I don’t make a habit of making public statements about others. I run NT with the goal of putting out a quality product while trying to help writers by offering them a stable paying market, fast turn around time and feedback on rejections. I occasionally get some negative reaction to feedback that is given, but a much larger number of people seem to appreciate the effort, even if they disagree with our opinions on their story.
I recently saw a post discussing a writer that had been submitting and selling stories under the guise of being previously unpublished. NT, like most markets doesn’t take reprints. Those that do, pay less for them. When I saw that the writer in question was perpetrating fraud, I searched our inbox and found a submission from this writer. A quick Google search uncovered that the story had been previously published back in 2008 in an online ezine. I have no idea how many other markets it appeared in. I thought I had dodged a bullet, but I was wrong. You see, back in April 2009, we had accepted a story and got a contract for 1st North American Serial Rights. Now I find out that it had been published in an ezine three months before and then again five months after and who knows how many more times before and since.
Because of this illegal and unethical activity, I declare Lawrence R. Dagstine Douche Bag of the Year. I have never believed in Black Listing and still don’t. It is too easy to start adding people to a list for all kinds of indiscretions, and soon people can have their careers ruined over a personality conflict. I’m not suggesting anyone blacklist this scumbag, but I am warning others to beware and do business with him at your own risk. He has committed at least one confirmed case of fraud against NT and from what I’ve seen on the boards, at least a half dozen others.
Rant over, I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
