Don't be confused into thinking that's actually 12 different people. Asbury/Eden is the same person, the two Heatons obviously are, and Marell/Knicks are the same as well.

While I respect what they think they're doing (taking the middle man out in an attempt to gain further profit for the author), I don't have the same respect for some of the primary people. I've witnessed behavior on public groups by at least two of them that has left a distinctly bad taste in my mouth.
 

Asbury/Eden is the same person, the two Heatons obviously are, and Marell/Knicks are the same as well.

Wow, sounds like that other press... Four names, Same person, Same bad editing... or is that the Same person editing as well as running the card game...

Oops! Did I say that? Bad pig!
 

They aren't new, actually. I have bought a book from them about a year or so back.
 

Yes I should calrify, they are 'new' only to our listing at EREC. But I must say they have certainly been flying under my radar.
 

"Alinar Publishing is a group of independent authors who have got together"......

GOT together? GOT???

Enough said....
 

I've read a number of their books last year and...good stories, HORRIBLE editing.

With one, I was so disgusted I checked to see who had edited it, and surprise! It was the author herself.

I doubt I'll buy another book from them, the editing was so bad that it was distracting, and made the books impossible to enjoy.
 

I spoke to the owner one time at length. To me it sounds like angry e-book authors trying to exact revenge. Well, actually, it is. One of the owners was formly a co-owner of another e-pub.

The fact that they self-edit and have SO many pen names each (I think there are only FOUR actual people there) is a huge red flag for me.
 

I think co-ops are an interesting idea. My feelings is they should be open about their nature--which this one is. I would also think they might be wise to invest in an independent editor able not only to proofread but suggest a work is not good enough.
 

Agreed, Emily. Co-ops can be good (or bad - LA Media, anyone?), but to be taken seriously, quality editing is a must. And I don't care how prolific or talented an author is, they need an independent author (Anne Rice comes to mind). It just isn't possible to see all the flaws in your own work.
 

I think very harshly about this.

I absolutely think less of an author as a person when I find out that they are not only using a different pen name on the exact same publisher site but still writing and selling the exact same style of genre.

I understand why authors use various pen names but this is about the intent to be dishonest.

They are absolutely choosing to lie, I know some BIGGEST perpetrators of this are co-owners in the publishing house, only to make themselves look good.

It's about making it look like you have all these industrious fellow writers. Then the last straw is I hear they are pressuring others authors who publish with them to join in doing this also. Like it's some slick game on the clueless.

No no, hold on, the very last straw is watching these idiotic sock-authors review and congratulate each other on the publishing website in question and their private blogs.

That's an all out scam on the customer and other writers in my mind.

When I find this out the links to the website go away, along with mentions of the authors involved, along with my business and my respect and you better believe I let people know privately all about the charade.

Because that is real gaysploitation.
 

I agree with you, Teddy.

I read one book from Alinar, found the editing horrible. Checked who the editor was, and it was a different name. However, in the author's bio at the end of the book, she stated that she wrote under several names and listed them...guess what, one was the name of "her" editor.

I guess she wasn't really being dishonest, in that she did list her various names in her bio so it wasn't that hard to figure out. But it was...well, irritating.
 

I guess she wasn't really being dishonest, in that she did list her various names in her bio so it wasn't that hard to figure out. But it was...well, irritating.

Right, but they sold you the book before you could find out the scam.

That's not honesty in my opinion.
 

True, and if I'd known it was a self-edited book, I'd never have bought it, because even though I like the author, she clearly sucks at editing herself, as most of us do.
 

I've actually purchased Alinar books. The editing wasn't any different from any other ePub I've seen. There's the occasional bad quality book everywhere. I'm not saying all pubs are badly edited, but the occasional book will slip through.

And from what I've seen on their forum, the authors write under different names because of the genre. Erotica authors use another name for the straight romance. Nothing wrong with that. Many authors do it. They're very open about that on their forums.
 

authors write under different names because of the genre

Yes we all know anon.

When has anyone changed their name so they could also edit their own damn book?

Alinar allows that to go on?

Forget it!
 

