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I’d wondered why Fletcher had filed his wholly insubstantial, frivolous and not advanced in good faith lawsuit when he did. My thinking is that he did it to cover the launch of Strategic Book Publishing / Eloquent Books / Strategic Book Marketing / AEG Publishing Group. Perhaps he figured that if he could silence the watchdogs for a year he’d have a better time getting the next stage of his scam going.
Alas for him, when those vanity presses rolled out it was intuitively obvious what they were, and the warnings were going up, long before it became clear that this was Fletcher’s latest fraud.
One of the chief points against Fletcher-the-Agent (New York Literary Agency, Writer’s Literary Agency, Children’s Literary Agency, Poets Literary Agency, etc. etc.) was that he demonstrably couldn’t sell books to publishers. But if he owned a publisher….
The difference between Strategic Book Publishing and Eloquent Books is this: Strategic Book Publishing pretends to be a “traditional” publisher—no fees to the author—provided the author agrees to buy five copies per week at full retail price. Eloquent Books, on the other hand, pretends to be a “joint venture” publisher, where the author and the publisher each put up half of the cost. But since Eloquent Books authors typically send Fletcher (under one or another of his names) a thousand bucks plus in advance, it’s clear that they’re paying the whole freight plus a nice profit for Fletcher.
And, naturally enough, clients of various of Fletcher’s fraudulent literary agencies would be told that they’d found a publisher! Glory, hallelujah, a publishing deal at last! Without, of course, mentioning that the same people owned both the publisher and the agency.
Also typically Fletcher, he had a form letter ginned up to send to disgruntled authors. Here it is:
Thank you for requesting more information about all that information you found on the web. Recently, we were interviewed by a very known web-writer named DeleriousGirl, and this is the text of the interview. I think you will find it interesting, to say the least.===============================
The Naked Truth Interview: Is WL and AEG a Scam?
Copyright 2008-2009. This interview may be reproduced only in its entirety.
===============================
DeleriousGirl (DG) decides to see what is really going on with the merger between one of most vocally discussed and denounced literary agency and publisher companies on the internet, the WL Literary Agency Group, and AEG Strategic & Eloquent Publishing.
…
First point, there really is a DeliriousGirl, but as a “well-known web writer” you’d need FBI assistance to find anything she’d written. She was an employee of Fletcher’s (although he was lax in getting around to paying her) at the time of this “interview.” The second point is that DeliriousGirl didn’t write the interview. Fletcher did; questions and answers both. It’s filled with his verbal tics. And he got confused at various times about who he was supposed to be.
More, far more, below the cut.
Thank you for requesting more information about all that information you found on the web. Recently, we were interviewed by a very known web-writer named DeleriousGirl, and this is the text of the interview. I think you will find it interesting, to say the least.One reason people had a hard time tracking down the real DeliriousGirl was that her screen name was misspelled here. But Fletcher is right: I found the “interview” interesting, to say the least.
===============================The answer is in from a court of law: It’s a fraud.The Naked Truth Interview: Is WL and AEG a Scam?
Copyright 2008-2009. This interview may be reproduced only in its entirety.And here it is, in its entirety. Twice!
===============================You’d think DeliriousGirl would know how to spell her own name. The grammar here is atrocious, but then, Bobby Fletcher never was much of a writer.DeleriousGirl (DG) decides to see what is really going on with the merger between one of most vocally discussed and denounced literary agency and publisher companies on the internet, the WL Literary Agency Group, and AEG Strategic & Eloquent Publishing.
The two companies have recently announced a merger and DG has decided to “dig for dirt”. What is really behind this company? Is it the scam everyone says it is? Why all the flack? DG decides to see for herself what all the commotion is about.
If Fletcher had really wanted to be interviewed by a well-known web writer, I’m sure Miss Teresa would have been available. Or Cory Doctorow. Or John Scalzi. Or even me. Someone who knows a bit about publishing and actually is well-known.
Note: For reference, The company press release is at http://www.aegpublishinggroup.com/aeg_pressrelease.html .And a regular farrago of lies, half-truths, and misleading and deceptive statements it is, too.
But we didn’t want to go with the ‘party line”, we wanted to get deeper, as we suggest that most writers do.Here’s a good place to start: Writer Beware
——————————————————————————————————-DG: OK, let’s get right to the point, there’s an elephant in the room and I’m going to go ahead and shoot it: I have seen and read some very, very derogatory online forums regarding your companies, both past and present. As a writer and a voracious reader, my first knee-jerk reaction was to be worried about the integrity of your publishing companies and how you treat writers. “Where’s the beef? What’s the problem? Why are you so hated by so many?
