It's Monday morning and I'm catching up with work stuff after a week off so I'm not going to repeat a whole load of stuff that has been said elsewhere (especially when my morning cups of coffee aren't doing their normal job...). Instead, just click right Here for tales of Dorchester Books royally shafting their writers as well as shafting writers who aren't even with them anymore...
Now, Nightshade Books did something similar a while back but people kind of let them off as it all appeared to be a case of the publisher not being able to keep up with the demands of the business. Things got out of control but Nightshade appear to have made a real concerted effort to adjust to these new demands and treat their writers with the respect they deserve. Dorchester on the other hand... Well, follow that link (and then click on some of the other links there) and you'll see that Dorchester appear to have no intention of solving problems regarding late payment of royalties and making money off e-books that they no longer hold the rights to. There's a lot of 'oh, we'll get this sorted for you' which appears to be nothing more than a stalling tactic while they sell a few more books that they don't hold the rights to. I've been introduced to some great horror writers through Dorchester's 'Leisure' imprint and I feel really sorry for these guys who take the time to write great horror fiction and then get screwed over by their own publisher.
If you're a fan of these writers then you probably feel the same way as I do (you might not care and just be interested in getting hold of the books, that's cool but you need to know that these writers will not see a penny of what you are paying for their books). Follow that link again and you'll see any number of ways of boycotting Dorchester while they are treating their authors (amongst others) in this shabby manner. I don't use Twitter, or follow Dorchester on Facebook, but what I will be doing when I have a spare second is removing any mention of Leisure or Dorchester from my reviews of their books (cover art and all). Celebrate great horror fiction, sure. Lets just pretend though that these guys didn't have the misfortune to be associated with this particular publisher...
This is almost too incredible to believe . . . it's like the plot of a bad horror novel. I can understand a publisher having financial difficulties, and I can see the need to find new ways to do business, but they still have to be legal and in good faith!
ReplyDeleteIf even a fraction of the stories being shared are true, then there are some serious issues here that require some sort of official and/or legal involvement. This seems like something that's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.
I had the good fortune to meet Brian when he was promoting Ghoul. He literally stopped me on the convention floor for a chat, and handed me a copy. I've been a fan ever since, alhtough it pains me to know he may have never benefited from my purchases.
I can't believe that they are behaving with such a blatant disregard for any prior agreements that they have made. I'd be very surprised if anyone can trust them to stick to their word.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of Brian Keene since I picked up 'City of the Dead' and I'm glad he's found another publisher that should treat him like, you know... a human being...