This is one of those very rare times that I am not writing fiction here.
It is with a really sad heart that I am writing this: the “publisher” of Trestle Press has removed my eStory, Flash Over, from Amazon and Barnes & Nobles.
Without any notice, I got an email this week from the head of Trestle Press:
We feel that it is best that we unpublish your work at this time. Maybe at some point in the future we can work together. Thank you for being nice enough to give us a try and work with us. The rights of your work now belong to you. We wish you the best of luck in your journey; hopefully you will realize your dreams.
I wrote him back, it taking three times to attain clarification as to why he was doing this. This is what I got from him hours later:
To be cold about it: sales are zero, you are not on the social media I have asked everyone to be on, and we are implementing some exciting new things.I need everybody to be on the same page, period.
I understand everyone is an individual and have different needs and forces pulling at them in their lives, but by the same token we have invested time and effort.
Sales are zero: can’t argue with that. I pushed this as much as I could with my readers, but only so many bought it. He only pushed it one time, as far as I know. As to the social media, I was on everything asked: Goodreads and Facebook. If there was more, I don’t know about it.
What I am angry about is not so much parting ways with a “publishing” group whose owner has been involved in very underhanded methods dealing with unlicensed artwork (see below), but in the way that it was handled.
If I had gotten an email that I needed to step up and do certain things or I’d be let go of my “contract”, that would have been professional and a way for me to respond. I could have done as he wished or said no, let’s cut ties. The “publisher” was never a good communicator, and he handled both this and his other misadventures very poorly.
Many other authors associated with Trestle Press took back their work, not wishing to be associated with the owner. I left Flash Over as it was, deciding that instead of asking for it back it would just be the only piece I’d have with Trestle. Obviously, I am now sorry I didn’t pull it like others did at the time. Live and learn.
Writers Please Take Note/Beware of Trestle Press: If you have thought to work with Trestle Press, please look into their business dealings first before you decide to go with them. The following are only a few articles on what occurred in the early part of 2012. There are many other accounts of the situation.
Trestle Press Dinged for Stealing Cover Art
The Reprehensible Acts of Trestle Press
The Implosion of a Publishing Company
Tale Spinning 