Dealing with the Devil of Legacy Book Publishing

 

 

Getting published is every writer’s dream. I wanted my book in every bookstore, on top lists, and selling thousands, if not millions of copies. But that dream almost crashed before it began.
In 2012, I started writing Curveball at the Crossroads. The first rough draft was finished in late 2013. I put the manuscript aside for a few years as I went back to school. From 2013 to 2019, I would occasionally submit the first 20 pages to publishers. I had a few dozen rejection letters and even more unanswered email queries. I grew frustrated, thinking the book would never be published.

I was laid off when the world stopped in 2020. With nothing to do besides looking for a new job and hoping the economy would start again, I decided to work on creative projects. The top project on my list was getting Curveball at the Crossroads published. I wanted to get my book in the hands of other bored readers. With no sports on TV, I thought people might flock to a sports fiction novel.
With no success pitching to larger publishers, I googled “Florida book publishers”. I figured if I was a local writer with experience in local publications, if I worked with a local publisher all the money would stay local. In theory, it was a good idea.

I found a list of Florida publishers and emailed several of them the first chapter of Curveball at the Crossroads. Only one emailed me back: Legacy Book Publishing from Winter Park, Florida.

Within a month, I signed a contract with Legacy Book Publishing to publish Curveball at the Crossroads. That was a huge mistake. I should have done my homework.

Gabriel Vaughn is the owner of Legacy Book Publishing. According to Florida business directory Sunbiz.org, Legacy Book Publishing doesn’t exist. Here are Gabriel Vaughn’s companies according to Sunbiz. Of them, only Legacy Press of Florida is active.

 

Representing a fictional company in a contract is illegal. Even if Gabriel Vaughn changed the name of the company on the contract, I still should not have done business with him. Not only does he have a claim against him by an author on RipoffReport.com, not only is there a scathing review of his lack of services to another author on his Google Business page, he has been sued in the Orange County Court by several authors.

As of 2022, my name is on the top of the list of authors who sued Gabriel Vaughn and his publishing companies.

Gabriel Vaughn provided me a published book in November 2020. Unfortunately, the original printing of Curveball at the Crossroads was littered with typos, including three on the back cover. The cover was poorly designed and not to the level of other books. Lastly, when I opened my shipment of books, several copies had blank pages and misaligned pages in the middle of the book. I was completely embarrassed.

Even worse, as of 2022, Gabriel Vaughn has never paid me for any sales. Nor has he ever told me how many books, if any, I sold through his company.

So I reached out to a lawyer and we sued him. My lawsuit demands four things: monies owned, a list of sales, that he de-list Curveball at the Crossroads off his website, and that he never sell my book again.

Most of the lawsuits against Gabriel Vaughn are for Breach of Contract. Gabriel Vaughn and Legacy Book Publishing is what is known as a “Vanity Publisher”. Gabriel Vaughn charges aspiring authors money to print their books. The authors get published by an actual publisher and avoid the stigma of self-publishing and Gabriel Vaughn gets paid without having the responsibility of selling any books.

Getting paid up front also reduces his incentive to print good products. 

Prior to dealing with Gabriel Vaughn, I was under the assumption that self-published meant “bad” or “cheap”. I also thought it meant only distributing through Amazon, which I did not want to do. Not until after I tried selling Gabriel Vaughn’s printing of Curveball at the Crossroads did I learn about self-publishing distribution.

I wanted my book on the shelves at small book stores. That was a goal. Unfortunately, Gabriel Vaughn and Legacy Book Publishing did not distribute through Ingram Spark, the preferred distributor of most small bookstores. The few stores I spoke to would not order books from individual publishers, especially ones they never heard of. They wanted the book to be available through Ingram Spark.

I was stuck with a poorly designed product that no one would order and a publisher who already got paid. I should have had “Sucker” printed on my forehead.

Fortunately, I still had the rights to my novel. I was able to reprint Curveball at the Crossroads in 2021. Reprinting took me almost an entire year. I learned how to commission a cover artist. I learned how to work with freelancers on Fivver.com, to include an editor and a book layout designer. I learned how to submit a self-published novel to Ingram Spark so small book stores can order it. All of the effort was well-worth it. I am proud of the second edition. It is a better product with better editing, a much better cover, and is more widely available.

I doubt I will ever get my money from Gabriel Vaughn. He is a hustler and scam artist who preys on the hopes and dreams of aspiring writers. When I last spoke with my attorney in December 2022, he told me the lawsuit could not be served because the Orange County Court could not find Gabriel Vaughn.

