Problems with Publishers

It has come to my attention that certain practices by Mardi Gras Publishing should be know about. For instance, there are many of us authors that have known about the increase of publishing fees. The increase was not written into our contract nor were we notified in writing email or other wise about the changes. The change came as word of mouth only confirmed by on of their former editors. As one of their authors. This should not be the way to do business. We should be notified by the price changes especially when the price includes fees that should stick to the price that was arranged when we signed. A lot of us don’t have time to sit here and worry whether or not the publisher is worthy or comes through. We give them our lifeworks and expect to be respected. By doing this I don’t think we as authors are respected enough to honor a contract. Like we are worthless.

Another things that brings to mind is the fact that of corrections. Other authors have placed in concerns and have taken their books off to be reedited because of corrections needed. I have found several flaws with in my own book that would make even me cringe. It is a group effort about corrections. I have read different blogs from other others that thought the same thing.

One author went in to listing the Publishing Chain of Command. We pull the work out of our heads and polish it to the best of our ability, then with our hearts on the line, we send it to a publisher who chooses us and, we hope, will give us respect and treat us with dignity. They help us by polishing the work with us, finding all our little flaws and send it back to us to see if we like the corrections. We send it back accepting the changes without changing too much of the original story, but in return correcting all the mistakes that we don’t see. It never takes one set of corrections. Sometimes it takes more than three minimal for the novel to be relatively correction free. After than more polishing by the head editor before the book is put into print. This could take weeks because of busy schedules or even months.

Though we are not perfect and some corrections may slip through all the eyes that see them, but it is in no part more one person’s fault than the entire time including the author. I am paraphrasing from another author, but what she says rings true. If a book has imperfections and the readers point it out, it everyone’s job to pull together and get the book in a well groomed position to boost the sell of the book.

Besides if no one cared, the book would be an English teacher’s worst nightmare and it would never sell. And who would want that?