When drama arises I try to avoid it. When I get stabbed in the back (which has been often), I keep quiet about it … but being in this business as long as I have, entering it, a naïve writer with big dreams … I want to share my experience, because of recent occurrences. Especially for all you newbie authors to the publishing world, because if a small piece of my experiences can help one of you, then job done on my part.

So, bear with me as this is long one – but I want you to know the whole picture…

When I first stepped into the world of publishing, I didn’t have a clue. Like, literally ZERO clue what I was doing. After doing a little research into the publishing industry, I started querying agents. Long story short – no one was interested in my stories – shocking, I know! ;)

Then one day, I happened to stumble across an article in my local paper which was talking about writing communities.

Writing communities – what are these you ask?

Well, they are websites… some set up by publishers - traditional and indie, which allow writers to post their stories and gain feedback on them from other authors, and if lucky, some of the authors end up getting published by said publishers.

So, off I went online and joined, got myself involved. I spent my time getting to know other writers, honing my craft. The feedback I received from those writers was invaluable. And I made some friends for life on these sites.

Then I settled into a particular indie writing community, whom were also an indie publisher – this publisher will remain nameless, as I’m not here to name and shame – but this is where my writing journey took; what at the time I would have said was a turn for the better – sadly, now, that’s not the case.

After a little time on the site, I decided to submit my book for consideration and after a few weeks, I had an offer from the indie publisher to publish my book!

They wanted to publish my book! You couldn’t imagine my excitement at the time – I was finally going to see my book out there in print … well, in ebook anyway.

So, after a period of time, my book was published … things were going seemingly well … I wasn’t making any real money, but my books were being read by a small audience - I was happy … okay, there were some things that didn’t sit right with me, but because I was so desperate to be, and stay, published, I ignored what should have been warning signs to me.

Then, after a time, I decided I wanted to make writing a full-time job. However long it took, whatever hard work I had to put in to make it happen, I was willing to do – this was laughed at, at the time – but that’s a whole other story!

Anyway, around that time, an author friend of mine was encouraging me to take my next book and self-publish it. She was doing it and earning a fairly good living – not champagne and caviar – but she was earning enough to live. You see the thing with being with an indie publisher is, once Amazon have taken their cut – which at the time was 70% as my indie publisher wouldn’t price books higher than 99c – left 30% to be split between the publisher and me – not much money at all.

But at the time the thought of striking out on my own wasn’t something I was sure I could do, so I stuck with the indie publisher and published my second book with them. Then those things that were niggling me, got bigger and bigger … the one main niggling thing being - CONSTANT late royalty payments, and those royalties only been paid after I’d repeatedly chased them. Now, I know people might say this is all about the money – and I say of course it is! I do a job, I expect to be paid for it. I give a publisher my book, they publish it, and pay me royalties for doing so.

They don’t, we have a problem.

So, I was getting paid, few and far between. And after much thought, I decided to take the plunge and self-publish my next book.

At first, my old publisher was supportive-ish. Okay, maybe supportive is pushing it.

Things were okay-ish … until they weren’t.

Now don’t get me wrong, when The Mighty Storm was released – my second self-pub - and it took off in flight, I got an agent, then received an offer from a traditional publisher – it was one of the greatest moments EVER – aside from having my kids and getting married!

BUT, I did have my old books – which I loved very much – but I was STILL having to chase up money owed to me in royalties. Originally, after self-pubbing, I had kept my first two books with the indie publisher as I felt a loyalty to them for giving me my first chance. Looking back now, I wish I’d taken the books and run with them, long before I did. So with the annoyance of constant late royalty payments … and again after much thought and discussion with my hubby, I decided to take back my old books and catalogue them myself.

Now … getting the books back wasn’t much of a problem. They did try to contest at first, but there was never a contract signed by me, so legally they were mine – thank god, I’d been smart about that. And I was promised that all royalties owing would be paid. I’m guessing you can see where this is going...

Getting my royalties back has been a total pain in the arse.

At first, I received a payment. Sure, I had to chase it up, but nothing new there.
Then when I chased up what I believed would be the final tallied payment, I was told because I had left them, I had been - ‘put to the back of the payment schedule’.

Um, WTF?!

Now, this is money they – at that time – had had for over 6 months. My money, sitting in their bank account, gaining interest. Hmmm…

So, after some back and forth, I was paid some money – which was owed from over 9 months before. And some of that was held back, which was royalties earned from Smashwords, because for some bullshit reason, they couldn’t pay me it.

I was told I would receive another payment in December.

It’s the end of January, and I still haven’t received any money, and now I’m being ignored. Literally, no response to numerous emails sent on my part. I’ve waited patiently, but now I’m PISSED OFF, hence this blog post.

I’m in the process of speaking to my lawyer as to my options. I hope one day to get that money paid to me. Maybe they think I can afford not to receive it … but irrespective of whether I can or can’t, it’s MINE. I earned it. It’s money which contributes to paying my bills and feeding my kids.

But really what GRATES me most of all is that MY money is lining the pockets of this publisher, enabling them to keep running a ‘publishing’ business that pulls shady crap like not paying out royalties to authors.

Completely and totally angers the hell out of me!

So, to all new authors … PLEASE, PLEASE be careful who you hand your book, and trust, over to … because what might seem all rosy and lovely in the beginning, could come to bite you in the arse later.

One thing I have learned in this business … BE CAREFUL WHO YOU TRUST.

Peace out.
Sam
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