Clarification on the Vertical Re-Issue

Loose Gravel Press is represented by Davis, Wright Tremaine, New York and Portia Entertainment Group, Nashville

Loose Gravel Press published both Vertical (2011) and the newly edited version, Passion and Pinot on the Oregon Wine Trail (Dec, 2016/Feb 2017). Loose Gravel Press holds sole ownership of the copyright with the right to edit on both.

Reason for the re-edit of the Book.

The first Vertical book release was a commercial and financial “non-event” and was received poorly by the wine industry press giants (Wine Spectator) and was refused reviews by major news outlets, including The New York Times.  Industry records indicate Amazon ordered less than 2000 copies and Barnes and Noble ordered less than 100.  It did win one of 273 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPY) given out each year (one must pay to enter). Due to the lack of sales of Vertical, over 23,000 unshipped copies of the book were destroyed by the national distributor at the publisher’s expense in 2014.

A Publisher’s Right to Edit

This publisher or any publisher with a substantial financial investment reserves the right to edit— a common practice for the industry. Publishers rarely, if ever, seek input from nor allow authors to pick the final edit nor illustration and design choices. Since in the first release the author was a partner in a self-publishing agreement, he effectively acted as his own editor and art director. In 2013 the author formally and knowingly discharged any rights to the novel in an agreement drafted by his law firm in New York. In either case, the author never owned editing rights -authors rarely do.

A Proper Edit, an Award Winning Illustrator and a Re-Release

In 2015 the publisher performed a proper edit, using experienced editors with a combined participation of over 35 years in publishing and editing. A top illustrator was hired to add New Yorker style chapter head illustrations. The author’s agent and attorney were formally notified of this process by certified mail on June 27, 2016 and seven copies of Passion and Pinot were delivered to their offices in July, 2016.

Real Reviews of Vertical: Passion and Pinot on the Oregon Trail

The initial and present reviews of Passion and Pinot on the Oregon Trail are excellent—and these reviews on Amazon and other outlets were entirely REAL reviews, written by real readers — who neither know the author nor have any relationship to him. Those reviews were and are all 5-star. In essence, these readers and reviewers have loved the book. The author profits from royalties from either version of the book—as does the publisher.

False Reviews and Charges

Subsequently a campaign was launched by the author and his acquaintances to submit negative reviews, untrue Twitter posts, false comments on Amazon posts, and actively discouraging individuals from buying Vertical: Passion and Pinot. Amazon removed the false reviews and comments. The author also wrote book reviewers and wine blogs, asking them to remove their reviews.

You Decide-Read Both Amazon  Reviews and Both Books

Perhaps no writer likes to be edited, but almost every great writer is-or has been. This author’s statements of an unauthorized edit are without merit. The attorneys for the author, the author’s agent –as well as counsel for Amazon- are all aware of these conditions. Loose Gravel Press stands behind the edit.

Reviews of the original release—and the reviews of Passion and Pinot on the Oregon Wine Trail—are both available on Amazon. We suggest you read both versions– you decide. Both editions of Vertical are also currently available on Amazon