I was directed to this post by someone... and thought to myself, could they possibly be speaking of me? Lol. Hi, I’m an Alinar author who writes as Eve Asbury and Gayle Eden. It says that in my Bio in every book, on my website, in interviews going back several years and most review sites. Gayle writes one genre, Eve writes another. Both have been published previously at other publishing houses. I'll soon be writing non-romance UF as BD Dillon. In fact many of my Alinar books are reissues. Yes, edited by several editors back in the day. Although some get a re-proof of course. As most authors know, an in house editor puts their name on a book they edit and collects a commission. when you leave that house and own your work and copyright, you take that name off, most of the time because you're going to re-file the book with the LOC, copyright it again, under the new publisher, or I do at least, because you copyright each format.
Now, I am published and have been for years with Double Dragon, Whiskey creek, Linden Bay, and Champagne books, and started out with a long ago defunct publisher. ARB I've also edited on the side. Since I own the rights to my manuscripts, I control who buys rights to them and for what venue. I've had good and bad experiences with e pubs, and after a really bad experience, I was looking for a way to make sure I had more positive ways to put the work out there once my contracts were up, and as several other authors were at the end of their contracts, with books getting freed up, we started talking about what became Alinar. It's Indy, though it is called a publisher, the authors are Indy.
You'll notice most of the prices are low; the reissues are marked down considerably. And to clear something up, when the book previously published came out of contract, the previous editors name is taken off the reissue (her in house work is paid to her or him by the previous publisher who held the rights to the book) in some cases that name is replaced by mine, because I in essence proofed it for the reissue or hired someone to. Moreover, I do that too, hire proofers. Then re-file the copyright with the LOC as a new version. (There's a rule about that with the copyright office, it depends on how much content is changed and which venue it's filed in) You can check reissues on my legal page.
I've been in publishing a long time, was a member of RWA for most of the 70,80s, and 90's. My previous crit partners are well known authors in the print world. We hung out on the Harley Romance boards, meeting up about 10 years ago. In those days, I was all about print, had been knee deep in that since 1980 and knew little about e books.
I generally avoid answering random neg posts, because I have everything clearly in the open on my site, and anyone can Google eve or Gayle and find interviews going way back, talking about pen names, naming my previous publishers, books, whatever. Actually they can ask me on my blogs or anywhere else. And TMK, I've never reviewed an Alinar book :)
Far from the tone of the posts here. Alinar is a group of authors (7) of us, who make our work avail to the readers, plus we do new work and put it out there. we handle our contracts with vendors and so on, because the more you contract out, the higher the price has to go to cover their 50-60-70 % paid them off the top, of course a lot of my stories sell for 99 cents or 1.99 because I write often and always have.
Indy authors who have some experience with publishing make good candidates for Indy publishing. Everyone brings some experience to the table. Since I knew some of the ladies who came into Alinar, one through a previous publisher was an editor, It's only smart to invest your work where you know some of the people have the same goal of quality and so on, that you do. People who love writing and readers. They have pen names too, though I’m not sure how long some of them have been writing. I’m a grandma so hey, I’m the oldie probably. Lol.
I don't know really how to answer the poor edit accusations, since every writer makes mistakes and there's certainly some in my work edited by in house editors, I’m sure. I know I'm not perfect and neither is any editor I've worked with in the last six years on e books. So promising perfection is impossible. I will say that though we don't get complaints, we would refund anyone who did have legit issues, who gave a name and address and pointed out their issue with the book.
If I were going to start up an e pub, and I wouldn't because I don’t have that time :) I want to write. It would be like Alinar is set up. Because though we don't go through the owners of the site, we do have checks and balances, where work gets a final proof, even reissues. Because I don’t have the work with other e pubs, and I’ve been with most of them at one time or another, I don't have to see my book at $5.00. I can set the price at $1.99, and make less the 50%. Yeah, I'm not rolling in dough, but I hear readers don't want to pay a lot for e reads. Writers at Alinar, Jane Hill, some others, have been in the industry 20 years or more. Some are newer but all were previously e pub'd. Since my background was in the print world, I became an e author rather clueless. As I say, you have some neg, some positive experience depending on the publisher. There were times I had to fight to get an edit done properly. Other times I got a great Indy editor. It was a crap shoot. Most authors want to be proud of what has their name on it. Sometimes, being human, we'll goof up, but for the most part, I'm proud of mine. (Wince) well with the exception of an unnamed one I had no control over. However, you live and learn.
