Hey gang, this past month has been one hell of a roadblock for Dark Myth Publications. Without warning and without cause, our printer and distributor closed our account. One day things were fine. The next day, we were locked out completely.
Stephanie and I have spent the last two weeks trying to get hold of someone in management who could actually help us fix the problem. Emails, phone calls, follow-ups. So far, we keep hitting the same wall. No answers. No explanation. No timeline. It has been frustrating, to put it mildly.
That said, we are not giving up.
Our books are still available through third-party vendors like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books-A-Million. The problem is that since we are locked out of the account, we cannot see what is selling. We also are not receiving any third-party royalties right now. That puts us in a tough spot, especially when you are trying to run things responsibly and keep the lights on.
This issue also caused problems with Myth Mart. Some orders went through and funds were taken from the business account, but we had no way to see which books were printed or shipped. Rather than let customers get stuck in limbo, we made a call and ordered books through alternate printers and different markets. Because of that, a few lucky folks ended up receiving double orders. Not ideal, but I would rather overdeliver than leave anyone hanging.
While all of this has been happening on the publishing side, Dark Myth Comics has kept moving. We are still producing a weekly comic strip, which you can find on darkmythcomics.com and across our social media platforms. That consistency matters, especially when everything else feels unstable.
We also launched our first Kickstarter campaign for Ayot Nom: Cost of Return. By the end of the first two weeks, it was clear we were not going to hit the goal. Instead of letting it drag on, I pulled the campaign early. I reworked it, added some extra goodies, and rebuilt it around a much lower and more realistic goal. If you are willing to back us, you can check it out here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmythcomics/ayot-nom-cost-of-return
There is one more important update on the Dark Myth Comics side. Our Editor in Chief, Mario E. Martinez, has announced that he will be retiring later this year, not only from the editor role, but from inking as well. Mario injured his back years ago while caring for critical care patients. The pain he works through when inking is real, and it is hard to watch. He refuses pain medication and does not want surgery. I respect that, but I also support his decision to step away.
I have had an absolute blast working with Mario over the years, including recently on Ayot Nom: Cost of Return. He has confirmed that he has one more book left in him. Once that project wraps, he will officially retire. We will give him the respect and appreciation he deserves when that time comes.
On the Open Contract Challenge front, I want to hear from you. For those of you reading this, I would honestly like your input. Should we do another Speed Edition, or should we return to the original format that takes months to reach the finish line. Let me know what you think.
Over at the JayZoModcast Podcast Network, I have been working behind the scenes on a few ideas. We are looking at new shows with new and returning voices. One of those voices is Tim Law. Tim will be launching his own podcast where he can talk about whatever he wants. After the work he has put into The World of Myth Bits, he earned that opportunity.
I will be taking over hosting duties for Myth Bits and shifting it into more of a companion podcast for the magazine. The goal is to tie everything together in a cleaner, more focused way.
There are a lot of ideas in the pipeline. One that keeps coming back is starting online classes for creatives. Writing a novel. Writing a graphic novel. Inking. Poetry. Maybe even business basics. I keep coming back to the name Myth U, and it just fits.
For now, we need to get this publishing account situation resolved. That comes first.
That is it for this month. Take care, and thank you for sticking with us.
With respect to you all!
David K. Montoya
Founder of The World of Myth Magazine And Other Stuff Too.
Hey gang, this past month has been one hell of a roadblock for Dark Myth Publications. Without warning and without cause, our printer and distributor closed our account. One day things were fine. The next day, we were locked out completely.
Stephanie and I have spent the last two weeks trying to get hold of someone in management who could actually help us fix the problem. Emails, phone calls, follow-ups. So far, we keep hitting the same wall. No answers. No explanation. No timeline. It has been frustrating, to put it mildly.
That said, we are not giving up.
Our books are still available through third-party vendors like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books-A-Million. The problem is that since we are locked out of the account, we cannot see what is selling. We also are not receiving any third-party royalties right now. That puts us in a tough spot, especially when you are trying to run things responsibly and keep the lights on.
This issue also caused problems with Myth Mart. Some orders went through and funds were taken from the business account, but we had no way to see which books were printed or shipped. Rather than let customers get stuck in limbo, we made a call and ordered books through alternate printers and different markets. Because of that, a few lucky folks ended up receiving double orders. Not ideal, but I would rather overdeliver than leave anyone hanging.
While all of this has been happening on the publishing side, Dark Myth Comics has kept moving. We are still producing a weekly comic strip, which you can find on darkmythcomics.com and across our social media platforms. That consistency matters, especially when everything else feels unstable.
We also launched our first Kickstarter campaign for Ayot Nom: Cost of Return. By the end of the first two weeks, it was clear we were not going to hit the goal. Instead of letting it drag on, I pulled the campaign early. I reworked it, added some extra goodies, and rebuilt it around a much lower and more realistic goal. If you are willing to back us, you can check it out here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmythcomics/ayot-nom-cost-of-return
There is one more important update on the Dark Myth Comics side. Our Editor in Chief, Mario E. Martinez, has announced that he will be retiring later this year, not only from the editor role, but from inking as well. Mario injured his back years ago while caring for critical care patients. The pain he works through when inking is real, and it is hard to watch. He refuses pain medication and does not want surgery. I respect that, but I also support his decision to step away.
I have had an absolute blast working with Mario over the years, including recently on Ayot Nom: Cost of Return. He has confirmed that he has one more book left in him. Once that project wraps, he will officially retire. We will give him the respect and appreciation he deserves when that time comes.
On the Open Contract Challenge front, I want to hear from you. For those of you reading this, I would honestly like your input. Should we do another Speed Edition, or should we return to the original format that takes months to reach the finish line. Let me know what you think.
Over at the JayZoModcast Podcast Network, I have been working behind the scenes on a few ideas. We are looking at new shows with new and returning voices. One of those voices is Tim Law. Tim will be launching his own podcast where he can talk about whatever he wants. After the work he has put into The World of Myth Bits, he earned that opportunity.
I will be taking over hosting duties for Myth Bits and shifting it into more of a companion podcast for the magazine. The goal is to tie everything together in a cleaner, more focused way.
There are a lot of ideas in the pipeline. One that keeps coming back is starting online classes for creatives. Writing a novel. Writing a graphic novel. Inking. Poetry. Maybe even business basics. I keep coming back to the name Myth U, and it just fits.
For now, we need to get this publishing account situation resolved. That comes first.
That is it for this month. Take care, and thank you for sticking with us.
With respect to you all!
David K. Montoya
Founder of The World of Myth Magazine
And Other Stuff Too.