Dark Region press issues.

[bookworm 1]

Am I the only one who is concerned with how Dark Region is running their book campaigns? During the last indigogo campaign for the expanding grab bag they made it appear that after each goal a new book would be added. After the first few days all of a sudden the wording was changed to e-books. When questioned by someone the response was it was an unfortunate mistake. Then as the campaign progressed more goals were unlocked. Including how to order early for the new Barker book. Well yesterday I got an e-mail and guess what???? In order to get in early you have to join their club and stay with it till November to the tune of $25 a month. When questioned about this the response was We Said we would tell you how to get it.
Seems that they are not being very customer friendly.
To be straight I think they produce great books but this oh well attitude that they recently seemed to develop has me concerned. Anyone else have issues or am I reading into this too much.

[TJCams]

I didn't really like the way the ever expanding grab bag worked. And it also seems that their crowdfunding related books, as cool as they are, are so out of my price range to get what I want that I have not ever participated in them. I actually find too that aside from a couple titles their offerings are appealing to me less and less. Although I have purchased some really good books off of them. Lullaby for The Rain Girl was one of my favourite reads in the last few years.

[slayn666]

I'm not a big fan of how they're using Patreon as a discount club because I think it runs counter to the intent of Patreon. I was a member for a month to get in on the special red slipcase editions of the three Laymon books they're doing, and the $25 I paid to them via Patreon did come off the top of the cost for the books, but it's still annoying.

I also don't like that their new submittal guidelines basically spell out that every book they publish going forward will likely have a crowdfunding campaign tied to it. More frustrating is that I feel the exact opposite of TJCams: most of the books they send out for crowdfunding are things I'm very interested in reading, but yeah, the price for a signed hardcover is awfully high.

[jigertz]

I'm also not crazy about what they're doing (not like that didn't stop me from buying into all of it). I got the grab bag for the Barker preorder and was pretty surprised that I needed to join the collectors club in order to take advantage of that. I assumed that the grab bag meant you could get in on the preorder, not that it would be that bs "we'll tell you how to get it." And if you cancel the collectors club before November they cancel your preorder. They say that you get a great discount by preordering with the collectors club, but in reality you pay more because you are paying $150 in collectors club membership. Add to that the $66 I paid for the grab bag (for a bunch of e books) and it really is a rip off. Ok, now that I'm thinking of it I'm kind of angry.

I wonder if Clive Barker knows what they used his popularity to pull. I have a feeling he wouldn't be too cool with it.

[uturnfilms]

I'm glad someone posted this- I've done a few of their campaigns at the $20ish paperback level, and did this one at $44 for some physical books. When the Barker email came I thought 'seriously? we have to join a paid club to get the discount now?' That email was borderline threatening- disappointing for sure and poorly run. Maybe we'll have to join the club for the Laymon discount too.....

[bookworm 1]

Glad to see I am not the only one upset by how they have been doing things. They sent me an e-mail response that was worded so well I thought I had over stepped my bounds by questioning the campaign. I hope they start to change how they do business. Like I said I really like some of the stuff that they put out. Jeff Strands books and Joe R. Lansdale' s books and a few others. That is what makes this last campaign they ran such a disappointment. I also Went for the $44 grab bag. I want the new William F. Nolan book as I could not afford the limited edition. Plus overall even though they lied about the book's in the beginning for what is being delivered it is a good value. Just wish they had been more honest and upfront.

[Sock Monkey]

I didn't go in for the grab bag campaign, but I can see where everybody has an issue. My first impression of the grab bag campaign was that physical books would be added, but as I researched it more and saw that it was e-books I quickly lost interest. The issue with the preorder of the Barker book is justified. I, too, read the email as such that if you bought the grab bag you would be able to preorder the Barker book. While they might not have been trying to deliberately mislead people, the wording was obviously vague enough to cause some confusion and frustration. Why even list it as perk of backing the campaign if the participation in the campaign has no bearing whatsoever on the customer's ability to preorder the Barker book?

I've been excited recently about some of their upcoming books (the Ramsey Campbell Black Labyrinth book, I Am the Abyss) but it's disappointing to see them taking these missteps.

[slayn666]

I guess my question with the Clive Barker thing is whether all that money you kick in to the Patreon thing will come off the top of Barker's book. That's how it worked for the Richard Laymon set earlier in the year, but we only had to be a member for one month.

And if that is the case, how much is that damn book going to cost? Because that would be $125 off the cover price...

[bookworm 1]

I think it is $80 for the signed and $60 for the trade. If the money came off the top then they would owe people money. I think it being 25% off maybe where the $25 off the Laymon book came from. I just don't know. .....and can't get a straight answer from them.

[Theli]

I've been wary of their crowd funding campaigns and book club deals, just not my thing. That said I have never had issues with DRP in the past and have supported them as a publisher, it was with them that I was introduced to the collecting game. They've always treated me well, and resolved any issues I may have had quickly and fairly, but this recent turn of events is rather disconcerting...

I hope it's not Chris Morey that is responsible for the way customers have been treated and how this campaign has been run.

[slayn666]

I think it being 25% off maybe where the $25 off the Laymon book came from.

Nah, the price on the three Laymon books was $165 and the invoice was for $140; 25% off would have meant the invoice should have been $123.75.

[c marvel]

Sinister Grin Press is now on the Indiegogo bandwagon. I want to support SGP. I'm thinking I'm not getting much for my money if I make say a $40 or $50 donation. I've got all the SGP signed/limited editions and already preordered the latest one. It doesn't seem like much of a deal for someone like me.


Cap

[bugen]

Did anyone here get in on the I Am the Abyss kickstarter? I've been excited about this anthology for more than a year, but when the announce finally came last month with the actual book still more than another year out, I was left with a sour taste and haven't pulled the trigger on anything. Marketing isn't my fave so when it's overdone I'm a little sensitive.

But I believe in these authors and am a fan of the theme. Anyone have any yea's or nay's?

*I think I'm going to get one.

[Tommy]

Did anyone here get in on the I Am the Abyss kickstarter? I've been excited about this anthology for more than a year, but when the announce finally came last month with the actual book still more than another year out, I was left with a sour taste and haven't pulled the trigger on anything. Marketing isn't my fave so when it's overdone I'm a little sensitive.

But I believe in these authors and am a fan of the theme. Anyone have any yea's or nay's?

*I think I'm going to get one.

I missed ordering one by 2 minutes!

[slayn666]

I did. I'm not thrilled with how far out the book is, but there's a nice discount (25%) on the hardcover for backing the KS and I am pretty confident that the book will get made, so it's just a matter of waiting.