I was excited when my book, The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West, was chosen by Collca to be part of its BiteSize History Series last year. The release date of March 7, 2014 was my first "Blue Ribbon" day in a long, long time. Things were great. My editor/publisher Mike Hyman was great. He told me the book was doing well as an ebook, and I was contemplating publishing it in print. Then in October, I got the news--and it was anything but good.
Mr. Hyman, a dynamic, genuine, and kind person, had past away. His son was the bearer of the bad news both about his father and about Collca. From what I understood, Mike was a one man show, and his son had nothing to do with the business. His son, Dave Hyman, asked that Collca's numerous authors be patient until he could figure out royalties and rights. That was 8 months ago, and it was the last time I heard from the son.
I have tried to be patient and understanding. I realize the maneuvering through a company you know little about must be daunting. However, I have sent an email every two months asking for an update, and have received no answer. I do know from another Collca author that a few have been contacted and promised things would be settled soon, but the last communication was over three months ago.
So here is my dilemma: Do I revise it, add another chapter, change the name and release it again myself? A publisher advised me to do just that. However, I own the U.S. copyright, so why should I change the name, etc.? Amazon and other ebook retailers won't allow me to reissue it myself until Collca releases it, but I can't get Dave to answer my email. So what is an author suppose to do in this type of circumstance? Any ideas?
Mr. Hyman, a dynamic, genuine, and kind person, had past away. His son was the bearer of the bad news both about his father and about Collca. From what I understood, Mike was a one man show, and his son had nothing to do with the business. His son, Dave Hyman, asked that Collca's numerous authors be patient until he could figure out royalties and rights. That was 8 months ago, and it was the last time I heard from the son.
I have tried to be patient and understanding. I realize the maneuvering through a company you know little about must be daunting. However, I have sent an email every two months asking for an update, and have received no answer. I do know from another Collca author that a few have been contacted and promised things would be settled soon, but the last communication was over three months ago.
So here is my dilemma: Do I revise it, add another chapter, change the name and release it again myself? A publisher advised me to do just that. However, I own the U.S. copyright, so why should I change the name, etc.? Amazon and other ebook retailers won't allow me to reissue it myself until Collca releases it, but I can't get Dave to answer my email. So what is an author suppose to do in this type of circumstance? Any ideas?
RSS Feed
