Just trying to look out for my readers.

** Well, I was actually able to get on the product page for my hardback of Never Ceese on Amazon to day and put information regarding the true status of this edition. Not so see if Amazon allows what I wrote to stay. Did the same for my out-of-print edition for Forever Richard that Amazon claims to be selling as "new." Good grief!***



My first publisher, Journey Stone Creations, about a year and a half after starting up, liquidated most of their stock and went under. Though I offered to buy over 4000 of my hardback Never Ceese from them at a respectable price, (a good bit over the less than $2.00 price they had them printed for in China) my offer was turned down and the books sold out from under me.



Que sera, sera.



But I did manage to get a letter out of Journey Stone that said the rights of that hardback would revert back to me on a certain date. When that day came I contacted Baker & Taylor (Journey Stones distributor of choice) to let them know that if Journey Stone was still filling orders they were doing so illegally and in turn so was Baker & Taylor. Baker & Taylor asked me to fax them the letter and so I did.



All indications are that Baker & Taylor no longer distribute my hardback and so Journey Stone no longer makes money off my book without passing any of the money on to me, the author.



HOWEVER, Amazon, (yes, I know. They're so on top of things) still shows that they can "get" the hardback new AND they're selling it for $17.95. I asked Amazon about this and got the wonderful news last night that "their" distributor of Never Ceese the hardback has permission to distribute worldwide. Well of course many folk have the right to distribute Never Ceese the hardback worldwide even though I make no money off the sale. It's part of the publishing game. But Amazon is selling these books at RETAIL!!!!! OMG!!!



So here's my helpful little tip to you. Buy the hardback for a dollar or two if you can. Don't worry about me making any money or not. It's not a big deal. BUT DO NOT BUY THAT HARDBACK FROM AMAZON!!! No one is selling that book for anything over $3.00 and Amazon isn't paying more than that for any copy of the hardback of Never Ceese that they have. They aren't that stupid. Any outlet that is selling the hardback for more that $5.00 is taking you for a VERY LONG RIDE. Don't worry Barnes & Noble is doing it too and BAM as well because NOW Never Ceese the hardback has made it to the "returned from the bookstore" wholesalers that BAM buys from.



So where should you buy Never Ceese, Book One of Sue Dent's Thirsting for Blood Series. You guessed it!



From Black Bed Sheet Books where you can also buy it in any ebook format!!!

Thirsting for Blood Forum!

Aye, there be a new thread posted on my Thirsting for Blood Forum. When ye get a chance go and check it out. Arrrrghh!

All scallywags are invited. Only if I don't like ye, I'll cut off yer hands and feed 'em to the sharks. Mark my words. I'll do it. ;D

This be the place!!

*Peg-leg Sue hobbles off to write some more.*

P&E says Journey Stone not recommended!

P&E now has Journey Stone Creations listed as not recommended. Below is the exact verbage from their site. DUH! They're shuffling MS's to Publish America without telling authors. Gorsh! The only thing worse than that is well--in the literary world there really is nothing worse than that or more illegal. BTW, if anyone reading this blog has submitted an MS to Journey Stone, rest assured, your precious work has been shuffled on to a back-end vanity press without your consent. Actually, from what I understand there is no real label that anyone can attach to PA.

Good grief!

And for the record, I'll have to get a lawyer to retrieve over nearly 200 stolen books from JSC as they kept that many books to try and sell despite ditching over 4000 of Never Ceese the hardback to a liquidator. Everyone of those books are mine for website work I did for them. I've asked for them to tell me where they are and to give me a date when I can come get them (not that I want them since they have pages missing and are pretty much falling apart) but I certainly don't want JSC selling them to the public for RETAIL!

DON'T BUY THE HARDBACK -- at least not through Amazon or a legitimate bookstore. Those are the ones JSC gets money for. I'm hoping to resolve this soon. Do feel free to buy the hardback from anyone offering at a very low price. Those are the books dumped. JSC makes no money of off these. Actually why would anyone pay retail when you can get one for $2.00.

20 May 09 - Journey Stone Creations, LLC: Not recommended. A publisher specializing in children's books.

Publish America is a sister company of Journey Stone Creations?

Publish America is a sister company of Journey Stone Creations? When I heard someone was told this in a letter from my old publisher, I had to see it. And now I'll show it to you.



Wow! Just wow!

All I can say is that when I signed on with Journey Stone they were a traditional press. I was paid an advance and they had distribution through STL/Faithworks. While I was with them they did end that relationship to try and secure distribution through Ingram but didn't qualify. For the duration of my time spent with them, they only had a wholesale relationship with Baker & Taylor (or some kind of relationship.) Of course, then without warning, they sold a ton of books, including all of Never Ceese to a liquidator. Tax documents they're required to send authors have yet to be sent to me and so I had to extend filing taxes.

And now they claim Publish America is a sister company and they're forwarding MS's to them for authors who think their submitting to a traditional publishing house.

Again, WoW!

YIKES and oh my!

From a poster on another entry here on my blog. I'm concerned enough to respond here.

Hi Sue,

I recently sent out a children's book manuscript to 35 different publishers, one of them being Journey Stone Creations. They sent a letter stating that they are no longer accepting, but that they sent my mani to their sister company, Publish America. Since I have heard about Publish America being a 'not so great' company I was pretty upset about it. FYI: Publish America is a POD! In my search for more information concerning Journey Stone, I have come across about 100 listings about you and your books.

I just wanted to say that I am really glad that you were able to come out of this with grace!

I wish you all the best!!!

I've come out unscathed by the grace of God. Did I read correctly? Did you say Journey Stone implied Publish America was their sister company? Somebody please report that. And Publish America is far from a POD. From what I've read and understand they're a very, very, very nasty vanity press operating on their own and of their own accord.

Journey Stone was a traditional press at one time with legitimate distribution. I'm not sure what they are now.But if they're claiming some association with Publish America I'd have to say they are very confused and desperate.

Other than that, they sold all copies of Never Ceese to a liquidator without telling me so I make absolutely nothing off sales from the hardback. I re-published my paperback myself to remedy this. I've posted blogs about the situation so hopefully my wonderful book won't be associated with that particular company much longer.

You can report Journey Stone to WritersMarket.com if they still have them listed as a traditional press. That will help other authors not get burned. WritersMarket will take them off the list. ;)

Once again, I'd appreciate if no one bought the hardback. I don't make any money and I understand that pages are missing and books are falling apart. The paperback is being distributed through Ingram and Spring Arbor.

The ISBN is 9780976994701