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Ruby Lioness Press
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Okay, my browser has crashed twice trying to post on this thread. Little concerned there's something up with the Ruby Lioness website at this point, but frankly, it could be anything.
Third time lucky.
Nice website, easy to navigate, pitched at readers.
Reasonable covers, reasonable prices. Blurbs aren't doing much for me and I'd like longer extracts. I find quite a lot of the website's text a bit clunky, actually, especially on the submissions page.
Focus seems to be Romance, but they're also accepting sff, mysteries and YA.
Royalties are high, but I'm not sure what they mean by 'sale price' and whether the 40% is off cover price regardless of where the sale is made or cover minus distributor fees.
The news blog furnishes us with the most info about the staff, which is not much. The owner, Angie, promises she has experience and other members of staff, but fails to provide any credentials. Googling gives us the info she's a cover artist for Immanion Press and owner of Pagan Writers Press, for which she's editted at least two anthologies. LinkedIn gives away that she's co-owner of Ruby Lioness. Googling the press itself clues us in to the fact the other owner is Marissa Dobson, responsible for three of the press's currently available novels.
My overall impression is that a couple of authors with some experience in other aspects of epublishing have got together to open a press. It's not the worst start-up we've seen, but it's not the best either. Definitely a 'wait a couple of years' kind of place to see what happens.
Third time lucky.
Nice website, easy to navigate, pitched at readers.
Reasonable covers, reasonable prices. Blurbs aren't doing much for me and I'd like longer extracts. I find quite a lot of the website's text a bit clunky, actually, especially on the submissions page.
Focus seems to be Romance, but they're also accepting sff, mysteries and YA.
Royalties are high, but I'm not sure what they mean by 'sale price' and whether the 40% is off cover price regardless of where the sale is made or cover minus distributor fees.
The news blog furnishes us with the most info about the staff, which is not much. The owner, Angie, promises she has experience and other members of staff, but fails to provide any credentials. Googling gives us the info she's a cover artist for Immanion Press and owner of Pagan Writers Press, for which she's editted at least two anthologies. LinkedIn gives away that she's co-owner of Ruby Lioness. Googling the press itself clues us in to the fact the other owner is Marissa Dobson, responsible for three of the press's currently available novels.
My overall impression is that a couple of authors with some experience in other aspects of epublishing have got together to open a press. It's not the worst start-up we've seen, but it's not the best either. Definitely a 'wait a couple of years' kind of place to see what happens.
Open calls listed on their submissions page include holiday/Christmas. Just saw them on an author's group specifically for submission calls hosted on LJ.
Don't know anything about them at all, never even heard of them until I saw the calls.
Don't know anything about them at all, never even heard of them until I saw the calls.
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I agree.
They look very new. I would keep my eye on them, but they're not one of the first places I'd sub to if I could avoid, not at least until a few years have passed anyway.
This is from their Guidelines:
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Keep in mind that just because they want the full now doesn't mean they will want it in six months, or will accept it.
Ruby Lioness Press - Author/Editor Beware
I would be wary of this publisher if anyone in the AbsoluteWrite Water Cooler is considering working with Ruby Lioness Press as an editor. Writers/authors beware, too!
I edited with them briefly and was not impressed with the management. They were not professional even after we parted ways. Example: I followed up on payment for a piece I edited (their current policy is to pay editors a flat fee 30 days after publication [no royalties for edits even though their blogs in November stated editors receive royalties, but authors, I assume, have higher royalties as a result] ), and I received a terse reply that payment would be made 30 days after publication (which I knew - I read and signed a contract with them). Now I'm waiting over 45 days for payment on Book #2 and expect to receive a similar terse response since following up today. Who knows if I'll get paid for Book #3? At this point, I'm unsure.
Additionally, you should be wary of them as an author because even though I went through a thorough editing test and was selected to edit with RLP after passing it, other editors on staff aren't being screened the same way. It took me an hour and a half to do the editing test, but it seems to me if an author is good enough friends with the publisher, they can bypass this. One author I edited is also an editor with Ruby Lioness Press (I only found this out near the end of my time with them) and she doesn't know how to use "your" compared to using "you're" in a sentence. She not only admitted this to me, but regularly misused them in her manuscript and misuses them in her social media platforms. Do you want really want to take a chance with your manuscript on an editor that doesn't know this basic difference, not to mention all the other nuances of structure and content that editing involves?
Don't get me wrong - there are some talented authors at RLP. I loved some of the manuscripts I had a chance to read. They were imaginative and well thought out, and those authors deserve to have their work published with a high-quality publisher. But if you're looking for a publisher with staying power, a publisher that really cares about your work and putting it out there to the best of its abilities after careful editing and revisions, I'd suggest you keep looking. You can dismiss what I said since I'm a former editor with the Press, or you can heed my warning - that's your call.
I would be wary of this publisher if anyone in the AbsoluteWrite Water Cooler is considering working with Ruby Lioness Press as an editor. Writers/authors beware, too!
I edited with them briefly and was not impressed with the management. They were not professional even after we parted ways. Example: I followed up on payment for a piece I edited (their current policy is to pay editors a flat fee 30 days after publication [no royalties for edits even though their blogs in November stated editors receive royalties, but authors, I assume, have higher royalties as a result] ), and I received a terse reply that payment would be made 30 days after publication (which I knew - I read and signed a contract with them). Now I'm waiting over 45 days for payment on Book #2 and expect to receive a similar terse response since following up today. Who knows if I'll get paid for Book #3? At this point, I'm unsure.
