Lulu responded to Angela’s article. Since the letter contained over-the-top marketing blurbage, I’ll cut to the chase.

She claimed what we wrote were “misperceptions” and claimed the title of my article was “incorrect.”

The title was:
“Lulu CEO Admits They’ve ‘Easily Published the Largest Collection of Bad Poetry in the History of Mankind'”

She then went on about the author being the publisher, not Lulu, blah blah, and said, “Bob was actually saying, as he always does when asked, that Lulu authors have easily published some great work with our site – we are also home to the largest collection of bad poetry in the history of mankind.”

That’s followed by more marketing blurbage and then she insults us by saying, “I am always happy to provide you with any information you might need to ensure accuracy.”

Here’s my response:

Hi Gail,

Our post was accurate.

Bob was quoted directly. He said it. We didn’t.

In your email below, you state (emphasis is mine):

“Bob was **actually** saying, as he always does when asked, that Lulu authors have easily published some great work with our site – we are also home to the largest collection of bad poetry in the history of mankind.”

But, that’s not what he said.

He said, “We have easily published the largest collection of bad poetry in the history of mankind.”

I’m pretty stunned that you’re accusing us of being inaccurate based on something you think your CEO meant to say.

Have a nice day,
Angela

LETTERS FROM READERS REGARDING BOB YOUNG’S STATEMENT

Hi Angela,

After I read that article about the LULU CEO admitting they publish the worst collection of bad poetry in the history of the world, I was shocked to say the least. I can’t believe anyone would make a public statement like that?? Even bad poets have feelings. I found that out the hard way.

I joined a writers group thinking to get honest discussions. Before I could even put anything I wrote in, I started getting poems from other authors and they asked for a comment. It was really bad, I mean badder than bad! (Bad grammar was intentional!) But if you read what I read you would agree. I made my truthful comment in a nice way. I said I did not understand what the writer was trying to say and I felt the poem needed work. What I actually thought was nothing could help that poem! Anyway, I got so much hate mail back about that one comment you would have thought I killed someone! Needless to say I dropped my membership immediately and never offered another comment again.

If I got that kind of response from my harmless comment I can imagine the sacks of mail Bob must be getting. Is her still the CEO of LULU??? It is mind boggling to think an actual thinking person would say something like that? And put their name to it, it is hard to believe! What kind of people do they hire at LULU?

They must me scraping the bottom of the barrel for a CEO to put a comment like that where God and everyone can read it! I am having a hard time getting my thoughts around this one. It’s that unbelievable!

I can’t even find a category for that, so enough said.

Ang Dee

~~~~~

Hi Angela,

I really like your article about POD publishers who publish anything and everything. Their lack of judgment is unfairly assumed to be the norm, thus hurting those of us who do care about what their names are associated with.

I have a small publishing house, Global Authors Publications, and have run into the same thing when talking to store managers. “Oh this book is a POD!” with an expression on their faces like they had just noticed a noxious smell about the book.

I do vet my books and will not publish everything offered me. All our books are professionally edited by a highly qualified editor. (Our editor taught journalism at a very highly accredited college for years.) Yet our books are placed on the same level as those of companies that would publish a phone book and call it literature. I work one on one in each step of the process with each author and we produce a book that not only that author but all the others associated with my company can be proud of.

I try to explain the difference between using POD technology, which even large NY publishers are beginning to see as practical, and companies with no scruples about publishing trash to these store managers. I have turned down things like “A Collection of Email Forwards” (I informed the “author” that, believe it or not, these thing are copyrighted to someone) and a teen would-be-author who informed me his book was a masterpiece and if it had misspellings it was because he had invented a new language.

I am sure these and many others that give reputable publishers and authors a bad name could have found a home at Lulu. I wish there was some accrediting association for POD publishers that would help us fight the stigma. I notice most of these “bad” publishers are large companies with a huge bottom line. I guess crime and lack of accountability do pay.

Kathleen Walls
https://www.katywalls.com
https://justnaturallyme.wordpress.com
Author of Last Step, Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways, Kudzu, Man Hunt – The
Eric Rudolph Story, Finding Florida’s Phantoms, Sarah’s Story: A
Confederate Girl’s Diary, Hosts With Ghosts and Wild About Florida
https://www.wildaboutflorida.us
Publisher Global Authors Publications https://www.globalauthorspublications.com
Online travel magazine for anyone who travels American Roads
https://www.americanroads.net

~~~~~

WritersWeekly Always Pays on Acceptance

Hello Angela,

I just had to drop a note and tell you how much I appreciate the speedy payment you send after buying one of my articles. I got one today and believe me, in this tough economy it is much appreciated. With everything else you have to do, you always take care of your contributors. You’re the best.

Bless you,
S

~~~~~

Awe, Shucks…

Reprinted with permission from The Bay Writers News of the Chesapeake Bay Writers Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club – February 2009 issue:

Rick Bailey suggested I write a few paragraphs on my publisher, Booklocker.com. I can’t say enough about how wonderful these people are. First, a little background. I started out with a “traditional” publisher. They did a good job publishing my first book and even did a full-cast audio book as well as the paperback. However there was no communication between author and publisher, no royalties, and no future. When they failed to publish my second book in the series after four years of promises, I left them.

I decided to self-publish and I found Booklocker, a publishing company that specializes in assisting self-publishers. In his book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, Mark Levin scored Booklocker number one of the 48 self-publishing companies that he rated, based on a host of factors. He said Booklocker is “as close to perfection as you’re going to find in the world of e-book and POD publishing.” I agree. Their rates are very low and the royalties are high. I am very satisfied with them. They have published three of my sequels and they produce high quality work. Communication is almost instant. E-mails are answered the same or the next day. You deal personally with Angela Hoy, the publisher. The process is completely transparent; you sign on to a 24/7 author’s website that displays all sales and all monies owed to you. Once a month you receive a check in the mail. Best of all, you make all decisions about what you want to do with your books.

After working with a traditional publisher and with Booklocker, I’ll take Booklocker any day. Keep in mind that you need to have your work professionally edited