Still More... When Publishing Goes Wrong. An Interview with Editor Vincenzo Bilof of Undead Press

Yesterday I posted a story called When Publishing Goes Wrong. Today I thought I'd interview the editor that finds himself in hot water, Vincent Bilof of Undead Press. (You can also check out my interview with Mandy DeGeit, the woman that has the publishing world shaking their head.)

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Hi Vincent. Let me start by saying, I have no dogs in this race whatsoever. I just think it's an interesting story, mostly because it has become so big, not because there was an issue between an author and a publisher. Are you a writer?

VINCENZO BILOF:

Yes. I write as a hobby. Well... not anymore.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Oh, that's awful. I'm sorry to hear that, Vince. Have you ever worked with Undead Press before?

VINCENZO BILOF:

Yes. I co-edited another anthology.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

How was it?

VINCENZO BILOF:

I thought the first anthology was a positive experience, overall. There are some good authors in that book, and the stories I worked with were well-written. I can recall that there were instances when I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, or what the right thing exactly was. I wasn't sure what the correct process was, and there were things I questioned. I didn't feel that I was being taken advantage of at the time, and I felt like the working relationship with Tony was positive. I wanted the experience of editing other work. However, there were times that I didn't feel... comfortable with what I was doing, because I thought editing was supposed to be... different. I think the overall product was good. But it seemed that what I was doing was "good" and "acceptable," though I inquired many times about my objectives. There were many times where I voiced my worry and hesitation. I wasn't always confident... I believed that I was learning, and I trusted in the "process" that was involved... because I was naive.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Aside from the recent backlash, how did this last anthology differ from the first?

VINCENZO BILOF:

It was quite a challenge. At one point, I was told that the stories that I worked on were severely lacking in entertainment value, and that I should be more liberal with my... actions. This was, of course, taken to an extreme. There wasn't exactly a "slush pile" to work from.

My choices were slim, and although it was never at any time stated to me, I felt like I had to get the book done. Again, I blame myself when I say these things, and the feelings regarding what happened are certainly mutual at this point. Sadly, there are some very good stories in that second book from authors with great talent and potential. I understand that my words will be interpreted, as it seems everyone with fingers can twist these words into a blog of some sort.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

I mentioned to both Tony and Mandy that I didn't think the recent backlash was justified, not without having more information. I find myself a little bit mortified in regards to people going on the witch-hunt––a mob mentality is never good. If you can pull yourself out of the story for a moment, do you feel that people are justified in crucifying the press and the editor after only hearing one side of the story?

VINCENZO BILOF:

Yes and no. First, I do not think the work done with her story was justified. I've already stated that. I regret what happened. Actually, when I finished the story, I explained that I wasn't entirely comfortable. I do wish that someone had looked at both versions and said, "You went too far." But I guess I was the editor, right? I can't ever be judged by another publisher now by the merit of my work. I stood to gain nothing from what happened... nothing at all. Secondly, I should have asked to do it the way that I believed to be "ethical," and I never did that. I was convinced... I was sold on the idea that I was doing the right thing, for various reasons.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Why?

VINCENZO BILOF:

There are some things that aren't justified. My biggest issue with this is that there are people out there who feel that there was some kind of financial gain involved for me. My actions were called "predatory" by an Amazon reviewer. I interpret that to mean that I stole stories from authors, rewrote ALL of them, neglected to give authors credit, and earned a bag full of cash. None of this is true. You'd be amazed at my "compensation" for this book.

The hypocrisy involved is not justified. There have been many "publishers" who've come forward and offered their sympathetic ear to the author, but they're all in the publishing business to make money, aren't they? This is an opportunity for them to crush a competitor, and assert themselves as "good guys." There are publishers who want to publish the story sight unseen... and for what? I'm not exactly a marketing student, but they are taking advantage of the situation, as any company would. There's blood in the water...

There are a lot of people who still assume that I was responsible for the travesty involving the author's title. I refuse to accept responsibility for that. No matter how many times I state that I don't format books, people don't believe it.

If I were on the outside looking in, it is certainly justified to say that the editor should have done the right thing from the start, or not do it at all. At some point, someone should have said "no". That someone should have been me.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

In the music industry the “producer” needs to be the most capable person in the studio. It is the producer’s job to get the most of the songwriters, musicians, and in the end, the songs. This is not unlike a coach being in control of a sports team. In the publishing world, the editor of an anthology plays a similar role. It is the editor’s job to make the stories shine. What advice would you give a to a first-time editor?

VINCENZO BILOF:

Making the stories "shine" does not mean that you dramatically change a story just to fill your anthology. An editor should be in DIRECT contact with the author at all times. If you're editing someone's work, you should be talking to them. These authors should be allowed to see their stories and approve the final print version. There should not be another person in the middle. If you don't approach it in this way, you will feel unsure, and you will hesitate. You will make a terrible mistake. You will get used to making these mistakes, you will get caught up in what you're doing, and you will truly damage someone's work.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

If you could give some advice to small press publishers, what would it be?

VINCENZO BILOF:

The editors should follow the proper ethics. A small press should also use a lengthy review process. I know that there are many good publishers who engage in these practices, and the authors are typically very pleased. If your company is on the verge of folding, or you don't want to run it anymore, the authors should be contacted... there are companies out there who refuse to communicate with their authors.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Do you have anything else that you would like to add?

VINCENZO BILOF:

I would like to once again apologize to Ms. DeGeit and wish her the best of luck. I would like nothing more than for her story to be accepted in a prestigious publication.

JAMES ROY DALEY:

Thank you so very much, Vincent. Good luck with your future endeavors.

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