Ironically, Curveball at the Crossroads is about the consequences of signing a contract with the Devil out of desperation. I feel I did the same when I signed with Gabriel Vaughn and Legacy Book Publishing. For future authors, no matter where he surfaces, do not ever do business with Gabriel Vaughn and Legacy Book Publishing.

The much-improved second edition of Curveball at the Crossroads can be found at Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, or ordered through your local bookstore.

Curveball at the Crossroads at Motorworks Brewery with the Bradenton Noles

On November 5th, I had the awesome opportunity to have a book signing with the Bradenton Seminole Club at Motorworks Brewery. The Bradenton Noles were kind enough to let me visit for the game watching party as the Seminoles took on the Miami Hurricanes.

Meeting the Bradenton Noles was a lot of fun. They are some great people and they bought a good amount of books. And Motorworks Brewery is a fun place for local beer.

Thanks again to the Bradenton Seminole Club for having me.

Connecting Jackie Robinson to Curveball at the Crossroads

Creating art puts you in elite company. Not everyone exercises their creative genius in their lifetime. Meeting other creators is an awesome feeling. Especially when your creation is connected to their creation through other associations.

As I've mentioned many times, my debut novel is entitled Curveball at the Crossroads. It is a baseball novel set in rural Mississippi about a young African-American baseball player who makes a deal with the Devil. The audio version of Curveball at the Crossroads is narrated by Torian Brackett. Torian did an amazing job.

A few months later, Torian posted on social media that he another baseball book project in the works. He was narrating "Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter" written by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long. I cannot confirm or deny that doing Curveball at the Crossroads opened Torian to additional baseball opportunities, but I like to think so.

A few months after Torian's announcement, New York-based rapper Skyzoo announced that he was part of a Jackie Robinson documentary entitled "Get to the Bag". Skyzoo dropped the trailer for his project in October 2022.

Now here is where I tie it all together. In mid-2021, Skyzoo performed in Tampa. He has been one of my favorite rappers for years and I could not miss the opportunity to see him perform. After the show, I realized I had a box of books in my car. I acquired a signed CD from him and gave him a signed copy of Curveball at the Crossroads. I remember writing in it that his music has gotten me through some tough times, so it was personal. It was very cool moment for me as a creator to present my creation to a creator that I admire.

I am not sure if Skyzoo has read Curveball at the Crossroads yet. But now there is a chain through creators, associates, and subject matter from my novel in Tampa, Florida through Mississippi to New York City and laying its home in Brooklyn. We are taking JaMark Reliford and the Blues to Ebbets Field and hip-hop.

Be sure to check out Curveball at the Crossroads as well as Torian's Jackie Robinson project and Skyzoo's Jackie Robinson documentary.

Curveball at the Crossroads at Bookstore1 Sarasota Book Fair October 22nd 2022

 

I love book fairs. As much as I love solo book signings, book fairs are better than solo book signings because I have a chance to meet fellow authors and writers. They also attract more people than solo book signings. They are a chance for me to see how other authors peddle their wears. I have learned a lot from fellow authors.

For example, the last few book fairs I have gone to I forgot to bring a mailing list. Mailing lists are important. Especially if I want to build a fanbase. 

This coming weekend, on October 22nd, 2022, I will be headed to Sarasota, Florida for the Bookstore1 Sarasota annual book fair. Bookstore1 is a very cute bookstore tucked in downtown Sarasota. They are around the corner and through the breezeway from a weekend market. I think there will be plenty of foot traffic for the book fair, which of course is a great thing.

Book fairs are also a chance to be outgoing and use my best sales pitch. I am basically carnival barking my book, trying to convince people to buy it instead of any of the other books for sale. But it is not a competition. It is a celebration of local authors and their creations.

But for real, Curveball at the Crossroads was runner-up, Best Book by a Local Author in 2021 for a reason.

The Bookstore1 Sarasota book fair should be a great time. Here is the link for more information:

https://www.sarasotabooks.com/fall2022-local-author-book-fair

Curveball at the Crossroads in the FSView

 

Tallahassee Talent Promoted to the Big Leagues - Kani Schram, FSView, 10/2/2022

Since publishing Curveball at the Crossroads, I have had the honor of some great reviews and write-ups. People have compared me to WP Kinsella, Christopher Moore, and other fantastic authors. It is all very humbling and very special.

