tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post1265573317828215416..comments2023-06-20T05:07:32.843-07:00Comments on Gay Romance: When Authors Steal From AuthorsErica Pikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-17684514852800347762017-07-10T05:57:22.102-07:002017-07-10T05:57:22.102-07:00Erica, I realize I'm commenting YEARS late, he...Erica, I realize I'm commenting YEARS late, here. I was so pissed about the situation that I basically had to let it fuck off into the sun and walk away for a bit.<br /><br />I signed on as a contracted editor in Feb. of 2013. I never received a cent for the work I did on multiple manuscripts. <br /><br />When Kharisma decided to screw all of us harder than the characters in the books that she published, she didn't realize that some of us were, in fact, quite a bit smarter than her. <br /><br />While she promised her authors complete anonymity when it came to manuscripts being passed off to editors, she did, in fact, breach contracts. She failed on every manuscript I received to remove the metadata from the files.<br /><br />Being the punk rock, feminist buzzkill I am, I absolutely took advantage of that when I learned that she was charging authors, or rather, attempting to charge authors, for their edits. <br /><br />*MY* authors got their edits for free. With the help of the metadata information in their manuscript files, I hunted them down, informed them that she was fucking us all harder than any character she'd published, and gave them the manuscript that I put a whole lot of care into. A lot of them were clearly first time writers. Those manuscripts represented so much to them. My moral compass doesn't always point north, but I'm not going to deprive someone who has the guts to put their all out there of genuine, kind, constructive criticism so they can take their hard work somewhere that it will be appreciated for what it is and they can get the recognition and treatment they deserve.<br /><br />So with *MY* middle finger in the air (and my palm empty of ALL payments, from base to royalties, I never saw a penny,) I also tried to track down as many graphic design artists to see if they may have worked on my authors' covers. Unfortunately the ones I found didn't work on any of mine, but I informed them of the pay-to-keep scam, AND the closing (the ones I found didn't even know,) and many of them I believe took the same route I did and contacted their authors independently. <br /><br />Ms. Blackwood, who is operating again as Kharisma Rhayne, has been quite active on Twitter lately -- both the NBP and her personal account. My spidey sense is tingling, she's got another scam up her sleeve, I'm sure. I suppose her play money has run out and it's time to rip of more naive authors.<br /><br />I hope you are well in the years since the NBP ridiculousness and you have found success. I have gladly moved on in my freelance career, myself. And yes, I continue to say fuck the police (or the shitty contractor) and do things for morality's sake sometimes. It hasn't been the professional death of me yet. ;)AccidentallyMommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519026987694586989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-34312507605002219932014-03-13T10:21:57.690-07:002014-03-13T10:21:57.690-07:00Wow... I hope it wasn't too much money. The pr...Wow... I hope it wasn't too much money. The problem with this kind of theft in America is that it seems one has to file a personal lawsuit. The bill for the lawsuit is usually higher than what was stolen, so the system is making things easy for criminals to get away with their theft. Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-34945377271673498802014-03-13T10:15:34.095-07:002014-03-13T10:15:34.095-07:00Thank you for being the brave soldier to warn us n...Thank you for being the brave soldier to warn us new writers. I was robbed by an editor because she thought I wrote porn (MM Romance) after I sent her the tags of my story. She took my money and trashed me without editing. I think it is important the word is spread. These kind of people are predators. I plan to self-publish when I am ready. Brina Bradyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10376624333829755316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-34708411010647895322013-10-15T10:45:11.677-07:002013-10-15T10:45:11.677-07:00Alas, that not all businesses have good intentions...Alas, that not all businesses have good intentions. Division of labor is supposed to increase wealth, not opportunities at theft. It is easy to get excited about the idea of publishing when you have a queue of work you are ready to bring to market and much harder to be cautious. Hopefully people will be proactive and take your advice when considering publishing contracts, or ask others with more experience for advice. In cases like this lawyers can easily earn their keep just by stopping you from signing on to fraud. It is, after all, a much easier thing to keep your money and your work than it is to lose both and attempt to recover them later. Good luck, and thanks for sharing your story; I hope everything works out for you. I got here via writer beware, just so you know.David V Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03349215769209727014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-228713338477412642013-10-15T08:58:25.274-07:002013-10-15T08:58:25.274-07:00Great post, and so sorry you had to go through thi...Great post, and so sorry you had to go through this. I went through something very, very similar over the summer. I realize I'll never get my royalties, which is part of what made me, too, "go public" with it. My story is here, if you're interested: http://melindaclayton.