Ellora's Cave and Knight of Christmas: A Parting of the Ways at Last by @KarynGerrard #unpaidroyalties

I haven`t been paid for Knight of Christmas published with Ellora`s Cave (Dec 2014) since June 2015.

It is my one and only title with them, and what do they owe me? I`ve never promoted the book. Tried to forget it existed. Maybe 50.00? So I asked for my rights back as per the contract I signed in good faith (which they didn't) But it would be Feb 2017 or later before I get my rights back.

Since the letter from Ellora's Cave (check it out HERE at Virginia Nelson's Blog) I had a decision to make: Get my rights back Dec 31st and forgo my more-than-a-year-late royalties, or hang on and let them revert according to contract and watch my mailbox for a cheque (lol)

After some thought, I decided I wanted to be free and clear of Ellora's Cave or EC for Books,   whatever they are calling themselves. Reading that letter from the owner convinced me all the more to take my book and hit the bricks running. I do not want to get caught up in a possible bankruptcy scenario.

My God, what hubris. They haven't paid authors in over a year but they are the victims? Thanks to Ellora's Cave, it soured me toward writing erotic romance and for submitting to small digital e-pubs. For the most part, I will be self-publishing from now on.

Will they close? Who knows, they could pull a Samhain Publishing and reverse their statement about closing. My opinion? I don't trust anything or anyone connected with EC. I'll cut my losses and move on. Each author has their own decision to make and I wish them well.

What should have been a rewarding experience (at one time, getting accepted at EC was a real feather in an erotic romance author's cap) turned out to be a drama-filled exercise in disappointment.

Putting it behind me. As for Knight of Christmas, it only got one round of edits. It needs to be revised, I will be cutting back the heat, and will add it to my to-do list. Look for it hopefully...next autumn, Published under my own company, KG Publishing.

Ellora's Cave: My Statement and a Warning @KarynGerrard #Publishers #Royalties #RWA

I have one book with Ellora's Cave released December 2014 KNIGHT OF CHRISTMAS. (contracted way back in July 2013) Thankfully I listened to my gut alarm in early spring 2014 and turned down a second contract.

I am not being paid. This is a fact. Not opinion. Not bullying.

My last royalty cheque was May for website sales for January 2015. I have yet to see any third party sales for this book (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc) All I have been paid for is Dec 2014 and Jan 2015 website sales. Nothing else. This is a fact.

Emails have gone unanswered. No response. At all. From anyone at Ellora's Cave. A fact.

In August 2014, all the contract editors and cover artists were let go. In September 2014, Ellora's Cave sued blogger Dear Author for defamation regarding a story they posted concerning EC. This is a fact.

The bottom line is regardless of what I think of the people involved and the lawsuit itself, people (mostly authors) are not being paid. And according to a footnote on a recent filing by the defence, the lawyer for the plaintiff (EC) has not exactly been paid in a timely manner. See snip from Twitter below.

The RWA (Romance Writers of America) do not recommend this publisher. CHECK HERE FOR RWA AFFIDAVIT  in the on-going court case. In the statement it says: "Ellora's Cave is not up to date with paying its royalties and has not paid its authors in a timely manner." This is not speculation, it is not opinion, it certainly isn't bullying, cyber or otherwise. IT. IS. FACT. And it is a legal statement.

There are red flags all over social media. For anyone considering submitting to EC, its ultimately your choice. But be warned. It also should be a warning to all of us. The digital publishing industry is in a state of flux with declining sales and other earth-shifting changes. Any publisher could be ready to fall off the cliff. Monitor social media closely. Listen to what others are saying. This paragraph is just my opinion.

Cheers,

UPDATE NOV 5th: * I got a check 3 days ago. It covered Jan-March, including third party sales. They are still behind. I should have rec'd up to and including July's*

One and Only Post for @KarynGerrard One and Only Ellora's Cave Release #Historical

KNIGHT OF CHRISTMAS

Approx 26,000 words 

Historical/Erotic/Holiday/ Victorian Romance

Release date: Dec 19-24th

Here is the Cover: done by Allyse

Here is the Blurb: Christmas is the last thing on Brandon Knight’s mind when he returns to his hometown after ten years away. Arriving in time for his foe Viscount Ravenhurst’s funeral, his plans of vengeance are now thwarted. Instead he focuses retribution on the lovely widow Lady Angeline. They share a debauched, painful past though a fiery passion had grown from their brief time together. Broken hearts were left in the wake of their desire.

Angeline feels nothing inside. After suffering a devastating loss and a horrible marriage, she and her son are now destitute. Bran steps forward with an outrageous offer and Angeline has no choice but to accept.

Bran will have to surrender his plans for revenge to help bring Angeline back to life. The attraction still sizzles between them. They once loved each other but doubt they are able to do so again. However, it’s Christmas and anything is possible.

A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Here is the back story: This story was contracted in 2012 by Silver Publishing before everything went to hell in a handbasket. Luckily, I got the rights back to this (it hadn't been edited as yet) and two other published stories when the problems first started and long before they imploded and went out of business.

So in Jan 2013, I submitted this to Ellora's Cave. Long story short, got a contract offer Sept 2013. I turned down a second contract offer for a historical in May 2014 (since contracted by Kensington) and made the decision then and there EC was no longer on my radar. Not sure what is up with this publisher, and how it will all shake out (supposed money problems, lawsuit (they are suing blogger Dear Author) etc) This poor story has been through the ringer. Cursed? You have to wonder.

Here is what happens next: I move on. And watch the calendar for the day I can contractually request my rights back.

