Controversy generates sales!
But only when your "publisher" knows how to design a website.
I noticed this post in the marketing forum on the NaNo site, and thought I would give the poor "author" a comforting word.
Till I started investigating the problem.
This person is published through http://www.starvingwriters.net - a company that touts itself as a "full service" publishing company that offers everything from "traditional publishing" to "publishing for publication". (I don't know about you, but I prefer publishing for non-publication. Works so much better.
I wouldn't put too much stock in their "traditional publishing" division, since I wouldn't trust my manuscript with anyone who can't be bothered to proof their own website (watch those capitals, folks), or bother to change the "New Page 1" title on their FAQ. Not to mention they can't be bothered to use english above 5th grade reading level.
The whole site reeks of unprofessional, bad design, awful grammar, AND has crappy load times. on the main storefront's page. Not a good sign.
Not to mention old Elle's book is nestled between the likes of Terry Pratchett and R. A. Salvatore.
So, I go to check out the evil, nefarious site that has lambasted poor, Elle, who is one of the most gifted Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Writers today .
http://www.censorthebook.com is a paragon of evilness, with a brilliant quote to prove its point by... someone. Anyway, this raised a red flag... I'm seeing the exact same crappy web design, even a similar layout. This was designed by the same person! I glance at that "bad books" page, and lo and behold, alongside the august presence of Mark Twain, Judy Blume, and J. D. Salinger: Elle Pepper! She even gets a longer blurb touting her book's evilness than The Lord of the Flies! That's some impressive evil impressions right there, babe. So much sorcery it even promotes godliness!
So I take a moment to do a little whois lookup.
http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=censorthebook&tld=com - well, now isn't that interesting? Registered last month.
The admin's email? support@starvingwriters.net
http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=starvingwriters&tld=net - interesting!
*falls over laughing* Jason Almgreen, who just so happens to own the "publishing company" who published Ms. Pepper's book? Just happened to have banned it as well! And also featured another of Starving Writer's books, Sex Games, right there on the main page, and a real demonstration against it! I love the black guy with the sign in the first picture.
Poor Elle. She didn't rate a front page banning. She got alphabetically bad-booked.
How convenient. It would be brilliant, if not for the incredibly shitty execution. Word to the wise, future scammers: Don't design your fake banned books page with the same layout as your main publishing site. ;)
Edit: And Now, Victoria Strauss has found them out. :) http://accrispin.blogspot.com/
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/12/victoria-strauss-tidbits.html
I noticed this post in the marketing forum on the NaNo site, and thought I would give the poor "author" a comforting word.
Till I started investigating the problem.
This person is published through http://www.starvingwriters.net - a company that touts itself as a "full service" publishing company that offers everything from "traditional publishing" to "publishing for publication". (I don't know about you, but I prefer publishing for non-publication. Works so much better.
I wouldn't put too much stock in their "traditional publishing" division, since I wouldn't trust my manuscript with anyone who can't be bothered to proof their own website (watch those capitals, folks), or bother to change the "New Page 1" title on their FAQ. Not to mention they can't be bothered to use english above 5th grade reading level.
The whole site reeks of unprofessional, bad design, awful grammar, AND has crappy load times. on the main storefront's page. Not a good sign.
Not to mention old Elle's book is nestled between the likes of Terry Pratchett and R. A. Salvatore.
So, I go to check out the evil, nefarious site that has lambasted poor, Elle, who is one of the most gifted Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Writers today .
http://www.censorthebook.com is a paragon of evilness, with a brilliant quote to prove its point by... someone. Anyway, this raised a red flag... I'm seeing the exact same crappy web design, even a similar layout. This was designed by the same person! I glance at that "bad books" page, and lo and behold, alongside the august presence of Mark Twain, Judy Blume, and J. D. Salinger: Elle Pepper! She even gets a longer blurb touting her book's evilness than The Lord of the Flies! That's some impressive evil impressions right there, babe. So much sorcery it even promotes godliness!
So I take a moment to do a little whois lookup.
http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=censorthebook&tld=com - well, now isn't that interesting? Registered last month.
The admin's email? support@starvingwriters.net
http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=starvingwriters&tld=net - interesting!
*falls over laughing* Jason Almgreen, who just so happens to own the "publishing company" who published Ms. Pepper's book? Just happened to have banned it as well! And also featured another of Starving Writer's books, Sex Games, right there on the main page, and a real demonstration against it! I love the black guy with the sign in the first picture.
Poor Elle. She didn't rate a front page banning. She got alphabetically bad-booked.
How convenient. It would be brilliant, if not for the incredibly shitty execution. Word to the wise, future scammers: Don't design your fake banned books page with the same layout as your main publishing site. ;)
Edit: And Now, Victoria Strauss has found them out. :) http://accrispin.blogspot.com/
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/12/victoria-strauss-tidbits.html