Lame Goat Press is no more

Earlier this year, I had a short story accepted for publication in an anthology. No publication date was given and I assumed that I would be notified when the anthology came out. This was something I'd experienced with other anthology editors/publishers, so I didn't think much on it. Shortly after I signed the contract, a couple of other anthologies created by this publisher, Lame Goat Press, came out. I remained hopeful that soon the anthology with my story in it was next. That didn't happen.

At first, my thinking was that stuff was just going on. Maybe there was no money to bring out the next books. Maybe the editors were all quarreling with each other. Maybe computers had crashed and files had been lost. (Which did actually happen with one of the guest editors.) Or maybe they just didn't have their hearts in it anymore.

After some months passed, I got tired of waiting and not receiving any replies. As it was, another anthology with a story of mine in it was also pending publication, and at least the main editor touched base with the writers involved to let us know he was working on the books. But nothing came from Lame Goat Press. And I started to worry.

I eventually got around to visiting the LGP Web site. I went to the message board and sort of posted there asking "what's going on?" The writers there let me know that Christopher Jacobsmeyer, the man behind Lame Goat Press, was on a sabbatical. Confused, I dug around and read other messages. Turns out they were right. He was indeed taking a sabbatical from LGP. And as it turned out, it ended up being a permanent sabbatical.

I kept tabs on the posts on that board, lurking here and there. Pretty much keeping my thoughts and disappointment to myself. I agreed with some of the writers voicing their opinions, and worried about others saying they were pulling out. I wasn't surprised when this disaster earned Lame Goat Press a negative report on Preditors & Editors.

Eventually, one of the guest editors took matters into her own hands. Chris Bartholomew of Static Movement let everybody know she was planning to work with them on getting their work published through her own efforts, in working with the cover artists and talking with editors to see where they stood on getting the books published through their own companies. Her announcement that Christopher Jacobsmeyer is walking away from Lame Goat Press and releasing all writers from their contracts (most all of them with an 18-month hold on rights) soon followed. Cheers and appreciation sounded from the writers and a wave of relief is now felt by all that this matter has finally been resolved and things are moving forward with getting the other anthologies into print.

You can read more about it here and here.

I must admit I was angry and disappointed that Mr. Jacobsmeyer was acting so selfish and that he let down a lot of writers, but life goes on. Don't think I'll be doing business with him in the future, though.

Big thanks to Chris Bartholomew for stepping up and taking over where LGP left off.

I'm just glad the anthologies will soon be in print and that I and the other writers, as well as the editors, will finally see all of our work and hard efforts be fulfilled when the books come out.