AEG: The short answer is that we don’t fit anybody’s mold. We’re different, and we’re already bigger than the industry pundits know what to do with. In the last 6 months, we’ve published over 250 authors and we’re selling 1500 books a week for them. We expect to sell over 150,000 books for our authors next year, and a million books by 2010 if we keep growing at this pace. We are also one of the few companies already doing joint ventures into China and Australia for our authors.“In the last 6 months, we’ve published over 250 authors and we’re selling 1500 books a week for them.”
Since their contract requires the authors to buy five books per week, the fact (if it is a fact) that they’re selling six books per week per author isn’t very impressive. All that means is that the authors are buying their own books just like they’re required to do, and one of them is overachieving.
Remember, too, that “joint venture” is a euphemism for “vanity publishing.”
We have venture capitalists approaching us and we are ‘squeaky clean” from and accounting and legal perspective as we are also considering going public. Believe me, if there was anything to anyone’s allegations it would have been a deal killer by now. Any real business-person can look at those numbers above and realize that our company must be legit, because you don’t grow that big as ‘scammers’.*cough* Bernie Madoff *cough*
I wonder what those venture capitalists think of Bobby losing his lawsuit, and having a Superior Court judge write, “Basically, Fletcher and LAG were running a fraud ….”
The only reason Fletcher thinks those numbers are impressive is because he’s never worked in publishing. Those are negligible sales. And signing up 250 writers in six months shows that there’s been no care in acquisition, editing, promotion, or marketing. In his ignorance he’s boasting of the proof that he isn’t really a publisher.
Also, we employ about 50 people now from all over the world, and those employees certainly wouldn’t work for a scam company either.Poor innocent darlings.
In short, those sites like Writers Beware and Preditors & Editors, are run by ‘minor league writers’. We’re in the big leagues and frankly, we scare the shit out of them.This is in furtherance of an on-going libel. But let’s look at it a little bit. At the time this “interview” was being sent around, I personally had sold more books than all of the Eloquent Books / Strategic Book Publishing authors combined. And Ann “New York Times Best Selling” Crispin has sold more than me.
The people that run those sites don’t have the time, or the inclination to do an interview like this.Not that “DeleriousGirl” (aka Robert Fletcher) asked. Those interviews have been offered many, many times over the years.
They are like old, and tired, and worn-out horses that have been around too long and like the old ‘Mikie” they hate everything that is different But if anyone wants to believe them, that’s fine, we don’t have time to waste as we are building a very, very global business with real “writer-business-people” that are committed to their careers. Our clients don’t sit around reading whiner sites, that’s for sure.“That’s for sure” because people who find out the truth about Author’s Edge / AEG Publishing Group / Strategic Book Publishing / Eloquent Books / The Global Book Agency don’t send money to scammeister Robert M. Fletcher.
DG: Do I detect a bit of frustration?The word you’re groping for, Bobby, is “desperation.”
AEG: Of course, it’s like the old kindergarten game, where you sit in a circle, whisper into the person’s ear next to yours, and the end result is so far removed from the original statement, that it is very, very frustrating. I will give our detractors a bit of credit though, they have caused us to toughen up, and succeed in spite of their crap. As the old saying goes, “that which does not kill me makes me stronger”, and believe me, we are so lean and mean right now, that we are approaching unstoppable, and frankly their opinions no longer matter to our business. And don’t tell them this, but they are actually helping us at this point … They are free advertising, as most rational authors can’t believe what they are now saying, and the authors come to us to ‘“see for themselves”.
We don’t work with authors that won’t spend the money it takes to improve and that has served us well.That has served you well because your business is scamming authors out of their money. That doesn’t work if the authors won’t send you money.
The industry is realizing that the fastest way to separate the good from the bad, is how much time and energy the author has spent developing their craft. That’s what we want. We won’t stomach or tolerate “something for nothing” people, and that attitude has perhaps become misconstrued.Which industry is that? The aluminum siding and storm door industry? In publishing, the industry has long known that the best way to separate the good from the bad is to read the manuscript.
What authors bring to the table is their manuscript. That isn’t “something for nothing,” unless you think that the manuscripts are “nothing.”
You aren’t separating good from bad—you’re separating fools from money.
DG: That all sounds nice, but really, why all the negative press?Because Fletcher genuinely is a scammer. That’s all he’s ever been, and all he’ll ever be.
AEG: We have really tried to listen to the marketplace and we have made certain adjustments to the way we do business, however, we are very clear about one thing, we only want committed authors with edited, or reviewed work. That means that we only want authors that have been edited, or are willing to get help and assistance.They only want authors who have whipped out their checkbooks and have shown that they’re willing to whip out those checkbooks again.
