The Return of the Prodigal Publisher (Engler/Black)

It’s been too long, dear readers, since I’ve posted about any sort of bad behavior in the book community. But before we commence, the 28th is rapidly approaching and you all need to download any books purchased from Samhain because they are closing for real on that date.

Now, let’s talk about another ebook publisher, namely EC for Books, previously known as Ellora’s Cave. It is now dead and gone but still causing problems for authors as I wrote here, but then it seems that there is also:

And this:

Somebody asks the pertinent question:

So, EC is/isn’t sending 1099s to authors that may or may not have received the royalties claimed in the 1099. It also sounds like Torquere isn’t bothering to send any at all. Ah, the glamorous life of the author. Now, I’ve been wondering what Tina Engler/Jaid Black would come up with next because those ill-gotten royalties aren’t going to last forever.

Yesterday:

Yes, she’s back and selling not one but five ebooks on Amazon, the business she (tried to) blame for her company’s financial woes. Let’s take a look. (Since I started this post she has added three more.)

Now, do you notice anything? Look closer. Closer.

Valentina Antonia? Who? What?

 

Well that’s really not helpful. And Riley Park? I looked up Riley and this popped up:

Looks like Engler/Black has hidden herself or is trying to hide herself behind a registered agent service. Notice the filing date. Don’t you just love a woman who plans ahead?

“When you create a Wyoming corporation or Wyoming LLC, you are forming a legal entity that does not have the ability to communicate on its own.” Engler/Black has never had any problem not communicating before. “If your business is ever sued…” Uh, we all know she’s more likely to sue than be sued but there is always a second time (the first being Chris Brashears). Add to that no taxes and the anonymity of not having any member names listed anywhere and it does seem that E/B has found her idea of consequence free heaven.

Engler/Black and her mother, Patty Marks, left quite a mess behind them and now it seems that E/B is trying to shake off the consequences of her own actions and start over with a clean slate while the authors she cheated are still trying to recoup their financial losses, republish their books, and maybe deal with a 1099 for money they never collected.

 

Posted from Galit.

 

The RWA Letter

The letter from the RWA referenced in Nate Hoffelder’s post can be found here or here.

Ellora’s Cave Now Threatening RWA With Bogus Defamation Lawsuit(?)

And now for the daily news about our not-so-favorite publisher, Ellora’s Cave brought to you by Nate Hoffelder at The Digital Reader.

The romance publisher Ellora’s Cave has moved on from trying to silence book bloggers with a SLAPP lawsuit; now it is reportedly making threats against the Romance Writers of America.

For more read here.

EC, RWA, and an Absence of Royalties

Kelly Jamieson has posted something interesting about EC on FB. Take a look. Mastrantonio’s claims are even more interesting because in the last several weeks authors have been saying their last check from EC was in either Dec. ’15 or Jan. ’16 for royalties due March ’15. Then there was this last month:

Makes me wonder how accurate the direct sales book count is. I would never purchase a book direct from EC ever again, not solely because of this nonpayment mess but also because they managed to lose reader’s libraries TWICE.  I lost mine the first time it happened and that coupled with their inexplicable sudden disappearances from the net was enough to convince me they were never safe, professional, or honest.

Last month when Engler/Black launched that little plea in the ss EC lost their security certificate and it took them 3 or 4 days (I believe) to get it back. In the meantime if you tried to access EC’s website you got that warning message page and who would proceed to any site and buy anything from them? And why did it take them so long to get it back?

Engler/Black keeps crying about the number of book sales they are losing because of Amazon, because of authors, bloggers, and competitors “lying” about her  and her company but it took days for EC to get its shit together and recertify their site. So who is really ruining EC?

Samantha Kane Gone From Ellora’s Cave

Author Samantha Kane has announced on Facebook that she is no longer with EC and will be re-releasing her books starting in June, this includes her Brothers In Arms series.For full post read here.

I Was Wrong About Ellora’s Cave

Another author, Alyssa Breck, asks that readers not buy her books that are published by Ellora’s Cave. Reblogged from her site.

Warning: When I’m pissed off, I cuss like a drunk sailor on a weekend pass so this post will be riddled with profanity.

My penchant for wanting to believe the best in people has bitten me in the ass one too many times. So, I’m breaking my silence on the Ellora’s Cave debacle. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to contract my first book with EC. At the time, they had a great reputation for not only paying royalties on time but paying early. Fuck yeah! I thought I finally got my foot in the door with a legitimately successful publishing company. My unabashed glee was short-lived when that first book was published. I started hearing grumblings about late royalties. I didn’t want to believe that voice whispering in my ear that I was probably about to get fucked three ways from Sunday. In the interim, I’d sold them more books.

Read more here

Please support Alyssa by NOT buying these books:

Why I’m suggesting you should NOT buy these books

Another author, Em Petrova, is asking readers not to buy her Ellora’s Cave titles. Also, Karen Knows Best weighs in on this and on last week’s EC inaction.

Robin Rotham Requests

Author Robin Rotham has joined the growing list of authors that are requesting readers not to buy their books published by Ellora’s Cave. In a post on her website Rotham gives a clear, concise history of her relationship with EC.

 

 

Rebecca Airies Requests

Author Rebecca Airies has posted a new blog about moving on, branching out, and asking readers not to purchase her Ellora’s Cave titles.

Going Down Ugly

Illuminite Caliginosus just posted a blog linking to the Piers Anthony assessment of  Ellora’s Cave. A new tactic seems to have been deployed by EC in their continuing effort not to pay some of their authors. As interesting as this is, in a wholly distasteful way, the history of EC Anthony records is fascinating in a train wreck sort of way.

When added to the personal accounts by various authors a very unsavory picture of EC emerges.

Check out the very impressive description of Samhain while you’re there.