No $hit, Sherlock…

Aspen Mountain Press is a gigantic, gaping craphole.  This is no surprise.  Authors got screwed.  This is unfortunate, but no surprise.  Laws were broken.  This is an outrage, but no surprise.

What still blows me away is that nobody seems to have the dazzling and magical ability to see it coming.  I’ll give you a super-duper tip:

CHECK THE AUTHOR LIST BEFORE YOU EVEN BOTHER TO SUBMIT.

The majority of the list over at AMP means nothing to me, but several names do jump right off the page.  I’ve never read their books, but I’ve read their absolutely insufferable forum/blog postings.  They lurk all over places like Absolute Write (no link, sorry, I wouldn’t point anyone to that place) condescending to newbies.  Many are ops or mods or whatever you want to call an asshole with super powers, endowed by virtue of… well, you tell me.

I’ve never purchased an AMP book, and many, many authors there never saw their books  published.  I’m sure many are wonderful writers.  I wish them all the best.  But seriously, I just looked at the list again, and I’m seeing the same half dozen know-it-alls who seem to somehow, in spite of knowing it all, always appear right in the middle of every bitch-slap-a-palooza over a crap publisher screwing authors.  How, oh how, do these poor bastards—endowed with super powers, mind you—ALWAYS end up victims of crap publishers?

Ironically, over at Absolute Wrong, if you read the thread (to which many of the brand-spanking-new accusers point), you will note at least one mod, at the opening salvo of the AMP inquiry thread, noting they have signed with AMP and know of no issues.  You will note other know-it-alls chiming in with “so far so good” assurances.

I’m clearly no expert, since I have no shiny hat, and have been endowed with nothing empowering me with the super-ability of pedantic bullshit… but I’d just avoid anything with which those idiots associate.

Now gimme my tights and cape.