And sometimes you have to tell the truth...

This is a blog post that I’ve put off writing as long as possible. Why, you ask? For many reasons. The first being that it’s one bad spot in a year of otherwise positive happenings and I’d much rather focus on them. The second being I want to keep the blog post professional, but the feelings are very personal. It’s not just about shoddy business practices, it involved a betrayal of trust and the demise of a friendship (or what I thought was a friendship). So I’m not going to mention people by name, most will know who I’m referring too, but that’s to help me separate emotion from fact. So here is the story (bear with me, it's a long one)…

Once upon a time, star date 2014, a publisher realized she could no longer keep her business afloat. There was very little money coming in, she’d spent a shit ton of savings keeping it going, put in long hours, struggled, and things just weren’t getting any better. And if she was honest with herself, she should NEVER have been in the business to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, her heart was in the right place, she was good at certain aspects (but not so good at others), and she’d made some invaluable friendships along the way. But you can’t pay your own bills or anyone else’s with good intentions or friendship. She had good ideas, she was very good at working with people (authors, cover artists, other editors, other publishers), she was a good editor (and hopefully helped a few authors become better), she had a fantastic cover artist, help from her sister, and she actually had great math skills. But she did not have good business sense, unlimited amounts of money, or great marketing skills. Those three things are must haves for publishers, or, if you have the second, you can hire people who have the other two. She sometimes pushed book releases back, was sometimes a few weeks late with contributor’s copies, and was sometimes late with royalty payments, though she always paid them. 

So our publisher realized she would have to close up shop. She felt awful about books she’d recently released and one she was currently working on. So she looked around to try to find another publisher who might take these projects on. And she thought of friend who had just that year opened a new publishing company with a friend of his. Talks commenced and they agreed to buy (a word only, no money changed hands) her little company and make it an imprint. And then they asked her to come along and be the managing editor for the imprint. What a stroke of luck!! They were going to re release her latest projects (two novels and two anthologies), publish the upcoming ones (two anthologies and a YA novel (who's author later pulled her book)), and she had a job. Granted, the job wasn’t going to pay much, but a lot of their other employees were working for free, so yay! And her friend was going to be her boss. Problem solved. *sigh* Enter problems stage left.

Skipping back several months, the same publisher had put on her editor/author hat and come up with the anthology idea for Grimm Mistresses. She had a novella length work that had never been published, a modern take on the tale of the Pied Piper. She had an author friend who’d once subbed a modern Cinderella tale to her that could be lengthened. What if she asked three other female authors she admired to contribute modern retelling of Grimm fairy tales? What an awesome book that might be. HOWEVER, since she had a story she wanted to include, she didn’t want to be the editor, nor the publisher. That screamed “vanity press.” So she approached that same friend and his new publishing company and asked if he would be interested in the project. After all, they’d done several anthology projects together. And he was. He told her to go ahead and invite the other authors, and they had more talks and set up due dates and time lines. She invited CW LaSart (the author of the Cinderella story she already had), Allison M. Dickson, Mercedes M. Murdock, and one other author who later pulled out of the project. She discussed who they should invite to replace her and was told the publisher had someone in mind. The authors turned in their stories and assumed (yes, Dad, I do remember what you told me about assuming) that editing was underway. Meanwhile, our stories converge…

January 2015 the former publisher put on her editor hat and went to work for the company. Right away she was unhappy. She was named as managing editor of the imprint, but books were being published she hadn’t even seen. Now, maybe this is how it’s done in big publishing, and maybe she’s the one in the wrong, but she was upset that her name was on something she had no claim to and hadn't approved. And she wasn’t happy with the editing of said book. She sent the managing editor of the company a copy of errors she’d noticed in the published books. She was told they were subjective (since when is grammar and punctuation subjective?). She still wasn’t happy, but let it go. Then she was shown the publishing schedule and sent books to edit. And as she read through them she had to wonder who’d agreed to them. Because she didn’t believe in them. She asked the managing editor of the company and it turned out he hadn’t read them, nor had the other owner. They relied on slush readers and sometimes went with marketability over substance. If they thought the book would sell because of author's name, author’s friends in high places, etc., they signed it, unread. Now, this didn’t sit well with our girl, but she thought well, maybe this is how it’s done and set to work editing the material and working with the author to try to make it better.