So, what happens is this, we say, “your work needs help”, and immediately we are jumped on. Why authors think that they get the world for free is beyond me.Because that’s the way real publishing works? The author turns up with a publishable manuscript and everything else is on the publisher’s dime. Publishers pay authors. Authors don’t pay publishers.
We can make EVERY author a better author, and we do, it just costs some money, and this is a business, so we’re used to investing in our business, why wouldn’t a writer invest in theirs?Because, as Rocky said to Bullwinkle, “That trick never works.” Publishers have a name for edited slush: It’s called “slush.”
They can’t make every author a better author. Not even I can do that. But they certainly can make every author they come into contact with a sadder-but-wiser author.
We have tried to dialog with P&E, Writers Beware, SFWA, etc.This is a plain, flat, open-and-shut lie. Do you suppose he means the threats of physical harm he sent to Victoria and Ann?
Unfortunately, those people are so backward-minded and stuck, that they really didn’t listen, so we now ignore them and we just keep chugging.Launching a wholly insubstantial, frivolous and not advanced in good faith lawsuit is an odd way to “ignore” someone.
Frankly, and I don’t want to be mean about it, but we think some of our authors make more in one month than that crowd has made in their in their entire writing career.Not from writing they didn’t. (And the guy who’s making $20+ million a year? Tell him not to quit his day job.)
We suggest that authors make up their own mind, and not rely on anyone else when forming their opinion, especially minor-leaguers.You’d prefer that they rely on minor league crooks?
DG: Ok, I can understand that you tell authors that they must improve, and I agree with how important that is, but what about the fact that you refer them to your own company?It’s called ‘conflict of interest.’ Nice that you’re finally admitting to it, Bobby.
R: That “own company” that you are referring to is now the second largest editing and services company in the world, second only to Scribendi.Uh-oh. Robert forgot to change the “R” to “AEG.”
Frankly, the editing companies that we used to refer to were very ‘mom and pop” and couldn’t do the work and handle our volume. So in order to keep prices down, and turnaround quick, we built our own company. Also, the press release about the two companies working together has been on the web for years now. We don’t hide the fact that the companies are working hand in hand. They have to be to handle the kind of growth and volume that we have created. In short, it’s a big business, we’re global, and it works well for the author, and for us. Frankly, we can do editing faster and cheaper than any editing company in the world. Hell, we might buy Scribendi next year.“This is an amazing manuscript. The characters are fabulous, as is the plot. I am impressed with your imagination, writing skills, and storytelling ability. The readers will truly love this material. This will be a great success. I sincerely wish you luck with this endeavor. However you will not need luck, as you have a gift for writing. The readers will love the constant movement throughout. Your characters are strong and completely enjoyable. I do expect to read more of your work in the future, as you are a natural. The readers can see themselves within each scene with these characters. Nicely accomplished.”
Cynthia Sherman
a professional literary critic
“Well written. Readers will love this tremendously. I am impressed with the writer’s imagination and writing skills. The characters are fabulous, as is the plot. This will be a HUGE success.”
Cynthia Sherman
New York literary critic
“This is an interesting manuscript. The readers will love this material I am impressed with your imagination and writing skills. The characters are fabulous, as is the plot. This will be a success.”
Cynthia Sherman
Those are some of the professional third-party critiques (for three different books, in case I wasn’t clear) for which the authors paid around $90.
DG: Here’s another issue … Why have you changed names so many times?To stay one jump ahead of Google and slow down writers who are trying to do research.
AEG: It’s marketing my dear. Have you ever noticed how many domain names the Children’s Writing Institute uses? We spend a lot of time on Google pay-per-click for our authors, and we’ve seen at least six names for them, for sure, that go back to their site or a clone of their site. I’m sure you are aware of search engine optimization.Marketing? This make no sense whatever.
The simple truth is that as Google has changed it’s algorithms, we have changed our domain names so that we get better positioning.The simple truth? From Robert Fletcher? No, the truth is that as more and more sites blocked their ads, they had to keep changing their names. And as more and more sites labeled them scammers, they had to keep changing their names. Maybe you should ask Fletcher why he needs more than seventy aliases himself. Is that marketing? Or is that fraud?
It’s that simple. Also, as partners and principals have come and gone, new companies, with new stock allocations have been formed. That’s part and parcel of a small business.This doesn’t make any sense either. It looks more like they’re trying to escape their reputation (which is exactly what they’re doing). Nor have partners and principals have come and gone. It’s been Robert M. Fletcher and Leslie W. Mroz from the beginning.
