Letters and Comments

Letters To The Editor For December 31st

Published on December 31, 2008

Is This a Scam? In all likelihood, the situation the writer presented is a scam. Many people posting items for sale on the internet are being contacted by people allegedly located in foreign countries. The scam has 5 main stages: 1. The seller is contacted by someone from another country. This person offers to buy a large number of items. 2. After several email communiques, the buyer states he will send a check to cover the purchase. 3. The check arrives, but is for far more than the purchase cost. There is also a letter advising the seller to deposit the check in seller's bank account. The seller is to keep the enough money in the account to cover the purchase cost plus 10% service fee. Seller is then to withdraw the overpayment and send it to some third person. This third person will use the money to arrange and pay for shipping. 4. If the seller follows these instructions, seller will receive notice in about three weeks from his bank that the check bounced. 5. Seller is then obligated to pay the his bank back. Scott …

Texas Coastal Enthusiast magazine / Damon Gibson

Published on December 10, 2008

Having just consulted my lawyer on another topic that is similar (to the Damon Gibson situation), a verbal contract is still a legal contract. CY has a fee-for-service contract. CY upholded her/his end of the contract, therefore is due remuneration. As far as copyright issues are concerned. As soon as CY puts pen to paper or keystrokes on a Word page, her thoughts are immediately copyrighted. You can't copyright an idea but as soon as that idea is put into written form, it's copyrighted. Debbie Elicksen Canada's Publishing Expert Freelance Communications https://www.freelancepublishing.net Supporting Member of Association of Canadian Publishers New release Nix Your Tics: https://www.freelancepublishing.net/books_e.htm For self-help with book publishing: https://www.freelancepublishing.net/publishing_products.htm Your Creativity As a Loving, Inexpensive (and Funny!) Holiday Gift! ---- Hi Angela, Do you browse https://www.etsy.com often? I love it. They have so many hand made items, hand made by one person or a small group. (They also have fixed pricing, which I actually find refreshing so I don't gave to wait for an auction to end, love it, and then lose it. If I don't like the price, I can just move on.) They have lots of children's stuff, whether it's clothing or toys that are hand made, and kid safe and age appropriate. Great to use for buying American where you know items aren't made in sweatshops and/or by kids. You support American artists/clothiers and avoid big box stores. Most are also reasonable prices considering they aren't made in factories... So far I haven't found one seller with any negative feedback... Karen Carver Lawrence, KS PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Angela is a big fan of etsy.com. She recently listed her book, How to Reborn a Doll in a Day, at Etsy. See: https://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18450177 …

Texas Coastal Enthusiast magazine / Damon Gibson

Published on December 3, 2008

Ms. Hoy, Sorry to use this e-mail address instead of registering and posting on the Whispers and Warnings website. (FYI, I am not a freelance writer and have had no interaction with the publication in question.) Regarding the following thread regarding Texas Coastal Enthusiast magazine (https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=8222): You might be interested in what Damon Gibson is now up to in San Antonio, Texas. See: https://www.txenthusiast.com/sanantonio.htm Thanks for all you do for writers. …

Some POD Publishers Raising List Prices; Angering Authors

Published on November 26, 2008

From a PublishAmerica Author: Hi Angela, It wasn't until I read your newsletter today that I discovered my POD publisher had also increased my book's price. My biggest complaint with Publisher America (PA) from the beginning has always been their exhorbitant pricing. At that time, my book (a 312-page paperback) was listed at $24.99. I couldn't sell it, even to my family members! In the last few years, the price was reduced to $19.99 (again, they did not inform me - I simply stumbled across the price decrease). However, my book now lists (retail) at $29.99, with a $5 discount to buyers who purchase my book through PA. PA did not contact me at all for this increase. Not sure they had any legal obligation to do so, but ethically, it would have been nice. So, Angela, I guess you can add me to your list. The real question remains: What can we authors do about it? Answer: Probably nothing. It never pays to argue with PA. Like another author mentioned in your article, PA will ban you from their message board if you dare complain about anything they do. There is no getting out of their ridiculous 7-year contract unless you pay (and it's a lot more than $300 as per your article!), and since pricing is through the roof, only Mom and Dad will buy your books through this (company). All I can say is, I will be thrilled when my 7 years is up. Thanks for the heads up! Once again, your newsletter was an eye-opener. ~Julie Donner Andersen From a Lulu.com Author: Lulu Price Jackup My book at Lulu has gone from $9.99 to $11.21: Wonder what's up with that? T. …

Don’t These People Know How Ridiculous They Sound?

