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| SFReader Forums > Writing > Small Press vs. Big House > Warning & Caution for Writer Oriented Web Sites | Forum Quick Jump
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J.G. Goodman
Stablehand
      
Date Joined May 2006
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 5/2/2006 10:44 AM (GMT -5) |   |
I am very impressed with this SciFi writers forum! It appears at this point in time to be very clean of propaganda posted at most of the web sites from those with hidden agendas to profit from the writers community.
I congratulate those running and moderating these pages for their diligence in making this site post friendly and helpful to SciFi writers.
I would like to issue a serious warning & caution about two other Sci Fi writer oriented web sites. As I noticed an interview posted on this site back in 2004 with one of these writers discussing his inability to obtain a conventional or traditional book contract or even an agent as yet, but it the article seemed to endorse his web site and help him promote it. It is more than interesting that while he claims in the interview that self promotion does not work for authors, he uses inappropriate methods of book and self promotion to the SciFi writing community successfully.
A closer look at his P&E web site reveals that it is written and posted entirely by this one very unsuccessful science fiction/fantasy author Dave Kuzminski AKA "The Butterfly".
Following Victoria Strauss’s SciFi book promotion methods in her volunteer writers beware page or did she copy Dave’s methods first? Both are self appointed writing scam “experts” without any independent over the shoulder type of fact checking or supervision. Some of their “scam reports” are nothing more than false rumors they started in writer discussion pages and blogs. Each are masters of intimidation and use pen names to post additional comments quickly to contradict and bury any opposing comments in their discussion boards, forums and blogs.
It has been proven that they both have knowingly posted false statements in their listings. Possibly to take vengeance on some publishers and agents that have rejected them personally or possibly for income through extortion or protection schemes as some companies have reported. Yet since they are accurate about 9 times out of 10, few writers ever become aware of their false statements, and most believe their propaganda.
Both appear to work full time obsessively to post information on the Internet to the writers community to support their vague accusations on their web site “reports” (while neither writer follows journalistic standards or convention for reporting the who, what, where, when and why facts). Working together they often begin topic threads to reinforce each others misinformation and work to publicize each of their Sci Fi novels. Both misrepresent themselves as scam busting heroes to the writers community, when in fact it is merely their platform to manipulate and deceive naïve writers with their own book sales and profiting schemes. | | Back to Top | | |
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SC Bryce
Aspiring Hammock Tester
Date Joined Jan 2005
Total Posts : 1106
| Posted 5/3/2006 9:53 AM (GMT -5) | | Two quick comments:
(1) You offer some very serious charges against these two writers. Yet you don't offer any proof (other than telling us such proof exists) to support these charges.
(2) The technical elements of your post (font, etc) suggest to me that it was composed elsewhere and then cut and pasted into this forum. I also note that this is you appear to be new to SFReader. I hope that this is not because you are joining various forums with the purpose of posting this message over and over.
I make these comments because unsupported charges posted on various forums seem to be the very thing that you're railing against. I believe you use the words "obsessively" "posting" and "propaganda". All of this has me wondering who the statement, "Both misrepresent themselves as scam busting heroes to the writers community, when in fact it is merely their platform to manipulate and deceive naïve writers..." actually refers to.
Then again, perhaps I've misunderstood. I certainly hope so. I recognize that I am a cynic both by nature and nurture and that sometimes my cynicism is unwarranted.
If you have specific, verified information, then maybe you would like to share it?
SC Bryce
www.SCBryce.com
Contributing Editor and Critique Group Moderator, www.SwordandSorcery.org
Forthcoming fiction:
"Rise of a Necromancer," a Dermanassian novella, in "Flashing Swords."
"The Demon War," reprinted in "Worlds of Wonder."
"A Long Night with Five Mothers," in Pitch-Black Books' "Lords of Swords 2."
"Let the Black Earth Take It All," anthology, Rage Machine Books. | | Back to Top | | |
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terry
Neophyte
Date Joined Mar 2006
Total Posts : 112
| Posted 5/4/2006 8:49 PM (GMT -5) | | | I shall try again.
