[Publisher] Black Rose Writing (Reagan Rothe)

[triceretops]

[FONT=Garamond Premr Pro, serif]Just got this in my inbox a few minutes ago. Are there any doubts about their business model now? (Before they read my full, or afterwards?)[/FONT]

Tri
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[FONT=Garamond Premr Pro, serif]We are in the process of reviewing your novel and considering your work for publication.

This has no reflection on the basis for our final decision, but we take pride in being upfront and honest, thus finding out the type of book campaign our authors plan to run alongside our own. Our data indicates that authors who have many copies in hand are motivated and tend to do much better at generating leads, which we can follow-up and assist with scheduling events and sending promotional copies. It also increases sales, which allows us to open up our budget even more to publicize and promote. We'd like to ask how many author copies do you plan on ordering at release?[/FONT]
​

Regards,
Reagan Rothe

Creator of Black Rose Writing

 

[veinglory]

Ouch

 

[Gravity]

It appears the young Jedi learned well from its dark masters ...

 

[triceretops]

Yep. I've seen three previous PA authors, who have started up their own pub houses, and are using nearly identical business plans. They did not learn that PA was an ill conceived plan for publishing legitimately, as much as they learned how profitable it can be when they do to authors what was done to them.

Tri

 

[brainstorm77]

[FONT=Garamond Premr Pro, serif]Just got this in my inbox a few minutes ago. Are there any doubts about their business model now? (Before they read my full, or afterwards?)[/FONT]​

Tri​

[FONT=Garamond Premr Pro, serif]We are in the process of reviewing your novel and considering your work for publication.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Garamond Premr Pro, serif]This has no reflection on the basis for our final decision, but we take pride in being upfront and honest, thus finding out the type of book campaign our authors plan to run alongside our own. Our data indicates that authors who have many copies in hand are motivated and tend to do much better at generating leads, which we can follow-up and assist with scheduling events and sending promotional copies. It also increases sales, which allows us to open up our budget even more to publicize and promote. We'd like to ask how many author copies do you plan on ordering at release?[/FONT]​

Regards,
Reagan Rothe

Creator of Black Rose Writing

I'd block them as spam.

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Interestingly enough, I'm getting emails from their authors claiming I'm libeling them by labeling Black Rose Writing as a vanity publisher.

 

[Marian Perera]

Interestingly enough, I'm getting emails from their authors claiming I'm libeling them by labeling Black Rose Writing as a vanity publisher.

Reminds me a bit of those PA authors who claimed that by criticizing PA we were lowering their sales.

 

[Gillhoughly]

What a vanity house will tell a prospective writer:

We are in the process of reviewing your novel and considering your work for publication.​

What a real house will tell a prospective writer:

We regret to say that your submission does not fit our lists at this time.

Or

We are pleased to inform you that your submission has been accepted. One of our editors will call you soon to discuss details.

Or they just phone.



It's either yes or no, none of this crap of about "we're reviewing it." That wastes time, and real publishers do not waste time.

This has no reflection on the basis for our final decision,

Then why bother to mention it?

but we take pride in being upfront and honest,

Every single person/company who has ever lied to me has first assured me of his/its honesty.

A truly honest person/company wouldn't think to mention it. Check out a real publishing house's guidelines page. Do they have any mention that "we're honest and upfront!" I'm thinking no.

thus finding out the type of book campaign our authors plan to run alongside our own.

Excuse me, but I'm a writer, not a one-person promotion machine. THAT is YOUR job. I do not have training in advertising, nor do I need it. Don't you have qualified people to get the word out?

Our data indicates that authors who have many copies in hand are motivated

Please--show me this "data". I'm reasonably certain this is a copy/paste straight from a PublishAmerica email. You were foolish enough to sign with them for your first books. Duh. Are they still sending you mails urging you to buy your own copies, too?

BTW--real publishers GIVE free copies to their writers. If you're unable to do that, just say so, but even the smallest of micro presses can spit out one lousy author's copy.

and tend to do much better at generating leads,

SALES PEOPLE are into "generating leads." I am am a writer. It is a publisher's job to sell the damn books, not mine.

which we can follow-up and assist with scheduling events and sending promotional copies.

How about just sending ordering catalogs and getting listed on Ingrams or B&T? That's what real publishers do.

It also increases sales, which allows us to open up our budget even more to publicize and promote.

If you don't have the budget to do basic promotion then either acquire it via book sales to the public or shut down and sell used cars. You already have the language for it.

We'd like to ask how many author copies do you plan on ordering at release?

​

ZERO.

And don't tell me that doesn't effect your decision to accept/reject my book. It could be a Pulitzer winner, but you'd treat it the same as any over-the-transom slush.

A real publisher knows how to run itself and get books into stores without my help. Some wing nut who uses a scum pit like PublishAmerica as a business model is not my friend.