And, we are very proud of this, we are starting the wheels in motion to setup a stock ownership plan for our employees and even our authors.Given Robert Fletcher’s history as a stock swindler— I’m sure the SEC will look on that with a jaundiced eye.
“The Order alleged that Respondent Fletcher, as President of ByteAudio.com, Inc., violated the Washington Securities Act by offering and selling unregistered securities, acting as an unregistered broker-dealer and/or salesperson, and making material misrepresentations and/or omissions. The Order provided notice, pursuant to RCW 21.20.395, of the Division’s intent to impose a $50,000 fine jointly and severally against Respondents.”
We’ll probably undergo another name change at that time … That’s how it works for rapidly growing businesses.No, that isn’t how it works in any business, except fly-by-night fraudulent businesses.
DG: C’mon … If there’s smoke, there has to be fire, what about all this stuff about criminal backgrounds, investigations, etc.?Read it for yourself: http://www.dfi.wa.gov/sd/pdf/internetfraudnr.pdf
AEG: It’s identity theft with a twist. Let’s say that I decided to “get you” for one reason or another. It’s simple really. All I have to do is google search “your name - criminal records” and I will get plenty of hits, of your name, in all kinds of criminal situations. Then all I do is copy and paste that info into 3-4 sites, anonymously, and you’re screwed. I guarantee it.I’ll have more to say about that and Fletcher’s attempted extortion/blackmail against me in a later post. But let’s look at this nonsense here: Fletcher is claiming that the Robert M. Fletcher of 699 SW 8th Terrace, Boca Raton, FL 33486-5509 who was fined $50,0000 and forced to pay restitution for stock fraud in Washington State is someone other than the Robert M. Fletcher of 699 SW 8th Terrace, Boca Raton, FL 33486-5509 who is currently running Strategic Book Publishing / AEG / Eloquent Books, etc. etc. etc. It’s all some kind of identity theft.
Yeah, right.
You’ll never live it down and never clean it up. Believe me, we’ve tried. Also, we’ve been investigated up and down, and nothing had ever come of it. The fact is that these days any disgruntled person can file a complaint with a District Attorney.The Florida Attorney General’s investigation of Fletcher is ongoing. Nothing has come of it—yet. But it’s still early days. Look how long it took to put Martha Ivery behind bars. Or Dorothy Deering. Fletcher’s day is coming when the barred door will slam shut behind him.
We do what we say, we tell the author up front what to expect, we never over-promise, and we deliver. We have a real business that helps authors that are willing to help themselves that’s why all this stuff about investigations and backgrounds, etc. is such misinformation.What the authors never get is success.
DG: Here’s another one, why do you even advertise? I thought agencies didn’t need to advertise?They don’t.
AEG: We still have requests from publishers that we can’t fill.Could you name three such publishers? Could you name just one that isn’t one of your own vanity presses?
We still find great books to publish every day because of our advertising. Early on we learned that more is better. Our business strategy since day one, is to have ‘depth off the bench’.A strategy that has worked surprisingly poorly. How many books have you sold to publishers that aren’t you-wearing-a-mask?
And that strategy is paying off. Why do you think the agency is so valuable to the publisher?Because when the fraudulent agent passes books to the fraudulent publisher the author pays twice.
Frankly, we think the agency has provided over 100 authors “ready to go” to the publisher.You funneled over 100 authors, clients of your agency, to your own vanity press. What did they need you for? Selling your book to a vanity press isn’t any sort of challenge. The authors could have done that on their own without paying the agency a cent along the way.
Those authors are now making money and receiving royalty checks. Those authors will be part of the 100,000 - 1 MM books we’ll be selling in the medium term future.Are they really? I’m sure this statement is going to appear on the paperwork when the Florida Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division executes a warrant on your house.
AEG: Over 100 authors published? Prove it . . And did the agency take a commission since you merged? Isn’t that ‘double dipping”?Bobby forgot that he was supposed to be “DG” here. Sloppy, sloppy.
But I entirely believe that over a hundred authors were desperate enough or deluded enough or naive enough to go for it.
R: No commission was taken by the agency. Period. Guaranteed. The authors were told up front about the merger. And if you want to see the books we’ve published, please visit www.AEGauthorsEdge.com .Robert forgot that he was supposed to be “AEG” here. And I have reason to believe that all those authors weren’t informed that the agency was just selling the books from themselves to themselves, with the author providing every nickel along the way.
DG: Well, I admit to being glad that I dug a little deeper, I can see both sides of the story, and it is tough to break into any industry. Is there anything you wish to say in conclusion?How can you say that you “dug a little deeper” and “can see both sides of the story” if you didn’t talk with me?