I suppose I should make my last point. I've never been (hidden) as either Gayle or Eve. I've had a web presence and site for ten years. I've been with and still am with several e publishers. I haven’t reviewed an Alinar book. I post my personal blog, my yahoo, Alinar's yahoo. Most of Eve/Gayle books have been edited by proof editors, the new ones by outside proofers. Alinar is an owned website (thus the web host) is paid for by the owner Marie. Marie is a long time friend, fellow author, someone I liked and worked with before and trust, someone I know loves writing. She once edited books as in house at LBR, I can't recall if I left her name on any reissues, but if it is there, it was her job then. The other authors come to Alinar via Marie and Felicity Heaton I understand, same process, you have to own your work, have it proof edited, yada. Basically we operate like any co-op. You have a contract with Alinar the co, for obvious legal reasons, to protect them people selling work they don't hold rights to. If you come to them, then they provide an ISBN (you buy it) your work is looked over for errors, though you've already agreed you had the work edited outside and understand the quality has to be up to standard. You make the files, PDF, HTML, and RTF for fiction wise. You’re under the Alinar banner. Having said that, Alinar authors agree and are like-minded from the start about keeping prices reasonable, the quality of the reads and the ratings allowed. Not much point in a co-op if you don't have the same vision for the work you put out.
I think that covered everything here, although I invite anyone to ask reasonable questions on my blog. I'm not, however, going to exchange accusations since I've never hid who I am to anyone and it's open to our readers too on the yahoo boards and our blogs, in interviews too. Although I know writers who have written under 3o pen names in the print world, so it's neither here nor there. Work is put on Alinar with links; you can read the BIO there too. You can ask me on my blog and I'll be as blunt there as I am being here. I choose to not place my work with any of the e pubs presently in business. Although I've had some tempting offers lol. I know it from all sides, so I think I can do all right as an Indy, and my readers seem to like the stories, the lower prices. I could put out all the Alinar books with one of my present publishers, but there's really nothing different they can offer me. I've always done my own promo, many of my covers are my own work, I go through several edits, I have software to make the files, and I understand vendor contracts, so on and so on. I'm happy to leave the books I do have with other publishers like WCP because the series there was written for them. Of couse that means I absorb the cost when certain books don't do well, and the production fees. But its worth it to write what I want to in any genre. I've written 25 books since then.
I always think it's a mistake to go on the defensive, but I don’t really have anything hidden to defend. Accusations are always upsetting. It can give people the wrong impression and put some idea of something (shady) going on in people's head. As an author who worked hard for over 20 years, that's upsetting. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, I don't really see any fuel to this fire. Indy authors at Alinar, some have pen names, many put their name on books out of contract as editors because they own all the rights, yada yada. Old editors of the work don't take a lifetime piece of pie on works no longer under their publishers’ contract. That’s pretty simple. I knew most of the review sites and contacts before I ever got into e books. I had the contacts there first before I ever published. I don't know whom anon talked to at Alinar, but it wasn't me. I can't speak for anyone else. I can clarify why I’m there and what my work is doing there, and how easy I am to find anywhere lol. An author selling their stories is a hard working author. I can say that everyone won't like my stories, and I def understand that and respect readers rights not to. But the only difference in the Eve/Gayle books you bought through my old publishers and through Alinar, are price, ISBN # and a word change or two. I still write the same, westerns, Regency, contemporary. Well, I’m heading into fiction now.
As the net is fast paced and yesterday is old news, I'll place more info about myself and my books on my site for newer on line readers, though all of it is already there, along with old interview links or any info that needs clarifying. I don't really want to explain copyrights and old contracts though, I think most readers know you don't leave old editors name on new issues. We did interviews all over explaining what a co-op was and I mention it all the time, so no mystery there. I'm sorry the poster was dissappointed with the book she read, but perhaps she should contact us and state his/her name? the author of that work will do a refund. That's our policy. Although I don't know a book on my keeper shelf that doesn't have a miss spell. If it was riddled with them, they should be refunded. we do keep track of any comments and they are fowarded to each author responsible for the work.
Thanks for you time.
Dian (aka) Gayle Eden Eve Asbury
Oh, ps. I explained many years ago to my readers that Gayle writes sensual Regency, Eve writes ST romance. It keeps the genres clear. Readers have expectation, and they like to know the sensual rating and type of style they're getting when they buy that author. Thats likely the reason why other authors seperate their genre's by pen name. It is why I do. I always say that on my blog and site too. It can miff a reader to get something explicit from someone (pen name) they want sweet romance from. I wrote my first MS as gayle in 1982. I write because I love it, and I write different genres to keep from burning out on one. and yes, I already had 25 MS done before I ever got contracted in e books. I've been writing a long time. I don't write books for the money, because there isn't much in e books. And the price of mine are very low compared to other publishers. So the thought that i write under different names for that 33 cent FW profit is laughable. My investment in each e book is $60.00 plus Im still paying for software up in the 100.00/ if I dont sell a lot of that story, It doesn't even break even.
Sigh, I hate to see accusations flung about authors accused of things, called names and so on. I've been in the biz long enough to not be thin skinned. But something like this could be cleared up by simple questions and answers...some google search and archive on interviews.
Have a good day all.
D
 