Meanwhile, the book she was an author in was getting close to its publishing date. She finally got to read (because she hounded her friend) the other story from the author they’d chosen. And she was super pleased because while the story wasn’t really horror, it was so beautifully written that it was an asset. It would set off CW’s extreme horror, Mercedes’ gut wrenching emotionality, Allison’s sci-fi vibe, and her own story. But then all of the authors began to wonder where their edits were? Time was drawing near and no one had been sent edits to approve. Turned out that’s because no one really did edits. The pieces saw a copy editor, who everyone agreed actually put in a few errors. The authors pointed this out, cleaned up their stories and sent them back. But they were worried. Then the book was published. And our editor was dismayed to find her name in it as managing editor. Wasn’t that the very thing she’d tried to avoid? Her friend’s name was nowhere on it. But the book sold and started getting good reviews, and they did some interviews and such, and no one pointed it out, so she decided to just be happy about the book.

However, on the publishing front, things were getting worse. Her “friend” was getting tired of her pointing out things she thought weren’t right. The co-owner of the publishing company stopped answering her messages at all (which suited her fine) and she was growing frustrated. So she turned in her project (a little late, she will admit, but she was beginning to wonder if anyone else was going to even go over it anyway), and told her friend she thought she’d better leave the company. They agreed she would still turn in the two anthologies she was working on and they’d still publish those.

Fast forward a few months. Things have not gotten better. The authors of Grimm Mistresses have not received their promised contributor’s copies. The signed hardcovers of GM have not been sent to the people who ordered them. And one of the authors confesses  the publisher is late with her royalties from other books she’s published with them. Grumbling ensues. Now our editor is worried about her upcoming anthologies. Will the authors even get paid? Won’t she be partially responsible should that happen? And she begins to drag her feet on turning in the anthology that’s due. She debates on pulling it and looking for a new publisher. And then the publisher pulls a move so heinous, her decision is made.

She had been messaging her friend about the cover art. He had told her he would let her see it as soon as it’s done. A month before the book is due out, an author emails her and asks why she changed the title. What? She didn’t change the title. He says it’s on the cover advertisement on the publisher’s website. She goes to the publisher’s website and sure enough, not only is the cover art (which she still hadn’t seen) been made public, but so has a new title that was never even mentioned to her. The editor is beside herself. Why wouldn’t they have even mentioned that they considered changing the title to her? The anthology is all her’s: her idea, her editing, and they’d signed it with no discussion of a name change. So the editor thinks maybe she’s overreacting and emails the Editor of all editors, Ellen Datlow. She asks if this is standard practice, without mentioning any names, and Ellen assures her that no, this is not done, and it’s rude in the extreme. So our editor messages her friend, who gets downright snotty with her and tells her he doesn’t have time for her attitude. That he was out of town and didn’t know the other guy was going to release the cover art. But he did know about the name change and when our editor states that it would have been common courtesy to have the name changing conversation with her, he suggests they just drop the anthology and not publish it if it’s such a big deal. She agrees. (I mean, she’s having doubts anyway) and states that she thinks it’s best to pull her other anthology also. Her “friend” says “fine,” and BLOCKS her. Yep, you read that right. He blocked her, because that’s professional behavior. No, let’s reconsider what’s going on here after we both calm down. No, we are adults and should be able to work through things. And then he fires off emails to all of the anthology authors saying the anthologies have been cancelled due to “creative differences.” And our editor emails those authors as well and continues the use of “creative differences.” Because, well, what would have been the use in telling the whole story? It’s he said/she said anyway. And she didn't want to be blacklisted as an editor, or labeled “hard to work with,” because she has high quality standards and expects courteous treatment. And so our editor has no further contact with the company.