But no review has been more special than my most recent in the FSView and Florida Flambeau. The FSView and Florida Flambeau is the campus paper of my alma mater, Florida State University. It is also the newspaper where I got my start twenty years ago. It was the first place I saw my name in print.

For those curious, I have reprinted some of my old FSView articles here under the tag "The FSView Collection". Since the FSView's website doesn't have a good archive, I figure I am not breaking any copyright laws reposting my own stuff.

The FSView has always had a soft spot in my heart. Once the Florida Flambeau, the paper merged with the FSView in the 1990s and became the FSView and Florida Flambeau. The paper has a history of speaking truth to power, taking on the campus powers-that-be on several occasions. Even though I wrote for the Lifestyles section, I always kept the history of the paper in mind, especially if I had the chance to write about less popular groups, clubs, or people.

But to now be written about in the paper? That's awesome.

I want to thank writer Kani Schram. She is a freshman writer for the FSView and even though she is in the beginning of her writing career, she did a great job with the article on me. I was very impressed and I hope to read her work again as she continues to bigger things.

I don't know how many FSView alumni have continued writing. I don't know how many have been written about in the same paper that they got their start. It is an awesome feeling. Among all my reviews, this might be one of my favorite.

Talking to Drinking With Authors

 

In an attempt to promote Curveball at the Crossroads, I have made appearances on several podcasts. On the recommendation of fellow local author Mark Muncy, I contacted the fine folks at Drinking With Authors and we scheduled an online conversation.

About Drinking With Authors:

We always imagine a day when we’re having a drink at our favorite bar, dive, or even eatery and our favorite author comes through the doors. Much to your luck, they sit next to you and conversation ensues! That’s what Drinking With Authors is all about! Join us over drinks to discover the backstory and journey of authors like Tamara Lush, Connie Y Harris, Kenya Wright, Jonathan Maberry, Dan Wells, Jeffe Kennedy, Heather Graham, Melinda M. Snodgrass, and so many more. We interview authors all over the spectrum including those who just started their journey with their debut book and those who have scripted some of our favorite television and Netflix shows! Pour yourself a drink, pull up a seat, and join us as we get to know our favorite authors and gain some inspiration for fellow writers and sheer entertainment for fans!

Listen to my talk with Drinking With Authors here:

Curveball at the Crossroads Audiobook Review

 

I never realized how difficult it is marketing an audiobook. While the audiobook market is in the billions, how do you promote an audiobook? With a physical book, I can show it to people anywhere and they can touch it, feel it, and hopefully buy it. But with an audiobook, there is another level of engagement. They have to play it and find the time to listen to it.

One of the ways I learned to promote the Curveball at the Crossroads audiobook is to submit it to audiobook review websites. A few months ago, I submitted the Curveball at the Crossroads audiobook to AudioFileMagazine.com. They publish dozens of audiobook reviews. I wasn't sure if they were going to review it or not. Lo and behold, last week they sent me an email stating their review was published.

Narrator Torian Brackett gives star treatment to each character in this story of a faustian bargain. Seventeen-year-old JaMark Reliford is poised for big league baseball--until he blows out his arm. After leaving home, depressed, drinking, and smoking, he meets a tall man in a zoot suit. The tempting voice that Brackett gives the devil entices JaMark with promises of baseball glory in return for his soul. Soon he meets Betsy, the love of his life--and another standout performance by Brackett--and moves to the Major League. But these successes are marred by his heartbreaking worry about the future of his soul, coupled with terrifying visits from the devil. Audio is a must for the subtle humor that shines through JaMark's anxiety. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2022]

I agree. Torian did an amazing job, although the review failed to mention my favorite part - Torian's spectacular job as the play-by-play radio announcer.

Hopefully this is the start of the audiobook taking off in sales. Or at least the start of other reviews. I hope other enjoy the Curveball at the Crossroads audiobook as much as I do.

For those who haven't heard, he is a preview of Torian Brackett's narration of Curveball at the Crossroads.

Curveball at the Crossroads Review by Guy Who Reviews Sports Books

 

Book reviewers are busy. There are a lot of books published and a lot of books to be read. On this site, I think I have reviewed maybe a dozen or two. I can't imagine hosting a website dedicated to regularly reviewing books. But thankfully, some people have better dedication to reading and writing than I do.

