Schiel & Denver Publishers Communication Inept and Failure to Adhere to Professional Standards Houston, Texas

To date, Schiel & Denver has never provided me or attempted to contact me with regard to any and all royalties due me.  My initial book was released on 22 August 2011.  My impression regarding their 50% royalty promise to Authors is tantamount to 50% to Schiel and 50% to Denver. When I have tried to get information from my "assigned" S&D representative, the communication "pipeline" was severed.  I was then turned over to Management who abandoned me in my attempt to receive what was rightfully due me in accordance with the signed contract.  When I pressed for what I thought were reasonable requests for them to be Author-friendly, they cited some obscure passage in the contract that supported their denial to support me in any way.  They, in effect, did a "Pontius Pilate" regarding my requests for support and more or less told me "to go away".

When S&D indicated that they sent my complimentary Author book copies to me by Priority Mail, they instead sent the box of books rather by Media Mail delivery, a system of mailing that is the slowest possible means of going from Point A to Point B.  S&D's insistence regarding the mode of mailing was made to me prior to the 10th of January 2012.  I received the books 53 days later.   Not exactly the Priority Mail submission as they had purported.  When checking with my local Post Office official as to the whereabouts of my books, he researched the location of my box of books and ascertained that they were sitting in a truck in Philadelphia, PA and waiting for the truck to be fully loaded before it would depart for Maine.  When the box of books arrived, the cardboard container was torn and looked like it had gone through a "war".  I received my 20 softcover books with one having a back cover completely ripped off and missing.  All but two of the books had severe creases representing an embarrassment in terms of my advocating sales.  I was promised a hardcover book, per contract, and S&D refused to send me that copy.  They insisted that the hardcover book had been sent in the Media Mail box.  That was a lie.  It was never there.  When I asked for an additional copy of my softcover to cover the torn copy, I was, in effect, told  to go and "pound sand"!

I received my Author copies for my third book weeks before the copies of my second book.  With my third book copies, I was promised 20, but instead received only 19.  Once again, a hardcover book was not included in the box, but S&D insisted it had been included when shipped from their warehouse.  When I asked for the 20th softcover copy and the one hardcover copy I was due, I was denied my request.  I thought, how can a company not want to send one copy of each book to further the relationship with its Author?  Their inconsideration was unprofessional, uncaring, selfish, and retaliatory for my insistence that they be held accountable in any and all respects.

Schiel & Denver has arbitrarily closed my account with them without informing me of their intent.   They took it upon themselves to "stop communicating" with me rather than to address their lack of professionalism.     

S&D arbitrarily assigned a book cover for my third book without my permission.  The cover had absolutely nothing to do with the story line whatsoever!  When I approached management about changing it, they ignored me by citing, again, some obscure provision in the contract.  What was mind-boggling was that they had conferred with me regarding the covers for my first two books, but decided I wasn't worth the trouble for the third book.

I paid for the Book Returns Program for my first two books [$699.00 apiece] where the books were supposed to be in the "brick and mortar" bookstores.  S&D never put sent them forward to any store.  They Literally "screwed me" out of nearly $1,400.00!   

I offer the following communication mailings between me and Schiel & Denver Support personnel is offered to render an accounting of specific problems with Schiel & Denver's lack of desire to communicate with this Author.  The following are notes submitted to S&D relating to concerns about its performance. 

First of all, I want to wish Schiel & Denver a very Happy New Year and success in 2012 in their enterprising insistence in aiding new and existing authors. In addition, thank you, Schiel & Denver for your personal support for my first manuscript and subsequent release of my first Book entitled Nowhere To Run. I understand you are doing your ultimate best in securing my requested information to provide me with sales information to date, notwithstanding that my book was release on 22 August 2011.