Additionally, you should be wary of them as an author because even though I went through a thorough editing test and was selected to edit with RLP after passing it, other editors on staff aren't being screened the same way. It took me an hour and a half to do the editing test, but it seems to me if an author is good enough friends with the publisher, they can bypass this. One author I edited is also an editor with Ruby Lioness Press (I only found this out near the end of my time with them) and she doesn't know how to use "your" compared to using "you're" in a sentence. She not only admitted this to me, but regularly misused them in her manuscript and misuses them in her social media platforms. Do you want really want to take a chance with your manuscript on an editor that doesn't know this basic difference, not to mention all the other nuances of structure and content that editing involves?
Don't get me wrong - there are some talented authors at RLP. I loved some of the manuscripts I had a chance to read. They were imaginative and well thought out, and those authors deserve to have their work published with a high-quality publisher. But if you're looking for a publisher with staying power, a publisher that really cares about your work and putting it out there to the best of its abilities after careful editing and revisions, I'd suggest you keep looking. You can dismiss what I said since I'm a former editor with the Press, or you can heed my warning - that's your call.
Okay, the site is still crashing my browser. I think there's something hinky in their coding.
Speaking of editing, I'm really not impressed with the posts by Tara under news: "Quality not Quantity" and "Top 5 ways to piss Off Your Editor" (I'd link, but I don't want another crash). Yes, it's frustrating for a publisher when authors won't play ball, but I think it's pretty damn unclassy to bitch about it publically. If it's at the contract negotiation stage, just walk away. If it's at the editing stage, there should be something in the contract to cover refusal to edit or inability to return edits in a timely manner. Either way, venting on the company blog is not the professional way to deal with it.
Speaking of editing, I'm really not impressed with the posts by Tara under news: "Quality not Quantity" and "Top 5 ways to piss Off Your Editor" (I'd link, but I don't want another crash). Yes, it's frustrating for a publisher when authors won't play ball, but I think it's pretty damn unclassy to bitch about it publically. If it's at the contract negotiation stage, just walk away. If it's at the editing stage, there should be something in the contract to cover refusal to edit or inability to return edits in a timely manner. Either way, venting on the company blog is not the professional way to deal with it.
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Hope it goes well.
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From what I hear one of the "co-owners" is stepping down. The one left in charge has a lot on her plate and isn't always very responsive.
Oh, they are also asking all the writers who have already signed contracts -some for work that is already out- to sign a new contract WITH additional clauses. Never heard of that one before. I'd be weary.
Oh, they are also asking all the writers who have already signed contracts -some for work that is already out- to sign a new contract WITH additional clauses. Never heard of that one before. I'd be weary.
I don't know anything more than what I've read here and reviewing their sites, but this makes me want to wait a bit before submitting...
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I read the excerpt for "Passion's Cove" and it has some basic editing problems that should not have been missed.
I'd recommend not submitting until this publisher has had time to demonstrate they can produce a quality product they can sell.
~brianm~
I'd recommend not submitting until this publisher has had time to demonstrate they can produce a quality product they can sell.
~brianm~
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Well, they are kind of new. I wanted to see how they would do for a while before I tried to submit anything to them.
I have heard of publishers offering authors a fresh contract when there are significant changes (say in royalty rates, regularity of payment, new formats offered etc). Authors have a choice whether to sign up for the new terms or not. It depends on the circumstances: usually it's a choice between signing or terminating the agreement and taking your book elsewhere, but sometimes you might get to stay on under the original agreement.
Where did you hear about the co-owner and new clauses?
Where did you hear about the co-owner and new clauses?
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Care to share that email or the gist of it? I know one of their authors and she hasn't said anything and she was already bumped at a publisher who closed on her. I'm hoping not - I'm going to be pretty bummed for her (and the others) if so.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Website says they've closed. I guess if one of the co-owners did leave the other decided not to keep going on her owner. I hope they send out rights reversions to all their authors promptly.
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No problem (from Marissa Dobson: Owner):
This post is one of the hardest I had to write, but it must be done.
After careful consideration of all the facts and information Ruby Lioness Press will be closing effective immediately. You will receive any royalties that come in until they have finished. The royalties will be sent out at the same time.
If your book is edited feel free to self-publish, or take it to another house. If you need help self publishing, I might be able to help you, or can direct you to someone who can.
We apologize for any hardships this might have caused.
This post is one of the hardest I had to write, but it must be done.
After careful consideration of all the facts and information Ruby Lioness Press will be closing effective immediately. You will receive any royalties that come in until they have finished. The royalties will be sent out at the same time.
If your book is edited feel free to self-publish, or take it to another house. If you need help self publishing, I might be able to help you, or can direct you to someone who can.
We apologize for any hardships this might have caused.
I was supposed to be one of those authors. I signed a contract just a couple weeks ago. It was supposed to come out next year.
I'm sorry to hear about that, narmowen. I imagine you were probably very delighted to sign the contract, and then you hear about this. Don't give up - submit your manuscript elsewhere, and if one publisher thought it was ready to get published, then others will be interested as well.