We had Jonathan Raab from Muzzleland Press on the show and he talked about something that every horror writer ought to hear. He revealed a bitter truth that could sound jaded, but it’s a simple fact that you have to face as a writer.
While that may not sound very fun, we spent a good amount of time conversing about the importance of the horror genre, the purpose of indie publishers, how to navigate Amazon KDP blocking or rejecting your book, and even talked about Castlevania and how Konami has lost their way.
The Deadman’s Tome podcast is a live show where creative minds get to come to talk about who they are and what they do. While horror, writing, and paranormal are the staples of the show, the topics may spill into other areas such as gaming, crime, and real life.
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We talk to Jonathan Lambert, tease Mr. Deadman about the caption contests and talk about the Meat Grinder. Who is ahead?
Jonathan Lambert was born in a hospital in the 1960s. He grew up in Bowie, Maryland in a rancher style house with two brothers and a sister.
He graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in Mathematics, and has held many jobs, including: carpenter’s assistant, landscaper; steak house assistant manager; cook, butcher, programmer/analyst; network engineer, data base administrator, and sometimes, babysitter.
He now lives in Virginia with his wife and two offspring, and he desperately wants to retire and be an Uber driver.
When he’s not working, reading, writing stories, or surfing the Internet, he’s probably sleeping
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Deadman’s Tome podcast is a variety show covers everything from horror writing, horror movies, filmmaking, youtube drama, and fringe communities. Deadman’s Tome has stong stance on free speech and is open to exploring conspiracy theories and social issues. While the show has a comedic bent to it, some many heartfelt moments have been explored on the program. #horror #writing
Live stream every monday, wednesday, and friday at 9:30pm
I think I only have myself to blame. After all, I did three podcasts on Nickolaus Pacione, one on Blake Leibel, and another on Will Bernardara. Calling a spade a spade, these episodes were loaded with goss and drama, but focused around specifics. Nickolaus Pacione is a deranged troll that wouldn’t stop stalking, so I had fun with him. Blake Leibel is a psycho that mutilated and killed his girlfriend, and Will B. is a dangerous individual that is probably trying to find ways to target certain people that put restraining orders against him.
I woke up on Saturday, hungover from the countless shots of Jim Beam Bonded, and had received a message from an author that will remain nameless. This author explained in a message that he’s sorry for not coming on the Deadman’s Tome podcast, but his phone was disconnected because his agent did not pay him, and that the agent advised him to not come on the show.
I rolled my eyes and was going to ignore it, but then there was a screenshot of the person he was talking about. Who was this person he claimed was his agent? Well, it is a co-host in training for the Deadman’s Tome podcast. I immediately asked her what the dealio was with this guy to find out that she’s not his agent, she never told him not to come on the show but advised against talking about Nickolaus Pacione as it might come off as petty, and that she paid this guy. Not only did she pay this guy, she paid $800! Mind you, I saw the screen shots of her PayPal account.
Sack of Lies
Lie Number 1: When I confront this author about this, he claimed that he wasn’t even talking about the co-host, yet she was the person in screen shot he sent, and the person that had sent him payments.
Lie Number 2: The author started off by blaming his “agent” of withholding funds, but she paid him. Not only that, but based on the screen shots the request for money and the payments sent are within the same and following month.
Lie Number 3: The author then claimed that his “agent” paid him but only $400. What is this, People’s Court? More than $800 was sent to him, and when approached about that his story changed to that she was late with payments. So why start off with a fucking lie? How am I supposed to believe you now? Am I supposed to take his word for it? The word of liar?
Lie 4: Phone Bill. Even if she was late, how the fuck is it her fault you didn’t pay your phone bill! Pay your damn phone bill!
Messy and Grimy
First off, he blamed his phone being cut off on an agent he doesn’t even have. Instead of taking responsibility and owning to why he can’t pay his bills, he had the nerve to blame someone else that isn’t even his agent, someone that actually did pay him.
Secondly, he pretends like I don’t know who he’s talking about. The person he claimed was his agent was Becky! He wants to pretend that I have no clue who he’s talking about and has to be slimy like a snake around the subject. He thinks he’s playing 4D chess when he’s actually playing checkers with a no king rule.
Third, why does he feel like I even care about this. I don’t. The only reason why I wrote this post is because I invested enough energy to warrant a response. If you can’t make it on the show, then just say you can’t make it. Don’t send me a sack of lies and act like I wouldn’t figure it out. Who the fuck do you think I am?
