RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

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sighyoung
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RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by sighyoung »

I'd spent a year putting together an anthology about African-American writing about the sea--350 years of writing, from Phillis Wheatley to figures like Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead--and I just get word that the publisher is shutting down in December. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/ ... story.html

That was a year of my life spent on that thing.

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cardinalkarp
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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by cardinalkarp »

Sorry to hear that sigh, any chance another publisher might pick it up?

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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by Fat Strat »

sighyoung wrote:I'd spent a year putting together an anthology about African-American writing about the sea--350 years of writing, from Phillis Wheatley to figures like Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead--and I just get word that the publisher is shutting down in December. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/ ... story.html

That was a year of my life spent on that thing.
Completely different world than academic publishing, but my first book (fiction) was picked up by a publisher and then that publisher folded before it could go to print. Feel for you man. I think I still have the rights to that work (at least I think I do) but I haven't re-submitted it to any other publishers. I thought I had gotten past that gigantic obstacle of getting a piece through readers (who reject basically everything) but, no. Back to the bottom of the pile I go. Haven't come back to that work yet and have even hesitated to tackle non-fiction writing. I'm going to ease back in to that world by getting some articles, reviews, etc. done as part of my doctoral studies.

I'm sure you can find another publisher for a work like that!

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G. Keenan
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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by G. Keenan »

I would love to read that anthology!

Sorry, Sigh, that really sucks. I hope you can find another publisher.

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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by heyzeus »

That's lame. Want me to sue 'em?

Do you recover the rights to your work, or does that become an asset carved up by the bankruptcy creditors?

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sighyoung
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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by sighyoung »

heyzeus wrote:That's lame. Want me to sue 'em?

Do you recover the rights to your work, or does that become an asset carved up by the bankruptcy creditors?
Right now, the press is trying to move the book series, Seafaring America, to another press. Failing to do that, the rights of my book would revert to me, and I'd need to shop the project around again.

The press isn't bankrupt, but two universities (Dartmouth and Brandeis) see it as a money drain, and want to focus on publishing scholarship connected to their own campuses. Brandeis will maintain its own separate press, while I'm not sure what Dartmouth plans to do.

My state's academic press, University Press of Kentucky, is facing similar issues: the governor and the state legislature chose not to fund it, so it will have to see how it can continue to publish. Oddly enough, I've just been named to the press' editorial board: hopefully I'll have something to do. Of course, I had just submitted a book project to it in December, so, of course, it would be threatened with elimination, too.

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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by Jocephus »

dang, sorry to hear that stuff sigh

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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by lukethedrifter »

sighyoung wrote:
heyzeus wrote:That's lame. Want me to sue 'em?

Do you recover the rights to your work, or does that become an asset carved up by the bankruptcy creditors?
Right now, the press is trying to move the book series, Seafaring America, to another press. Failing to do that, the rights of my book would revert to me, and I'd need to shop the project around again.

The press isn't bankrupt, but two universities (Dartmouth and Brandeis) see it as a money drain, and want to focus on publishing scholarship connected to their own campuses. Brandeis will maintain its own separate press, while I'm not sure what Dartmouth plans to do.

My state's academic press, University Press of Kentucky, is facing similar issues: the governor and the state legislature chose not to fund it, so it will have to see how it can continue to publish. Oddly enough, I've just been named to the press' editorial board: hopefully I'll have something to do. Of course, I had just submitted a book project to it in December, so, of course, it would be threatened with elimination, too.
But that’s only because while you academics and intellectuals were off publishing books the kids of Kentucky were getting Rogered by strangers and introduced to laudanum.

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sighyoung
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Re: RANT: My Publisher Is Going Out of Business

Post by sighyoung »

lukethedrifter wrote:
But that’s only because while you academics and intellectuals were off publishing books the kids of Kentucky were getting Rogered by strangers and introduced to laudanum.
Image

Kentucky was such a magical place until teachers marched on the state capital.

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