In 2020 I completed my manuscript titled, Nature’s Rhyming Riddles. It consisted of rhymes introducing hints about five mystery animals.
The idea is to read the rhymes and see if the listening children can identify what animal each set of rhymes are referring to.
When a listener thinks they know the mystery animal raise his or her hand to signal they have a guess as to what the mystery animal is.
What fun it is to solve the rhyming riddles. What fun it is to gain knowledge about the five mystery animals.
The manuscript was ready to be sent to a publisher when I made the biggest error in my writing career!
The phone rang and the caller introduced himself as the editor of Pen House Publishers, Sheridan, Wyoming.
That was going to be my next step as an author, securing a publisher for Nature’s Rhyming Riddles.
It is not unusual to get two to three calls a day from publishers or agents inquiring if I was interested in acquiring their publishing assistance.
Well, I made the mistake of sharing my latest manuscript idea with the caller.
As we visited, I thought this would simplify me contacting other publishers and I could get the new book to the presses faster. I was naive to the existence of fraud!
The Pen House people seemed honest and reliable, so I agreed to their proposal.
Big mistake!
I should have done more research concerning Pen House Publishers.
The future would reveal that!
The publishing process began.
The manuscript was edited and artist Janine added her illustrations to the manuscript.
I excitedly waited for the first copy of Nature’s Rhyming Riddles to be released!
Finally, a big box of books was delivered by UPS.
They were impressive, both the soft and hard cover.
Compared to my other seven books Nature’s Rhyming Riddles seemed to sell better. The book came out during the Pandemic so my first sales were initiated on Facebook.
The sales were brisk in spite of the fact that marketing face to face was not possible.
Then the trouble began.
I ordered more books and when they arrived it was an incomplete order.
Pen House ignored my emails and phone calls.
I inquired when royalties would be distributed?
They said next month.
Well, next month never came.
Pen House disappeared from the internet along with my royalties!
I have no idea how many books I’ve sold. Pen House doesn’t exist and Amazon won’t tell me.
However, if you search Amazon, you can still purchase Nature’s Rhyming Riddles in hard cover. Who gets those royalties?
The internet Mafia will not reveal such things!
I have rebranded Nature’s Rhyming Riddles. In other words, I have published it a second time, with a yellow cover.
When I republished the book the second time, I assumed the original book would be removed. You would be wrong if you thought that!
Both books are selling on Amazon.
My books are competing against each other. I get royalties from the second book only!
Where do the royalties go for the hard cover. Only Amazon knows!
There, I feel better getting that off my chest!
I’m assuming the person who has my royalties will be investing them and someday I’ll receive a big fat check in the mail!
Until next time!