Why am I telling this story now? Because the other authors have had enough. Because they want to tell their story and mine coincides with theirs. And because I feel responsible for pulling them into this mess in the first place. And to all the other authors who worked with me and thus thought these might be good guys based on my recommendation.I'm sorry, people. Apparently I am not a good judge of character.You can read Allison M. Dickson's blog post on the subject here. And CW LaSart's here.

To bring our story up to date, none of the authors of GM have received any sort of royalties, even though the book came out in February 2015. And I do know from other authors in the publisher's stables that books released after have had royalty payments made. But, we were the noisemakers from the start. Sometimes, the squeaky wheel gets ignored. I’m told the book was pulled (at least the kindle version) as of a few hours ago.

As an editor, I never received any payment either. It wasn’t much that was owed to me, but that’s not the point, is it?

The thing I find ironic in this whole mess is that my former friend sued a publisher for just such shoddy treatment.

And the thing I find the saddest, that I can still barely believe, is not that a company (though while small, had a reputation for putting out quality work) was engulfed, chewed up, and spit out, and I had a hand in it. A company I’d worked so damn hard to build. No, what I find the saddest, is that someone I genuinely liked, had poured out my heart too, and trusted implicitly, could turn on me and then shut me out completely. That shit sucks.

I'm not posting this for sympathy. I made poor decisions and I own the responsibility for making them. I don't need 15 minutes of internet fame over it. I'm not even posting this as a warning, though I hope others will heed it as such. Or as an apology, or an excuse. I'm posting it in support of my fellow authors who are pissed and decided to go public with their stories. I want you to know that their stories are true and relevant. They aren't just crying wolf. Watch out sheep and shepherds alike, the wolves are out there, and this is just one example. 

♥Spot

Grimm Mistresses Releases Soon!!

So I just realized I haven't blogged anything about the upcoming release of Grimm Mistresses.WTF, me? For those of you who haven't been bombarded with it on my Facebook or Twitter, Grimm Mistresses is a collection of five novellas retelling Grimm Fairy Tales. The novellas are all by female authors, hence the name. I'm super pleased to have my novella, "The Night Air," included. The collection releases on Monday, February 23rd. Here's the synopsis:

Remember the Grimm Brothers?Those dark fairy tales that made you leave the light on long before Disney went and sanitized them? Well, we do! Now the MISTRESSES GRIMM take back the night,five female authors who will leave you shuddering deliciously. Get ready to leave the lights on again with four pieces of short fiction bringing the Grimm Brother’s tales into the present. Be advised: these aren't your children’s fairy tales!

 And here is the amazing cover art:

Honestly, I couldn't be more excited. And the best part? I got to hang out and work with four amazing ladies, each one a super talented author. Our stories are all different: different writing styles, different approaches to the work, different visions for the theme. And yet, they all blend together into a collection that offers something for everyone. 

CW LaSart's story, "Hazing Cinderella," is hardcore horror. Fans of extreme horror will love it. 

SR Cambridge's story, "The Leopard's Pelt, is an enchanting retelling of the Grimm Brother's "Bearskin." Safe for non horror fans. 

Mercedes M. Yardley's "Little Dead Red" explores the lengths a mother will go to in order to avenge her daughter's death. Lyrically written, but still dark and grim.

Allison M. Dickson's story, "Nectar," is a sci-fi/horror blend that brings new life to "Hansel & Gretel." Scary, sexy, and thought provoking all at the same time.

And my story? Well, I hope "The Night Air" hits the mark of subtly creeping dread. Also relatively safe for non horror fans. 

I hope you'll check the book out. May you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

It will be available in eBook form at Amazon and other retailers on Monday, March 23rd. But if you have a hankering for a signed, limited edition copy, you can order those here:

www.ragnarokpub.com

♥Stacey

Writing process blog tour

I was tagged for this blog tour by the wonderful Aaron Gudmunson, who put up his post last Monday. You can read it here. And if you haven't read his debut novel, Snow Globe, I suggest you check it out. Not only is the cover scary enough to induce nightmares, the story itself is one of the best I've read this year. And I read a whole heck of a lot!

For the tour  I'm required to answer four questions and then pass on the torch. So here goes~

1.) What am I working on?

