LoveStruck Books

[IHeartWriting]

Anyone know anything about them? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

Thanks!

 

[CaoPaux]

Looks like yet another ebook site. Romance, but not Erotica. Be sure to read the contract carefully for payment terms. http://www.lovestruckbooks.com/

 

[veinglory]

I suggest you ask at a romance writer site like romancedivas.com -- some epublishers sell thousands some more in the range of half a dozen.

 

[writerjenn]

I'm published with an epublisher right now, and my first novel with them has done quite well. Earned out my advance, received a cheque for more and it cleared!

My red flags go up with new epublishers who don't have a complete website though. This one is only partially complete and has been like that for quite some time.

Jenn

 

[IHeartWriting]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

 

[Claudia]

Lovestruck

Looks like yet another ebook site. Romance, but not Erotica. Be sure to read the contract carefully for payment terms. http://www.lovestruckbooks.com/

>>

Oh read it so VERY carefully. And they are NASTY if someone decides that this isn't working out. The owners have a "my way or the highway" approach, but if the author wants to take the highway they get unbelievably nasty. A friend of mine made the almost regretable mistake of signing with them -- fortunately she gave them notice on a breach of contract -- and we're talking major breach.

First problem -- the cover "artist". It's one of the owner's daughters and don't you DARE say anything bad about those covers. Even if they don't match the book...don't even think about it. If you hurt her feelings you are in deep trouble.

She had NO interaction with her editor but when she was trying to keep the down home feel of her book the publisher insisted she include things like DVDs....how many dedicated bookaholics watch a lot of movies? Okay, maybe they do, but I don't. But no interaction with the editor. The contract says that you do get an editor...can't prove that by my friend. And it says you have 30 days to get it back to the editor. If you never get it, how can you send it back?

When my friend said "in the spirit of mutual good will, let's call it quits" they got even nastier....then....surprise, surprise, they asked her for money to release the contract. YES! They wanted her to pay them to release the contract. I think they realized she was not only not going to promote it but if anything came out on it she was going to tell people "please, don't judge my book by this cover or the kid with the big teeth." They couldn't very well screw her out of money if no books were sold, but then they wouldn't be either....so when she brought three different breaches of the contract to their attention they said THEY didn't want to rep her...like she wanted them to! And the topper....they suggested that she not submit there anymore. What and get another cover with a kid with big teeth?

Oh, and they are listed in the "Finance" section of Yahoo....go figure. They say they do books, romance...and they are listed in the finance section. And, last time I looked at their website they have something about authors buying a whole lotta copies and they will pay for the POD fee. Say what? At least you're guaranteed sales I guess.

But really, poor cover art, nasty people, no communication except to dictate how someone should live their life. Stay away...stay far away.

Claudia

 

[Atomic Bear]

Claudia,

I am sorry your friend has such a bad experience.

The cover is usually they first thing a customer sees when browsing for a book or e-book, and it has to help inform us about what the book will be about (or not in the case of some sci-fi/fantasy covers). It's bad if the publisher won't listen when the author feels the cover dose not represent their work accurately.

As for any artistic element the publisher needs, there are plenty of successfully examples (websites, cover, etc.) on the market to show them the right path to take.

OT: This site for instance is all about selling books: http://www.twomorrows.com/

 

[Claudia]

Lovestruck

Claudia,

I am sorry your friend has such a bad experience.>>

It was horrible and apparently not over. She had to hire an attorney because of how they breached the contract. Just nasty people.

<<The cover is usually they first thing a customer sees when browsing for a book or e-book, and it has to help inform us about what the book will be about (or not in the case of some sci-fi/fantasy covers). It's bad if the publisher won't listen when the author feels the cover dose not represent their work accurately.
>>
Exactly -- they did something that could have been fine for a young adult type book where there's a 12-16ish girl kidnapped by Indians or something like that...but not for the kind of book she wrote. Uh uh, no way.

<<OT: This site for instance is all about selling books:http://www.twomorrows.com/

>>

Thanks! I'll pass it on to her!!!

claudia

 

[batgirl]

Sorry to hear about your friend, Claudia, and I wish her better luck with her next publisher!
One minor point - things may be different with e-publishers or even perhaps with very small publishers, but from what I've heard, most writers have very little say in cover design when their books are published. It's one of the standard gripes when authors get together.
That said, the cover artist being related to the publisher seems like an uncomfortable and somewhat unprofessional situation.

Stolen from the comments on Making Light, a filksong on this very subject:

There's a spaceship on the cover of the book (2x)
The story never leaves the planet, but it needs a spaceship, dammit, so
There's a spaceship on the cover of the book


There's a bimbo on the cover of the book (2x)
She is dumb and she is sexy, she is nowhere in the text, she is
The bimbo on the cover of the book


There's a raygun on the cover of the book (2x)
It's a philosophic story, but the cover must be gory, so
There's a raygun on the cover of the book


There's a monster on the cover of the book (2x)
He is big and he is hairy, though the story's not that scary
There's a monster on the cover of the book


There's a white guy on the cover of the book (2x)
The heroine is black but with art that cuts no slack, so
There's a white guy on the cover of the book

 

[veinglory]

LOL, yes, I have experience or know specific example of all of those, plus the mysterious presence of irrelevant crowns, dragons or the absence of anything identifiable at all.

 

[jamiehall]

Stolen from the comments on Making Light, a filksong on this very subject:

There's a spaceship on the cover of the book (2x)
The story never leaves the planet, but it needs a spaceship, dammit, so
There's a spaceship on the cover of the book


There's a bimbo on the cover of the book (2x)
She is dumb and she is sexy, she is nowhere in the text, she is
The bimbo on the cover of the book


There's a raygun on the cover of the book (2x)
It's a philosophic story, but the cover must be gory, so
There's a raygun on the cover of the book


There's a monster on the cover of the book (2x)
He is big and he is hairy, though the story's not that scary
There's a monster on the cover of the book


There's a white guy on the cover of the book (2x)
The heroine is black but with art that cuts no slack, so
There's a white guy on the cover of the book

Very good! I've noticed quite a lot of discrepancies in cover art. Especially, there have been a number of novels I've noticed where the eye color and hair color of the main character are either important or are mentioned quite frequently, but the book cover shows him or her with the wrong eye/hair color.

 

[CaoPaux]

Site gone. Per a note on Piers Anthony's list, folded in 2008.