Beware: Undead Press

[AnyaHarker]

I didn't come across this link, but I saw it posted over on AQC and thought I should share it here to make sure you guys see it as well. This is really, really scary and I'd suggest staying away from this press at all costs. Unsure if they're on P&E, but they really should be!

http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/

[Tabris]

I had a professional magazine do this to me. I objected as strongly as I could, but they were jerks about it. So I told them to take my name off their website, and I pretend that story never happened.

This writer doesn't seem to have many other publications, though, so it's just awful for her. :-(

[Falen]

ugh, i am totally disgusted by that. I would've been so heartbroken if that had happened to me with my first published story.
I actually feel sick to my stomach

[AlythiaB]

Omg did you guys see how many people commented?? I think we all felt a little outraged!

It sounded like it was a short story she submitted though. Was it a short story or first novel? Not that it doesn't suck either way, but if it were her first novel that would have been devastating!

[lexcade]

wwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww. that is horrible!

[MittensMorgul]

And Victoria Strauss wrote a follow-up piece for Writer Beware about making sure any publishing contract you do get has the correct language to protect you from this kind of thing:

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2012/05/editing-clauses-in-publishing-contracts.html

Just one more thing to point at and go "SEE! This is why I want an agent!"

[Cedar Mountain]

I didn't come across this link, but I saw it posted over on AQC and thought I should share it here to make sure you guys see it as well. This is really, really scary and I'd suggest staying away from this press at all costs. Unsure if they're on P&E, but they really should be!

http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/

This post went abolutely viral in the past week. On her latest post she says that she's self pubbing the story in question and is also looking for a Massachusetts based lawyer that sepecializes in contracts.

[MaryL]

I didn't come across this link, but I saw it posted over on AQC and thought I should share it here to make sure you guys see it as well. This is really, really scary and I'd suggest staying away from this press at all costs. Unsure if they're on P&E, but they really should be!

http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/

Ugh. This kind of thing just makes me sick. Sadly, it happens too often. I'm glad you posted this. Perhaps if enough people spread the word, this kind of thing will stop.

I know novels are different than magazines and the process is different, but my editors have never actually made a change to my work. They have suggested changes, but I am the one who physically makes the changes to the manuscript. The woman's story above scares me.

[ChokeCherry]

Thanks for posting this - terrible that such things happen! The victims are really left out in the cold 

[LateToTheParty]

Ben Leroy has a fresh take on this, here:

http://www.benjaminleroy.com/

Including Neil Gaiman and Bob the builder. Good stuff, y'all. First class post from a first class publisher.

[Tigerbunny]

Here's an agent-author contract for anyone that hasn't seen one.  This agreement is for this company only.  I imagine everyone has a different set of rules, however, it certainly wouldn't hurt to know what the "norm" is with regard to legal terminology and the like. 

Think this is interesting though:

http://www.northernlightsls.com/our-standard-contract.htm

[onceupon]

This whole story gives me the shivers...an agent definitely seems the way to go, if you can get one...