I may just have done it.

[valarltd]

Back in January, I blogged about moving publishers

Since that time, prompted by some blogs, I have sat back and taken a hard look at the house I've been working for.

And prompted by an e-mail from the owner, Naomi and I have agreed to honor all outstanding short story contracts. However, we did decide that Alive on the Inside will be a better fit elsewhere, after we make time to do some serious rewriting.

The polite e-mail:

We had been considering a quiet move away from Torquere for the last few months (see the Jan 31 entry at the valarltd LJ [link]). You may have already noticed a decreased social presence.

The current short stories were written specifically for certain Torquere lines, either by request or because the line intrigues us. We are willing to honor all the outstanding short story contracts.

However, the Turn of the Screw contract is rather problematic. Upon a recent re-reading, we have decided the story is not ready for publication anywhere as it stands. To have it ready for a May 12 release would require a great deal of work. We are uncertain we have the time and energy to devote at this time.

Torquere has been fine on the professional front, such as getting books out on time and paying on time. However, the corporate culture is a poor fit for us. Thank you for the years we've had, and may future endeavors go well.

The e-mail I really wanted to send:

The letter I want to send:
Hey, that's a mighty fast chucking overboard there. Most authors have to fight tooth and nail to get released from houses. The "go-to gal" has suddenly become a liability for telling the truth, huh?
My numbers are accurate.

I noticed a distinct upswing in requests being made of me after I vanished socially. "Fill in for us?" "Review for us?" I don't take appeasement well.

You want clique? How about Naomi never getting an invite to the TQ author list?
How about the fact that I have no link on the TQ site, and no author page after FOUR YEARS? (Ellora had one up before our first release)
The LJ comments tell the whole story. If someone in the Inner Circle had been wished a birthday, would the comment space have been as blank as it was on Jan 15?


No sense f'locking it. Everyone's on the f'list anyway.

Comments

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Thanks. This whole thing has had me tied up in knots and a lot of niggling pieces all fell into place for an unpleasant whole.

I'm honoring my contracts because those are my word. The stories have been written and accepted and I've given my word on them.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that was their pay rate, in that case you are definitely better off leaving. If I hadn't had an author page after a year I would have gone, my publisher had mine up in about a week. I'm grateful to TQ for my start-out, but I couldn't continue to sub to them at the rates they pay.

There are a lot of small publishers out there who pay proper professional rates.

Good luck,

Erastes

[skogkatt.livejournal.com]

I hope you find a better fit all around (money, appreciation, content). The whole thing sounds rather unpleasant.

I'm really sorry

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

I haven't read everything that's out there, obviously. But it's clearly upsetting and painful and I'm sad both at what's happened and how it's happening.

No good words, really. I'm just sad.

[(Anonymous)]

About how many people are in the Inner Circle?

Re: I'm really sorry

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I'm considering a longish post with all the dirty laundry.
The thing is, I have no idea what is a valid complaint, what is my own social ineptness and paranoia, and what is pissy diva behavior.

I mean, it's one thing not to get a trib copy.(legit)
It's another to only notice this 3 months later (pissy diva)

Hey there

[(Anonymous)]

Got here from a search nice blog, i like the layout of your site any ideas where i can get simliar for a new blog im going to start?
Thanks appreciated.

Re: Hey there

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

This is just a basic live journal template.
I altered the colors to my standard palette.