Published on November 19, 2008

Hi Angela... You're missin' a bet here! You should publish a collection of the "Best of Whispers and Warnings" (Oh, you know, in your copious spare time, between lounging around eating chocolates and painting your toenails...) Something like, "Outrageous excuses, dumbfounding diatribes and puerile tirades from idiotic editors, publishers and other assorted (bleeps!) who lack any understanding of copyright law, business ethics and common sense, and who ought to crawl back under their rocks -- as soon as they pay their bills!" This latest clown, "Damon", is a winner in any ROTFLMAO sweepstakes. Don't these people know how ridiculous they sound? I know that lots of your past W&W entries would provide true quality entertainment for writers, as well as for students of abnormal psychology and human idiocy in general. It's so cute how these morons seem to ignore the basic rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging! This writing biz is truly amazing: Pick up a rock and the darndest things crawl out! You guys are superheroes -- THANKS for all you do!! Purrrrs... wac Wendy Christensen, The Cat Herder Cultural Ailurologist, Writer, Illustrator, Photographer https://www.wendychristensen.com Cat problems? Problem cats? Read my book! Outwitting Cats: Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Persuading the Felines in your Life That What YOU Want is also what THEY Want …

Letters To The Editor For November 12th

Published on November 12, 2008

WritersWeekly.com Always Pays on Acceptance Thanks, Angela, for your quick response to my submission for Success Story and for the check, which already arrived! Mail from Maine to Buffalo must be by Polar Express! Glad to be able to 'talk' to your readers. Lois Vidaver …

Letters To The Editor For October 29th

Published on October 29, 2008

Thanks! Hi Angela, I just have to tell you that you write the nicest acceptance letters of any editor I've worked with! You are so enthusiastic and encouraging! Thank you for making my day! :) Diane Stark …

More on: We Have Seen the Enemy and She is…a Writer

Published on October 22, 2008

Angela, A. Antaonow's article, We Have Seen the Enemy and She is...a Writer, comes as no surprise to me. As a just budding-never been published-dreaming of becoming-writer who is also a doting and diligent wife who has sought out contract software engineer jobs for smart as a whip hubby, I can attest to this type of unethical practice occurring in many occupations. I was always appalled by these placement companies that wanted to hire my husband for his expertise and aggressively pursued him for their open positions, praising his talents and experience on the one hand, yet demanding to be paid AT LEAST 50% of his contracted salary with zero benefits. Oftentimes they would request 60-75% of his contracted rate! Whenever my husband would negotiate salary rate with them they could never give him a plausible enough reason for the high price of their "services" that explained well enough why they deserved to be paid the exact amount of money he was paid for actually doing the difficult and demanding daily work. One company representative told him it was "the nature of the beast", meaning, if you bill it, they will pay it. I am not surprised that writers are being treated in the same manner. Though I am sure most writers (myself included) would be thrilled just to be published and have someone read their thoughts, ideas, and hard work, the reality is that many businesses will always try to get that work as cheaply as possible. The most unethical part about this is that the writer seeking the cheap labor KNOWS the amount of work involved in preparing a piece for publication....or at least they should. They should know that when a writer writes, they have poured a small piece of their soul into that article. It contains thoughts formulated inside their minds that were melded together into a prose that conveys information, expresses emotion, describes scenery, tells a story, gives perspective, or takes the reader on a journey. It is inexcusable that a true writer could forget that for a buck. Thanks for being a truly valuable resource for writers and wannabe writers such as myself. Sincerely, Regina Tyyska …

We Have Seen the Enemy and She is…a Writer?

Published on October 15, 2008

Angela, A. Antaonow's article was fantastic! What a great -- and fresh -- topic for a feature article. The subject is something that I've noticed too, and that bothers me to no end. In fact, I wrote a blog post on the subject myself last year: https://www.katharineswan.com/2007/12/when-writers-screw-other-writers.html Thanks to you for running the article -- and to the author for writing it! It's good to raise awareness that our fellow writers can sometimes also be our worst enemies! Sincerely, Katharine S. Leppert https://www.katharineswan.com …

Letters To The Editor For October 1st

Published on October 1, 2008

This Week:

  • WritersWeekly Whispers and Warnings WORKS!
  • Interesting Places to Promote Your Book!
  • Angela's B12 for Vegetarians Missive Helped Others as Well!
…

You Want ME to Write for FREE?! Ha Ha Ha!!!

Published on September 24, 2008

I just read your article about the blogger, Nina Amir, who wants you to write on her blog for free. I could be mistaken, but at a cursory glance of her blog, it seems she's already used large chunks, if not whole articles from your newsletter to beef up her blog for the month of April. …

AVOIDING AMAZON – Websites with Free Shipping…and Free Print Catalogs!