Currently I'm working on my novella, "The Night Air", which will be released in February 2015 by Ragnarok Publications in a four novella anthology--Grimm Mistresses. I'm sharing book space with some extremely talented female authors: CW LaSart, Mercedes M. Yardley, and Allison M. Dickson. The stories are all modern takes on Grimm fairy tales. My story idea came from a half dream/half lucid incident a few years back when my son had pneumonia and spins a new take on "The Pied Piper."

I'm also working on several anthologies I'm editing that should be releasing in the next few months: Fairly Wicked Tales, in which familiar fairy tales are told from the villain's point of view. The scifi/horror blend No Place Like Home: Tales From a Fractured Future whose tales envision what happens when the government controls too much. And the anticipated Demon Rum and Other Evil Spirits anthology, co-edited with Clint Collins. All the stories have alcohol as the central theme.

And a few short stories I'm writing. :)

2.) How does my work differ from others in the genre?

I'm not sure it does differ much. I will say (and probably should not admit it) I don't write deep stories, layered with hidden meaning. I don't write stories that leave you confused and bewildered or wondering if you missed something everyone else got. I think, when in the hands of the right authors, those stories have their place. But others just leave me shaking my head when I finish reading and that bites. So I write stories I would want to read, stories that entertain, and hopefully, scare the reader. I've always said my sole goal is to make someone leave the bedside light on. That's when I'll know I've succeeded. I want the reader to walk away from my story satisfied with what they've read and saying, "Wow. I didn't see that coming." I want them to still be thinking about it the next day. To me, those are the stories we should be writing.

3.) Why do I write what I do?

Mainly, because that's where my mind goes. I've tried to write other genres, but something horrible always seems to happen to my main characters. I wrote a blog post about the making of a horror writer, which you can read here, but long story short I was raised on a steady diet of horror shows, books, and spooky pranks. It's in my DNA. And I think horror serves a purpose in our lives. I mean, let's face it, things happen all the time in the world we live in that are far more horrific than anything I might write. So writing and reading horror give us a chance to escape the real world horror and allow some of that fear to come out, sort of like letting off a little steam before the pot boils over.

4.) How does my writing process work?

Usually a story will pop into my head through either a scene or a significant line from the story I've yet to write. Then I build the idea from there, mostly through a process I call "what if?" Where I walk around thinking and occasionally asking people "What if you were a pioneer and your family member died in the winter and the ground was too frozen to bury them? Where would you keep the body? How creepy would that be?" Or something of that nature, until the idea is a little more formed. Then I figure out where I'd like to see the story go. How does it end? And eventually I start writing. But I don't have a specific word count or anything, although I do like to at least finish the scene, or chapter, I'm working on. But I write while the words are flowing well. If I have to stop to think too much, I stop. Then I'll do some mindless task like dishes, mowing, laundry, taking a shower and the idea will keep tumbling around in my head until I get the next bit. Then I go back the next day, read what I've written and get the next bit out. I'm slow. Seriously slow. It can take me two weeks to write a short story. Then I have to go back and edit, send it to a friend, make changes based on their suggestions, read it aloud to my family, and finally it might be ready to submit.

Or, if I'm lucky the whole damn thing bursts out of me in five or so hours. :)

And there you have it. At least I hope you're still with me. I'm passing the tour to the lovely, talented Mercedes M. Yardley. Her post will be up next Monday, June 30th, but be sure to check out her blog before then. If you haven't read any of her work, you should. You will not be disappointed! I'm interested to see her answers to these questions. How writers write has always been fascinating to me.

Thanks for stopping by, don't be a stranger (though I hear strangers have the best candy...)!
♥ Stacey

Meet Allison M. Dickson

I know you're all wondering if I met Allison on Facebook, and the answer is yes, I did. But I met (virtually) her a while back in a group where she didn't post a whole lot. Then, one day, I saw that she'd put some of her short stories up for free on Amazon and I downloaded a few. I'm going to count the next day, when I posted on her Facebook wall about how amazing her stories were, as the day I met her. Oh, she'd been witty and fun the whole time, I just didn't realize it until I read her work. I've reviewed a couple of her stories over on See Spot Read. Take a look-see over there and then come back and meet Allison, who graciously agreed to answer my questions.