I'm Maria Morpeth, co founder of Alinar publishing co op. I'm always available for questions, customer service queries etc, on the Alinar contact e mail address. If anyone has any problem at all with anything Alinar, then please get in touch. You will receive prompt and courteous attention.

Re some of the comments in this thread...(I won't repeat the actual points, just address them)

I write as Alexandra Marell and Candy Nicks (not Knicks, which was my fanfic name). I've had two pen names since my fanfiction days and also used them at Linden Bay Romance. I took them with me to Alinar. Alex writes sweeter, inspirational style, Candy, adult rated. Gayle/Eve also brought her two pens with her from previous publishing houses.

Bad behaviour on blogs? - I think comments like this really need backing up with hard evidence.

Editing - Because we're a co op, the authors oversee the production of their own books. We have a mixture of professionally edited, self edited and second edition books edited at other publishing houses. Please get in touch with us if any of our books fail to come up to your expectations. As an aside, all our authors regularly receive four to five star reviews, rec reads and staff picks. We've had five number one slots at Fictionwise, two on the main bestseller list and regularly have books in the books under a dollar bestseller list. We give away around twenty free books so visitors can sample our writing, and also have long excerpts (I provide between four and nine chapters of mine.) We have two forums, 3000 plus members on one and 3500 members on our adult forum. They're mostly readers as that's where we keep our free reads and long excerpts.

I don't recall ever speaking to a person called anonymous at length. Yes, some of my past dealings with e publishing have made me angry. Revenge by e publishing? LOL, that's a new one on me. I'm more of a pistols at dawn type of gal myself. Yes, I was a founder member of Linden Bay Romance and chief publishing editor there for most of 2005.

The fact that they self edit
Not all of us do. See longer explanation above.

Any editing problems should be brought to our attention asap. We'll need your name and the title of the book.

We have seven authors at Alinar, not four.

We're completely open about the multiple pens. Only one short story might fall into the category of the same genre, different pen. Every other pen on the site has a distinct marketing purpose, which as you all know is to differentiate tone, rating, genre and target audience. All our author names link to bios where the pens are cross referenced. To clear up any confusion for new visitors, we've made the number of authors v pens, clearer. I can see where some might have been confused by the list, but there was no intent to be dishonest.

I'm a co owner and I use two pens to make clear to my readers the kind of story they're getting. My Candy persona came about originally to protect my children from reading my adult rated stories.

None of the Alinar founders have ever pressured any of our authors to change, or adopt pen names. Alinar authors are independent authors who make their own decisions regarding the marketing of their books. Clueless? Er..no. Neither do any of us have powers of thrall over the others.

We write and sell books and get a lot of repeat customers. The word scam is a serious tag to stick on a business. I apologise for any confusion caused by the multiple pen names, but please don't call me or any of Alinar’s authors scammers.

Just for information, we're not open for public author submissions.

Anon, the editing credit you're talking about was the author's real name, not a pen name, if I’m reading you right.

