I think Resplendence is a good place, especially for a start up. I met the owners and several of their authors at RT and they were all very nice, especially Leigh.
Being "nice" doesn't mean they're capable of running a business of any kind, and has nothing to do with their qualifications. A huge number of start-up businesses in every industry (much less a specialized and complex one like punlishing) fail each year; very few of the people who started those businesses are big old jerks, I imagine.
Because they are new doesn't mean they are to be avoided. Everyone has to start somewhere.
We disagree on that. I believe the fact that they're new is every reason to avoid them, and that they can start anywhere they like (which should be as an intern with an established company, then as an actual paid employee of that company, until they've thoroughly learned the ins and outs of the business) but I'm not going to be their guinea pig, and I don't recommend anyone I know be their guinea pigs either.
Look at how many epublishers there are, and how small a share of the market ebooks actually take up. Common sense tells you a large percentage of these new houses will fail, and experience shows that to be the case.
I do know one of their authors who is happy there. They get paid monthly and are provided with print promo materials for conferences. I think they may be a pub to watch, as in up and coming.
They certainly are one to watch; all these companies should be watched and I would love to see them all succeed. This isn't personal, it's about helping other writers find a house that will be around for a long time, will treat them with respect, will give them proper editing and promotion and a fighting chance at selling enough copies to buy more than a hamburger with the royalties, and won't leave them in the lurch with the rights to their work gone and nothing to show for it.
And Semi Pro, tell me, how many of your past pubs have failed? I know I was at a few myself...OMP, Silks Vault, Mardi Gras... (I won't even mention my feelings on NCP who have failed in my eyes, but they are still in business.) No big. I just move on. You never know who will go under next. I think all of us can chalk up one or two pubs we were caught with at their demise. And even the "three big" epubs...I hear good and bad about all. It all depends who you talk to.
OMP, Silk's Vault, Mardi Gras...all companies started by "nice" people with no publishing experience. Shouldn't those examples alone tell us all something? That maybe there's more to succeeding in this business than being nice and well-intentioned? Those publishers are textbook examples of everything I and others have said--why it's a bad idea to target start-ups for your work.
This isn't personal. Does the fact that I was stupid enough to sell a book to Triskelion, and doubly stupid enough to keep it there when I realized what a terrible place it was, mean I'm not
allowed to try and help others avoid making the same mistakes I did? Or does it mean I have a responsibility to do just that?
No, you don't necessarily know who will go under next. But chances are the Big Three won't. You can't say the same for the brand-new ones. And I'm glad those closures were "No big" for you, but for some people they are.
This has nothing to do with how nice people are or whether or not some writers at some houses aren't happy with everything that goes on there. This is about whether a certain house is a good risk to submit to or not.