1. How long have you been writing?

I was an early reader and always had my face buried in a book. I remember being about six or seven and practicing my words on a sheet of paper and telling my mom that I’d like to write books one day. She said that sounded like a great idea. For most of my life, up until I went to college, that was my dream, even though I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to write. I did a lot of short stories and worshiped Stephen King, and that was what I really wanted to do. But at some point I switched tracks to journalism, because I wasn’t sure I had it in me to write novels, and I was convinced that journalism was the only way to get a paycheck as a writer. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I actually decided to stop with that nonsense and return to fiction and try to make my dreams a reality, with the full support of my husband who understood that doing this would mean he would be the sole breadwinner for the foreseeable future. I was already a stay-at-home mom at that point, so it wasn’t a huge shock to our lifestyle or anything. I’ve been writing, in earnest as a fiction author, since about 2007 or so, and it’s finally starting to pay off in the literal sense.

2. What's the first thing you had published?

My short story, “Aria,” which was accepted into a horror anthology in ’08. It was the first short I’d written since I was about 16, and it read in many ways like I was still 16, but that antho editor liked it, so I was thrilled. I eventually put it up for sale in my Amazon store (after some considerable editing), and for the most part, it has been well-received. Though I still consider it the red-headed stepchild in my collection, I credit that story for making me believe that others might just like what I write and that I should keep going.

3. Do you write full time or do you have a day job?

I do typically write full time. For the last few years, I have done seasonal employment in order to help bring in some extra money, but I’m not sure I’ll need to do that anymore now that the writing is starting to take off.

4. What is your writing routine? Where do you write?

My routine is to try and write as much as I can in the daytime hours when the kids are at school and my husband is at work, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Some of my writer friends say they envy that I don’t have a day job interfering with my writing (and I know what they mean, because I’ve worked a day job as a writer, and it’s hard), but a household doesn’t run itself. Cooking, cleaning, taking sick kids to the doctor, grocery shopping, paying bills, etc always have to take priority. That means a lot of time, like any other daytime worker, my writing happens late at night, after everyone’s gone to bed and there isn’t a whole lot else calling for my attention.

 Up until recently, I always wrote in my living room on the couch with my laptop, because we lived in a very small house. But we just moved into a larger place and I will now have dedicated office space. This thrills me more than you can know.

 

5. Have you always been a fan of the Horror genre?

Absolutely. I was the little kid watching Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Friday the 13^th and then sitting up half the night with horrible nightmares. For some reason, though, the nightmares never kept me away. Part of me liked being afraid. I remember every Saturday night watching shows like Monsters and Tales from the Dark Side, which to this day kind of mirrors the type of short work I like to do. Stephen King was also a huge part of my life from age eleven on. I did and still sometimes do mingle with other horror authors like Robert McCammon, Richard Matheson, Peter Straub, John Saul, and Anne Rice (hold the Dean Koontz please), but King still remains my greatest literary muse. However, science fiction has become a big part of my life as well, and that influences a lot of what I do. As does mainstream fiction.

6. What scares you? Any silly phobias?

Nothing too silly. You’ll never find me on some daytime talk show screaming bloody murder at a handful of cotton balls or anything. Okay, I take that back. I’m a wee bit phobic of gummy worms and those Styrofoam shipping pellets. But I’m truly afraid of being lost and of falling down. Terrified of plane crashes and of the ocean. So the idea of a plane crash happening in an ocean is perhaps one of my greatest fears. You know that plane crash scene in Castaway? It was extracted directly from my worst nightmare. Well done, Robert Zemeckis.