But it gets better
Now, I learned some things about what this payment was for and it’s very sad and a freaking scam. This author claimed he was a great poet and his “agent” requested his services. The author was hired to edit a book for .10 cents, an author that can’t even make a living off his own material. Let that sink in, an author that can’t even make a living off his own writing wants to edit the works of others. You wouldn’t hire a salesman that can’t sell a car to sell a car, so why would anyone hire an author that can’t produce a book that people want to assist in producing a book that people want?
Charging .10 cents to edit as a struggling writer isn’t bad enough, but he didn’t even edit but made suggestions and recommended books to read. Not even worth the $800, because unless this guy is some poet guru why would you trust what he has to say?
Even Becky agreed that the service wasn’t worth paying for, but the reason she sent the money was because of his financial hardships he would tell her about. I seen those conversations, too.
Closing thoughts
It’s very fucking grimy and low to make false claims about someone, especially when that someone actually did fulfill their end of the bargain. Maybe the fulfillment was later than expected, but that doesn’t give permission to present it as if it hadn’t been fulfilled! That’s just a blatant lie. To have the nerve to present that lie wrapped in other lies is just so pathetic. I wont name who this person is, but he knows I’m talking about him, and he needs to just think about what he does and how it makes him seem. One’s character is very important, and I know I joke and act like a fool on the Deadman’s Tome podcast, but that’s not business. That’s putting on a show.
Oh, and for those that don’t like I did this. Remember, I didn’t ask for this. He sent me that message and lied about someone behind their back. Where I come from, that’s not tolerated. People like that get made examples of.
Mr. Deadman and Dynamite Marchese talk about bullshit that is employees calling in, and eventually get to Amazon publishing scams. Be careful out there.
Do they? Do nonpaying publications suck the on the industry like a leech, sucking on the creative talent, exploiting writers for profit without sharing a dime? If you think yes then that’s a pretty bleak and extreme way of looking at it, right?
Nonpaying markets offer a place to learn and get exposure. Granted, the exposure might not be much, and the experience learned is only really as good as the feedback received. However, nonpaying does serve a purpose. The way I see it there are three types of people that choose the nonpaying route:
Those that have tried paying and are looking for experience and feedback
Those with low-self esteem
Those that think the written word should be free
A writer should never just stay playing around in nonpaying markets. I played a lot of video games as a kid, and a my way of looking at it is like in World of Warcraft. Nonpaying markets are the low-level bullshit zones. You go there to get your feet wet, you start out, learn the ropes, but you really need to expand and explore if you want to actually build a character.
Now, I see value in 4theluv. Why wouldn’t I? Deadman’s Tome started out that way. With that said, let’s explore the counter arguments. Some think that it brings down the quality of work overall, but that’s not necessairly a nonpaying problem, but a editor problem. Both nonpaying and paying attract bad work, and I couldn’t imagine money waived around as a deterrent for bad work. The money would attract more work, and increase the probability of higher caliber, but it would also increase the slush. It’s just a fact of stats.
Some say writers deserve “their due”. Okay, sure, but what is “their due”? If a writer chooses to contractually agree to give a publisher publishing rights, non-exclusive publishing rights, in exchange for exposure then that’s their choice. No one is forcing them. What’s the argument? That exposure alone shouldn’t be offered? If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to do agree to it. If others do, then so what? Get mad about is all you want, but in the end who the fuck cares?
There are more arguments. Marchese and I go into 4theluv publications and their purpose on the show and we would love your feedback. Spreaker allows comments, by the way.
Mr. Deadman and Marchese will explore good writing vs bad writing. What’s lazy writing? What’s the problem with pronouns? What does it mean when readers don’t seem to care, on average? Traditional publishers are described as gatekeepers of quality, yet publish Dan Brown, E.L. James and Stephenie Meyer.
These authors are criticized for their poor prose and lazy writing, but are loved by fans, and are living very comfortably off their work. So, what’s the difference between good writing vs bad writing? Appealing to academics, grammar police, and writing elitists or appealing to readers?
Mr. Deadman and Willie The Dynamite talk about Indie publishing and Traditional publishing. The pros and cons of the world of self-publishing will come up and things might even get heated! Check it out live at 10pm CST Tonight
