People running a publishing company should have experience in the publishing industry and it should be clearly stated. Just saying that they have an MBA is not a suitable substitute for that, in my view.
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East 64 Publishing
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People running a publishing company should have experience in the publishing industry and it should be clearly stated. Just saying that they have an MBA is not a suitable substitute for that, in my view.
I couldn't agree more. I was simply stating it beat the alternative (other guy "running") of having absolutely nothing. If I ever get published I want the company to have someone with a solid business understanding to keep the financials in order, HR policies followed, marketing, etc. You know, the things that keep a business of any kind running.
But they do need to mention their publishing experience...assuming it exists. Until then they are just another vanity press, even if they aren't charging for services.
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Unfortunately, for many people those three letters are all they need to see before they're convinced to sign.
What do you mean by "the right way"? And what do you mean by "trying"?
If you mean they don't know how reputable publishers do things, but they're trying to learn, good on them, but I'm not obligated to let them use my MS to do so.
If you mean every reputable publisher is Doing It Wrong ... er, perhaps you could elaborate on that a bit
No I certainly didn't mean that every reputable publisher was doing it wrong and I don't think anyone said that you were obligated to send them your MS.
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Whitney, there are thousands of small and start-up presses out there. What interests you in this one particularly?
No. You just seem to be a bit defensive on their behalf. I was wondering if you had a vested interest. That's all.
This forum is a tad creepy.
Do I need to explain who I am and why I post on particular threads? Do you need my social security number?
I am a writer. I am published by a small press. I saw an ad for east 64 on Craigslist. I googled them I also thought their website was weak and they seemed inexperienced.
Then I came here and saw people seemingly falling all over themselves to make fun of them. That is my connection to them. Googling them and coming across all the snark that is Absolute Write Water Cooler.
Then when I say something about it I get accused of being a part of the publishing house and some other guy infers that I am saying all other publishing houses do things wrong.
Quite impressive.
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We certainly don't intend to be creepy! It's just that it's very uncommon for a new member to join the forum and to post only on a single thread about a single small press. Or, more correctly, it is quite common for a new forum member to join and to post only on a single thread about a single small press, but invariably that new forum member is an owner, editor, or author of the small press under discussion.
Anyhow, new writers are always welcome here! Do stop by in the New Writers section and tell us about yourself and what you write.
Whitney, no one has accused you of anything.
When a thread pops up on a new publisher and a new poster pops up to defend them with their first post, that raises questions. It wouldn't be the first time one of the publishers, authors, friends of publisher, etc. jumped in to defend them against the big old "creepy" meanie-genies. That's why I asked if you were affiliated with this house; if you took it as insulting or offensive, that's unfortunate.
This forum is for writers to evaluate potential publication avenues - no one was "making fun" of this publisher.
Stick around, look at some other threads, you will see that every publisher experiences similar scrutiny. And you might actually find some of the information valuable.
When a thread pops up on a new publisher and a new poster pops up to defend them with their first post, that raises questions. It wouldn't be the first time one of the publishers, authors, friends of publisher, etc. jumped in to defend them against the big old "creepy" meanie-genies. That's why I asked if you were affiliated with this house; if you took it as insulting or offensive, that's unfortunate.
This forum is for writers to evaluate potential publication avenues - no one was "making fun" of this publisher.
Stick around, look at some other threads, you will see that every publisher experiences similar scrutiny. And you might actually find some of the information valuable.
Imagine you're at an office party with a few colleagues having a conversation about the job. A stranger comes over and joins in. You assume they're from another part of the office, but you don't know their name, their job, or anything about them.
It's confusing, and it's why most people stop by the New Members board to say Hi and get to know the rules before diving in. This section of the forum is specifically designed to discuss publishers, and it's unusual for anybody to make their first post here.
Plus, sometimes we get publishers who'll see something pop up online about their company and rush in to defend it under a false name. When they do this, they appear out of nowhere with no previous posts to their name. This is why some members checked that you weren't connected to this publisher.
This board is here for critical discussion of any and all publishers, from the big five to the new start-ups.
The other sections of the forum are more relaxed, if you want to go take a look around. This area is here specifically to check things over and make sure a publisher isn't engaging in any questionable business habits.
EDIT: Cross-posted with Wisteria and Unimportant.
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"Falling all over themselves to make fun of them?" Do you mean the two or three posts of mildly humorous speculation on "abstract" which took place on New Year's Eve?
That wasn't "making fun of" this publisher. It was speculating on what a non-standard term for fiction submissions might mean, in a vaguely silly way, on a holiday. Sometimes people make jokes. It's not "making fun of" anyone.
I'm sorry your feelings were so bruised by being asked if you had a connection to the publisher you created an account here to defend. Certainly no one meant to offend you. If you think this forum is nothing but snark, I suggest you visit other sections and see what else we have here. There's quite a bit for any writer.
I figured it out.
This was quite a boring weekend for me. My poor Rams never had a chance at making the post-season and I couldn't care less about the other teams playing. So I did what any sane and rational person would do...created two new email addresses and sent a couple emails to this company!
In full disclosure I sent a real email last Wednesday. I briefly discussed my (lack of) publication history and asked some basic questions about their firm. You know, simple things like how a start-up would finance marketing of a book, prior publishing credits, experience, etc. You guessed it- I never heard back.
So this weekend I sent a new email in the guise of a struggling author who wanted to submit a book. Guess what? I received a response in less than 24 hours.
I don't think these people are out to scam people. I think they want to just put authors' books on Amazon using some free self-publisher (Create Space?) and take a big chunk of the money. They don't know what they are doing.
Anyhow, I'm glad I googled them and found this forum. I'm looking forward to checking out other parts of the board.
This was quite a boring weekend for me. My poor Rams never had a chance at making the post-season and I couldn't care less about the other teams playing. So I did what any sane and rational person would do...created two new email addresses and sent a couple emails to this company!
In full disclosure I sent a real email last Wednesday. I briefly discussed my (lack of) publication history and asked some basic questions about their firm. You know, simple things like how a start-up would finance marketing of a book, prior publishing credits, experience, etc. You guessed it- I never heard back.
So this weekend I sent a new email in the guise of a struggling author who wanted to submit a book. Guess what? I received a response in less than 24 hours.
I don't think these people are out to scam people. I think they want to just put authors' books on Amazon using some free self-publisher (Create Space?) and take a big chunk of the money. They don't know what they are doing.
Anyhow, I'm glad I googled them and found this forum. I'm looking forward to checking out other parts of the board.
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According to their FB page, they are "rebuilding their website" and will be back up and running in 3-5 days.
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Funny, I was cruising around Craigslist on my lunch hour and found this also, then checked it out here. I didn't investigate it, but my impression is that they are looking for material to format and publish on Amazon for the Kindle. And that's fine for someone who is unable to do that for themselves.
Just be sure to read any and all contracts and check with a lawyer if you're not familiar with book contracts.
Just be sure to read any and all contracts and check with a lawyer if you're not familiar with book contracts.
