Mardi Gras: Not Quite A Party

Jane broke the news at DA that Mardi Gras Publishing was going belly up in yet-another e-pub bankruptcy.

While as of June of this year, Mardi Gras publishing folks were defending the fort the indication now seems that they’ll be filing for bankruptcy, though their site shows no indication of that. (Warning: MUSIC on site).

But then, anonymous Bitchery author sent me this link: Katrina Strauss, author and media contact for Aphrodite’s Apples tells tales of thievery and plagiarism when her book seemed to have been “heavily borrowed from” after she sent it for review to a joint list between AA and MGP. Anonymous author also has suspicions of similarities between a book she wrote and a MG book, though there wasn’t enough evidence to do much besides ponder and feel sick inside.

Now these are some big honking accusations, but I’m curious – anyone else hear rumors of nefarious deeds in the Mardi Gras business practice? While bankruptcy doesn’t allow those authors who believe they’ve been plagiarized much recourse, there seems to be a sense of ‘at last now I can say something.’ Pity they couldn’t say something earlier. But plagiarism, as we’ve discussed, can be terribly difficult to prove, not to mention highly isolating and unpleasant.

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The Link-O-Lator

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  1. Unknown Author says:

    I strongly advise everyone to take Patti/AP Miller’s words with a whoppin’ rock of salt. She is the source of most of the vicious rumors going around about MGP.

    The only things we can prove is that it’s closed now. With authors like Patti do you completely blame Teresa for bailing? she is overly vicious and high unprofessional and I am a little glad that MGP closed before my name was associated with hers.

    As for “net”, my contract defines “net” as 40% of the cost of the book minus paypal fees. That’s it, no cost of business fees, no “website listing” fees. that’s not exactly the classic definition of net as it’s being bantered around.

  2. Still, those fees are a cost of doing business, and should not be the author’s responsibility. 

    And yes, I absolutely blame Teresa for bailing.  It’s indefensible, unprofessional, and oh yeah, has anyone mentioned illegal?  This isn’t the playground where you can run and hide behind the sandbox if someone says something mean to you.  Suck it up and move on, because there’s nothing in the contract (I’m assuming) saying, “Author will not be paid if Author hurts Publisher’s feelings.”

    She’s running a business and needs to act like a businesswoman.  I’ve got no sympathy for her.  Sorry.

  3. AnyAuth says:

    I don’t know, toward the end there Teresa sent out all manner of f-ed up contract and secrecy clauses.  “You butthurt the publisher” might have been one of them.

  4. Cynic says:

    Also late, but good lord, has anyone read MGP’s publicity? It was pretty clear from Mardi Gras’ promos, announcements, and excerpts that there was not one single person on staff who could write a coherent sentence in what I presume is their native language.  They either printed awful writing or (so I’ve heard from writers) PUT ERRORS IN—and since I’ve seen some of their writers’ work elsewhere, I expect it was the latter.  A “publisher” who can’t produce plain English is screwing up from the get-go.  I hope the authors sue MGP’s ass, but dear god, that press was a blot on the landscape.  The only thing the blurbs were good for was unintentional humor.

    And Venus Press’ editing … they offered editing contracts that paid 5% of the cover price, UP TO a max of $50.  For editing a whole damned book—and if the book didn’t sell, the editor would come off with a big $0 return for the work.  No editor I ever met would work on commission, so my guess is their “editors” were less than top-drawer.  (I could be mistaken, there may be people out there willing to edit for the lurve of the story… but I’ll bet there are damned few.) You don’t get good editors by offering not even peanuts, but only the shells.

    Still—all publishers start out sometime, and some will succeed, and some publishers are decent people.  It’s not unreasonable to ask to see the publisher’s business history and the qualifications of the CEO—and what they’re doing to earn their percentage.  If they don’t want to answer the questions… writer beware. 

    And contract lawyers exist for a reason.  What is NOT in the contract can be every bit as important as what is stated outright.

    Best of luck to everyone who’s stuck in the swamp.

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