Lance Smith is one of those people. Lance is a sports book reader who writes for his aptly named website The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books. Very early on in my marketing process, I sent Lance a copy of Curveball at the Crossroads. As you can see in the image, it is the first edition, which was no available as of November 2021. But that is the version Lance had and that Lance eventually read.

I emailed Lance several times, typically once every few months, to see where Curveball at the Crossroads was in his to-be-read pile. Every avid reader has a to-be-read pile. Finally in August, Lance emailed me to say he was starting the book. A few weeks later, he emailed me to say he enjoyed the read and that the review was published on his site.

A very good rating is worth the wait.

Lance had a lot of great things to say about Curveball at the Crossroads. For example,

This story was an enjoyable read for a few reasons. One is that Lortz developed his characters well, especially JaMark, his love Betsy, JaMark’s Uncle Rufus and Inga, the old woman who Uncle Rufus said was the only one who could help JaMark.  All of them are people with whom the reader can relate, even if the reader was never a major league pitcher, an awesome Southern cook or someone who had trouble staying out of jail.

Click here to check out Lance's write-up about Curveball at the Crossroads.

And if you haven't picked up at copy yet, here is the Bookshop.org link: CURVEBALL AT THE CROSSROADS. 

Google called me a genius

 

I am not going to argue with Google. If Google says I am a genius, then I must be. The internet doesn't lie.

Curveball at the Crossroads Review in NINE: Baseball Journal

 

A new review of Curveball at the Crossroads was published in NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, printed by the University of Nebraska Press.

Check it out here:

Curveball at the Crossroads by Michael Lortz (review)

Always great to be compared to WP Kinsella and Field of Dreams.

 

Reviewed by:
Grace Morrison 

Michael Lortz. Curveball at the Crossroads. Winter Park, FL: Legacy Book Publishing, 2021. 266 pp. Paperback, $19.91.

Most scholars of baseball literature agree that serious adult fiction, books with more complex characters and story arcs than found in the early twentieth-century “Baseball Joe” books by Lester Chadwick, began in 1952 with Bernard Malamud’s The Natural. By the end of that decade Mark Harris had published three of his four Henry Wiggen novels, including Bang the Drum Slowly. While some authors wrote the occasional baseball novel, it was not until Canadian writer W. P. Kinsella published Shoeless Joe in 1982 that an author became a preeminent writer of baseball fiction. More recently, writers like David James Duncan (The Brothers K) and Chad Harbach (The Art of Fielding) have released baseball novels to great acclaim, but neither has continued in the genre. Now, however, Michael Lortz’s debut novel provides readers with a new name in baseball fiction: JaMark Reliford.

Reliford’s name is known far and wide for his pitching streak. He plans to get out of his podunkville hometown of Rosedale, Mississippi, by way of baseball. JaMark is starry eyed with fame as opponents step up to the plate in fear, and his fans are always cheering.

But after a career-ending shoulder injury, JaMark leaves home without a purpose. He wanders along a path in solitude and drinks his way to a literal and proverbial crossroad in rural Mississippi. In his hopelessness an ominous figure approaches him and offers a tantalizing bargain. The figure offers guaranteed fame and success if JaMark will sign over his soul. JaMark, in his inebriated state, must choose what he values most. He soon discovers this decision will define the rest of his life. [End Page 141]

Curveball at the Crossroads is a quick read that blends a familiar Faustian story arc with sports fiction. Detailed accounts of JaMark’s games and stats will transport baseball fans to the scene, but all readers will be compelled by first-time author Michael Lortz’s character-driven plot. Lortz uses dramatic stakes for his characters and a dry sense of humor to keep the reader entertained. He pays close attention to developing his characters, with adjectives and other descriptors woven within each moment of dialogue. The brief chapters and simple language keep the story moving toward the final swing. This page-turner adds a supernatural aspect to the idea of flash-in-the-pan athletes and keeps the reader wanting to know more.

True to baseball fiction in the style of Kinsella, Lortz juxtaposes a detailed and realistic account of a baseball player’s life with magical realism to accentuate the similarities between the concept of baseball and the nature of life. Lortz reveals the humanity of JaMark and the characters surrounding him through conflicting decisions of loyalty, religion, morality, family, and love. As JaMark uses unnatural means to get back on track, he compromises everything he loves and values outside of sports, as many athletes do. Despite the struggle the story is ultimately about a young man who must reconcile with his past for the sake of his future in hopes of a second chance.

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