I Hope This Woman Goes To Jail
Scumbag Vera Nazarian, who says "I operate a small press," sure is an operator. She spent $19K of money she says is owed to her authors on her personal expenses -- assuming that's true and not just a scam to squeeze strangers for cash.
She now has her hand out on one of those mooch sites (indiegogo) to get other people to volunteer to pay what SHE owes.
Oh, and she insists the money people give will actually get to her authors, unlike the last time when she kept their money.
Guess what: If you are a publisher and you owe your author money, that money needs to be reserved for your author.
"I couldn't figure it out" or "I didn't get around to figuring it out" is not an excuse. Not a valid one. Not for a second.
Here's what she wrote on mooch site indiegogo:
In Brief...Hi, I'm Vera. I operate a small press. I mostly publish public domain stuff, and my own books, but I have also published books my some of my friends.
Now, in recent years I have had a horrendous run of personal bad luck. So I used all the money the books generated for personal stuff, and I didn't stop to figure out what percentage of the money should go to my author friends. I am, in fact, still using these monies as they come in because, well, otherwise I and my aging mother and my two cats will be out in the snow. That would not be good.
Anyway, at one point I finally did get around to figuring out how much money was due my authors, and holy smokes, it added up to more than $19,000!!!
So, here's what I would like for people to do: donate some money. Your contributions will wind up in a special account that I just opened up. I truly promise, cross my heart, that I will finally send all my authors the money they are owed.
Sincerely yours,
Vera.
She continues with the longer version down the page:
The total amount of Norilana Books royalties owed to everyone is $19,198.36. Together with the Indiegogo fees, the amount I must raise is $20,926.21.I have set up a dedicated bank account just for this campaign. All the funds placed in this account will be disbursed to the authors directly. I will not get a single cent.
And now I ask you with all my heart to help my authors out.
It is astonishing to me that people have it within them to ask people to pay their debts like this. What she did is ILLEGAL and I hope she goes to jail. Maybe she'll do kickstarter for her bail.
Deirdre Saoirse Moen takes a skeptical look at Vera's claims.
What a loser. Two bankruptcies, she steals from her friends. On top of that, as a publisher of several people's books, she only generates enough sales to owe $19,000 for several years' royalties.
Then she has the sheer cheek to ask other people to pay her debts for her. I'm sure she would say that none of it is her fault...
a_random_guy at March 16, 2014 3:21 AM
Wokay fine wutev-var, but pronounce "Deirdre Saoirse Moen" after a glass of wine, I dare ya.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at March 16, 2014 3:28 AM
If you're publishing books, the money that your authors are entitled to goes to your authors. I don't care if you're being swallowed by debt. You have no right to take the money that belongs to the people who earned it.
Patrick at March 16, 2014 6:24 AM
This differs from the accountant who embezzles from his employer, how? Hard time beckons.
MarkD at March 16, 2014 6:28 AM
I'm with Mark -- the only word that comes to mind is embezzlement.
Jim P. at March 16, 2014 9:08 AM
Really, unless you know the people personally, how do you know any crowdfunding pitch isn't a scam?
Rex Little at March 16, 2014 10:20 AM
Not only is she an embezzler; she is also a LIAR!
She starts out with:
"I take full responsibility . . ."
Well, she is NOT taking responsibility if she is expecting OTHER's to pay what she should have paid.
It would be nice if more people realized that the phrase "taking full responsibility" really means take responsibility and it doesn't mean pass the buck to someone else.
How many of these authors were not aware of how much and how many others she cheated? Will some of them now sue her since the "cat is out of the bag"?
I also wonder if she will declare any money she receives as income to the IRS? Her being a thief, I have my doubts about that.
Hey, IRS stop messing with Tea Partiers and go after cheats like this woman!
Charles at March 16, 2014 12:35 PM
The only way she could take "full responsibility" at this point would be if she pleads guilty when she's charged with theft.
To borrow Amy's favorite word, she sounds narcissistic. The defining aspect of narcissism is the belief in own's own superiority. "I am special. I am superior." (This belief is held despite the lack of commensurate achievements.)
From this, everything else that is characteristic of narcissism is a logical extension of that belief in one's own "specialness."
"Since I am superior, and other people are inferior, my merest whims are more important their needs. It's perfectly fine for me to not pay my writers their due for the sake of maintaining my lavish lifestyle. They're not important like me."
Lack of empathy, of course, follows this belief in one's own superiority.
Patrick at March 16, 2014 5:49 PM
And of course, a willingness to exploit other people. "Since I'm special, and other people aren't, it's perfectly fine for me to keep the money that they're owed and use it for myself."
Patrick at March 16, 2014 5:53 PM
"To borrow Amy's favorite word, she sounds narcissistic. "
Yep. The "really truly promise cross my heart and hope to die" is a tell. It's the language the narcissist uses when they begin to suspect that the mark is on to them.
Cousin Dave at March 16, 2014 7:20 PM
Anyone stupid enough to give this woman money deserves to lose it to her. She's a scum-sucking rip-off, plain and simple. She's not going to give those authors their money, something else will come up that will prevent her from doing so. (I can see Carol Kane's character from the "Princess Bride" movie, Miracle Max's wife, running after her, calling "LIAR! LIIIIIAAAAAR!")
Flynne at March 17, 2014 5:03 AM
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