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Forward Press

edited November 2010 in Writing
I have just read the following bulletin that has some sad news for anyone with Forward Press (they own Need2Know as well).

You need to scroll down a little way.

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/forward-press-closes-in-uk-100-staffers-laid-off_b17669?c=rss
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Comments

  • VivViv
    edited November 2010
    Sad when any publisher goes into liquidation and when people lose jobs. Never had much dealings with FP, but are they a good reputable publisher, or one of those who publish any old rubbish and then try to sell you the books?? Or am I doing them a disservice here?
  • Forward Press has been featured here before. Do a search.
  • I'm not a fan of Forward Press but feel sorry for the people commissioned by Need 2 Know who have written books that will never earn a penny for the authors.
  • Need2Know was a legitimate bit. But sadly Viv most people would know FP for highly priced books sold to the people whose poems they accepted.
  • edited November 2010
    I hope it's ok for me to copy this news information here? Webbo please delete if I've broken any rules.

    Anyone who has a book/contract with them needs to register with the insolvency practitioner.

    [EDIT BY WEBBO] no problem for me, Baggy, but in the interests of not infringing The Bookseller's copyright I'm pasting it as a link
    Forward Press ceases to trade heads towards liquidation
    http://www.thebookseller.com/news/135906-forward-press-ceases-to-trade-heads-towards-liquidation.html
  • I've had poetry published after submitting to the Forward Press website. One by Triumph House, another two by Anchor Press. Not sure if they are part of Forward Press but there was no requirement to purchase any books from them as a condition of publishing. I did buy one book after it was reduced from £29.99 to a fiver and my poem was in there.
    I think it provided a place where you could upload you poetry and opened a door to publication. They also ran competitions. I felt it was a good place to start and the publications on my CV don't hurt either.
  • Sadly it has hit many authors who have written books under the Need2Know imprint. These writers have lost royalties and their books after a lot of hard work.
  • It has had both good and bad press over the years. A few months ago, to my surprise, they accepted a short poem, and I felt the way they handled the contract very professional. I-too-was offered a reduced price to buy a book, but didn't apply.
    Obviously I cannot speak for authors who had a contract for a book, and am sorry their Need2Know imprint also folds: there were some excellent titles published. I have no axe to grind being a published children's author, but reckon we shall see more small publishers folding, and THAT is grim news for us struggling authors......keep your day time job, folks!
  • edited November 2010
    Casey, buying the book wasn't a condition of publishing but those included in the books and relatives were the market aimed for- talking specifically Forward Press here, not other imprints that may have had proper contracts...

    The Need2Know section was starting to do well, so it is sad that they will be lost.

    I think 2 TB's have books with them.
  • blimey, somehow I've missed this thread.
    Just got an email from my publisher - Need2Know about FP going into liquidation but N2K continuing.
    They are stopping commissioning of new titles for the time being but planning to still publish the books scheduled for 2010 nd 2011 (mine is due in April 2011).
    Unfortunately, in the meantime their main editor 'has been snapped up' by another publisher.

    I've just finished my first draft and was going to edit it after the NaNo
  • That's good to know about Need2Know, thanks Mema. We've been trying to confirm what's happening, but their phones are obviously very busy!
  • edited November 2010
    Need2Know published my two non-fiction titles. They treated me well, paying advances and royalties and are NOT ceasing trading - unlike their parent company. For now they are intending to concentrate on continuing to sell their current titles (which, by the way, have been selling extremely well) rather than commissioning new titles. This seems sensible to me and I hope they'll be able to continue on their own. They are saying that this is their intention.
  • That is good news for everyone involved.

    So often the good parts in such a situation get lost or are held in limbo while it is sorted out. And they have ensured their authors know what is happening too.
  • edited November 2010
    The receiver said today that there is no news on the future of N2K at the moment. Forward Press Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation and N2K is part of Forward PRess Ltd.
    They have their first meeting on Monday when they will start to look at whether anything can be saved and if there is a future. Yes there has been interest in a possible buyout but it is all specualtion at the moment.
    Webbo I'd speak to the receivers as they are very helpful and will tell the truth.
    Gerald Edelman Business Recovery on 01233 666280
  • I have two books with them. The first Bullying - A Parent's Guide was out in 2005. I was due to get a royalty cheque, but won't get it now. My 2nd book, Caring for Your Dog: The Essential Guide was due out on Dec 1st. That obviously won't be published now unless someone buys the imprint, so I won't get the 2nd half of my advance.

