An Update

By now I am sure you will have seen that I am no longer with Crime Publishing Network, a strange occurrence you might be thinking considering they just released my first novel. 

If you weren't aware, or hadn't seen it, here is the statement I put out a short time ago:

Following a meeting yesterday, Crime Publishing Network and I have chosen to part ways. The rights to Dirty Little Secret will revert back to myself in 30 days time and will no longer be published by them. At their request I won't go into the details of this split, but I will say I wasn't happy with what was released or their responses. I wish CPN and their authors all the best for the future. I will now be taking some time away to reflect on what has happened and what this means for Dirty Little Secret, the second book, From Sorrow's Hold, and the rest of the Louise Miller series. Several literary agents had expressed an interest just after I signed with CPN, so I'm hoping they will be able to take Louise Miller forward. Failing that, it will be back to submitting to agents who can better place my work. The reviews for Dirty Little Secret were very strong and I know it won't take long to find a new, more suitable, home. Thank you to everyone who read the book. This was not how I saw my debut release going, but another harsh lesson learned.  Wishing you all the best - JP

All this means is that on 21st October, all the rights to Dirty Little Secret will revert back to myself, and that CPN will no longer be selling the book either in physical or digital form. Several people have kindly emailed me asking why I took such drastic action so soon after the release of the book, and all I can say is that I was not happy at all with the quality of the release and we couldn't find a solution that was agreeable to all parties.  Everyone at Crime Publishing Network have the best interests of their authors at heart, fueled by a powerful passion for the genre, of that there is no doubt and I thank them for all that they tried to achieve. I sincerely hope that in time, their ability to release a book to the high standards expected of readers and authors alike, will match that passion.

SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? I've been letting the dust settle, speaking with some well-established author friends who completely understand the situation (I was a little worried I was being a precious darling) and agree with my stance, and looking at new possibilities.  Several publishers have been in touch, as well as a couple of agents and I'm deciding which is the best way to go now. Having now had two bad experiences with small, new indie publishers, I am hesitant to go that route straightaway, preferring instead to find an agent who can help place my work with a suitable publisher. In the meantime, I will be working on the third book, currently titled Cut and Shut. I hope you will stay with me as the journey continues, but fully understand if you choose to unsubscribe. The newsletter will be coming out once a month now on the last Sunday of every month. To stay more up to date, you can check out the new blog/website which is not connected in any way to the newsletter so you won't be getting notifications now when a new blog post goes up. Thanks for reading this immensely long, but necessarily so, update. Not the best of things to happen, but in this current climate, certainly not the worst. Stay well, stay safe and stay healthy all. JP

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