The Horror Zine BEWARE |
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CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING What exactly do they do to help those with mental illness other than express "empathy?" |
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WHO: Chipmunka Publishing, UK REASON: Overpricing client's books, non-standard contract, not responding when questioned what exactly it is he does to help those with mental illness, i.e. does he donate portions of their profits, does he assist in any way, shape or form? CEO Jason Pegler will not say, but it is possible that he makes profits from the sales of his client's books due to their very high cover price. What does he do with those profits? I can see no evidence that he uses these profits to help those with mental illness. WHY THE HORROR ZINE IS INVOLVED: In December 2010, Katy Sara Culling contacted The Horror Zine with a request to review her book. When I checked and discovered that her 128 page book was selling at the whopping price of $18, I began to ask questions. This page will reveal what I learned about Chipmunka Publishing, straight from the CEO's mouth, as emailed to me by Jason Pegler. DO NOT PAY THESE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES TO GET PUBLISHED BY CHIPMUNKA HERE Question: Whose interests does Chipmunka care about, making money for themselves or helping the mentally ill? Judge for yourself from this posting on their website: Your Publishing OptionsPlease Note: Authors wishing to make use of the Fast Track and Fast Track Masterclass services: We will not start the editing or production of your book until cleared funds are received. Email from Katy Sara Culling, who was a Chipmunka client*: December 26, 2010 Hi again Jeani - I am thinking of paying for a publicist to help market my books because despite claims to the contrary chipmunka do NOTHING to help with marketing and sales. NOTHING. Firstly, thank you for opening my eyes to what is going on - and I am fine that you do not want to review the book, understand the circumstances. This explains how when i sold thousands of copies of my memoir i only got paid £100. They never gave me any numbers - I did book signings in stores - so all those in book store sales came to nothing for me. I knew the contract was bad but i am off work on disability (like many of Jason's authors) and as such couldn't afford a lawyer. Who knows what future rights I have signed away. I was hoping to turn the book into a screenplay.... I am sorry that it stands all of his authors in bad stead when many of them are like me, vulnerable people with mental illness. Thanks, Katy Sara Culling * Update 01/18/2013: Recently, Katy Sara Culling committed suicide. I have been informed that Chipmunka has produced an ebook dedicated to Katy "in her memorium" HERE. It is my belief, as witnessed by her email, that Ms. Culling would not want this. But does Jason Pegler care what his clients want, or does he just care about the money he makes off of them? Read my email exchanges with Mr. Pegler (below) and you be the judge. Below is the converstation between Jason Pegler and myself, copied exactly as emailed. My first email to Jason Pegler: From: Jeani Rector <jeani_rector@yahoo.com> I am considering reviewing a book in my magazine for an author that is published by Chipmunka Publishing. Before I agree to review the book, I have an important question for you. Mr. Pegler's response: From: jason pegler <jasonpegler@yahoo.com> Dear Jeani, My response back: To: jason pegler <jasonpegler@yahoo.com> Wow, I feel your email is very condescending and downright rude. I am very surprised at your behavior. Jeani Rector, Editor Mr. Pegler's next email seems to be a bit more, shall we say, decent, but still very hasty: From: jason pegler <jasonpegler@yahoo.com> Sorry i did not mean to be rude. I meant our website not your website. Maybe i should expand the FAQ page on our website in the future. All the best and apologies once again. best wishes Now I felt it was time to get down to business: From: Jeani Rector <jeani_rector@yahoo.com> Well I appreciate that. However, I still have some questions for you. For example, I have carefully studied your website, and I am not finding any specifics about what it is exactly you do for the mentally ill? Do you donate proceeds, do you volunteer at established organizations, what? All I can see from your site is that you have "empathy" for them. Well, I do as well. And Mr. Pegler responds, but does not answer my questions: Re: apology to JeaniMonday, January 10, 2011 12:33 AM Since Mr. Pegler did not answer my questions, I ask them again: From: Jeani Rector <jeani_rector@yahoo.com> I will look closely at your website again. I will be seeking where it says you directly help those with mental illness, by either contributions, donations of a portion of proceeds, or direct volunteering. You sent a