7. What other writers do you admire, or have influenced you the most?

Other than those I mentioned above, I would say Robert Heinlein has been a big influence, as well as Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Dennis Lehane, and Gillian Flynn. Also the writers I know personally. Ian Thomas Healy is one of my dearest friends and one of the most dedicated writers I know. If it wasn’t for his help in those early days, I probably wouldn’t be writing this, or much of anything for that matter. His drive and work ethic and ability to construct a plot are constant inspirations to me. Anyone who likes superheroes should check out his Just Cause books. Gae Polisner writes gorgeous young adult literature (everyone go buy The Pull of Gravity, now on paperback!), but she is also a wonderful person who brightens the days of anyone who knows her, and she reminds me of the importance of humor and whimsy in daily life. Writers need these things, otherwise we get our heads lodged too far up our own asses. Vincent Hobbes is equal parts friend and mentor. His discovery of my work on Amazon pretty much changed my life, as it led to my relationship with my current publisher, Hobbes End Publishing, with whom I’ve now signed two novel and two short story contracts. I look forward to a long and bright future with them.

8. I know most writers hate the “where do you get your ideas” question, but as a writer, I ALWAYS want to know. I noticed that you include a brief message in the back of your books that often answers the question. What made you decide to do so?

The literal answer to “where” I get my ideas is usually when I’m driving or dreaming, but often I get most of my ideas through conversing with other people.  A certain point or turn of phrase will get caught in the little idea filter in my brain, and then I’m off and running. I write those little author notes, because I actually do love to answer that question. I’m always the person going directly for the “trivia” section for movies on IMDB.com, or who spends far more time on Wikipedia than is healthy. I also love to listen to the director’s commentary on DVDs. That kind of stuff fascinates me. Like you, I want to know where creative people get their inspiration, and in many ways I still feel like a voracious reader pretending to be a writer, so I want to do those things that I as a fan would want other writers to do.  I pull inspiration from infinite places. Sometimes I still feel like a little kid, easily awed and amused by the littlest things, and I think that’s what makes me the kind of writer I am.  Even though I write a lot of dark fiction, I can’t be too cynical. It stifles my creativity in a pretty big way..

9. Best writing advice you've ever been given?

On Writing by Stephen King changed my life.  I sometimes like to pull it down and re-read it when I’m feeling a little discouraged. It’s chock-full of amazing passages and quotes, but here is one of my favorites:

“You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair--the sense that you can never completely put on the page what's in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl to marry you or because you want to change the world. Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.”

 

10.                  What advice would you give any newbies out there?

Writing is about 10% magic and 90% work. If you want to be a writer, you can’t just think up neat ideas and take a few notes and then procrastinate for about five years, growing more and more bitter that some fairy didn’t descend from the heavens to sprinkle you with magical time-giving dust. No, to be a writer, you have to actually write the story. And then you have to finish that story and start the next one. You have to be willing to bleed and maybe even cry a little when it comes time for the big edit. You may even have to sacrifice a good bit of your social life and be comfortable in solitude. But most importantly, you have to treat it like it’s your main job and give the craft the weight and respect it deserves. A writer, a real writer, doesn’t think of what they do as a fun little distraction when they aren’t doing their “real jobs,” or that thing they would love to do if they “had time for fun little hobbies.” No, the writing is the real job. That other thing you might have to do to keep the lights on and bread on the table is a paycheck that allows you to survive so that you can do what really makes you live. Once you make those little adjustments to your priorities, you’ll be well on your way.

 

Bio:

Allison M. Dickson lives in southwest Ohio and has been writing since she could hold pencil to paper. It's only in recent years that she started treating the craft as a career. After earning a few small publishing credits, she started selling her stories online, where she gained a decent following with such dark tales as "Dust" and "Vermin." She soon caught the attention of author and visionary Vincent Hobbes, and her relationship with Hobbes End Publishing solidified with her two contributions to the second volume of The Endlands, and finally with their recent acceptance of her upcoming science-fiction novel, The Last Supper. Her other obsessions include food, movies, cracking bad jokes with her family over dinner, taking pictures of her giant cat, and harboring secret fantasies of being a Bond girl/sword-wielding martial arts master.

You can read more about her life through her blog at http://www.allisonmdickson.com
Twitter : http://twitter.com/msallied
Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/authorallisonmdickson

And you folks are so lucky! Several of Allison's works are free right now on Amazon! Go to her Amazon Author page and go down the list of works. You won't be sorry. Pinky swear.

♥Stacey