Stupid, Sloppy, Sleazy
The Strange Story of Vanity Publisher Outskirts Press.
How do they stay in business?
ISBN: 978-0-9816617-2-8
eBook is priced at $5, available now from Lulu.com
pBook has 138 pages, $10.95 cover price.
Available now from Amazon.com
Outskirts Press calls itself "the fastest-growing full-service publishing provider." It published seven books in 2002, its first year, and over 5,000 books in 2009. Some of those books, and the press releases and web pages that promote them, are filled with stupid and silly errors. When authors are disappointed and enraged, service reps hide behind the fine print of a contract that does not warrant that books will be error-free.
Outskirts is also inept (and dishonest) when it promotes itself. Its website, emails, press releases, blogs and promotional literature have factual errors, mistakes in grammar, spelling and arithmetic — and deliberate distortion.
Outskirts uses such grandiose phrases as "a veritable army of publishing professionals" to attract customers — but those professionals tell lies to make independent self-publishing seem much harder than it really is.
Although Outskirts uses such buzzwords as "self-publishing" and "print-on-demand," it's really a vanity publisher. Vanity publishers make most of their money by selling services and overpriced trinkets to naďve authors — not by selling books to readers. The books are often ugly, unedited and overpriced. They sell poorly, and are seldom reviewed.
This book was written to make potential customers of Outskirts Press and other vanity publishers aware of the trouble that likely awaits them, and to let vanity publishers know that their lies and failures will be noticed and publicized.
It's also a very funny book.
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Reader Comments (about the book and the blog the book is based on)
"I'm nearly finished writing a historical novel and have been considering several publishers. After reading this informative, frightening and funny book, I will definitely NOT use Outskirts Press. "Stupid, Sloppy, Sleazy" can help authors avoid lots of misery. I can't understand how incompetent and dishonest Outskirts Press stays in business. Marcus is knowledgable and courageous and has provided a very important service for other writers. I'm really glad I found this book."
"I wish I would have read your blog before I published my first novel with Outskirts. I have had some scathing reviews due to the errors that were left in my book after I paid a small fortune for editing with the Outskirts editing team. I tried to reason with my so-called marketing representative, but she simply hid behind the “fine print” they give you after they receive payment from you."
"OH MY GOSH! This just gets better and better. HA HA HA!! wait, let me pause and take a breath. HA HA HA HA! God, this blog is always good for a laugh. And you can’t make this shit up, folks. Truth really IS stranger than fiction. Michael — you are fearless. You’ve got a pair of brass ones. These bastards are going to sue you one day, I’m telling you. But you’d probably be tickled pink... more publicity for you!"
"Brent’s revisionist history of the use of the “self-publishing” term by vanity publishers is blatant bullshit. You kicked his ass and revealed, once again, that Brent is either an ignorant fool or a deliberate liar — and neither is good for a publisher. Michael, you are brave indeed. I must admit, much braver than I am."
"ENOUGH trash talk! Stop picking on them! You should honor Outskirts Press, not condemn them. Outskirts Press should be commended for being socially responsible. They hire editors who are mentally handicapped or blind, or both."
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