very nice email; however, I would like to see on your website what you actually DO besides publishing books at very high retail prices. So far, I have to tell you, whatever actions you are doing to help the mentally ill are vague at best. I see nothing on your website about what it is you DO for them. You may criticize Lulu (and I have never used them personally) but they price their books within the reach of many people. At $18 for a 128 page book, no one but that person's relatives would buy the book. Do you feel that is really helping that writer with mental illness? THIS is something that I really really want to know. Why did you discount your own book so heavily (when one considers the page count as comparison), while charging the same price for a book at half the page count? I need to say here that Jason Pegler did not respond. Why is he not offering proof that he does things to help those with mental illness besides over-price their books? Why doesn't he offer proof that he donates portions of his proceeds to a mental health charity? Or anything else that the mentally ill can benefit from? Just what DOES he do with the proceeds from his clients' over-priced books? Jason Pegler chose to keep quiet. YOU CAN JUDGE FOR YOURSELF ABOUT CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING. From: Jeani Rector <jeani_rector@yahoo.com> Hi Jason. I am surprised that you have not responded to address my concerns, but perhaps since you just got back from an extended vacation, you have been busy. STILL NO REPLY. THEREFORE, CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING HAS MADE THE HORROR ZINE BEWARE LIST.
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See comments on the "Absolute Write" forum about Chipmunka Publishing HERE Chipmunka wants a lot of money from you to publish you HERE Questions: What does Chipmunka Publishing do for those with mental health issues besides publish expensively priced books? Do any of the profits go to help those with mental health issues? See the emails to the left for unsatisfactory answers. Why is Jason Pegler's own 248 page book titled A Can of Madness (below) selling for $18.00, the same price tag that he sticks on his clients' 128 page books? If Chipmunka sells his clients' 128 page books for $18, shouldn't he price his own book at $36? Why are the rules different for Jason Pegler than they are for his clients? Here is "A Can of Madness," which is Jason Pegler's own book for which he gives SPECIAL TREATMENT (below). If you care about those with mental illness, do not buy this book: SEE WHAT VICTIMS ARE SAYNG: I have screen prints of these emails on file NEW EMAIL (12/26/2012): Wed, Dec 26, 2012 at 4:35 AM Dear Jeani I look forward to hearing from you Jeani and will be very grateful for any help or advice you can give me. Kind regards L (name removed) MY RESPONSE: L, I am so very sorry. Chipmunka and Jason Pegler especially prey on vulnerable people like yourself for financial gain. I am aware that they are sponsored by the ARTS Council and that breaks my heart. The ARTS Council has been grossly misinformed. Please, by all means, do tell your story to the ARTS council and do tell them about the Chipmunka Beware Page on The Horror Zine. Can I post your email, if I remove your email address and remove your name? Thank you for contacting me. If there is anything I can do to help you, know that I will. Wed, Dec 26, 2012 at 6:05 AM Dear Jeani Kind Regards, L MORE EMAILS FROM OTHER VICTIMS Sunday, March 11, 2012 11:56 AM Basically I published with Chipmunka in 2010 a memoir called 'The Undesirable'. Because I was so scared of the agent route (the fear of rejection and all that) I was delighted when Chipmunka decided to publish my book. Although I was a little wary of the 'mental health' tag (I have a history of mental illness and this is mentioned in the book), I just had problem with it becoming a 'label' or a complete 'identity tag', especially when my book was in fact an existentialist memoir (I'm heavily influenced by Sartre and Camus) that actually sought to make the reader question tags, labels and identities. All the problems you have stated in the Horrorzine slowly came to light bit by bit. Only one book (Pegler's auto-biography) gets any promotion. Chipmunka has a 'fast-track' policy for paperbacks (your book is an e-book for the first 6 months before going to paperback unless you opt for the 'fast track' method and agree to buy at least 33 copies of your own book with a few extra copies added, called an 'author discount'). This is, I consider, a form of 'vanity publishing' on the sly. All the copies I managed to get out in stores or sell to people who knew me either made a loss or came to the same price - Bit by bit I realised that Pegler was not 'empowering' the mentally ill but, in fact, exploiting them. He was once voted New Statesman 'Young Entrepreneur of the year' and has met David