Miss Read

Yes, I know that sounds rather ominous, but it's the truth. Editors and publishers read blogs and journals. We see what authors have to say about their own publishers. (Though I personally know of a few instances in which an author has bad-mouthed his/her publisher, and the publisher has known about it.)

That, my friends, can lead to blacklisting. And believe me, that's not something you want associated with your name(s). Once you've been blacklisted (and there really is no set list anywhere that I know of), you'll be hard pressed to find a publisher willing to take you on. After all, who's to say the new publisher won't find themselves bad-mouthed when the author becomes disgruntled for one reason or another?

If you're unhappy about your publisher (and/or editor), don't bitch about it in your journal, website, blog, what have you. Talk privately to a friend or two you trust to keep it quiet. Always be careful about talking to other authors you don't know very well; for all you know, they might be the alter-egos of someone within your publishing house.

This business doesn't have to be cutthroat, but it is. However, you can be assertive without being an ass. If you have a problem, take it your editor. If that doesn't work or the problem is your editor to begin with, then take it higher up the chain of command, so to speak. Don't blab about your editor (and/or publisher) being an idiot (or worse) in public. It's unprofessional and slanderous.

Personally, as an editor and publisher, if I see an author doing such things in public, that author will be on my blacklist. A submission to my company would be an automatic, emphatic NO.

Sincerely,
Miss Read