Please, I can't stress enough that if anyone has a problem with any of our books, they must get in touch with us so we can do something about it. We've taken all relevant comments on board and if something needs changing, we will address it.

I respect everyone's right to free speech and yes, we must question what we see going on around us. Fair and balanced comment and opinions, either for or against, help everyone. Thank you to those who signed their names and to those who remained objective in their comments.

Anon/s... Some of these statements were untrue – eg that we have four authors, but I'm putting that down to confusion rather than a desire to distort the truth. When we're dealing with reputations and discussing personal integrity, it is very important to get facts straight before posting public comments that can be potentially very damaging. Some of the comments were veiled/vague references to past events. Again, if you're going to put the reputation of myself and my colleagues on the line, it's important to back up your comments with evidence. Anyone can post anything about anyone, online, but how do we know what is true and what is not, unless we know the why, the what and the who? I hear editing and multiple pen names issues as specific points that people wanted to air, and I'm happy to address those. Some of the comments, though were sadly misinformed eg that we're pressuring the authors into having multiple pen names, and others were personal and irrelevant, eg, that I was a former member of another e publishing house, that two of our authors got angry about an issue at some time, and that revenge is a motivating factor at Alinar. The weight of an argument is kind of lost when it starts to become personal, anon. It's hard for me to talk rationally when I'm having to second guess motives and when I read such off the wall statements from some. Get in touch with me, anon's and I'll personally refund those books you found so hard to read. Bottom line, we want everyone to be 100% happy with their dealings at Alinar and we try our best to make that so. If we fall down anywhere, mail us, shout at us, but be specific. We're listening.
 

I wish I could say I'm surprised at some of the entries in this blog.

With the advent of blogging and the like, freedom of speech has almost become a parody of its original meaning. Give an idiot a keyboard to hide behind, and they suddenly grow a backbone the size of their ego. They transform into an expert on everyone and everything, so much so that they do not even need any proof to support their statements. Why? Because they know there are people out their even more idiotic than them, who will believe anything they read as the gospel.

I try to avoid blogs not controlled by someone I know and trust to be responsible, which is most likely why I'd never even heard of this little slander-fest corner of the world here. However, at the urging of a friend, I read this particular blog entry, and felt compelled to respond... mostly out of disgust at the thought there are people who give this place any shred of credibility.

I have been a fan of Gayle Eden's since before most had ever heard of her, and in turn have been a long-standing customer of Alinar Publishing. The innuendo and outright lies published in this blog are downright appalling, and ooze of nothing more than pettiness and jealousy.

Although I have never once received a book I was dissatisfied with, the open communication and customer service at Alinar is second to none. I have purchased books from well-known high-end publishing houses that were edited by so-called "professionals" which looked like they were edited by my four-year-old. If anyone has gotten a book from Alinar they were dissatisfied with due to editing and made no attempt to contact them about it, you really have no right to go around bashing them. Errors will happen in any business as long as their are humans. Customer service is what separates the good from the bad.

And while I don't know why anyone using two different pen names to separate different styles of books they write is even questioned as being dishonest, Ms. Eden and the other authors are very open, both at Alinar, and on their individual websites, about who they are. Anyone who has a problem with this method of authorship and claims ignorance or a feeling of being misled is just looking for something to complain about, because they obviously made no attempt whatsoever to find out anything about the author(s) in question.

Whoever runs this blog, and a couple of people who have posted on it, should really consider hanging up their blogger hobby until they grow up and attain some semblance of personal responsibility. Messing with people's careers and livelihood because you have no life and nothing better to do than get your jollies off slandering and making uninformed ignorant comments is juvenile, and clearly shows you lack any of the moral fiber or responsibilty to contribute and participate in public discussion.

I mean, come on...the two perpetrators in this "real charade" are a guy who obviously, by his out-of-the-blue-has-nothing-to-do-with-anything-that-was-being-discussed "gaysploitation" comment, has a repressed obsession and guilt about his sexual deviancy, and someone who doesn't even have the backbone to attach their name with their accusations.

Yes, the above paragraph was irresponsible out-of-line juvenile commentary. But, since the parties involved seem to thoroughly enjoy self-righteous anonymous character bashing, I figured it would fit right in.