...while neither writer follows journalistic standards or convention for reporting the who, what, where, when and why facts...
Nor do you, Mr. Goodman. Your own post seems to fall perfectly into line with precisely the sort of behaviour you are accusing others of.
I note along with others that this is your first post on this forum. I note also that Mr. Kuzminski has also joined us for the first time today.
The difference being that Mr. Kuzminski has made himself available to others for conversation to consider these statements. He has provided an email contact as well as a homepage.
You, sir, have not. That, to me, is the act of a coward.
Should you return to defend your remarks here with some sort of verifiable resources to uphold you position I will gladly give your comments their due consideration. Until then I will discount them as unfounded and mean spirited.
Terry Baker
"If you confront the universe with good intentions in your heart, it will reflect that and reward your intent. Usually. It just doesn't always do it in the way you expect." Andreas Katsulas (G'kar) 1946-2006
http://www.zteamproductions.com/b5stuff/Andreas.html
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DaveK
Stablehand
Date Joined Mar 2006
Total Posts : 3
| Posted 5/6/2006 10:09 PM (GMT -5) | | | Actually, Jeff, P&E and Writer Beware always sweat the little details like "proven." We collect documentation and complaints before we react. We often both receive correspondence from some "businesses" demanding to know who complained and what they said. It's been my experience that they only want that information in order to intimidate others into retracting their complaints. That's why P&E doesn't post the actual complaints on its site, but we do have documentation. I doubt if you'd really want the kind of new blood that Goodman might bring to the site. | | Back to Top | | |
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Dragon Angel
Lord Dragon
Date Joined Sep 2004
Total Posts : 1066
| Posted 5/7/2006 1:37 AM (GMT -5) | | | | |
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DaveK
Stablehand
Date Joined Mar 2006
Total Posts : 3
| Posted 5/7/2006 10:29 AM (GMT -5) | | | Yep, it was that unclear to me in the way it was stated. | | Back to Top | | |
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SC Bryce
Aspiring Hammock Tester
Date Joined Jan 2005
Total Posts : 1106
| Posted 5/7/2006 1:12 PM (GMT -5) | |
Jeff Stehman said...Hey, Strauss mentioned this thread on the Writer Beware blog (accrispin.blogspot.com, May 5th) and put in a link to SFReader.com. Since Goodman may be helping to bring in new blood, perhaps we shouldn't sweat the little details like "proven." 
Chalk me up as one who didn't get the joke. Thanks for the explanation. But even more thanks for the interesting link. This whole thing is just ridiculous.
Hopefully, people will do some googling before taking Goodman at his word. Then maybe they'll find links to this forum and other places and be a bit more skeptical of what he says. It also sounds like he's building a lawsuit against himself. He might find himself in the position of having to up with his source or face a lawsuit. Since it sounds like the former doesn't exist, he may be looking at the latter.
SC Bryce www.SCBryce.com Contributing Editor and Critique Group Moderator, www.SwordandSorcery.org Forthcoming fiction: "Rise of a Necromancer," a Dermanassian novella, in "Flashing Swords." "The Demon War," reprinted in "Worlds of Wonder." "A Long Night with Five Mothers," in Pitch-Black Books' "Lords of Swords 2." "Let the Black Earth Take It All," anthology, Rage Machine Books. | | Back to Top | | |
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Scott M. Sandridge
Former King of Shameless Plugs
Date Joined Dec 2005
Total Posts : 698
| Posted 5/10/2006 2:54 AM (GMT -5) | | | Robin: "Holy Scammer and Spammers, Batman!"
Batman: "Huh?"
Robin: "The Scammers and Spammers! They're full of holes!"
Batman: "Oh. Someone must've called The Punisher."
Punisher: "Why you blaming me for? I'm not even in the same universe as you!"
Lot's o' scammers got a beef with Writer Beware, methinks.
Distant Passages: The Best from Double-Edged Publishing 2005
Which lich fell in the ditch? | | Back to Top | | |
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