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/signs-of-a-failing-publisher/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-54188863194051419412013-10-15T06:31:36.737-07:002013-10-15T06:31:36.737-07:00Well done for having the courage to speak out. I h...Well done for having the courage to speak out. I had a similar experience to yours and I too went public in the hope of saving other authors from the scam that swindled me out of my royalties. At first, there were a lot of false accusations bandied about to discredit my professional integrity. Thankfully, as always, the truth has prevailed, and the connections I've made with other authors in the same boat has proved invaluable. Thank you for having the strength to share your experience. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844897998381859128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-23100851680181896282013-10-12T00:48:37.997-07:002013-10-12T00:48:37.997-07:00Hi! If you haven't already, please notify Pred...Hi! If you haven't already, please notify Preditors and Editors. They have a list of publishing houses and rate whether the house has a good reputation or not. Another good resource is Writer Beware.<br /><br />http://pred-ed.com/pebn.htm<br />http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-22043338017887789632013-09-24T12:48:46.890-07:002013-09-24T12:48:46.890-07:00I'm late as usual but very sorry you went thro...I'm late as usual but very sorry you went through this Erica. I had considered NBP when I was just starting out as well. I'm glad I never got around to subbing to them. Hugs.K-lee Kleinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17282336893609747285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-67368920636932337142013-09-20T12:18:43.503-07:002013-09-20T12:18:43.503-07:00Not a problem, Erica, and thank you for contacting...Not a problem, Erica, and thank you for contacting me. I was never upset with you. And I apologize if it came across that way. And, please excuse my verbal explosion. Initially, I was really angry with the situation, angry with Kharisma and her bullshit, and I'd hoped she would do the honourable thing. But, that's like asking the pope to okay smoking crack, it isn't going to happen. I think she has more aliases than we'll ever know. My only hope is that this never happens again, to any one.Blak Rayne Books Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07767084120718136892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-86197656026192114582013-09-19T14:36:08.185-07:002013-09-19T14:36:08.185-07:00Yes, that definitely is a bonus :) I spent the sum...Yes, that definitely is a bonus :) I spent the summer self-publishing, so they're all available again :)Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-40758588028438358282013-09-17T11:04:34.735-07:002013-09-17T11:04:34.735-07:00I'm so sorry that this happened and I hope you...I'm so sorry that this happened and I hope you'll consider self publishing now that you have all your rights back. You don't need to share your money with ANYONE! Good luck and take care!!!Aria Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11244454981500507052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-1345535045706221242013-09-14T11:25:43.390-07:002013-09-14T11:25:43.390-07:00Thank you, Tina, that means so much <3
No, I&...Thank you, Tina, that means so much <3 <br /><br />No, I'll probably receive any of that money owed. She still hasn't been in contact with anyone so she's obviously not paying. However, I've dug up the IRS address and part of my money can go there. I'm guessing they'll charge something extra because she didn't file her taxes last year (or I'm assuming she didn't because she never asked for tax info from us). I'd rather the USA government have my money rather than her. I'm also looking into reporting this as a crime to the police since there's more than enough evidence to suggest that she conned us.