Easy. This “interview” is a fraud, and part of the fraud supporting the fraud.
R: We truly feel sorry for the author that is trying to make a decision about how to proceed with their writing career. Our best advice is to trust yourself and dive in. Sometimes analysis = paralysis. You can’t win if you don’t play, so we say, “get out there, get bloody, improve, take your lumps, learn, learn, learn” and as Winston Churchill said, “never, never give up”.“R” again rather than “AEG.”
The author who is trying to make a decision can ask me. Don’t trust a scammer who stands to make money if you buy his story.
All of our contracts have ‘easy out’ clauses, so if we don’t perform, you can fire us. By the same token, if the author won’t perform, we can, and will fire them.When the authors stop paying, you ditch them.
This is a business and we are here to stay, and play, for the long term, and make profits for our authors, our employees, and our shareholders.The authors—I doubt that any of them have made more than they’ve spent to date. The shareholders—there aren’t any. The employees report getting stiffed. So that leaves making money for yourself. And, Bobby, I believe you’re doing pretty well at that.
===================“Heard.” Yep. Did you consider “digging a little deeper”?DG: Ok writers out there, you have it. I am not endorsing anyone, but I do think that everyone deserves a chance to be heard.
Frankly, my personal opinion is that those sites have gone too far, and are doing a dis-service for writers and this company.“Those sites,” I suppose, are Preditors & Editors, Absolute Write, and Writer Beware. But quite frankly, every author-support site on the web that isn’t owned by Fletcher himself gives him and his scams a big thumbs down. How is that a disservice to writers? As to being a disservice to Robert Fletcher’s fraud, this is the world’s tiniest violin playing “My Heart Bleeds for You.”
Perhaps these guys made mistakes in the past, but I have a hard time arguing with 250 published authors and 1500 books a week being sold within 6 months of operations. (I looked at the royalty reports).I don’t have any trouble arguing with that—because those numbers show that the authors are selling negligible numbers—and those books that are sold are ones that they’re buying themselves.
At the end of the day, DG says: Make up your own mind. And yes, please feel free to email me if you’d like: delirious.girl02@gmail.comDeliriousGirl’s email address is really delirious.girl01@gmail.com, not delirious.girl02@gmail.com. Delirious.girl02@gmail.com went straight to Fletcher. That’s identity theft. And that’s a Federal rap.
Oh, Robert Fletcher. When the judge slams down the gavel on you and the Strategic Book Group. I’m going to be in the audience. I won’t say a word, out of respect for the Court. But believe me, I’ll be laughing on the inside.
(Initial front-page post is missing the link on the "after the cut" phrase.)
I can't put in the link to the below the cut part until after the post goes up.
As to Fletcher being up-front about the connection between his agency and his vanity publishing concern, look at what this writer has to say:
"I chose Eloquent Books because my literary agency suggested I look at them since I am a first-time novelist."
What do you suppose that literary agency was?
First, no legitimate agency would send anyone to a vanity publisher. Second, no scam agent would send a client to some other scammer's vanity press. It has to have been Fletcher sending an author to himself.
I'm sure the Florida Attorney General will get to the bottom of it.
AEG: It’s marketing my dear. Have you ever noticed how many domain names the Children’s Writing Institute uses? We spend a lot of time on Google pay-per-click for our authors, and we’ve seen at least six names for them, for sure, that go back to their site or a clone of their site. I’m sure you are aware of search engine optimization.
Condescension to his imaginary interviewer. How charming.
Also, that strategy causes brand dilution--which is the point for him, since it enables him to scam a lot of people under various names. Gah.
Love the accusation of identity theft, when it seems that's exactly what he's doing to his employee by using their handle to publish his fake interview.
I think Google and other businesses selling advertising should receive a copy of the judge's finding on Fletcher or a link to it. They might not want to sell him anymore advertising since that would make them his willing accomplices in an ongoing fraud.
And he got confused at various times about who he was supposed to be.
Waidaminnit. He can't even operate a sock puppet? His license to operate a keyboard ought to be revoked.
For a real thrill, try Googling on "Cynthia Sherman" +impressed.
Ol' Cynthia makes a newspaper horoscope look personal and specific by comparison. Oh, and there's no reason to assume that "Cynthia Sherman" actually exists.
At a bull fight, and in principle (I've never attended one and am unlikely to), I think I'd feel rather sorry for the bull.
Somehow I don't find myself feeling at all sorry for Fletcher; it's pretty clear that he volunteered. And I do like watching you flourish the cape around.
