Mitchell Morris Publishing / Celeris Publishing Group, Inc. / kNight Romance Publishing

[Undercover]

They're not on the list from what I saw. Does any one have any info on them?

http://www.mitchellmorrispublishinginc.com/

 

[AlishaS]

I don't have any experience with them but off hand by their website... their covers are so-so. Some look great, other's don't. Their about us page reads more like a contact page, with no real information on them as a whole, who they are, what they expect to produce and what their creds are.
The submission guidelines are nill, simply stating to email someone for more info. I'd prefer some upfront information. Like, what they are looking for, what they publisher or don't, and well the obvious, how to submit to them if they take unsolicited or unagented manuscripts.
I've also never seen a guest book on a publishers page before... so yeah, that's weird to me.

I'd love to hear what someone with more experience than I has to say, or perhaps if one of their authors comes forward

 

[victoriastrauss]

On their blog, they're touting the fact that their "mid-grade" (I think they mean middle grade) novel Wicked Passage was edited by Laurie Rosin, an experienced freelance editor. Why would a publisher--which, if it's really a publisher, has its own in-house editors--advertise the fact that one of its authors paid a bundle for outside editing? Curious.

- Victoria

 

[profen4]

On their blog, they're touting the fact that their "mid-grade" (I think they mean middle grade) novel Wicked Passage was edited by Laurie Rosin, an experienced freelance editor. Why would a publisher--which, if it's really a publisher, has its own in-house editors--advertise the fact that one of its authors paid a bundle for outside editing? Curious.

- Victoria

It's worded in such a way that I can't really tell if the author paid for the editing, or if the publisher used (and paid) Rosin for the editing.

 

[profen4]

Is kNight Romance Publishing ( http://knightromancepublishing.com/) another imprint of this group? Same submissions editor.

 

[thothguard51]

From their about us page...

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Please note we only accept polished submissions.

From my experience, polished usual means already edited.

 

[profen4]

From their about us page...

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Please note we only accept polished submissions.

From my experience, polished usual means already edited.

That's actually a pretty common thing to see in submission guidelines for publishers and agencies. I can think of a number of places that say that so I don't think it necessarily means "professionally" edited. Plus, on the editor's website, the testimonial for that book is from the publisher, not the author, so that *might* mean something (ETA: Given that, generally, testimonials come from people who paid for the service).

 

[James D. Macdonald]

It doesn't mean "Get your book professionally edited." It means "For the love of Benji don't send us your first draft twenty seconds after you type 'The End'!"

 

[CaoPaux]

Is kNight Romance Publishing ( http://knightromancepublishing.com/) another imprint of this group? Same submissions editor.

Their About Us page lists Tracey Mitchell as CEO and uses Mitchell Morris email, so I'd say yes.

 

[victoriastrauss]

It's worded in such a way that I can't really tell if the author paid for the editing, or if the publisher used (and paid) Rosin for the editing.

Rosin is an experienced editor and not cheap--I'm not seeing a small press shelling out for that kind of extra expense. My guess would be that the author paid. (Another possibility, of course, would be that the publisher paid and passed the cost on to the author, but that's not an assumption that should be made without some evidence.)

- Victoria

 

[Michael Drakich]

Mitchell-Morris Publishing is the same as kNight Romance Publishing. They changed the name in July 2011. Nowadays, they also advertise themselves as a division of the Celeris Publishing Group - all the same people. Let's see, I signed a contract with them in October 2010. In it I was promised 5 hard copies of my novel (never got them) 50 reviews (got 3, none posted to Amazon, at least all 5 star) 10% of gross sales after dealer discount (got 10% of net sales after printing costs) and though not in the contract was promised an email campaign to bloggers and scifi websites (to my knowledge they sent out one email) I am aware they never paid my editor who parted ways with them a year ago. My contract is for 2 years from publication date which was April 15, 2011 so I'm stuck until then. Not worth the trouble to fight it. I'll wait it out. I am aware of at least one author in the process of suing them. Anything else you would like to know?

 

[Michael Drakich]

The reason I pulled up this conversation today was I received an email from the publisher claiming Bakes & Taylor wasn't paying any royalties, which meant they would be behind on paying royalties. I could find nothing about that in a google search so i decided to search the publisher and found this thread.

 

[Alexx Starnes]

Do Know that they have not paid their authors or editors since march of this year.

 

[Michael Drakich]

I believe they have gone out of business. Their website is gone and their emails don't work.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

Don't hold back, Jeremy. Tell us what you really think.

So: Was your sale to Knight Romance Publishing made by Blue Ridge Literary Agency (Dawn Dowdle)?

 

[Wagner]

James D. Macdonald: If I tell you what I really think, I'll be banned from here.

I've held my tongue for over a year now. I'm calling out this faux-CEO and letting everyone know that she took a ton of cash from me and is not paying me back what she owes me.

