Yep, you read the title right. $1.96. God, I'm so bloody rich I could squeal. This amount was apparently made this past year plus a few months on one of my titles. Of course, it's below the stated amount where the publisher issues royalties, so that whopping amount is probably not accruing significant interest by itself but may well be when popped into the bank along with other authors who haven't made enough to be issued royalties either.

The thing is, if I was also paid for the 75+ covers and 20+ edits I did for the same publisher, then I could be given that $1.96 along with the other royalties. Sadly, after I left the company, working my month's notice I might add, the publisher has seen fit not to pay me another dime, despite breaching her own contract by doing this.

I recently asked for my rights back on The Book That Has Sold Fuck All, only to be ignored—as I knew I would be. In my contract, I'm within my rights to have the book returned to me, and in my email I asked if I needed to send a registered letter or would my email be enough. I'm taking it that I need to send a registered letter, but if rumours are to be believed, that will get ignored too. So, why waste my money on postage? I'd rather buy bread or milk with it. Also, there is another bother regarding this publisher. My contract automatically renews if I don't write to them 90 days before the renewal date stating I want my rights back. Who is to say, when I do that, the letter will even get acknowledged? The publisher could say they never received the letter. As I'm UK and they are US, I have no clue whether I could check on whether the letter got there or not.

My take on it is, if I've sold so little of that book, why would the publisher even want to keep it on their shelves? Far be it for me to insinuate the book is selling and I'm just not aware of it, because that would be a naughty thought, but I've thought it all the same.

I could join the author group, a bunch of disgruntled people who have banded together to fight for their rights, and it seems those who have joined are getting their rights back. So it seems the rest of us, who don't want to join the group, are being ignored. We're not threatening legal action, so we can, to put it bluntly, go fuck ourselves.

You would think, due to the recent "news" about this company, the publisher would do all they could to iron out the wrinkles, keep people happy. Still, all I can say is if you've ever considered buying my book there, and I'm guessing you can work out for yourself which publisher I'm referring to, don't bother. I'd rather the book languished in the dusty cyber files than be purchased.

It's sad that all those authors who support this publisher have no idea that their editor or cover artist hasn't been paid (providing I was said cover artist/editor, although there are other editors I know haven't been paid either). Where does that royalty money go? I mean, 75+ covers and 20+ edits…you can't tell me NONE of those books have sold.

It is, quite frankly, a crock of stinking shit when you're used in this way. You may ask yourself why I'm not pursuing this, why I'm not raising my fist and demanding payment. The answer is easy. I believe in karma. If I'm treated unfairly, be it in situations like this, being accused of something I didn't do (another topic entirely), or some other slight directed towards me in life, I leave it to karma to bite people's arses. I'm not into retaliation, getting my own back, going around behind the scenes doing spiteful things to the people who have upset me. (And yes, people have been doing that to me. Well aware of it. You have a nice day now, all right?) No, things have a way of working out for themselves. If I got arsey and went about using my energy to ruin those who have upset me, I'd lose lots of precious time and gain a lot of angst, and really, I can't be bothered to chase folks who mean jack shit to me. For me to respond and come out fighting, I'd have to give a shit about the people who wanted to piss me off in some way.

And quite honestly, I don't.