She's
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Very likely.
Hopefully there's a more official confirmation so that their published authors and authors under contract aren't left hanging.
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It's official now: According to the owner, Deena Fisher, Drollerie Press is now closed. It looks like she's doing a good job of making sure the books are taken down from vendors and third-party websites and that the writers have their books' rights reverted back to them.