Published on September 17, 2008

Angela, thank you so much for that wonderful list of online catalogs you had in the latest edition of WritersWeekly! What a great resource for gift giving and our own supplies, too. You always come up with incredibly useful tools, and I thank you. Cindy Gallagher READ my blog at https://www.crossingpolansky.blogspot.com WHAT's next? https://www.cynthiapolansky.com REMOTE CONTROL by Cynthia Polansky (2008 Echelon Press): Judith McBride is dead and never looked better...but giving up the ghost, so to speak, proves harder than she thought. ---- Angela, It's funny that this week in your newsletter you should mention shopping anywhere else besides Amazon. Years before Amazon tried to strongarm you and other publishers, a friend and I kicked around the idea of an alternative - a bookselling site with the readers', authors' and publishers' best interests at heart. A site not designed to make money for its owners, but instead a site to offer readers great deals while allowing authors and publishers to make some money of their own for a change. After the underhanded tactics employed by Amazon, my silent partner and I got serious. We think we've hit on the beginnings of a solution: 45 Caliber Books https://www.45caliberbooks.com Our fees to list a book for sale are and will stay ultra low, 1.00 per book per year for the basic listing, a fee which we're waiving at least until January 1, 2009 as a first step toward building this site into a viable alternative to Amazon. Our sales fees are just ten cents a sale, on the honor system no less, because we're dead serious on providing authors and publishers the financial ability to offer discounts and free shipping to the readers and still make money. We ourselves, as you can see, are not in this for any reason remotely related to greed or money, rather more like leaving this world a bit better than we found it. We invite you to take a look at our site and our sample book pages--see all the options we offer to listing authors and publishers, our listing TOS is located on the drop down menu under the member's button--and if you like what you see, please share our site with your authors and readers. Angela, you may remember me, a staunch supporter of yours--Mari Bushman, Editor-Jigsaw Press, and now Webmaster-45 Caliber Books. Thanks in advance! Mari The Implausible Hero by M.L. Bushman, in hardcover and eBook Miracle, the novel by M.L. Bushman--eBook and paperback Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery by Kris Karrel--eBook and paperback The Nightwing's Quest by Stirling Davenport--fantasy at its epic finest...in hardcover Excerpts available. For the missing pieces of your reading puzzle... https://www.jigsawpress.com 45 Caliber Books--connecting readers with authors and publishers https://www.45caliberbooks.com ---- Hi, Angela, I have been avoiding Amazon for over ten years - I don't shop at online stores that ship with Amazon (such as Target online), and I usually immediately close links that lead to the Amazon site. Sometimes this is difficult with hard-to-find items, especially if I'm using a shopping link that lists vendors - half the time, all the links lead to Amazon. The reason? Well, many years ago, I think about 12 or more, Amazon decided that they would take legal action against a small bookstore called Amazon, one that had been in operation for several decades. Their so-called reason for doing this was brand infringement, even though the small store had been using the name for many years. The small bookstore owners were members of some of the online communities that I frequented at the time, and they circulated copies of the actual letters Amazon sent them. I wanted to tell you about another shop online I use, https://www.lillianvernon.com, and also about https://www.orientaltrading.com. Both stores have many lower-priced items, although the focus is different. Lillian Vernon used to do business only by catalog and I've used those catalogs for many years, mostly for toys. Their online presence has toys on the Lilly's Kids link at the upper right of the home page. One of the things I like about this site is that they will personalize EVERYTHING, for free. I got a Christmas ornament for my family last year, and they not only put the family name on, they put a kid's or parent's name on each of the characters on the ornament. Some of their ornaments are really nice, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ornament I got. Oriental Trading is, of course, an awesome party supply store, as they were through their catalog for many years. I get stuff for Trick-or-Treaters there, as I just hate handing out candy, so I usually get a supply of little rings, or something like that, to put in the baskets/buckets/pillowcases. I know these stores are not the high-end kinds of stores you've listed, but for people on a fixed or lower income, they are a really great deal. Hugs, Starr PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Starr is right! I've placed orders at Oriental Trading many times in the past. They have some pretty cheap stuff, but if you need fun goodies/prizes for a party or carnival for children, it's definitely the place to shop! I've never shopped at Lillan Vernon but I logged onto their website and ordered their free catalog. …

Letters To The Editor For September 3rd

Published on September 3, 2008

This Week:

  • The Amazon/BookSurge Anti-Trust Lawsuit
  • Bowker Isn't Happy with Angela's ISBN Article
  • ISBNs in Canada AND Africa are FREE!
  • Bowker Needs to Justify Their High ISBN Prices!
  • Comparing Apples to Oranges
…

Letters To The Editor For August 20th

Published on August 20, 2008

Hi Angela, I've said it before, and I will say it again. You and Richard and everyone else at BookLocker and Writers Weekly are THE BEST. Every now and then someone will ask me about a POD company (Publish America and Lulu to name two). I always tell them not to go anywhere else but Booklocker. I point out that you have a selection process and that you do not publish everything that comes along. I tell them that if their book is selected for publication, they will be extremely happy with Booklocker. When people ask why I like Booklocker so much, I say, "They do what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it. They don't try to sell you something you don't need. There are no 'hidden costs.'They help you with formatting. They make sure everything is in order before they send the book file for printing." I wish other companies (not just book publishing companies, but ALL companies) would take a lesson from BookLocker's business model. The world would be a much better place. LeAnn Ralph Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories) https://www.booklocker.com/books/1545.html Christmas In Dairyland https://booklocker.com/books/1272.html Cream of the Crop https://booklocker.com/books/2156.html Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam https://booklocker.com/books/1734.html Where the Green Grass Grows (True Spring and Summer Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) https://booklocker.com/books/2722.html …

Letters To The Editor For July 30th

Published on July 30, 2008

This Week:

  • Road Hazard or Litter?
  • All Editors Should Pay Immediately On Acceptance!
  • When Snobby Authors Pretend to Be Traditionally Published
…

Writer’s First Hate Mail

Published on July 23, 2008

Hi, I just wanted to let you both know that July must be "attack a writer month" as I experienced my first "hate posts" last week. It came out of the blue for me, too. I…

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