Not An Even Playing Field

As an incentive for signing away the rights to their book forever, some WCP authors are being offered  $1, while for others the sum is $200.00. Naturally, they want to know the reason for this quite drastic disparity. We have also learned that when Salvo Press was taken over by Start Media, the Salvo Press authors did not have to sign anything. So why are WCP authors being asked to sign a highly controversial second contract that will rob them of their copyright forever, take a 10% decrease in royalties, and agree not to receive royalty payments for six months?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

"naturally they want to know the reason for this drastic disparity" ? Really you need an explanation?

Maybe the authors getting a bit more worked their tails off promoting their work and somehow sold a few more books then the folks getting $1.00.

This blogger seems to be into inventing conspiracies. I say this because Night Shade press and Salvo are quality houses and this should be pointed out.
Every WCP author has to ask themselves "what did you really expect from day one" Did you really think you were going to be assigned an editor with a degree from Harvard to work with you full time?

I was disappointed with the editing but that was the luck of the draw. I have heard there are good editors at WCP.
One thing I can say about WCP they never asked for money..There was never a "bait and switch" situation. and there are vanity press that are notorious for doing that. WCP did everything they promised to do. WCP told the authors upfront that emails would be returned slowly if at all. They gave me a cover, they formatted the book, they put the book on Amazon and they made a paperback available to me right away. It takes time to do all that. If you don't think it does I suggest you go and try and do it on your own.

Mary Jane said...

"One thing I can say about WCP they never asked for money..There was never a "bait and switch" situation. and there are vanity press that are notorious for doing that."

Oh wow, where have you been hiding yourself? WCP started out as a vanity press, flogging its wares for 90 bucks a pop. Check out the details on this blog.
http://reportsonwhiskeycreekpress.blogspot.ca/2012/03/dear-author-reports.html
They may have stopped asking for money up front, but the vanity press mentality still remains. It's a strictly no class outfit into gouging its authors big time.

Anonymous said...

"gouging its author's big time?" 'Wow where have you been"?
So what if they started out as a "Vanity press" (if in fact they did)

By you own admission you are accusing WCP of doing something they don't do and haven't done in years..You are basically making no point.

How are they "gouging" their authors.? Their contact is in line with anybody out their. Here is the deal: I sent no money to WCP and they have sent me royalty checks. Would I have made more money self publishing ..sure..But I chose not to do that..And a Vanity press will cost $1,500 - 5,000 Please do the math to figure how many book you need to sell to get that back.

Admin said...

"How are they "gouging" their authors.?"
You don't call doing no promotion, ignoring author's emails, and when they want out hitting them with a $500 termination fee gouging?

Anonymous said...

" They gave me a cover, they formatted the book, they put the book on Amazon and they made a paperback available to me right away."
So you didn't exercise the print option requiring purchase in order to guarantee the book would go to print? They just released e-book and print simultaneously?

Anonymous said...

to CR I see nothing wrong with the 500 termination fee. Think what you want there are out of pocket expenses to getting your book (and cover) done. Thye need to protect themselves someway .. Also after three years it goes away. What's the big deal.

to anonymous.. I needed books right away for a book signing. I did not ask formally to "exercise" the print option . I just ordered book and they got them to me..

Anonymous said...

Why are you people arguing with what is obviously either the Womacks or a sockpuppet of them? It's getting you nowhere. Just bang your head on the wall, it'll get you about the same place.

Anonymous said...

The bottom line is that the $500 termination fee is in the contract. We signed the contract. It isn't was though it was sprung upon anyone as some hidden fee. That being said, the 'decent' thing for the Womacks to do would be to let folks out of their contract if they do not wish to continue on with the new owners and carry on with those who do...other publishers have done it. However, I don't see much hope of it happening in this case.

Anonymous said...

You're all just spitting in the wind. The Womacks don't give a fvck how much you rant on, they're holding onto these contracts until you cough up 500 big ones. That's it. End of story. And hey, be a little more careful what you sign next time, and who you sign it with.

Anonymous said...

Under Earnings and Statements section VI:

"Publisher will pay author a royalty, in U.S. dollars, 35% of the NET download price for each electronic book sold."

Then under section XIV, Insolvency of Publisher, Sale of Publisher, Reversion of Rights:

"If the Publisher sells its assets to another publisher who plans to market and promote books of the type and genre of the Work, the successor publisher will be bound, as a minimum, to the same terms delineated in this agreement."

As far as I'm concerned, and from what this contract states, this new publisher has no right to come in and expect us to sign over another 10% of our sales to them just because they bought WCP out. This is a breach of contract!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have all of my Authorgroup emails still, and along with the royalty issues and this new contract/sale crap, I plan on hiring a lawyer.

I've been requesting royalty statement (Detailed one's!) for a while now and it's radio silence every time I mention it. Oh, and by the way, it states in the contract that we have a right to review those as well. Yet another bit of their "Agreement" with us that they refuse to adhere to.

Anonymous said...

blah, blah blah. So we khow the Womacks are evil, so what? There's a lot of evil authors as well, and some of them are posting on here.

Luvbooks said...

The Womacks won't be able to ignore a lawsuit filed against them, and that's what is needed here. The problem is, I doubt we'd net much in the way of damages, although they have a pretty nice looking house -- check it out on Google maps -- it's probably mortgaged to the hilt. Did you folks know that the Womacks run another business called Self Made Film Productions?
https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/casper-wy/43058525-selfmade-film-productions-inc

Anonymous said...

@Luvbooks
Womack may also have been associated with Video Edition, in Franklin, MA

Angie Baby said...

http://www.whitepages.ca/name/Debra-A-Womack/Casper-WY/4narj8v

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