By Steven Levingston - Washington Post - October 28, 2011
Self-publishing is fraught with terrors — first, you have to convince yourself you really have something worth saying; then, you have to get it down on the page, or in the computer; next, you have to cough up hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to get the book designed and printed; and finally, you have to figure out some way to sell all those copies, or give them away, just to clear off the kitchen table so you can sit down and have a bowl of noodles.
Well, if it weren’t all precarious enough, Fred Cleveland adds a whole new wrinkle to the agonies of authordom. According to CBS Atlanta News, Cleveland has been taking bundles of money from would-be authors on the promise of producing their books — only to deliver nothing.
Cleveland’s company, Publishing Associates, has received as much as $15,000 from individual authors who never got their hands on their books, CBS Atlanta says. Some have sued Cleveland and gotten judgments against him but still haven’t seen their books, or their money, according to the report.
The lesson: head for Hollywood. I hear writing for the movies is much simpler.
Well, if it weren’t all precarious enough, Fred Cleveland adds a whole new wrinkle to the agonies of authordom. According to CBS Atlanta News, Cleveland has been taking bundles of money from would-be authors on the promise of producing their books — only to deliver nothing.
Cleveland’s company, Publishing Associates, has received as much as $15,000 from individual authors who never got their hands on their books, CBS Atlanta says. Some have sued Cleveland and gotten judgments against him but still haven’t seen their books, or their money, according to the report.
The lesson: head for Hollywood. I hear writing for the movies is much simpler.
1 comment:
Hi Graham,
This is very useful information for people who are considering self-publishing, and we need to know about companies who aren't reputable and who don't give a professional service - and there is a lot of this going on in the USA. But I provide an independent publishing service here in New Zealand (you've seen my work) - as do a few other people - and it is possible to get your book produced at a reasonable cost, and by honest people. Saying that though, I have done a couple of jobs where I've had to take over from someone who has not done what they said they would, so even here authors have to be wary. They obviously need to check around and get independent references where possible. We are not all crooks. Thank you very much. Adrienne Morris www.ampublishingnz.com
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