Author Beware

I've quoted Ash Arceneaux here before, and I'm going to do it again, because Teresa Jacobs (aka Teresa Wayne) has decided to set up shop in publishing again.

From Ash's blog:

"The triumvirate of bad writing here." That quote is from Kitty Strauss in response to this new discovery: L.A. Media Online.

Apparently, this is Teresa Wayne's new publishing venture. I just want to know why she thinks she's going to make a self-publishing venture work when she's already proven she can't make a real publishing house work. This, also, is from a woman who swore she was never going to get into publishing again.

Now, I got burned by this woman. Well, nearly burned. I saw the approaching flames and ran like all of hell was behind me--rights to my book in hand!--and I'm still fielding emails from former Mardi Gras Publishing authors who--gasp--haven't got their rights back.

How do you warn people, and make them listen, about a publisher who lies through her teeth and is out ONLY for herself? I met the woman in person. I watched her promote her own book without a word to any prospective customer about the 30-odd other authors who had books with her, or even the THREE MGP authors who bothered to show up to promote the COMPANY not just their books. She charged fees and never paid some authors.

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For those of you who may have entered the party late, and wonder why I care, or why Ash or Kitty care so much, let me remind you of the plagiarism debacle that caused us so much grief in the early days of Aphrodite's Apples. Lest you think it's just Ash, Kitty and me, please read the comments in the Smart Bitches' entry - read Stella Price's experiences with MGP and Ms Jacobs. There's more on it at Dear Author.

The greater point to all this is that I don't make the "author beware" statement lightly. Publishing is a highly competitive field and you need to be choosy about where you place your manuscript. Some books fare better in eFormat, some in print. Some do well in both. However, do your research on the market and which house will best serve your work. Every e/indie press has its strengths and weaknesses. However, when rumors start drifting that it's an author mill - run, don't walk away with your manuscript, no matter what sort of pretty promises the publisher makes.