Jane blogged about E.C.'s current business predicament involving the lay-off of editors and cover artists, dropping sales (which EC themselves have addressed) and unpaid royalties, something authors have been complaining about for perhaps the last year.
This is Jaid Black/Tina Engler:
What about the dwindling sales, Jaid?
What about the threats against the authors who speak out about non-payments and mismanagement?
What about the shopping sprees and property buying you've bragged about on Facebook while author's go unpaid?
And more than anything Jaid, why are you suing Jane for blogging about it?
Hee, hee. What else can you do but make humor? The woman's unbelievable. I believe she's contracted a Napoleonic complex. Large companies - and EC is a large company for its type - should have safeguards so that the owner cannot do nefarious things with the assets.
ReplyDeleteI truly feel for the authors and others caught up in her megalomania, but I have to admit, with hot, embarrassed expression on my face, that I reactivated my Twitter so I could follow Courtney Milan.
And I'll pay Jane my next SS check if she needs it, because there's nothing I hate worse than a bully!
Damn, do you suppose bullies gravitate to small epubs? So many have gone under in a spectacular fashion.
Authors have issues with large publishers also. http://www.harlequinlawsuit.com/
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DeleteGive it a rest, Suz. Your whining is turning people off. Harlequin isn't suing bloggers to suppress criticism. That crucial difference probably escapes you, but no one else.
We get it. You're all right, so the unpaid editors and authors can go jump in the lake so far as you're concerned. But if you want to preserve your precious sales, maybe scale back on the heartlessness just a wee bit. It's making your bum look big.
HUh. My ass is big but I think it's the Pop-Tarts.
DeleteSuz, as Ann is pointing out, that's apples and oranges. Authors have issues with large houses, with small houses, with Amazon, with each other. And usually a response of banning the house isn't a great choice because it does hurt authors. But here authors and editors and cover artists are going unpaid. Maybe you got a check but others haven't and that's a huge, fucking problem.
And this lawsuit is an even bigger one. Because somehow EC can't pay their authors but you can be damned sure their lawyer got paid.
Not to mention Dear Author is an author advocate and a lawsuit against them to shut them up as well as provide names of commenters (I can only assume to punish any EC authors speaking out) is a HUGE freaking deal.
So Suz, you talk apples while we're all talking citrus fruit. And enjoy your royalties. I'm truly glad someone is getting paid.
"HUh. My ass is big but I think it's the Pop-Tarts.
DeleteI was making a messed up allusion to the title of a post by Book Thingo about this situation called
"Why yes, schadenfreude makes your butthurt look big"
I can't paste the link for some reason. But you can find it easily enough
Ann, I was just trying to be funny. I do that sometimes. I will however check out that blog post.
Deleteno worries. I thought you might be offended on behalf of us fat bottomed girls :)
DeleteCarolyn, I think a lot of people think that publishing is an easy buck and so they start companies with hopes for their pocketbooks but not for their authors. But they dabble and sink and make sure they take what they can. At least thats my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, but it just seems too many of them are breaking the damn law without legal consequences. It pisses me off.
DeleteOn another note, we gotta come up with some more posts stat. I can't take those pictures much longer. It's slow torture.
I think that anyone who assumes this person (Tina/Jaid/whatever her name is) is in any way sane enough to listen to reason is really drinking some kinda special kool aid. I have 22 books published. One is with EC and I took that little "one figured salute" and translated to mean "Here's that book back Liz that we ruined with the crappy new ending and horrific cover." I never made any money off it anyway and did little to promote (because I hated the cover, the title and the ending). But I know a lot of authors who make their living by giving her rights to their creations What she is doing is completely criminal In My Opinion, which I am wholly entitled to. (this is hilarious by the way, love your blog)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. I'll look for you on Amazon. :-)
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