I'm not happy to write this post and I'm going to be rather quick with it. Honestly, the longer I write about this situation, I fear I'll run the risk of becoming unprofessional as my emotions take hold. So for now, I'm going to not give too many details and just touch on this issue as it pertains to my work with Ellora's Cave.
As many of my dear readers know, I had excitedly announced that I would be writing for Ellora's Cave about a year ago. Now, I'm embarrassed to be associated with them. There's been some gross unprofessionalism on their part recently, and I don't appreciate being associated with any publishing house who feels the need to engage in a lawsuit against a book review site.
I've personally had problems with Ellora's Cave since becoming an author with them. I'm not going to go into details on those...yet, but I will state that at this point, I'm less concerned about getting royalties than I am about getting my rights back to my books.
I've requested rights back on the three books I have published there and the one that is submitted. On the one that I had submitted per contract obligations, it was turned in just before all of this blew-up. That manuscript has been in limbo for two months with no word being given to me on it's status. Not even if its title has been approved. I had handed it in to my former editor there, who was released with many other editors at Ellora's Cave. She had passed it on to one of the remaining editors, who has since resigned, so basically, I have no idea what's happening with that manuscript.
So far, I've requested my rights back twice. The first time, I was refused instantly, though I was extended an offer to buy my books back...of an exorbitant sum of money. At least, exorbitant to me. For my second request, I was told they had six months to consider my request. So, now I wait. And hope. I have so much hope that they'll give me my rights back.
So far, I've requested my rights back twice. The first time, I was refused instantly, though I was extended an offer to buy my books back...of an exorbitant sum of money. At least, exorbitant to me. For my second request, I was told they had six months to consider my request. So, now I wait. And hope. I have so much hope that they'll give me my rights back.
Due to the factors I've said here and others that I haven't spoken of, I've pulled my works that are published by Ellora's Cave from my website and blog. I also will not be writing any sequels to those works, as unfortunately, per the contracts, those sequels would be published by Ellora's Cave. For this, I apologize from the bottom of my heart to all my readers.
It's a very sad situation with Ellora's Cave and I my heart goes out my fellow authors and to the readers, reviewers, editors, and cover artists who have been caught in this mess.
I'm so sorry S J I hope it will be sorted out soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you :-) I appreciate it, and I hope it'll get sorted out soon, also.
Deletesorry you're caught up in all this, I hope you get your answers soon, and that, in any length, you get your work back at the end of it all
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the kind wishes. I'm also hoping that a positive resolution comes about very soon.
DeleteSo sorry to hear that they got you too. I didn't even know you had these books out there and 2 of them sounded great (as do most all of your books) Please keep us updated if you get an answer.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
Thank you for the compliments toward my books. I truly love those stories, and that's why I want them back from EC. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted :-)
DeleteSo sorry for you and other authors who are caught up in this web. Please don't let the chaos silence those wonderful characters whose stories you tell. All the best.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the kind words and wishes. I'm moving forward with writing and I've just recently started a new project, for MLR Press, home to most of my work. It's feels good to get back into it :-)
DeleteI am so sorry that you're going through this.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I appreciate the kind thoughts :-)
DeleteI absolutely hate that you got caught in all this mess. I have been reading some of the post(s) regarding the problems and am appalled that such an established publisher is doing such shady things. And further appalled they have filed that lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteRest assured I will not purchase your work(s) published there and I will support you everywhere else.
Please don't let this situation affect your other work(s) and here's to a speedy, just, and satisfying conclusion to this fiasco.
hugs ya,
jo
*hugs* Thank you so much, Jo. I've been floored by it too. When I first signed with EC, I thought my work would be safe there, that I wouldn't have anything to worry about because they were an established published. Never would've thought things like this would happen. And thank you for supporting my other works published elsewhere. I'm going to keep moving forward and work on stories for MLR Press. They've always been good to me and act with integrity.
DeleteMay I add you to the Ellora's Cave Author Exodus Support Thread?
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you, I know this has been hard on the authors, editors, and cover artists.
Hi Deirdre! I appreciate so very much your thoughts and wanting to add me to the Exodus. Right now, and I'm very sorry, but I'm going to decline. Certainly not because I don't support it, but only because I'm still trying to work all this out myself. It was hard enough for me to post this little blog, but my own sense of integrity made me feel I should update my readers on what was happening with my Ellora's Cave books and also state that I don't support their lawsuit against Dear Author. But depending on how things progress, I may take you up on your offer, if it'll still stand later. I apologize again and I hope you understand.
DeleteCompletely understand, and the offer's open at any time. It's a pretty highly-linked page (got 2000 views yesterday, half from Jezebel), so I'm hoping it winds up being good promotion for authors in similar situations.
DeleteThank you so much for understanding and for the open invitation. I greatly appreciate both. This whole thing has been a whirlwind and I'll admit, I'm still in disbelief at all EC's recent actions. It's a wonderful thing you're doing for the authors! Thank you for the support you're giving!
DeleteWith you SJ. Right there with you. I also have works there and want the rights back. Your blog post was straight and to the point....we just want our books back.
ReplyDeleteYes, you have it exactly right. So many of us are in this together, just wanting our rights back. I hope you're able to get yours! Best of luck! I'm hoping for the best for all of us.
Delete