    I am very upset by all that's happened as I needed that money. My dog was also attacked this week, so its not been the best of weeks.

    The one thing I do know is that if someone buys the publisher the contract anyone has with Need2Know will pass onto the new publisher and the terms will be the same.
  • Sorry to hear that this has affected you badly, and hope your dog is is recovering.
  • Thanks carol. Benjy is okay. I think I got a bigger fright that he did. He is a tough wee guy - all that Frisbee catching.

    Daisy, there are authors who were with them longer than me. They didn't try to cut my royalties - they'd have been told to be stuffed if they did. But, I did get hit with an 'admin charge' for my bullying book. It wasnt in my contract and I told them so and they gave me the money back.

    I just hope someone buys the imprint. If they did, our they would take over our old contracts. I really need the cash from my books.
  • Maybe a takeover would 'publish' via Kindle or similar new technology. They would get their money without printing costs, and you would get your royalties. Just a thought, but possibly the way forwards (sorry about the unintentional pun).
  • edited December 2010
    I'm so grateful to my friend for letting me know about this web site. I have been commisioned to write Asthma- The Essential Guide, due for publication in October 2011. This is my first comission and I am still hoping that Need2know will continue. I shall be looking at the comments and waiting for any news.
  • welcome to TB!
  • Hello Cath, welcome.
    Hope there is a positive outcome for you and others.
  • HI Dorothyd and Carol, this looks like a newsy site, but I found it a struggle to look for the topic "forward press" cos it seems that the priority changes daily. Will just have to keep looking. I'm hoping that things work out at need2know. Suppose to be writing this afternoon but all this insolvency stuff has given me writer's block!
  • just go to the search box, if Forward Press is all you want to read, Cath. That will take you straight to it. We tend to chat a lot on this forum, so the threads change by the minute.
  • Always check the search term in upper and then lower case- it just depends on what the title was written as. But if the term was mentioned in a thread it will list that bit so you might get the correct thread that way.
  • [quote=cath] have been commisioned to write Asthma- The Essential Guide, due for publication in October 2011.[/quote]
    Hi Cath,
    I have my fingers crossed too that Need2Know will be bought over. I'm going to contact them and see if I get a response. If I do I will post it here.

    Please don't start on your book until you know. I would hate you to lose all that work as I might with my dog book that was due out in Dec 1st 2010.
  • HI Jenthom, thanks for your thoughts. It's such a precarious time isn't it? I just don't want this to be yet another book started and not finished. I was working on my debut novel and managed 33,000 words that had been edited to death, so I thought it was fairly okay, and was really enjoying my confidence growing and then the N2K venture arrived. So I had to put my novel away. I've really lost the thread but intend to get back to it after Asthma- The Essential Guide- There is just too much unfinished business,but hey, that's the world of writing. Also, I work full-time so the hours are numbered.
    Would another publishing house be interested in your dog book if N2K folded? I suppose there will be no reason why authors like you and I shouldn't send a new book proposal off and see what happens!
  • Cath was there a signed contract for your book?
    If there was then you will have to hold off sending the proposal elsewhere until the situation is resolved.
  • Hi Carol, yes there was a signed contract....still waiting for a call from N2K....I'm feeling a bit hopeful today about it all!
  • Need2Know Books is continuing trading and the staff have gone back to work. However, it isn't true that they kept all their authors informed as I'm one of them and knew nothing about it. Got no email. Another author told me about it. Still haven't heard from them. I got all the info I needed and registered with the liquidators so I hopefully won't lose royalties. They changed my contract a few months ago and charged me admin fees; refused to pay me back even though the Society of Authors got involved. I may try to get my contract changed now. Up to then, they'd been fine to work for and my editor, who was moved sideways was great. She's gone elsewhere now. If anybody knows where Kate has gone to please let me know.
  • Hello Diane ;) (I'm assuming you're the Diane I think you are!) I'm just sending you an email.
  • One of Need2kNow's authors kindly got in touch with me today and said she was told the company has been bought over by Bonacia Ltd. Apparently (I can't say for sure as I'm still looking into it) the people who owned Forward Press are the ones behind Bonacia. I fear authors may lose any outstanding royalties on published books, but that books that were due to be published may well still be.

