Time to discard Lulu.com?

I just published my latest book, The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies, with Lulu.com and it was a bit of a nightmare.

Once again Lulu's incompetent (at least in my experience) cover wizard glitched and screwed up my cover.  This time it happened during a book revision; it somehow (the staff at Lulu.com say the how is a mystery) reverted my cover to default colour and font and removed my front cover blurb. 
Now, every time you revise you must purchased an obligatory proof copy, so having not realised the glitch, I bought not one, but two copies (the second copy was to be used in a book giveaway).  The two copies arrived and, surprise, I was looking at a cover I didn't want.  This was highly annoying and problematic for the loss of money and the disruption of my marketing plans.  So I contacted Lulu to complain and that is when my problems got worse.

Their first response email said they had to send my problem higher up the food chain.  Okay, I could understand that.  Too bad they sent it to someone who seemed to have little grasp of the words "customer service".
My first email from this "person" stated, "We noticed that you had disabled your account".  Well gee, I hadn't.  The guy didn't even look up the right account!
In the second email he states, "we unfortunately cannot revise the cover for you".  I never asked them to do that; I just wanted answers.  He did also state though, "we can bypass the proof copy requirement by offering you a free copy of the version with the corrected cover".  Okay, I thought at least that's something, so I replied.  I asked how I could obtain the free copy and a few other questions about using the PDF of the original cover.  I waited for an answer, but none came that day or the next morning.  So I went ahead and revised the cover, figuring I could wait to order the copy.
Then the third email arrives, with this gem, "We can use the cover from the first version, however we will need to upload this as a one-piece cover as opposed to going through the studio. If you would like, I can make a revision and upload the cover for you, as well as place a replacement order. I will also set the order up in order to bypass the proof copy requirement. How would you wish to proceed?"  So, I guess they could revise the cover after all, despite the earlier statement.  Too bad I did it already.   So I relate this information and inquire, again, how can I get the free copy.  This exchange happened on July 1st and I waited patiently for a reply, taking the holidays in to consideration. 
By the 6th I lost patience waiting for a reply and just ordered the book.  Then I received this email, "Thank you again for your patience and I apologize for the delay. I have placed a reorder for the new revised book."  Oh thanks, you don't get back to me, don't answer my inquiries about the ordering procedures and then order the book the day after I do!   Way to communicate with your customer!

This is just the newest round of indifference I had with customer service at Lulu, but it is the last straw for me.  I'm disillusioned with Lulu.com; their prices and shipping charges are too high, their customer service sucks and I'm finding them less and less author friendly.  I think it is past time for me to find a new way to get published.

The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies


Almost everything you need to know to enjoy an action film!

Here it is at last!

Presenting an irreverent manual for dissecting an action movie, a guide to the nuances of that summer blockbuster!
Consider musings about crashes, clichés and cannon fodder!

Discover how to survive an action movie!

Learn the proper way to watch a bad action film!

Disagree with the recommendations and the top ten lists!


Read all about it today!
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-incomplete-guide-to-action-movies/11602857


 

Romancing a Mystery: Old-Fashioned Romantic Fun

A Review of Romancing a Mystery:

Romancing a Mystery by Evelyn Cullet is a slightly wacky, screwball romance wrapped in the flavour of a mystery novel. It’s charming, light and a breezy read.

The novel tells the misadventures of Charlotte, Jane and Erin as the three embark on a vacation in the English countryside. A few wrong turns land them at an Earl’s manor house, where they become unexpected houseguests when Erin becomes ill. Sparks fly between Charlotte and the somewhat older Earl of Bredon, while Jane pursues the Earl's son, Peter. Add in a backdrop of an unsolved murder mystery with some minor mayhem, and romantic amusement ensues.

Romancing a Mystery is a solid, entertaining book, giving you just what you would want from a romantic novel. You get handsome men, plucky (if somewhat nutty) heroines and an appealing setting. The plot is fluffy, but straightforward, delivering the right notes where needed, pulling you into the story.

The characters are nicely rendered, generally coming across as real people, although there are one or two places where common sense -and manners- are stretched a tad. You do feel as if you might know these people and I have to say I loved the characters. However, considering some of the antics they indulge in the novel, I don’t think I would invite them to be my houseguests.

Now, the ending might not suit some, but I thought it matched the novel. The book doesn’t wrap things with a happily ever after, tied in a pink bow, but instead leaves the romance open with a promise of more to come.

I can cheerfully recommend Romancing a Mystery; it is a nice, fun book, suitable for that day at the beach or a rainy afternoon.

The book is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Barnes and Noble

Torchwood finds a new home and a new season

My latest Examiner article:

Torchwood finds a new home and a new season

Check out John Barrowman's Blog:
http://www.johnbarrowman.com/fanzone/television/newtorchwood.shtml

Thoughts on copyright violation, piracy and illegal downloads

I have been engaged in a few discusions lately on these topics and one question keeps rasing its ugly head.

Who is hurt by copyright violation, piracy and illegal downloads?

Many people, mostly the reprobates that run the dishonest download sites, say no one. They are wrong. The artists, musicians and writers are hurt.
Of course, the pirates don’t want you to think about that because they are making too much money off their website membership subscriptions and advertising. They don’t want you to think about the human beings who created that art, music or book you are illegitimately downloading. They don’t want you to know you are a criminal (you may not like that fact, but it’s true) the minute you pilfer that prohibited copy. Because the fact is these sites are engaging in illegal distribution which is a violation of copyright. They do not have the legal right to provide any copies for downloading. By participating in these sites, you are receiving a pirated copy from an unlawful distributor.

Now, how is piracy hurting people?

Well, creative types need to make a living the same as you, and contrary to popular belief, the majority of writers, musicians or artists do not make millions in royalties. Some of us make a profit, but generally not enough to pay the bills; some artists or writers are lucky if they break even.  Most have regular jobs, our creative efforts are what we love to do in what spare time we can scape together. We send our efforts out into the world hoping someday we can aspire to have a full-time career and you, pirate lovers, are spitting on that.

Our work is our work, not yours. We allow you the opportunity to read it by offering it for sale. You do not have the right to take it!  When pirates rip us off, we feel violated, angry, sad, disappointed and discouraged.  I mean, would you want to try and make a living in a workplace where your potential customers think it is okay to take your work without paying for it?

As a writer, I can tell you months (and no I am not exaggerating) of my life can go into a book. Why would I want to waste that effort on thieves?  Would you?

Think about the person behind that song, book, or graphic next time, before you download. If you think causing pain is fun, then click your mouse.

The One Truth (and the six lies)

No this post isn't about the secrets of the universe (I'm saving that for another day), I'm just revealing the answers to my previous post Awards and Lies.  In that post I told six lies and one truth and asked my readers to guess which was which.  Now I'm spilling the secret:

My Creative Facts:


I have travelled to at least nine countries.
A lie.  I have only been to two counties, Canada and the United States.

I have never owned a pet.
Another lie.  I have been a pet owner of cats for most of my life.

I am an only child.
Lie.  I am the youngest of the family and have six siblings.

I own replica swords, including the katana from the film, Highlander.
The Truth.  I have an entire collection of replica swords I purchased from Ebay, including a reproduction of the Highlander katana and the Bride's sword from Kill Bill.

My favourite dessert is Deep Dish Apple Pie.
A lie.  I like pie, but my absolute favourite dessert is Black Forest Cake.  You can't get any better than chocolate, cherries and whipped cream.

My least favourite actor is Bruce Campbell.
An enormous lie.  I am a huge fan of Bruce Campell.

I love to watch horror movies.
A lie.  I almost never watch horror movies.  They scare me to death and give me nightmares.