I needed a thrill... Oh well, I got a chuckle.
I am impressed with your imagination/knowledge [delete as applicable], writing skills, and storytelling ability.
This phrase, in its two guises, seems to apply to an awful lot of books she reviews, from many different authors, on a wide variety of topics...
I agree that Fletcher filed the lawsuit to cover the launch of his publishing enterprise--both Ann and I thought so from the beginning.
The lawsuit was originally filed in support of a preliminary injunction, demanding that defendants (me, Ann, and Jim) cease and desist from all statements about Fletcher and his companies, and remove all our remarks and warnings about him. Because of improper service on me and Ann (I didn't get served until one hour before the injunction hearing, which was being held in Boston, two hours' travel time away from me; and Ann didn't get served until three months later), the injunction hearing was never held, but the lawsuit was allowed to go forward.
My guess is that Fletcher never had any intention of prosecuting the lawsuit. All he really wanted was the injunction, in order to shut us up long enough for him to get the publishing enterprise off the ground. The lawsuit (which was incredibly sloppily and carelessly written, with exhibits that in many cases didn't support the allegations) was hastily thrown together because to ask for an injunction, you have to have a supporting lawsuit. Once the injunction was off the table, he was stuck with the lawsuit. I also don't think he expected us to respond as strongly as we did. It really tickles me to imagine his dismay when he got our long, extremely detailed interrogatories and discovery demands, and realized how much we actually knew about him.
Another amusing irony: through his various aliases, he'd been denying for some time that "Robert Fletcher" was still with the company. However, he couldn't file the lawsuit under a fictitious name--so in order to sue us, he had to out himself.
Aargh, mis-spelled my own name, above It's been a long day.
Of all of Fletcher various stupidities, perhaps the stupidest is this:
"In short, those sites like Writers Beware and Preditors & Editors, are run by ‘minor league writers’. We’re in the big leagues and frankly, we scare the shit out of them."
Tell me, Bobby, if I'm not worried by Time-Warner, News Corp, or Von Holtzbrinck, why the fudge should I be scared of you?
Bobby isn't in our league. Never has been, never will be.
First time authors: Don't go with a loser. Stay well clear of Bobby Fletcher.
Any Strategic Book Publishing or Eloquent Books authors out there who want to post the actual number of books that they've sold to folks that they don't know by name or who weren't looking them in the eye when money changed hands, now's the time to pipe up.
Hmmm, by that criteria, Consumer Reports would be operated by what? No league writers?
Sorry, Robert Fletcher, that logic just doesn't fly. The league we're in is dictated by the accuracy of our facts and our integrity, not by our fiction writing. On those counts, you're not in any league. All you have is a stick you think is a bat. We, on the other hand, are in the majors. In fact, just compare P&E to your collage of scam businesses. Not one of your businesses is recommended by anything other than another scam run by you. There are no legitimate businesses in the publishing industry recommending you and your businesses. For its part, P&E has been a top watchdog site for eight years running according to Writers Digest.
Meanwhile, Victoria, Ann, and James can similarly point to equal accomplishments when it comes to factual reporting and integrity.
I've been reading these articles with the fascination of a mongoose dancing with a cobra. You want to turn away but you can't.
I would love to learn that his true name wasn't Fletcher; that was my mother's maiden name. A lot of good people named Fletcher. Unlike this one.
Fletcher looks to be in a hole, and digging enthusatically.
This isn't the place for specific details, but I suppose he's going to be in big trouble if he doesn't pay up. He might be able to delay things by throwing more money at lawyers, but is any competent lawyer going to do this?
And, with the ongoing Florida investigation, it looks stupid to try such incompetent sock-puppetry. Somebody being investigated for fraud faking an interview?
You may well be able to stick a psychiatric label on him. And I wonder how many of his apparent assets--he has a yacht?--are effectively owned by banks he's scammed, rather than paid for by the proceeds of fraud.
he has a yacht?
That's what he claims.
Jim, Victoria and Ann: Good on you for fighting and prevailing!
I read that Court order and have to say: WOW.
What a piece of toxic twaddle Robert Fletcher is. How delightful it will be to see him go to jail. Is there a site that follows the progress of this tale of grift and vengeance, or will Jim issue periodic reports?
Hey, Bobby -- As long as I have you here, what happened to authorschool.com?
Does anyone else have the impression that the guy's tone sounds to a good deal like that of a depressingly high number of people who are generally seen as perfectly respectable businesspeople?
Conmen in general sound normal. Persuasive, even. If they sounded as crazy as their schemes no one would fall for them.
