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How ironic that just yesterday I finally speak out on this issue, and that very night, more information surfaced regarding the status of Mardi Gras Publishing. Authors are now speaking out - and no, I don't credit myself for this, just think I have damn good timing.
I am reposting below a message that has been circulating the email forums all day. I did request permission to repost the message, and feel it is important to pass on in as many ways as possible, for reasons that should be obvious.
The authors, editors and staff of Mardi Gras Publishing would like
to respond to the information that is spreading quickly through the
various sites. We would like to set OUR record straight.
We were surprised to hear on August 4 that Teresa Jacobs, the
owner "forgot" to sign our royalty checks. We learned that on August
4 she parked a new publishing company called Satin Rouge Publishing
on GoDaddy. Thus far no site has been built, however on the Mardi
Gras submission page she has one particular line going to this new
company she appears to be trying to open. Until August 27 she did
not return any telephone calls and despite logging into her various
Myspace pages, did not log on to our staff/author list to address
our concerns.
The majority of us have not been paid royalties for our books, many
of us were told we sold less than we knew we did, most editors have
not been paid nor has regular staff.
In light of the fact that Teresa Jacobs has abandoned Mardi Gras
Publishing yet continues to sell our books, we request you cease and
desist buying ANY Mardi Gras books, in whatever format from here on
out. Every sale that is made is money going into her pocket and
longer before we can get our rights back.
Thank you.
The Authors, Editors and Staff of Mardi Gras Publishing
Another author has also shown courage today and spoken out against MGP. The very talented (and very dear friend of mine) Katrina Strauss has finally revealed her own experience, which should make any legitimate author or publisher downright nauseous. I encourage you to read her story here.
1 comment:
Thing is, when you go public before, say a publisher files for bankrupcy, an authoer who is a whistle blower ends up getting threatened by owners/lawyers and get a rep for being "trouble". Had this happen to me. When at Venus, I kept quiet until nonpayment made me go public. Ms Taylor got a lawyer to email me to cease and desist. Seriously. Who knew the company would dissolve a year or so later? I didn't. I agreed as long as I was paid. So I never said anything more...and then was attacked by Piers as having "no concept of the truth" when I reported my dealings because Ms Taylor romanced him (assumabley because he quickly signed a contract there). Only when the company closed finally did anyone say appologies to me. (Never Ms. Taylor.) I was branded a bitch by many because I left Venus...and nasty rumors spread of my being fired (Not! I quit.) and so on. Authors there hated me...thinking I tried to sabotage the website, etc. (Not sure how I was supposed to have done that while on vacation at Disney.) But Ms Taylor told everyone I didn't want my covers there anymore and that I wanted them replaced, etc. (I had given the lawyer a choice to present to her, either pay me for the work or remove the covers. This was NEVER told to the authors.)
So, you can be painted a black figure if you say much of anything. I had lots of enemies after saying something about Venus. That has decreased as the true nature of Ms Taylor was revealed later.
As for MGP....Teresa is a crook for not paying the authors yet still selling the books on the site. I had my run ins with her that resulted in my leaving MGP. I have since contracted the book with NCP...and has been contracted there since April.
Mari
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