I don’t often write short stories and it’s even rarer that I (try to) sell any, so this is the first time I’ve been stuck with this issue: an editor has failed to pay me for a short story and is ignoring my follow-up emails. I’d give her the benefit of the doubt and suggest they might be being spammed, except I’ve tried a couple of different addresses now and also double-checked that my mail server is not blacklisted.
I’m following the advice at Writers Weekly for pursuing payment from a deadbeat editor. This letter has worked for others, but not for me (you might find it useful).
Since the email they say to send has produced no response, I am moving on to the next stage, which is basically to follow through and warn other writers not to work with this editor through such forums as the Writers Weekly Whispers and Warnings forum and other resources, as well as to let business agencies in the home state of the non-paying editor know that one of their businesses is not operating in a legitimate fashion.
The story was published in the Futuristic Motherhood anthology. This was edited by Trula Breckenbridge of MSPMedia. It was published back in December, after many delays, and the promise of payment of US$100 was reiterated at that time. I re-sent my address details at that time (even if the cheque was sent to my previous address, I would have received it by now through mail forwarding). I should have been chasing this earlier, but I tend to have more patience than some (erroneously, in this case) and then I had other things on my mind.
Trula is supposedly involved in many other projects, including the Texture Bookstore in Ohio, The Positive Emergence Zine Project, further Futuristic Motherhood anthologies (though that website now seems defunct), and a whole bunch of blogging projects. I would advise other writers coming across calls for submissions from this person to think very carefully about getting involved with them. May also encounter under the name ‘Mercury Lynch’.
Update via Angela Hoy: There are now three writers (including myself) who were not paid; though one has reportedly received her payment now, but not the promised contributor copies. Trula has changed her name from Breckenbridge to Ione Earthgarden. The OH Attorney General is interested in hearing from other writers who weren’t paid: contact them toll free #1-800-282-0515. If you are also an unpaid writer for the Futuristic Motherhood anthology, I urge you to register your complaint with Angela Hoy and the OH AG.
Good on you for naming and shaming. Someone who can’t manage their business commitments shouldn’t be in any sort of business in the first place.
It’s silly how uncomfortable I feel doing it. I guess not paying is just not something I can imagine doing myself, and so I can’t imagine other people doing it on purpose. I keep thinking it must be a terrible mistake…
I also contributed to that anthology and have not heard anything at all– no replies or payments.
Well there you go…it was still in the back of my mind that somehow it was all just a big misunderstanding.
I ended up reporting her to the Cleveland BBB (www.cleveland.bbb.org) and to Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly
http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?p=67594
I think we’ve got buckleys of getting anything now, but you could let Angela know you also weren’t paid.
[...] the editor of this anthology did not pay me (and at least one other writer), so even if this anthology sounds like something you’d like to read, I’d appreciate it [...]