In my last post, A Month of Sunsets, I mentioned that a few things had happened in regards to my books. Now, let me preface this by saying my primary goal for my six-week vacation was lots of reading (accomplished: read 10 books), some writing (wrote about 17,000 words), and basic camp stuff (swimming, sunset gazing, fire pits, and early “happy hours”). Instead, on July 7th, my traditional publisher, Barking Rain Press (BRP), announced that it would be closing shop immediately. Authors would be paid out any royalties owed by the end of 2019, but we were on our own when it came to recreating our files and arranging for new cover art.
Now, I’ll be honest. The signs that things were “going south” with BRP had been there for the past eighteen months, and possibly longer. It wasn’t a financial thing…authors were still getting paid (though often late), but the case of a one-man band who ran into a ton of personal issues that took precedence over running a publishing company. In fact, these early warning signs were what led me to start my own imprint, Superior Shores Press, and as the terms of my contract for The Hanged Man’s Noose with BRP came up, I requested my rights back to publish under the SSP imprint. But I hadn’t expected the rights back to Skeletons in the Attic until December 2020 and A Hole in One until March 2021, and so I’d done absolutely none of the work required to publish either. And despite my increasing frustration with BRP’s lack of promotion and communication over the several months, it broke my heart to see yet another small press go by the wayside, leaving the authors and their series “orphaned.” Because while I had a backup plan, most authors did not. And because, without BRP (and the owner, Sheri Gormley) taking a chance on me in 2014, I may never have published a single book. (You can read all about my signing with BRP here).
But back to Skeletons and AHIO. I could have left everything “undone” until my return in August. But those who know me know that simply wasn’t an option. And so, early mornings and after sunsets, I set to work preparing my files and working with my fabulous illustrator, S.A. Hadi hassan, and graphic artist, Hunter Martin. As of Aug. 3, both Skeletons and AHIO are now available in trade paperback at all the usual suspects, and on Kindle (I’ll get them on Kobo, Nook, Apple in 90-180 days when my exclusive KDP/Kindle contract ends).
And now, here are my old vs. new covers (same content, though I’ve added a 4-chapter preview of Past & Present at the end of Skeletons):
Old Cover (which I always hated)
New cover
Old cover
New cover
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Well done, Judy! You are a whirlwind! Those new covers are fabulous – may they entice many new readers.
Thanks Shari! Here’s hoping!
Sad about BRP but, it looks like, you have really come out of this problem even stronger. You are so focused and such a hard worker. Best of luck on your continuing adventure in publishing!
Thank you Pam. We soldier on!
My sympathies on the loss of your publisher. It’s happened to me a number of times as well.
thanks Jacqueline, it is happening all over, it’s a tough world out there in publishing!
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Hi Judy. So sorry to hear this happened to you, but happy (and not at all surprised) to hear you are on top of it! Great to see you continue to inspire others.
Thanks, Jan, hope all is well with you!
Good job on keeping the continuity going on the books..will email you .
Thanks for all you do for authors, Sally!
Good for you! I haven’t gone near my now-orphaned books, but I plan to this fall.
Good to hear, Edith!
Best of luck, Judy. I love the new covers 🙂
Thank you Harmony! I love them too, but of course, I’m biased 🙂
Glad to see A Fool’s Journey is with SSP, Judy. Looking forward to reading it on the 21st. You certainly have kept on top of all the changes. Lots of companies closing with many authors not recovering. Kudos for all your hard work.
Thanks Gail, you’ve been a great supporter along the way and I truly appreciate it.
Gosh, Judy, you could have just said to hell with it and cried for two or three years. But no, you picked up the pieces and took some major steps forward. You’ve got guts and spunk, girl. Good for you.
Thank you Earl. I will admit to having a very large pour of a very expensive chardonnay upon learning the news…then I turned on my computer and got to work 🙂
Yep, Judy, you sounded the warning bell about BRP over a year ago and you were smart enough to get ahead of the game. Now your books have a beautiful new life.
Thanks Ricky! I hope your books do as well. They are too good to languish. Get them back out there!
Judy, good grief! You are amazing, to have turned this around, and your new covers are terrific. In the end, probably best to have control over these titles, but I sympathize over your having to part ways with a supportive publisher. You rock!
Thank you Ann. One thing I’ve learned is that being an author is not for the faint of heart 🙂
So glad that you had already begun a plan B. It’s a shame that another small publisher had to close. Wishing you all the best with Superior Shores!!
Yes, Carol, they are closing at an alarming rate. But it’s always good to have a Plan B.
Will you be picking up any of the other Barking Press displaced authors at Superior Shores Press?
No plans to John. I will probably do another multi-author anthology but that’s about it. I am considering offering a service where I assist authors with transitioning to self publishing but I’m not sure what I could charge that would make it worth my time and that authors would be willing to pay. So…for now, that’s on the back burner.
I’m a big fan of Ricky Bush – He is an author that I’d love see continue his unique series under the watchful care of Superior Press
Hi John, I love Ricky’s books too! But at this time I’m only taking on my own titles and multi-author anthology. But I hope Ricky finds a great home for his fantastic books. Thanks for stopping by.
A good accounting of our mutual by-gone publisher. Kudos on your swift action. I’ve had to put my BRP books off to finish a contract I already had with another publisher. Good luck with everything!
Thank you Kaye. I hope Cressa sees the light of day again with better covers 🙂
You’re a force of nature, Judy. Smart, talented, and hard working.
Melissa, there is no one more hard working than you…I don’t know how you balance everything in your life and your books are amazing. Thank you.
Good luck, Judy. I hope this change brings about positive things. Sometimes good opportunities come in the form of the unexpected.
Thanks Diane. I think it is actually for the best.
Well, best of luck, Judy. You’re on top of this.
Thanks Connie!