This just in…
Well holy crap, I have no idea what NCP thinks its doing now.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with author Sydney Somers before, and I can happily say she writes a damn fine book. Except that her latest release isn’t hers.
New Concepts Publishing have released a new anthology with a contribution by Sydney, Howl For Me
But Sydney has never heard or worked with the two other authors, and the ‘book’ in the anthology isn’t hers. She wrote three chapters of a projected story that she never finished, and NCP used it, probably. Sydney’s disclaimer is here.
I have no idea what NCP thinks it’s doing, other than using a well known and popular writer to join with two unknowns (one of them at least is probably one of the company owners, so that might give you a clue). It’s a publisher I’ve heard several odd things about in the last year or so, which surprised me no end, as NCP is one of the oldest e-publishers in the business. But they seem to have gone completely nuts recently and this only confirms it for me.
So don’t buy “Howl for Me” thinking that you’re going to get a completed story by Sydney Somers because you’re not. You’re getting 3 chapters of a book that Sydney never finished, never did edits for and didn’t even realize they were putting out in public. If you did buy the book, tell us what you thought about it, and if you didn’t like it, write to NCP and tell them what you think.
Me? I ain’t going there, not even with a proposal, if that’s what they do. It’s completely against ethics and publisher/writer etiquette.
Holy shit, Lynne! How stupid are they?? Can’t they get sued for something like that?
By the way – “they” = NCP
A development – NCP has done a mass release of contracts that have expired, something the authors have been asking them to do for some time.
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/publicnotice.htm
But what I find most unethical an is the fact they have published Ms Somers given name. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sydney and to publish a person given name in public is just plain wrong. The gives their given name for contract purposes so it’s legal. But now where should a publisher post the given name without the authors consent.
But it’s more too. Just late I’ve seen a lot of emails where NCP readers/customers are not getting the books they buy. These readers are waiting days,weeks even without a response from customer services… some I believe to this date have yet to receive their books. Often the author comes forward and gives them a copy…… Say bye bye to readers. That’s one way to do.
I went to NCP site and scrolled through the entire release – and, of course, read the first item which concerns Sydney Somers. Having spent some years reading and composing legal documents, it sounded to me awfully like NCP contacted a lawyer and ALL that’s been done is exact and precise lawyer’s advice – every single item, including Sydney S. – read to me like language of the law – intellectual property law…with some loopholes found in it that would make release of “Howl for Me” marginally legal – or at least defensible in court. THIS IS JUST MY FEEL, based on reading and…well, experience.
Very interesting. For a company that has been “ad-libbing” it in e-publishing these last few months – actually, maybe last year or so – to take this step is…very, very formal. You don’t take a step like this unless there is a real potential of lawsuit against your company and THAT COMPANY STANDS to lose a LOT, LOT, LOT and a LOT MORE than anyone can believe.
In fact, you take a proper and corrective step like this when your lawyers advise you to TOE THE LINE and super-behave since…well, lot’s at stake here. So…be interested to hear more – Edita.
http://www.editapetrick.net
WTF.
It has to be some serious miscommunication screw-up on NCP’s part. I can’t see a publisher screwing with an author like this on purpose. There must have been some step skipped, some procedure ignored, some email accidentally deleted and not sent.
Being “entitled to royalties” and getting them are two different horse races! Tacky, tacky tacky!
Oh, ah. Lynne’s link finishes off my theory.