The Sale Went Through

"Start Publishing Buys Whiskey Creek Press
A week after adding 795 titles in a deal with Mason Crest, Start Publishing has acquired Whiskey Creek Press and its main romance imprint, Torrid. The purchase includes 775 titles, all available as e-books with some also released in print editions through print-on demand. With its purchase, Start said it will beef up WCP’s marketing initiatives, including expanding its social media and online presence. Start has also promoted Jan Janssen from executive editor to publisher of Torrid Books. In other personnel changes, Melanie Billings and Marsha Briscoe are now senior acquisition editors for WCP and Angela Archer is senior art director."

http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/63414-start-publishing-buys-whiskey-creek-press.html#comments

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Start were serious about making things better, they'd have dumped Marsha Briscoe right off to start, she's useless. Instead of which they make her a senior editor. OMG!

Desperate Housewife said...

Briscoe was the worst editor I've ever had. Whatever made someone this inept think she could edit???????????? She f**king ruined my book.

Anonymous said...

The Womacks will be celebrating I daresay, counting all their ill-gotten gains, and having a good laugh at all the authors they've scammed.

Biker said...

Briscoe is the quintessential bitch. When she was editing my book I could have cheerfully strangled the cow.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't be surprised if the Womacks had to sell for less, on account of all this flack. I can't see Start letting an opportunity like that slip by.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, promote useless, bitchy people that are a detriment to the whole house. That's the ticket! Doesn't say much for Start being better. They are like the M&A companies in the 90's; swoop in, taking up the houses that are obviously failing and flog what they can to get their money out.

Anonymous said...

I didn't sign the contract. I'm wondering if I'll still be paid my WCP royalty rate on a quarterly basis. Next payment is due around Aug. 15th.

Anonymous said...

I'm anxious to see how the demand letter my lawyer is sending out next week is received. Has anyone had any luck with getting their rights back or actually getting a detailed sales report??

Anonymous said...

I haven't signed.
I sent registered letters in accordance with my WCP contracts, requesting return of the rights that had lapsed, and have received confirmation that those rights have been returned to me. This was done promptly and properly, and the books concerned removed from sale.
I have books still under contract with WCP/Torrid. I see the promotion of Jan Janssen as a positive thing. I've no knowledge of the other ladies but feel that bitching about them here does no good.
Steven Womack has replied to my correspondence regarding overdue royalties and has provided (incomplete) statements and payment for Q1 2014 and up to April 30th. It will take time, persistence and regular reminders, but it seems likely that I'll get what I want eventually. He shows willing.

Anonymous said...

I signed the contract but if I knew that Marsha briscoe was going to be retained I would not have done it... She is an evil F'en Bit ch

Midnight Lace said...

Marsha Briscoe isn't qualified to edit scribblings on a piece of toilet paper. She changed my books after the final edits had been signed off. She did this without my knowledge or consent. I was appalled when I read them. She'd injected whole sentences into the stories in her own voice. They stood out like a bump on the road, just awful. When I complained to Womack, I was met with silence. In the three years I was with WCP, I only received about $17 for all four of my books, and never any royalty statements. As soon as I placed them with another publisher they started to sell really well. Go figure.

Credit where it's due. I just wanted to add here that Dave Field is a good editor, and a pleasure to work with. That's what made the experience with horrible Marsha that much more unpleasant. All the ignoring -- think banishing -- that goes on at WCP, is a particularly nasty form of passive aggression. They're really nasty b@stards, and they seem to be going to get away with all their chicanery. If anyone is considering filing a class action lawsuit, count me in. WCP made my life a living hell for 3 long years. And even after the contracts had expired, they continued to sell my books. I had to send a complaint to Amazon along with a copy of the contracts, in order to get them removed. I received a formal release from Womack after that debacle. All in all it was a nightmare and anyone still caught up with them has my most sincere sympathies.

Anonymous said...

For a chuckle? It appears that WCP's FB pages has no issue plagiarising other peoples hard work, like recipies...
https://www.facebook.com/torridbooks/photos/a.10151586008507402.1073741826.58751287401/10152523205382402/?type=1

They not only lifted the recipe, without giving credit, but the photo from the page as well. Most of the recipes, pics, whatever, on there has no credit given to those they've taken them from. Well, ain't that just fun?

Forums Review said...

That's typical WCP behaviour, I'd say.

Anonymous said...

2nd quarter royalties due, and Start Publishing has taken over payment. Going to be interesting to see if they can match Steve's performance...

Anonymous said...

It wouldn't take much to match his performance...

Anonymous said...

Yup, they matched it; blank statement and no royalties. The same as we've dealt with since last freaking December!

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