"My editor" has been in periodic contact with me to assuage my concerns regarding my receipt of author copies for my second book entitled The Portal. This book was released on December 6, 2011. My ticket submission asking for a
response for author book receipt rendered a resulting reply on or about 11 December 2011 that read, "Your complimentary copies are being prepared for release from our warehouses this week." This was from "Network Support &
Security". 30 days later, I still look forward to receiving my author copies; however, it is the holiday season, and Schiel & Denver is short-staffed.
Authors are expected to understand and those of us affected by the anticipated lack of "dubious" acceptance will proceed in time with the hope that our expectations will be met sometime in the future as yet determined by the
mechanized "wheels" of the Shiel & Denver's antiquated distribution apparatus. I totally understand that Schiel & Denver is doing its best to support its author base with mediocre performance. I also understand that
sometimes corporate organizations offer only optimum organizational success commensurate with its personnel representing less than satisfying client expectation. Not to worry. There are those of us of peasantry status who still
believe in your mediocre and somewhat archaic demeanor to stay with you and hope for the very best in somewhat questionable future performance.

In defense of the Schiel & Denver warehouse staff, the holidays have just been completed. I understand, therefore, the delay for my 20 paperwork and one hardbound book author copy should be accepted by authors who are at the
mercy of half-payments permitted by management. My request for courtesy copies [paid for IAW my publication package] prior to Christmas was totally "outlandish" and "unsupportive" in terms of today's corporate expectations
regarding client patronage. As money is the Deity superseding customer satisfaction, I am totally out-of-line in anticipating a service that in years past would be expected unquestionably by those of us who saw true quality in
their anticipated acceptance of what "service" stood for. Shame on me, an author who would like to make a difference in his small world of enterprising determination to share literary enjoyment and enlightenment. This is as it
should be because money always "drives the train" in this day of economic austerity. As a consequence, I am at your mercy for "retaliation", a "retaliation" that will surely follow from what has been gleaned as impatience emanated from
my editor.

By the way, "Mr. Editor", your message "I can therefore confirm that there is nothing further you need to do, the issue is however resolved,' is totally devoid of accuracy and acceptance. Checkmate, "Mr. Editor". I hope you have enjoyed your Holiday that I feel certainly has been truly and richly deserving.

Schiel & Denver, thank you for all of your prior positive information. In terms of your delayed performance in the sending of author information and expected book copies, I understand that you are doing your very best in measuring up to retain your status as a secondary self-book publication organization. For those of us who are able to afford your somewhat inferior services, you will never be left wanting in generating the monetary reward that is so deserving of a publication in the top 100 self-publication services.
Thank you for being there for me, even though you have always neglected to "short-stop" issues before they arrived in my e-mail. Once again, shame on me for expecting that this would be the job of the editor to make the path of
publication one of ease and enjoyment.

I have much to learn concerning the expectation of literary publication.
Once more, I wish all at Schiel & Denver the enjoyment of success that each and every one richly deserves.

Respectfully submitted,

[And the following relates to the status of my books sent "Priority Mail"]

Dear David Turner,

Unfortunately, these books were not handled priority mail by the USPS. After they were handed off by UPS in Philadelphia, PA to the USPS, they have sat in a truck under "Media Mail" status. According to the USPS, this is the slowest mail possible. "You get what you pay for," according to the USPS representative I spoke with today. He also told me that your mailing to me was the "cheapest manner possible". So much for Priority Mail Service from Schiel & Denver.

You know, David, I just wish that someone within your total organization would be honest with me one time. I get the run-around from an editor who promises things but does not come through. Now it's a continued communication
problem with him with a failure to keep me up-to-date with many things, such as why my books are still not physically present in stores such as Books-A-Million and others bookstores. $699.00 must be petty cash to you guys. And please,
Schiel & Denver's excuse in the transition from Fedex to UPS services has well worn out "that carpet". No wonder I've sent a subsequent manuscript to another publishing company because I just can't rely on Schiel & Denver, other than their art work, which has been great regarding my first two books. (At least I think the art work is great for my second book because I haven't been able to get a copy because your shipment is sitting in a truck somewhere between Pennsylvania and Maine!) My first book has been out since August 22, 2011 and I can't get someone off the "dime" at S&D to go to bat for me and get a report on the sales progress!

Wow, it just keeps getting better.

Didn't mean to bore you. Pre-press, I know, has another shipment to get out "priority" mail today.

tjoleary3, Author