*If you loan someone $1.00 or $15,000, you expect to be paid back.
*If you're due royalties for books sales--with no advance--you're owed the money.
*If a publisher owes you 5 complimentary books, you're owed 5 books.

TRACEY MITCHELL has never delivered on any of these things...not one! That's the brutal truth and my tone is justified. The gloves are off.

 

[Stacia Kane]

Don't hold back, Jeremy. Tell us what you really think.

So: Was your sale to Knight Romance Publishing made by Blue Ridge Literary Agency (Dawn Dowdle)?

According to PM, yes, it was. Sale announced December 2010, and Dowdle is the agent listed as making the sale.

James D. Macdonald: If I tell you what I really think, I'll be banned from here.

Probably not, actually.

I've held my tongue for over a year now. I'm calling out this faux-CEO and letting everyone know that she took a ton of cash from me and is not paying me back what she owes me.

*If you loan someone $1.00 or $15,000, you expect to be paid back.
*If you're due royalties for books sales--with no advance--you're owed the money.
*If a publisher owes you 5 complimentary books, you're owed 5 books.

TRACEY MITCHELL has never delivered on any of these things...not one! That's the brutal truth and my tone is justified. The gloves are off.

I am so sorry this happened to you, Jeremy, and that your faith was unjustified.

 

[Wagner]

Stacia,

Thanks for the kind words. You always rock and I appreciate you. I hope you're doing great.

Stacia, you actually urged me to return to Absolute Write many moons ago via Twitter. Given my recent trials, I'm sharing my KRP Publishing experience which is one part personal/business (money loans) and one part "poorly treated author." This Absolute Writer forum/thread for "Writers Beware" is the perfect platform to inform others of what happened to me...with individuals like Tracey Mitchell and KRP, there's a dark-side that realm I'm bringing to light.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone here the best in their craft and in this business, and this hasn't deterred me from writing or publishing. I wish everyone here only a positive and gratifying publishing experience now and forever. No one should stop writing because the business burned them. Anyone who is really PASSIONATE about writing will write all the time and never stop. I have 2 new novels done wrapped up...I never give up or stop...I'll keep writing without a publisher no matter what.

If anyone has had a great relationship with Tracey Mitchell, then you're fortunate. For me, I've been duped and taken advantage of on a level most people can't imagine. It really sucks.

*Stacia Kane: I'm checking out Chasing Magic now

 

[Stacia Kane]

Stacia,

Thanks for the kind words. You always rock and I appreciate you. I hope you're doing great.

:blush: I hope the same for you.

Stacia, you actually urged me to return to Absolute Write many moons ago via Twitter. Given my recent trials, I'm sharing my KRP Publishing experience which is one part personal/business (money loans) and one part "poorly treated author." This Absolute Writer forum/thread for "Writers Beware" is the perfect platform to inform others of what happened to me...with individuals like Tracey Mitchell and KRP, there's a dark-side that realm I'm bringing to light.

And I still urge you to return, and to stick around! We have lots here aside from Bewares. Check out the genre sections, or I bet you'd offer some great critiques in Share Your Work, or just chat in some of the general sections.

And thank you for informing us of what happened to you.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone here the best in their craft and in this business, and this hasn't deterred me from writing or publishing. I wish everyone here only a positive and gratifying publishing experience now and forever. No one should stop writing because the business burned them. Anyone who is really PASSIONATE about writing will write all the time and never stop. I have 2 new novels done wrapped up...I never give up or stop...I'll keep writing without a publisher no matter what.

I think I speak for every member when I say we wish you the same. Genuinely, and completely.

If anyone has had a great relationship with Tracey Mitchell, then you're fortunate. For me, I've been duped and taken advantage of on a level most people can't imagine. It really sucks.

Yes, it does. A few of us here have had bad experiences, and been duped or taken advantage of or lied to or cheated or whatever else. We work to try to make sure it doesn't happen to others, and we hate it when it does. So again, I'm so sorry. It's not fair.

*Stacia Kane: I'm checking out Chasing Magic now

Thanks! That's the fifth book in the series, so you may be a tad confused if you start there, but thanks.

 

[Wagner]

Stacia,

The 5th book? I shoulda known! Well, I'm not too bad off..I have the first 3 of the Downside Ghosts series here. I assume there's #4 (I don't have) and Chasing Magic is #5 of the same series?

I'll look into the genre sections here and more. This is truly a great thing. And again, I thank you for your friendship and words of wisdom.

 

[Alexx Starnes]

I always wondered

"For me, I've been duped and taken advantage of on a level most people can't imagine. It really sucks."


Jeremy, I am so sorry something like this has happened to you. All authors deserve to be treated with respect and be paid for the work you have done. I know a few other authors and editors that are having the same problem with this particular publisher (if you can call it that). You are in a worse position having lent her money. No one, NO ONE deserves to be taken advantage of.