Here is the release date: It says Dec 19th at the EC site, and it says at Amazon (where it is up for pre-order) the release date is Dec 24th. So who knows.

Here is the link at Amazon: KNIGHT OF CHRISTMAS

Am I bitter? Not really. Life is too short to get in a snit over this whole (non)experience. Looking forward to 2015 and hopefully a more satisfying year in writing/publishing, because frankly, 2014 kinda sucked.

Welcome to KG Publishing coming in 2015! #SelfPub #Hybrid @KarynGerrard #NewDirection

Its been building for a long time as I've become increasingly frustrated in my publishing life, so after much internal debate, I've decided that going forward, most or all short stories and novellas will be self-published under my own banner. (I'll get a better one, later)

I have a few completed manuscripts (historical novellas) so will pub them myself.  In light of this, I am no longer with Evernight Pub or Decadent Pub or Ellora's Cave. While I am grateful for the contracts, especially from Evernight, as they offered me my very first one, this is a decision I make for me.

But since I rarely write anything short anymore anyway, this self-pub thing will be secondary, and used mostly for books I get the rights back on. In 2015, I will be eligible to receive back a few books, and after re-writes and edits, I will re-release them at very reasonable prices.(50% of what the publisher charged)

Anything new (over 40,000 words) will go to the couple of publishers I still have ties to. (Crimson Romance and Kensington Publishing) and maybe I will find one other.

This is a complete 180 from where I was even eighteen months ago, and I'm not going to go into the myriad reasons behind it. Some are personal. I'm not a person who needs to have my hands on all the control switches, I was happy to hand that over to publishers. But things have changed so much in the publishing world at large and for me personally, I feel I should have control of the pricing, and to a lesser extent, the editing, just to name two reasons. Believe me, there are more.

If someone like me, who really had no interest or desire to self-publish and is now considering doing it in whatever capacity, it really should give publishers pause. There are many more like me who will go hybrid, or cut the ties and go full-indie. Publishers, things are changing.

I am taking my time. Also will not be setting any firm publications dates for any self-pubbed releases. It happens when it happens. I have no interest in self pubbing print books.

But look for The Baron and the Mistress in early 2015 sometime (historical, 28,000 words) Cover art already ordered!

So, going forward, I am a hybrid romance author. Cool.

Cheers~

My (Non) Experience with Ellora's Cave by @KarynGerrard #EroticRomancePublisher

Let's establish a timeline here:

Submitted manuscript for a historical erotic romance January 2013. At the time, they wanted the first three chapters and a synopsis.

I got a request from an editor for the whole manuscript in July 2013.

Offered a contract on my historical September 2013.

A few months passed, Didn't hear anything again until I was sent paperwork and contract December 3rd I asked about the editing timeline and was told by the editor since the book has a Christmas theme, the release would be later in the fall of 2014, but she would be in contact soon to do edits, they would be done this spring.

In January 2014, I submitted another historical. Got a contract offer in March 2014. I was dealing with my father's sudden illness and subsequent passing, so me accepting the contract was put on hold. Editor said that was fine. Asked about edits on Xmas story, no response. Sent another email, no response.

May 2014 news went public about late payments and the publishers response they had software issues. I held off accepting the contract.

June 2014 I withdrew my historical manuscript for consideration and asked again about edits. No response at all.

August 2014 I get an email from the editor she sent to all her authors stating her services were no longer required from Ellora's Cave. She would be wrapping up her work on stories already in the editing process in two weeks.

Week later: Publisher states all unfinished books under contract will be placed in an editing pool and there will be no way to predict or estimate when books will get worked on.

Publisher goes public stating sales are down 75% at Amazon and staff and other cuts are being made.

I send email to publisher asking for rights back since the book has never been edited or no cover art issued. I am sent a two sentence response that started out as 'dear author' and told to send my request to contracts. Obviously this email has been sent to a whole lot of people.

I did so and received an auto response saying they are overwhelmed with emails and they hope to respond in two months. 

Thus endeth my non-adventure with Ellora's Cave. This did not meet my hopes and expectations in signing a contract with this epub. What are my options? I will explore them. I will update if and when I hear anything.
In the meantime, I have moved on. I wish any authors at EC all the best. Also the editors and any staff being released.

*Ironic Note* this historical under contract with EC was also caught in the Silver Publishing debacle. Maybe its cursed.

UPDATE: Well, I received edits from the editor. Looks like the book is going to be released with EC. When? No idea. The saga continues. 

FURTHER UPDATE: 9/11- I see the book is on the coming soon page with a release date of December 24th. One round of edits is all this got. No cover art yet. I was not told of this release date. 

RECENT UPDATE: Manscript I withdrew was accepted by Kensington Publishing. Release Sept 1 2015,

Contract Offer, New Publisher! Ellora's Cave, Here I Come!

I am now an Ellora's Cave author! Well, I have a contract OFFER, I have not received the paperwork yet. But thought I would announce anyway since I exchanged a few emails with my editor assuring me the contract was on its way.

This was kind of a personal goal for me, EC is still the number one erotic romance e-publisher out there. With acceptance of around 4%, I didn't have my hopes up, especially as the months ticked by. Late winter turned to spring, summer, and then early fall, but I got the email. It was a thrill.

The contract is for a historical novella. It has a Christmas theme, so I imagine it will not be out until later next year. I achieved another goal I had set for myself and feel damned proud to have accomplished it.

Onward and upward, I say. Looking forward to my new adventure!

Cheers~