    I have emailed them for more info, but am not holding my breathe. I have phoned and gotten nowhere.
  • [quote=diane]it isn't true that they kept all their authors informed as I'm one of them and knew nothing about it.[/quote]
    I'm in the same boat Diane. Sorry if I re-stated your post. My brain has gone to mush in this weather. I feel that authors have been treated shabbily, yet we will have to work with whoever is in charge.
  • If you go to the Forward Press website the contact details now show Bonacia Ltd. I'm not sure this is legal as it's far too soon for the receivers to have sold off part of the company. Perhaps the SoA and the receivers are the best people to speak to?
    I just hope he hasn't started up under a new limited company name and is renaging on all monies owed to authors on outstanding royalties etc.
    None of this smells good. I'm so wishing this man indigestion on Christmas day just for keeping his authors in the dark!
  • [quote=writebag]I just hope he hasn't started up under a new limited company name and is renaging on all monies owed to authors on outstanding royalties etc.[/quote]
    That was my thought too.
  • They had just asked for poetry to be published in aid of our troops in Afghanistan - I sent a poem, which was to be published; also love poetry and another topic - I can't remember what it was. Books were ordered and paid for, but not received yet. Will they ever see the light of day?
  • It looks like Bonacia (whatever it is) was started in 2005. A director with the same name as a founding director of FP was appointed a Bonacia director in September 2010. I'm not liking the sound of this either. I was hoping N2K would be bought by a reputable company and whisked as far away from the rest of FP as possible. The receivers told me that N2K have been bought by another 'publishing company'. Wouldn't they need to be aware of any connection? Or maybe, as far as they're concerned, it doesn't matter.
  • Isn't this illegal?
  • [quote=Daisy]A director with the same name as a founding director of FP [/quote]
    The whole thing stinks. If it is the same person who ran FP how can authors trust them if they have done a magic act to stop paying the cash they owe?
  • Still not getting their emails, even though I was assured they would include me. I agree about Bonacia. It's the same people as Forward Press. I don't know if they can do that. I know people who liquidated, then started up the next day under a different name without paying their creditors. Legal but immoral I think. It all explains why they took 'admin fees' off my royalties without asking first, then refused to pay them back but I stupidly signed a new contract, not in my favour. I gather other authors refused to sign but I was pressured into it because of the economic situation. Happy Xmas everyone!
  • Hi - I'm another former Forward Press author and I have only just had two emails from them telling me about the changes - I was surprised to see how far back the threads go on these forums about this! I sent a fairly long email today asking about the proposed re-launch, royalties owed etc so will pas on any info that comes my way ...
  • Welcome Dennis.
    There is another associated thread Need2Know that you might want to look at.
  • Well, as some of you know we had friends and neighbours round for mince pies to raise money for a charity this morning. My son's friend came along, a 20 year old girl... she was very excited as she said she has several poems accepted (at the beginning of October) by Forward Press to go in an anthology.

    Is this likely to be kosher, anyone know?
  • Sorry Liz I wish I could tell you. Still waiting to find out what's happening with anything at that place.
  • I hope no one has been affected too badly from this.
  • Dear writers,
    My name is Anatoly and i'm a reporter for the Olive Press newspaper in southern Spain (www.theolivepress.es). Please feel free to google my name to verify my identity. I have come across your very informative thread while doing research into Forward Press.

    The company's Spanish subsidiary is currently being investigated by the Spanish police for fraud. Forward Press has allegedly ran writing competitions in schools across the country, they then collected fees from parents to have the winning work published. None of the books arrived, and they were due even before Forward Press went into investigation.

    I'm sure you'll agree this is not on. I'm very interested in your claims that Bonacia is owed by the same people who owed Forward Press. Can any of you verify this information? Any other info about your experiences with the FP would be greatly appreciated and will be kept confidential if needed. I can be contacted at [email protected] or 078 333 16 087. Thanks in advance for your time.
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