[mike h]

As i was cruising various author sites to see what they've been up to, i noticed Bella Forrest has a disclaimer on her latest releases that says that due to publishing issues, all additional releases have been suspended. Unusual.

 

[jb1111]

Looks like it's been that way for a few months, from a different site I found after doing a search (I hadn't heard of Bella Forrest before).

 

[NikOK]

I vaguely remember a thread about this exact topic a while back. Sorry, I can't think of the details, but you might be able to search older threads and find something.

 

[ImaWriter]

Bella Forrest is the name behind a stable of ghostwriters.

From what I understand, there was/is some sort of issue with a ghostwriter and there's ongoing litigation that can't be made public. So no one really knows what's happened, and it's all just conjecture at this point.

 

[Corvid]

Bella Forrest is the name behind a stable of ghostwriters.

From what I understand, there was/is some sort of issue with a ghostwriter and there's ongoing litigation that can't be made public. So no one really knows what's happened, and it's all just conjecture at this point.

It was a pretty lucrative stable too. Will be interesting to see what comes out of it. If we hear much of anything at all.

 

[CassieL]

There was a big thread on this when it happened at one of the other author forums that included a link to one of the lawsuits around the whole thing. Basic idea is that there's some dispute around who owns the rights to the stories published under this name. Is it the young woman who supposedly started this whole thing up and managed a stable of ghost writers and brought in a money manager who she gave full control of her funds so he could hide them in offshore jurisdictions? Or is it the shadowy money manager who claims she's no more than just an employee and he's the one who directed it all?

 

[ImaWriter]

There was a big thread on this when it happened at one of the other author forums that included a link to one of the lawsuits around the whole thing. Basic idea is that there's some dispute around who owns the rights to the stories published under this name. Is it the young woman who supposedly started this whole thing up and managed a stable of ghost writers and brought in a money manager who she gave full control of her funds so he could hide them in offshore jurisdictions? Or is it the shadowy money manager who claims she's no more than just an employee and he's the one who directed it all?

Holy moly. That's a little mind bending.

 

[cest la vie]

Juicy. I look forward to the inevitable Youtube video essays.

 

[mike h]

I guess the days are gone when kboards people rally to Bella Forrest's defense to claim that she does not use ghost writers... that she is just one talented person who writes prolifically. LOL.

 

[Crystal_]

I guess the days are gone when kboards people rally to Bella Forrest's defense to claim that she does not use ghost writers... that she is just one talented person who writes prolifically. LOL.

Kboarders (and people on other forums) have oft defended Bella Forrest from claims of using ghost writers. I've seen some interesting logic contortions there.

There's no shame in using ghostwriters or running a ghostwritten pen name. I think many of us old hats have considered it. I know many of my friends and I have had the conversation "Yeah, I would run a ghostwritten pen name if it was just about the money," and kinda wished we did only care about the money. Because the other things we care about don't care back.

Money doesn't care either, but at least it's money.

 

[cest la vie]

I guess the days are gone when kboards people rally to Bella Forrest's defense to claim that she does not use ghost writers... that she is just one talented person who writes prolifically. LOL.

There's nothing to defend. Readers don't care if she's six toddlers stacked on top of each other under a trench coat. The only thing that'll hurt "Bella Forrest" is not releasing for however long this takes.

 

[Paranormal Kitty]

I guess the days are gone when kboards people rally to Bella Forrest's defense to claim that she does not use ghost writers... that she is just one talented person who writes prolifically. LOL.

I still remember when I found out that Ann M. Martin didn't personally write all the five bazillion Babysitter's Club books. The never-ending MG/YA series with a team of ghostwriters has been a thing since Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

 

[nightwork]

I guess the days are gone when kboards people rally to Bella Forrest's defense to claim that she does not use ghost writers... that she is just one talented person who writes prolifically. LOL.

that was always so dishonest and insult to the intelligence of anyone who knows how long it takes to get things done

as well as an insult to everyone who has ever worked as a ghostwriter & was supposed to sit by silently while their profession was trashed as somehow dishonorable

 

[Bite the Dusty]

that was always so dishonest and insult to the intelligence of anyone who knows how long it takes to get things done

To be fair, Amanda M. Lee was active here for many years and everyone knows her output is beyond prolific, so it's possible.

 

[Crystal_]

that was always so dishonest and insult to the intelligence of anyone who knows how long it takes to get things done

as well as an insult to everyone who has ever worked as a ghostwriter & was supposed to sit by silently while their profession was trashed as somehow dishonorable

Yes, it lead to a lot of my least favorite indie author tendency: the erasing of all publishing work besides writing. Even if an individual writer could write as fast as Bella Forrest publishes (and I think that's highly doubtful), they'd also have to do all the packaging and marketing and admin Bella Forrest does. And she does (did) a lot of marketing. That is a task that takes both time and energy. Time and energy that can no longer be spent on writing.

 

[nightwork]

To be fair, Amanda M. Lee was active here for many years and everyone knows her output is beyond prolific, so it's possible.

"everyone" knows?

 

[Bite the Dusty]

Everyone who's been paying attention over the years noticed there's a member of our community that releases 2+ books a month. Productivity debates aren't new. But go on, split hairs and ignore my point.

 

[EmberKent]

The author being referred to in the OP aside, I've seen a couple authors with delayed releases because of how heavily they rely on the book release tour. Without being able to hold events, they decide that it's best to just wait until the pandemic's mostly through. With others I've seen them continue to release secondary series but hold off on their primaries.

It must be a tough situation for those who really need the live interactions with their readers to sell as well as they do.

 

[nightwork]

Everyone who's been paying attention over the years noticed there's a member of our community that releases 2+ books a month. Productivity debates aren't new. But go on, split hairs and ignore my point.

i'm literally not ignoring your point, i'm engaging with it because i do not understand your point

extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence

claiming "everybody" knows something that almost no one would be in a position to verify for themselves... is the opposite of evidence

 

[cest la vie]

i'm literally not ignoring your point, i'm engaging with it because i do not understand your point

extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence

claiming "everybody" knows something that almost no one would be in a position to verify for themselves... is the opposite of evidence

You kicked things off by saying those defending Bella Forrest before were dishonest and insulting the intelligence of anyone who knows how long it takes to get things done. Where's your extraordinary evidence for that claim?

Bite was just trying to point out there's a well known indie author and member here who's also that prolific. So some people might have defended Bella Forrest because until you know the facts, you can't know someone else's capacity, not because using ghostwriters is bad.

I write a book a month on average, but I write for myself in a genre that doesn't sell, so I don't publish, package, advertise, or any of the 10 extra jobs self publishers do. It seems impossible to me, but that doesn't mean it is.