Hypothetically, if you were the buyer for a book store and you received an email from an author offering copies of his latest book and that book was published by Strategic Book Publishing, how would you respond?
Paul Duncanson @22, if you asked that question of a chain buyer, you'd most likely be told that they evaluate each book on its own merits. I can't contradict that statement.
Does Strategic Book Publishing take returns? Are they professionally packaged and competitively priced?
Teresa: Judged in its merits... well, it really doesn't seem to have any. I'm quite OK with rejecting it on that basis. I was looking more for advice on gently guiding the horribly optimistic writer toward the truth about his "publisher".
I can't compete with Miss Teresa's reply, but I'll offer this comment:
Right now, Strategic and Eloquent, between them, have 1,058 titles. You should find multiple copies of multiple titles on the shelves of any bookstore you enter. Yet you don't.
Since we know that the only way those books will get into bookstores is if the author contacts the bookstores personally, and since we know that the authors are supposed to be proactive in marketing their books--making it a reasonable assumption that they have been doing so--the fact that you can't find SBP/EB titles on the shelves should (hypothetically) answer your question.
(Note: You may find some on the "Local Author" shelves, beside the PublishAmerica books, the AuthorHouse Books, and the Tate books. But only if the author lives within 30 miles of the store.)
Perhaps I need to rephrase and elaborate a bit more...
I am the buyer for an independent bookstore. A few times a year i receive emails from new authors, overjoyed at having "just been published" and wanting me to stock their books. The last one to do so was a victim of Strategic Book Publishing.
I have no problem with rejecting the books on their merits (the last one I saw was awful... really awful) or terms of trade. For self-published, vanity press stuff and scam published product my policy is DO NOT WANT. I don't have time to read most books to see if they're any good but if I know no editor has read it I won't inflict them on my customers. A simple "Thanks, but no thanks" usually gets the job done.
I could just let it go at that - it's what I've been doing for years - but the more I read about Fletcher and his ilk and the more victims I encounter the more I think there must be a gentle way showing them that they have been scammed. On the other hand, the last thing I need is one of the defensive ones having a hissy fit because I have rejected his magnum opus and said bad things about the only publisher who believed in him and they were warned that there were people like me out there who are in league with the elite of Big Publishing and are out to get the little guys and all that crap.
So, if you were a buyer in my position and you wanted to try to end the cycle of scammery, how would you break the news to the author?
(Even worse are the mothers whose precious teenager has become a published author. Break two hearts for the price of one.)
Can I punch Fletcher in the nose now please?
I wrote some fantasy, and got paid for it, for an RPG publisher called Alderac Entertainment Group aka AEG and they handled everything fine. So I think there must be more than one publisher called AEG.
Ah, I see. You're in the position of the Slushkiller editor.
"We do not accept books from AEG Publishing Group" might work well enough to get them Googling. (You're never going to get through to the honeymooners.)
You might also get in touch with the Florida Attorney General's office to tell them about your experiences with Fletcher's company and Fletcher's victims.
(I wouldn't say that the books have never been edited--the authors paid a lot of money to be edited. It's just that the "editors" are unqualified, inexperienced, incompetent, and possibly non-existent.)
Hmmm.... yes, Sean. Fletcher's scam has nothing to do with Alderac Entertainment Group.
If you have contacts with Alderac you might alert them to the existence of Fletcher and his "AEG." They may have a trademark claim against him.
Some more names:
Mark Bredt
John Petelle
Joyce Kyle
Miranda Spigener
Andrea
Lynn Eddy
Robert Williams
Phil Cruz
Georgina Scott
Suzann Durette
Liz Page
Kira Robbins
Cindi Pietrzyk
Ellen Green
Hil Mallory
Mary Bluestone
Georgina Orr
#27: I see that this has already been covered, but to reiterate, Alderac Entertainment Group is entirely different. I have reviewed many of their products over the years, and I have spoken with their people -- employees and authors both. The company's website is here.
James wrote, "Oh, Robert Fletcher. When the judge slams down the gavel on you and the Strategic Book Group. I’m going to be in the audience. I won’t say a word, out of respect for the Court. But believe me, I’ll be laughing on the inside."
I'll do my utmost to be there too, laughing alongside you. It will be a fabulous day and photos won't be good enough for me.
To Paul at #26: could you perhaps point those "published authors" in the direction of Writer Beware's blog posts about AEG? That way they learn the truth AND they can get all huffy about it on the internet (sorry, Victoria, for directing them all at you) instead of having the potential for a meltdown on your shopfloor.
I guess the saying "you cannot please all the people all the time" applies well here but, wow! You guys have taken slamming someone for business practices that you don't agree with (but are perfectly legal) to a new level.