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-77837060852430664372013-09-14T07:12:15.429-07:002013-09-14T07:12:15.429-07:00Erica it is just horrible that you and other talen...Erica it is just horrible that you and other talented writers have had to go through this. There are shitty people everywhere who will steal or con money from innocents whenever they can. I hope you and the others receive some relief financially, but it doesn't look promising. It's been a very expensive lesson. You have a lot of dedicated fans who will buy and enjoy your work. Please know that you can count on us!Tina Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08301875492851446868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-18063854117871760542013-09-14T02:53:29.548-07:002013-09-14T02:53:29.548-07:00Thank you, Jan. I've just contacted WB, thanks...Thank you, Jan. I've just contacted WB, thanks for the tip :)Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-83996703244501580732013-09-13T15:27:46.799-07:002013-09-13T15:27:46.799-07:00I am sorry you have had to deal with this crime. T...I am sorry you have had to deal with this crime. Thank you for sharing. I am passing the info on to writers. Have you contacted Writers Beware also? Good luck to you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-76846564802014857942013-09-10T16:25:21.117-07:002013-09-10T16:25:21.117-07:00I hope so, Michelle :) That's the whole purpos...I hope so, Michelle :) That's the whole purpose of the post. I'm glad you haven't had to worry about things like this. It's very worrisome and really does a number on your creativity.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-63419640935800489142013-09-10T16:23:50.373-07:002013-09-10T16:23:50.373-07:00Thank you, Shayla :) You shouldn't feel shamel...Thank you, Shayla :) You shouldn't feel shameless at all, hehe. I did negotiate one clause in my NBP contracts, but it didn't do me any good when they're simply not paying -.-Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-3735483623358121822013-09-10T16:22:40.477-07:002013-09-10T16:22:40.477-07:00The wild west of publishing, that's a brillian...The wild west of publishing, that's a brilliant simile. Especially since most get away without a lawsuit. I'm going to see if I can change that.<br /><br />I'm sorry you had to go through similar ordeals *hugs*Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-54462307589692516552013-09-10T16:20:16.744-07:002013-09-10T16:20:16.744-07:00Just so you know, it wasn't former NBP authors...Just so you know, it wasn't former NBP authors who asked me if you were Kharisma Rhayne - it was a couple of people who have never had any dealings with the company but had head about the trouble. We did wonder while we were trying to figure out Kharisma and her aliases (which seems to be an impossible task since more and more keep popping up), but we weren't spreading any doubts or rumors. I decided to ask you directly so I could give the two people who contacted me an answer.<br /><br />Again, I'm sorry you've involuntary become involved.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-29230863585978584392013-09-10T16:14:23.658-07:002013-09-10T16:14:23.658-07:00Thank you, Dustin <3
Hugs'n Tugs, wasn'...Thank you, Dustin <3<br /><br />Hugs'n Tugs, wasn't it? ^.^Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-8396220922016899142013-09-10T16:13:21.898-07:002013-09-10T16:13:21.898-07:00Thank you, June. I agree that for another author t...Thank you, June. I agree that for another author to do this is just down on a whole new level. I've already been in contact with a few people who have reconsidered their options after reading the post (not to go a self pub road, just to look for different publishers), so the post really was a success :)Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-34732302030707549592013-09-10T16:10:22.019-07:002013-09-10T16:10:22.019-07:00Thanks for the advises, Elf. All very good point (...Thanks for the advises, Elf. All very good point (and I'm checking out those links right now). The LLC wasn't filed until late 2012, around the time people stopped getting paid. To me it was a sign that things were getting better, but I know now that it was not. The US law is quite different from Icelandic law.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-41515925961983194302013-09-10T16:06:03.205-07:002013-09-10T16:06:03.205-07:00Yes, we're considering our options :) I'm ...Yes, we're considering our options :) I'm noting down lawyers in Arizona.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-47270763942949080872013-09-10T16:05:21.939-07:002013-09-10T16:05:21.939-07:00I was warned away by one author when I was first a...I was warned away by one author when I was first asking around. Everyone recommended MLR Press, so that's where I went. NBP was my own stupid risk that didn't pay off. I asked publicly if someone knew of a good publisher and Kharisma sent me a message. Hey, I was a noob -.-Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474876370737693502.post-6899877151840410762013-09-10T16:03:02.182-07:002013-09-10T16:03:02.182-07:00That's the problem. These people are so good a...That's the problem. These people are so good at talking and making you believe in them that you're totally blindsided. I'm sorry you got blasted like that *hugs* That must have been horrible.Erica Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410036734790965799noreply@blogger.com