How it began
We accepted a short-story collection, agreed a reader price, and made the book available through the author's account. The landing page and supporting material took longer than expected, with missed deadlines and inconsistent delivery. When the final images and story introductions arrived, we reviewed the completed package.
Our decision
The writing, presentation, image use, and overall condition did not meet our publication standard. We removed the title and ended the relationship that night. The author said some materials had been rushed and asked whether the decision concerned subject matter; it did not. We did not reopen the review and deleted his files when requested. Publication remains subject to continuing quality review.
Timeline
20 July 2026 — manuscript and pricing under discussion. 21 July 2026 — book published. 25 July 2026 — delivery deadline set. 26 July 2026 — final materials received. 27 July 2026 — book reviewed and removed. 3 August 2026 — files deleted at the author's request.