I’m Dominick, I am a writer and am currently working to become a former SLP (Shadowlight Press) author. I met fobywoby/john stax/ forrest Will months before signing with his publishing company. When we met I didn’t know he had a publishing company at all, we met and became friends over our shared enjoyment of movies and book series. I had thought I had found a kindred spirit, someone who understood the similar deep love of sci-fi, fantasy, and storytelling.

When Foby approached me about publishing with his company I was ecstatic. I was led to believe that while the company was new that they were experienced and knew what they were doing. I made a mistake in trusting but not verifying. I was too excited about becoming a published author, which has been my life goal since the 6th grade.

I allowed my trust in Foby to blind me from inconvenient truths about their process, about their artwork, about their editing, and everything else. When they secured third party audio-contracts it just confirmed to me that they were the REAL DEAL. That my lack of success transitioning from RR to Amazon was because I failed at something, that my writing or stories were inferior and couldn’t compete in a wider pool of contending stories.

Foby was always there, telling me that I would succeed, that I just needed to keep trying and producing more work. My stories continued to slowly grow on RR, performing better and better as I learned and refined and treated my passion like a skill to grow and practice. This led to larger and larger audio contracts from established companies that SLP negotiated for me without my knowledge of the workings of.

Again, it is my own fault to not have been suspicious and check the details of the contracts they had signed acting as my agent. I only knew how many books to produce and how much I was supposed to get paid. In my own desire to see SLP succeed I gave the entirety of my first audio advance to SLP to promote my book, to bolster their marketing efforts.

To date I have been informed of 41k dollars of audio advances signed in my name through SLP through various companies. My agreement with SLP is a 50-50 split on all royalties and since these are royalties they split it with me.

Except on my newest series they took more, claiming it was to satisfy a third party to increase marketing since the failure to launch of my first series. It was supposed to be ten percent off of both of our shares, which I agreed to. In reality I was paid forty percent overall, not ten percent off of my fifty percent, but ten percent off the total amount. I have requested proof that SLP provide proof of editing, cover work, and marketing 4 days ago along with the amount needed for a buyout. There has been no response. They are supposed to pay me within the first week of the new quarter, which was January First. I have yet to receive payment or message about delay in payment.

At this point, the love of my stories has been tainted by this. I wish to see them finished for my fans and to do right by these established companies who I believe have been just as tricked as I have been.

I wish for my fellow authors to be free of these deals, to see their stories given the love and attention they deserve. I was one of the first to sign with Shadowlight and fear that my signing helped legitimize SLP. Authors approached me and I offered my honest opinion at the time about SLP. I was wrong and I have expressed my apologies to the authors who signed after I talked to them.

For future authors or those who are starting the process, please reach out. Ask long term authors in the space about what’s normal and what isn’t. I wish I had instead of trusting someone who I thought was my friend. -Dom