Hibernation's Over

It hasn't been a rough winter, but it has felt very long while I've been away.

I've been hibernating for a while. Recharging and musing and finally finishing a novella called Samson and Denial that I think is one of the best things I've ever written.

But spring is here. Flowers are blooming and it's a time of awakening again.

I'm done hibernating and I find it fitting that I've been writing about a character named Samson - another of which took down Goliath.

I'm writing today to join in the boycott of Dorchester - Leisure publishing. The full details of why can be found in a detailed timeline over at Brian Keene's blog by clicking here.

But the long and short of it is that they have been - and continue to - selling e-books for writers that they no longer have the rights to. They are also essentially holding lots of writers print rights hostage while they repeatedly distribute product for which the writers are not being paid for. All this while offering vague excuses and passing the buck instead of taking responsibility for their own indiscretions.

By doing so, they are affecting every writer that has ever been brought into their stable and trusted them with their hard work and effort of writing the words down in the first place. Writers who - myself included - once thought of Dorchester - Leisure as a great place to publish mass market horror. These writers come from a big cross section of life. Some of them - hell, most of them - still hold day jobs and snatch time whenever they can to scribble down novels, pushing onward with a dream in mind. And Dorchester - Leisure is screwing with their lives...not providing payment for their work and trying to treat them like most of big corporate America company that attempts to screw over the people they depend on in the first place.

Their actions affect the fans as well. By not paying the writers what they are deserved, bills will go unpaid in their households and some of them will simply not be able to continue to write as they will need to seek alternate sources of income instead of following with their true passions.

Fans and authors have spoken out publicly on Dorchester's Facebook page...only to have the comments deleted. They are an unscrupulous company operating without honor, business ethics, and basic ethics as people in general.

Brian Keene is leading the charge, and following his lead, I urge you:

*If you follow them on Twitter please unfollow them.
*If you like them on Facebook please unlike them.
*If you receive their marketing emails, please remove yourself from their list.
*If you belong to one of their book clubs please consider canceling your membership.
*If you are considering publishing with them please reconsider.


Dorchester - Leisure's actions are simply unacceptable. Let's show them.
Hibernation is sometimes a good thing. Just be careful what you wake up.