Cameron. So he knows where money is to be made. But 'empowering' the 'mentally ill'? Far from it. It's made me feel a 'failed writer'. I have managed to terminate my contract with them and maybe one day I could publish 'The Undesirable' elsewhere (Which I might re-title "Down and out in Lyon and London") but for the moment am concentrating on my second book, "The death of Eros". But the whole experience with Chipmunka has found me very cynical and disappointed (£280 profit, plus the amount I spent on the 'fast track' method means I must have made quite a bit for them - My royalties though, were £0.00). Even POD publishing cannot justify any of this. And yes, like you'd probably know by now Jason Pegler is notoriously frustrating to confront, fails to answer questions, diverts the issue and, in my case, also very dictatorial (after learning that I made a thread about my experience with Chipmunka on Absolute Write he e-mailed me to tell me to apologise, and to tell me to remove the thread and 'promise not to do it again' otherwise he'd 'withdraw' my book. My first thoughts were 'please do that'). Sheza Jilal Another victim:
date: Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 2:29 PM Hello Jeani, My name is Teresa (last name removed) and I have had occasion to read your piece on line about Chipmnunka publishing. I placed my book with them just over 18 months or so ago. The eBook came out in Febuary 2010 and the paperback in June of this year. This October was the first time I would be aware of any royalties. I was shocked to receive an email telling me that I had only sold 2 ebooks and 2 paperback during all that time. I have done many radio interviews and was of the mind that there were far more sales. People ringing in to talk to me during those show told me that they had read the book. 3 personal friends also said they had purchased it. A radio host from GH Radio, a show in which I have been interviewed on twice. Assured me both while we were talking on Skype and then by email that he was personally is aware of 10 sales within his family unit. I have questioned Chipmunka but only received a part print out confirming the sales.. which if I'm honest i could run up my self. I am unable to see the name of the printers or details. I guess I am writing to you for advise after reading your concerns. I am a disabled lady suffering from mental health and this has really knocked me back. I have spent hours and hours trying to promote my book in any way possible, and I feel completely let down. Blessings, Teresa And another victim date: Wed, Nov 16, 2011 12:46 PM Hello, If you are considering using Chipmunka, please read these quotes: From katysara (read actual post HERE) I'm going to talk to the CEO of Chipmunka (when he's back on Jan 10th) and see if I can get him to be more open with me. I'm also going to look for an agent. Meanwhile I will try and concentrate on writing which is not easy with all this storming through my brain. KSx From Alica0099 (read actual post HERE) Okay so I wanted to share my experience with chupmunka and maybe get some advice? They found my self-published book, The Crazy Inside: A poetic journey through manic depression, on myspace a long time ago. I signed a contract with them. They told me it would be an e-book and then 9 months later it would be published in print. Well, almost three years later I never saw a dime and it never went to paperback printing. I asked to be let out of my contract since they didn't hold up their end. They said that was fine. To this day they are still selling my book on amazon through kindle and I have NEVER seen a dime. So if you are considering chipmunka, I would most definitely reconsider. Also, does anyone know what I can do about this? Advice from Michael B (read actual post HERE) It sounds to me as if they (Chipmunka) are preying on vulnerable people, then keeping as much money as they possibly can to line their own pockets. They claim they donate to mental health agencies, but where's the proof? Also, to my way of thinking, the people they should be helping are their authors who are owed the promised royalties. As a publisher and author I can state that it is not right to take the costs of credit card payments out of the author's share of royalties. What a freaking crock of crap. He (Jason Pegler) is in the business to give his authors the business, plain and simple. SEX IS NOW SELLING ON CHIPMUNKA The "publisher" Chipmunka who is supposedly specializing in Mental Health is now specializing in UNHEALTHY SEX "As a woman, I am offended by the objectification of women as targets to be beaten and humiliated." --Jeani Rector Why has Chipmunka published a book titled TEASE ME, PLEASE ME, WHIP ME, BEAT MESee this sex book HERE More about Chimpunka: Absolute Write states: Chipmunka offers an extremely nonstandard contract, including:
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