Saturday, July 24, 2010

Douche Bag Alert

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saw a post discussing a writer that had been submitting and selling stories under the guise of being previously unpublished.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.

9 comments:

  1. Pretty weak, my friend. I have to say, though I have no issues with Dagstine, if he did that to me--and hell, he may have, but I don't know and I'm not going to go back and check--I'd blacklist him.

    There are too many honest, deserving authors out there. A good story is not more important than overlooking blatant deceit.

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  2. Let me be clear, he's burned his bridge at NT and I won't ever accept another submission from him, but I'm fundamentally apposed to the concept of black listing. It's just too easy to have it get out of control.

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  3. I am glad that other markets--beyond the ones I was aware of already and have spoken to--are onto to this game. An item that I ran in March of 2009 was published three times previously. Another that I ran just in June of this year was reprinted in July by another market that also does not take reprints...and the thing was published by yet another editor before either of us in January, one who contracts for one-year exclusivity. This is over for this person.

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  4. This guy is relentless and he won't stop doing it. But it is good that others get the word out to editors and soon the curtain will close for him along with everyone else doing it.

    Thanks for the informaion and the heads up.

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  5. Awesome, Scott. :)

    I have a blacklist for all things Belfire. I admit it, but I've also had ten years of submissions and whining and nasty behavior and all sorts from a lot of places, to add those names. Thing is, I also work with great people that don't, so they get to read what I won't.

    I let another editor that's published Dagstine know as well, and he's been keeping an eye out all along. Which is good. I guess. -_o

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  6. Have you checked out his facebook page today? On it someone claiming to be a good friend, advised he just died in a Coney Island Hospital. Would this be true or a con?

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  7. Lee,

    It's a confirmed con. He's done it before and this time he didn't do a very good job. He emailed people hours after his "death". The new story, via Brian Keene's website, is that he O.D.'d on some drug he was taking and is now in the hospital. I don't buy that one either. It's just another pathetic attempt to get sympathy and divert people's attention from what he's done.

    There were rumors of this behavior back in 2005 apparently, but he pulled some of the same stuff and escaped to screw over publishers once again.

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  8. I might add, he's screwing over another writer that might have taken his spot, too.

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