3 words:
Get. A. Hobby.
Go boil your head, Sarah Miller. The guy's a scammer.
Fraud is legal now? Must make up for lost time and find me some victims to fleece.
"Sarah Miller" @33: Hi, Bobby. How's the weather in Boca Raton?
I wonder what a psychiatrist would say about Bobby's habit of picking female names for his false identities?
Love the little pink sundress, Bob.
3 words:
Shave. Your. Legs.
Jim, I think he does it because female identities get treated more gently in arguments.
Teresa @38:
female identities get treated more gently in arguments.
Considering how people with identifiably female names get treated on the wild wild web, I think that says a lot about where these arguments are taking place.
Which is discouraging to someone who prefers a civil atmosphere without attendant manipulation.
And then there are women who use gender-neutral noms-de-blog.
To be quite serious about it, Fletcher was only casually interesting to me before he launched his frivolous and unsupported lawsuit for the mere purpose of harassment.
He says, as recently as this week, in e-mails that he's sending out to authors who question him:
We are aware that they have asked that we are [sic] investigated. We have lawyers working for us because there is a difference between free speech and absolute slander and we are quite sure that we will win. Unfortunately, it takes only one unhappy person to try to take down a whole company. We believe that we said 'no' to publishing someone and this is their revenge. It's sad but we know the truth and know that our authors are pleased with the publishing service we have provided.
You may want to count the palpable lies in just that one paragraph ... because I'm sure that a judge is going to be counting them.
If he wanted to draw my attention he sure picked the right way. Get a hobby? Dude, you made yourself my hobby.
Wait.. woah.. Vanity publishing companies don't reject anybody! Robert, what are you talking about here? You don't reject anybody you can scrape money from. You're such a nice guy you'll put old ladies on a payment plan just so you can get your money. What a scummy piece of ... um.. well you get the idea.
Yo, Bobby!
As long as you're here, let me tell you, you're famous! You're in the newspaper in your home town!
In Boca, Even the Book Publishers Are Fraud Suspects
The only bad publicity is no publicity, eh?
What is it about Boca that's a fraud magnet?
Just to clear up a point here: I worked for AEG Publishing for about 8 weeks. I did some marketing for authors and generally solved problems with irate authors. I was sent about 35 or more books from Robert to review and post on sites. Let me tell you, the books were mostly just shit, pure shit. The content, language misuse, some were bound so crookedly that the words were unreadable anyway. I came across 1 book that I was able to even read. But yes, a lot of writers who paid him lots of money were given the impression that these crap books were going to make the author Stephen King rich.
Actually, he published a whole lot of books written by apparently religious nuts and fanatics, also. Pure crap, and even worse: pure unreadable crap.
Hi, DG.
Let me tell you, the books were mostly just shit, pure shit.
This isn't too surprising, at least not to anyone who's ever seen a slushpile. Fletcher was publishing the slushpile, with the provision that only those with a thousand or so bucks to throw away were printed. The number of religious nuts and fanatics won't surprise anyone here.
A large number of them would fall into Slushkiller Categories 1-7, with a huge number of them being Slushkiller #1s.
No one is blaming you for this interview; we all know that Bouncing Bobby wrote it himself.
And just FYI, Robert told me in one of the last communications I had with him that "you slanderous/jealous/insane people" were costing him over $10,000 a month.
And yes, he confessed to me that he has over 120 email addresses and names.
One real employee that I have had actual contact with who is not on your list: Andrea Minnies of Boca Raton, FL.
Over $10,000/month? Really? In his frivolous, insubstantial, and bad-faith lawsuit he claimed, under penalty of perjury, that it was $25,000/month.
I trust you've let the Florida Attorney General know about Andrea Minnies. Maybe she can turn State's Evidence?
Yeesh, he really is trying to dig his way to China, isn't he? And about to dive headfirst into all that molten impure iron in the way....
Yes, from my understanding, Andrea Minnies was also charged with some type of fraud although she was doing the work for Robert and she also, like me, was not getting paid.
And P.S. to Mr. McDonald: I am in the current issue of Red Fez, have a couple of stories upcoming in Girls With Insurance (where I have accepted an associate editorship), regularly contribute to Zygote In My Coffee, 3am Magazine, Greenbeard Mag, and Captain Canard, in the online and print versions and I have an anthology of flash fiction coming out in print soon, as well as a poetry chapbook in progress.
Thank you for such an informative website. I recently finished a novel on terrorism by weather and was looking at publishers, saw this one and became immediately suspicious. You verified all my suspicions.
Thanks
Patrick
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