Bad Press Ink

[Xagarath]

This is a new publisher who've recently set up show in Northumberland and are asking for submissions.
https://badpress.ink/submissions/

Does anyone have any impressions, or has anyone heard of the owners before now? There's not a great deal of information on their website.

 

[mrsmig]

Ugh. Heavy on image and "branding," stupefyingly light on publishing experience. Their only two publications are by two of the principals.

And aren't they clever, forcing potential authors to take a questionnaire wherein the "wrong" answers divert you to a Cabbage Patch website. The "right" answers will eventually take you to a submissions form, by which time anyone with a lick of sense will have already run screaming into the night.

 

[triceretops]

Heh. Choose Conan and tattoos and then bend to their magnificence and teamwork and you'll get into the submission pool. Ain't I lucky. Pass.

 

[frimble3]

From their website:

A dream team? It’s what nightmares are made of.

Seldom has a website been more honest.
The whole thing sounds like a drunken prank.

 

[Polenth]

They don't publish the sort of stuff released by big publishers because it's "commercial, saccharin-ladened BS", but their submission questions expect you to choose Terry Pratchett and Conan the Barbarian. There's nothing niche about either of those examples. If they're going to give examples, I'd expect to see references to small press and self-published authors doing the sort of niche work they want to see.

Potentially, a small press could be well placed to produce books for niches that are missed by big publishers. As it stands, it's not clear exactly what niche they're going for and whether they really know that niche.

 

[mrsmig]

Well, at least we know from "gatekeepers" Pat and Vikki that they have no interest in Romance. I guess that genre is just too Cabbage Patch.

 

[Gillhoughly]

Ridiculously unprofessional. They are their own worst enemy. Pass.

 

[Undercover]

Answer a few questions first before you submit? Like what? I have to click on it first? Sometimes there will be questions within the form your submitting, but it's really sketchy already. That alone is a red flag. Pass. Oh, wait, better than that, run.

 

[BenPanced]

Jeez, that whole submission quiz was so danged funny, I forgot to laugh.

 

[Helix]

I really like their logo.

But how do you "stand head and shoulders with" etc etc? Isn't either head and shoulders above or shoulder to shoulder with? I suppose it could be a reference to a human pyramid.

And choosing between Barbara Cartland* and Conan the Barbarian...ignoring that one is fictional**, why wouldn't you go for the prolific and successful author. If, yanno, success is what you're after.

* I didn't get PTerry.

**Conan***

***Ikr

 

[Ellis Clover]

'Do you have what it takes to stand head and shoulders with the best in the business?' (bolding mine)

I know expression-mangling is super common and we're all guilty of it now and then, but it boggles my mind how often it makes its way into the 'professional' marketing material of people who're in the business of words.

 

[Maggie Maxwell]

I really like their logo.

But how do you "stand head and shoulders with" etc etc? Isn't either head and shoulders above or shoulder to shoulder with? I suppose it could be a reference to a human pyramid.

And choosing between Barbara Cartland* and Conan the Barbarian...ignoring that one is fictional**, why wouldn't you go for the prolific and successful author. If, yanno, success is what you're after.

* I didn't get PTerry.

**Conan***

***Ikr

The thing that leaves me scratching my head is, the PTerry question is "Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett?" and I'm just ??? Both prolific, wildly popular British comedy spec fiction writers? But Adams is "wrong"? WHY?

 

[frimble3]

The thing that leaves me scratching my head is, the PTerry question is "Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett?" and I'm just ??? Both prolific, wildly popular British comedy spec fiction writers? But Adams is "wrong"? WHY?

I'm suspecting that the point of the test is to see how many hoops the prospective author is willing to jump through, and how much nonsense they will put up with. It's a warning that there will be more hoops and nonsense ahead.

 

[mrsmig]

I wouldn't give them that much credit. I think it's all just more posturing as the "bad boy" publisher who's just too cool to be businesslike. Fine and dandy for a rock musician (particularly one who's got a good manager to do damage control). Really bad for someone who hopes to enter into business partnerships.

And just stating the obvious: any website that hijacks visitors to another site when they click on a link - joke or not - is a site to be avoided.

 

[gingerwoman]

And choosing between Barbara Cartland* and Conan the Barbarian...ignoring that one is fictional**, why wouldn't you go for the prolific and successful author. If, yanno, success is what you're after.

* I didn't get PTerry.

**Conan***

***Ikr

The whole "anti romance" thing from anyone is just misogyny pure and simple. Being anti romance makes you cool? I bet you HATE pink and dolls too right? It's just cliche misogyny at it's core.

The thing that leaves me scratching my head is, the PTerry question is "Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett?" and I'm just ??? Both prolific, wildly popular British comedy spec fiction writers? But Adams is "wrong"? WHY?

OMG I love Douglas Adams.

Not to pick on this publisher those are just my opinions. I do love one of their book covers.

 

[gingerwoman]

Ugh. Heavy on image and "branding," stupefyingly light on publishing experience. Their only two publications are by two of the principals.

And aren't they clever, forcing potential authors to take a questionnaire wherein the "wrong" answers divert you to a Cabbage Patch website. The "right" answers will eventually take you to a submissions form, by which time anyone with a lick of sense will have already run screaming into the night.

What is a Cabbage Patch website?

 

[novicewriter]

What is a Cabbage Patch website?

Hmm, perhaps the Cabbage Patch dolls. I don't know, though, as I haven't tried that website (and don't feel like trying it because I'm not keen on the sound of this website, with the odd questionnaire, etc.).

 

[mrsmig]

What is a Cabbage Patch website?

Something having to do with Cabbage Patch Dolls. Don't know if it's an official website or not; I didn't appreciate being whisked off to another website so I didn't linger there.