I'll bet real money you get a huge charge telling the hicks at parties and church socials that you're a book publisher.

What a larf.

 

[Gravity]

C'mon, Gill; how do you really feel?

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Yeah, Gill, don't hang back. Let it out.

 

[priceless1]

BTW--real publishers GIVE free copies to their writers. If you're unable to do that, just say so, but even the smallest of micro presses can spit out one lousy author's copy.

Gilly, not only that, but they give freebie copies to their publicists. We just sent out 150 units to our author's publicists and are preparing to do the same thing for another.

 

[Gillhoughly]

And that's me AFTER I've had my morning coffee.

Even my best friends know to wear Kevlar.

But Black Rose is no friend to serious commercial/professional writers.


It's pretty damned clear their decision to accept or reject a book is based on how many copies a writer wants to buy.

They are a step-to-the-side version of PublishAmerica, not a step up. They ARE on the same level, just a smaller scale.

 

[JulieB]

Gilly, not only that, but they give freebie copies to their publicists. We just sent out 150 units to our author's publicists and are preparing to do the same thing for another.

And you're not one of the "big guys," either.

 

[priceless1]

And you're not one of the "big guys," either.

Heh, not by a long shot.

 

[brainstorm77]

Note, Mr Rothe hasn't come back in ages to reply to anything posted in the thread.

 

[Gillhoughly]

That's his choice and his right.

He skipped answering questions posed early on in this thread, particularly anything to do with his experience in the publishing industry prior starting BRW.

Which, I would say, is none.

I gave several constructive suggestions on improving his website--like taking down pics of dates and cute kid relatives. Neither has a place on a publishing website. I note that other points were ignored and he continues with distracting backgrounds like that spiral notebook page and hard to read fonts.

I'd lose the "how to" PDFs, too. Until you've actually sold something to a real publisher, you just don't have the chops to be offering advice.

Perhaps he's not as obviously harmful to writers as PA, there is a certain naive sincerity there, but writers who go with BRW are wasting their career time in Podunk Junction.

In publishing, you start submitting at the TOP and work your way down.

If there's no takers by the time you reach the likes of BRW or PA, then write a better book and start again.

 

[brainstorm77]

Yeah I went back today and re-read the whole thread. I noticed he answered only what he wanted. I am glad for this thread. I hope people take note of it.

 

[LateNightLady]

I have a friend who decided to sign with BR. Apparently, he just got his MS back from the editor and he said it was riddled with typoes he never made and that weren't in his original copy.

Yucky business practices.

 

[Gillhoughly]

It's not just yucky business, it's sloppy work. Your friend can expect more of the same unless it is stopped now, before things proceed to the next level.

They are NOT professional, nor will a book with them count as a professional credit with any writer's organization.

You might want to have a serious chat with your friend, and see if he can't get out of his contract. It's clear that BR is just not up to the job.
BR might be less tenacious than PA about contract releases, especially if it is made clear your friend won't buy copies.

This will be better than trying to get BR to fix the problems they made. When I get a MS back from my publishers, the errors are FIXED, not multiplied.

Again, the person running things is clueless, inexperienced, and not qualified. The website itself is riddled with errors.

Let your friend know that all vanity sites have a "testimonials" page and BR is no different. If he continues, hoping things will get better, this WILL cost money, along with the first print rights of his work.

Your friend deserves better.

 

[brianm]

If there's no takers by the time you reach the likes of BRW or PA, then write a better book and start again.

This.

~brianm~

 

[brainstorm77]

I have a friend who decided to sign with BR. Apparently, he just got his MS back from the editor and he said it was riddled with typoes he never made and that weren't in his original copy.

Yucky business practices.

Direct them to read this entire thread.

 

[LateNightLady]

When he told me he finished his book, I sent him a slew of links - this included. After he told me his "good news", I forwarded this link once more. He felt pretty stupid after, although there was little he could do. The contract had been signed and mailed.

I am urging him to get out of his contract - just take the early termination fee and go. That was my advice. A costly lesson.

 

[brainstorm77]

If he wants out, he should email them stating he will not be purchasing any copies of his book nor will he promote it. They may release him.

 

[agentpaper]

If he wants out, he should email them stating he will not be purchasing any copies of his book nor will he promote it. They may release him.

Unless it's in his contract he has to buy a certain number of copies. A friend of mine almost went with these guys, but asked me to read through her contract for her. When I saw that it said she had to buy 50 copies of her book, I came here and read the whole thread and then sent her the link to here. She refused the contract.

 

[brainstorm77]

Unless it's in his contract he has to buy a certain number of copies. A friend of mine almost went with these guys, but asked me to read through her contract for her. When I saw that I came here and read the whole thread and them sent her the link to here. She refused the contract.

Did her contract state she had to buy any number of copies?