This is Rumor Control, here are the facts (points if you get the reference):
As of September 2013, I was granted a Release of Rights to both the Stranger Things series and the Destrati anthology from Mundania Press. What this means, in a nutshell, is that my publication contract was cancelled, they agreed to stop publishing/selling my books, and the manuscripts of those books are mine to do with as I wish.
This was a mutually agreed-upon decision – I was not “fired,” nor “asked to leave.” I initiated my RoR (release of rights) in the form of a request, and it was granted by the publisher. Simple as that.
Let’s answer the most often asked questions I get in order, shall we? It’s been over 90 days now (the length of the contract termination agreement), so I can talk a little about what happened.
First: “Where are your books/why can’t I buy them? Etc.”
The books are, officially, nowhere. It’s been 90 days, and after that period no reseller (like Amazon or B&N) has the legal right to sell any new copies they don’t already have in stock. The books are no longer in print. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE NO LONGER COPYRIGHTED OR ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AS A FREE BOOK ANYWHERE. All this means is that Mundania Press no longer holds the rights to print those books. Who does? No one. PERIOD. No one except me, and here’s the fun part –
I HAVE NO INTENTION, NOW OR EVER, OF SELF-PUBLISHING THESE BOOKS. Despite rumors to the contrary (we’ll get to that in a minute), this is not happening. EVER. I do not self-publish. I have no intention of self-publishing. Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows how I feel about self-publishing, and this is so not going to happen. NO, NOT EVEN THEN. NO. (Narrator: It happened.)
If you missed these books, I’m sorry. I really am. You might be able to find a used copy on Paperbackswap or eBay (a legal, print copy, please, not some bullshit downloadable pirated e-copy so prevalent on that site) or even Amazon, but that’s it. Like any book that goes out of print, them’s the breaks.
Second: “Why/What happened?”
Nothing. Sorry, but that’s the answer. Nothing “happened.” There is no “why.” Publishing is a relationship. Sometimes you want different things. Relationships grow and change, and sometimes it’s not always for the better. As I said above, this was a mutually agreed-upon thing. It’s like a break-up. That’s all. I moved out of my old place. That’s really it. They’re not horrible people. They weren’t mean or bad to me. It was just time for me to go, that’s all. Really. Sorry to disappoint you, but really, that’s it. When you move out, you take your stuff with you, and that’s all that happened. I wanted out of the relationship, they let me leave in peace. No ugliness or angst or anything. So there you have it.
2.5: But WHY? If they weren’t bad or mean to you then WHY?
*sigh* I just said! Things change. We wanted different things, that’s all! Nothing horrible or traumatic, so stop dramatizing! Sheesh!
Third: “So what happens now/what are you going to do?”
The same thing I always do – write. Just because I’m not currently with a publisher doesn’t mean I’ve given up, or that I won’t have one in the future. Just because you break up with someone doesn’t mean you stop dating! You learn from your relationship issues and find another one! Right now, I’m in between relationships, and I’ve admittedly taken some time to adjust to being single (so to speak – metaphorically – I’m still happily married to He Who Enables My Crazy; don’t get any ideas) again (helllooooo, Scotland!), but it’s a new year and I’m back on the horse.
That’s really the thing, too, people. You don’t give up if things don’t go your way. (And guess what…things in this business aren’t always going to go your way.)
Fourth: “I love the Stranger Things series! Will it be back? Are you going to self-publish?”
*death glare* Read the fucking blog, for fuck’s sake.