Yikes! I'm Late! by Vonnie Davis

I'm sorry to be late posting this month. I'd planned on writing it yesterday so it would be up early this morning. But … life happened. I found out on Facebook yesterday morning  that Random House is closing all its eBook only lines, which includes LoveSwept Romances, one of the lines I write for.

I was surprised.

Gobsmacked!

Why hadn't we been told by the company? Or by our editors?

I emailed Sue, telling her what I read on Facebook and was any of it true. She replied that it was and she was job hunting as we spoke. Did I know of any editor openings anywhere since I write for other publishers in addition to them?

Now this is where my … a-hem … bitchy side wanted to say, "Yes, but you edit too old and probably wouldn't edit to market." Which is what she often told me when I submitted. That I wrote too old and needed to learn to write to market, which is for the Millenials who don't understand difficult words or can't keep track of a large cast of characters.

But I didn't. My nicer side "shooed" the bitchy side away.

She told me my six books with them would be "safe" until my sales dropped below 300 for two  6 month pay periods. They would cease doing any promo for those books. But safe to her was not safe to me. I can't get my rights back until a book sells less than 600 books per year. I dug out my contract and sure enough, there was the clause she spoke of. At the time of signing, I'd read it and thought, "Yeah, but this is Penquin Random House. They won't shut down this line."

I felt like I'd gone to work, finding the gates chained shut and a sign hung up saying, "Closed. Moved to China."

Sue said Random House is going to focus on their big sellers, you know, those $25. hardbacks. Those will continue to have eBook versions for $12 or 14.99 but no more lines exclusive to eBooks only.

I'm still waiting for an email notification from the publisher, but none as yet. That disappoints me.

Last night, I began to calm down. For me, it wasn't the end of the world. I can still write and I'll find other publishers or publish more books myself. But those thousands and thousands of people affected by the government's shut down … NOW, they really have problems. My thoughts should focus on their plight.

So, yes, readers of romance, we authors can be cast to the wayside, too. Adrift. Wondering what do we do now?

One of my self-published titles. https://www.amazon.com/Beary-Sassy-Black-Hearts-Desired-ebook/dp/B07KGJQLJK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1548523815&sr=8-7&keywords=vonnie+davis+kindle+books
https://www.amazon.com/Beary-Sassy-Black-Hearts-Desired-ebook/dp/B07KGJQLJK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1548523815&sr=8-7&keywords=vonnie+davis+kindle+books
www.vonniedavis.com