Comments on: Former Mardis Gras Publisher Opens New E Publishing House

By: Marilyn C. Morris

Marilyn C. Morris — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:51:23 +0000

Well, I suppose I should mention the novel that hung out there in limbo for a while….It’s The Women of Camp Sobingo. Four army wives meet aboard ship bound for Korea in 1945 to join their army officer husbands in the US Occupation. They bond over bridge in their isolated compound and each woman copes as best she can — except for one, who chooses to end her life there. Twenty-five years later, they have a reunion, where secrets and sorrows are at last revealed.
Marilyn

By: Marilyn C. Morris

Marilyn C. Morris — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:47:14 +0000

Did anyone look at her excerpt for her book, Closet Freaks? Full of misspellings and grammar errors. Seems like the only word she can spell is the F word….(I can’t even type it, let alone say it!)
I’m one of those authors who, I hope, got out before she declared an end to her business (did she ever file bankruptcy?) when I saw how her “editor” had mangled my manuscript…..At tbe end of every line of dialogue, the idiot had placed end quotes, even when, in the next paragraph, the same charactter is still speaking! I went ballistic (being an editor myself) and wrote to her, not only no, I would not accept the edits, but Hell No. And asked her to please pull my novel from the ebook list and she emailed me that they were releasing all the mainstream authors from their contracts. Shortly after that, I heard the rumblings about the demise of MGP. And, like other authors left without being paid royalties, I have no idea if my book sold even one e-copy after it launched June 9, 2007 and when my contract was released on September 1, 2007.
I have had my novel picked up by another publisher who will publish in paperback form in the spring.
So there is life after Mardi Gras, after all.

By: karma

karma — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:56:21 +0000

BTW, it looks like she’s already closed down. Apparently she couldn’t take the pressure because of all these blog mentions and decided to once again go underground.

By: DS

DS — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:09:13 +0000

Reminds me of coal mines. Bankrupt one day, opening up within a week under another name, same place, same equipment, same employees.

Did she actually file for bankruptcy?

By: Jules Jones

Jules Jones — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:02:51 +0000

Fictionwise information for publishers — which amongst other things currently says
“Fictionwise partners with publishers who can provide 10 or more titles by at least three different established, professional authors.”

The Mardi Gras catalogue would have met that requirement, but I don’t think LA Media currently does.

By: Jules Jones

Jules Jones — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:51:50 +0000

Teddy, did they have a publisher account at Fictionwise when they were Mardi Gras (and were the current titles up there under the Mardi Gras name before)? If so, they may have slid in using that and telling Fictionwise they’d gone for rebranding. Might be worth enquiring of Fictionwise if they’re aware that Mardi Gras/LAMedia is now a “publisher and a couple of friends”/subsidy outfit…

By: TeddyPig

TeddyPig — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:36:54 +0000

I could have sworn someone told me Fictionwise was picky.

By: TeddyPig

TeddyPig — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:35:25 +0000

How are these guys already on Fictionwise?

By: Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:11:12 +0000

I think some seem to see e-publishing as a bit of a get-rich-quick scheme.

I suspect this is a lot of it. People don’t realize the amount of work, thought, time and capitol that needs to go into any kind of start up business if you expect that business to last.

I have no head for business (and I’m aware of it and quite fine with it) but even I know you can’t just one day decide I’m going to open a bookstore/publishing house/spa-salon tomorrow and everything will be just A-OK.

If they aren’t going to put forth the effort to research the industry, learn the industry, understand it, and respect it…then don’t bother going into business.

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:51:37 +0000

Uh, that “again” is redundant. Sorry!

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:50:35 +0000

Okay, it might be meds talking, but I thought Teresa Jacobs said she’d never open another publishing house again because of all the headaches.

By: Erastes

Erastes — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:15:33 +0000

This isn’t just a phenenom of publishing – people who run businesses in other spheres can also just pack up and start up in another business, ready to fleece (or not) people.

Just check out ANYONE you are planning to contract with, for gawd’s sake. Find other authors in their stable, check out their credentials. It aint rocket science.

By: Jules Jones

Jules Jones — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:32:06 +0000

I think it's time to prod Emily to add a new section to the ERECblog sidebar. Absolute Write, Preditors and Editors, Writer Beware, and the Making Light posts "Slushkiller" and "On the getting of Agents" will do for starters. And this batch of linky goodness that I posted in my LiveJournal yesterday.

By: TeddyPig

TeddyPig — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:03:47 +0000

Oh, anyone let Piers know?

By: TeddyPig

TeddyPig — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:03:10 +0000

I hope Writer Beware and P&E says something too.

By: Karen Scott

Karen Scott — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:40:28 +0000

I think some seem to see e-publishing as a bit of a get-rich-quick scheme.

It sucks for the authors though, although, I think that after the very public showing of knickers, and general kerfuffle with Mardi Gras, any author who hands their work over to Teresa Jacobs kinda deserves what they get, if she has to shut down again due to “a lack of finances, hormonal women, and bitching”.

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:36:20 +0000

You could go into business with Mrs. Giggles, Trixy Loins. I have a feeling a fake site may be run more professionally than some “real” sites.

By: TeddyPig

TeddyPig — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:33:14 +0000

I was thinking of putting up a spoof site.

But then I realized how would people know the difference.