Rumblings over at DNA

There's an interesting thread going down over at the Nightshade Discussion Boards regarding an irate subscriber's difficulties with DNA Publications. It seems this person took out subscriptions to a couple of DNA Publications, and never received an issue. And it got worse from there:

Every time I call DNA, I am promised swift resolution (even by publisher Warren Lapine's daughter), but I NEVER received my magazines, and I have NEVER received my refund, despite being promised to receive it multiple times. In fact, Mr. Lapine's daughter informed me in my last conversation with her that I apparently had been lied to when I was told I hadn't received any issues of Absolute Magnitude because all issues so far this year were "sold out", as I had been told previously multiple times by other DNA staff---in actuality, DNA has not released ANY Absolute Magnitude issues for this entire year---yet, they are still taking subscription orders and telling purchasers they have not received any issues because they "sold out"---as if the magazine is still being produced! This is a misleading business practice as well as FRAUD.

I have made my anger and frustration of being ripped off by DNA to their staff several times and have made many requests to be given a full refund for my subscriptions, since they have failed time and again to deliver the product I purchased-----my refund has been promised to me by DNA staff multiple times---TO NO AVAIL.

That sounds amazingly like my experience with Warren Lapine and DNA Publications--although, in my case it was as a contributor trying to get paid for work. The pattern started with assurance the issue would be addressed post-haste, followed by silence, then more assurances, then pointed and willful silence at any and all inquiries. Reading the thread, there are some writers that seem to share my experiences. What a shame.

I've seen other editors get into precarious situations with their publications and resort to the "ignore the problem and it will go away" mentality, although never to the extent Lapine seems to have adopted. I'm baffled by this, as in all my dealings with Lapine, the man seemed quite personable and honest. When things were looking dark for Interzone, editor David Pringle was incommunicado more often than not, but he never generated the amount of ill-will that Lapine apparently evokes from the masses. Even after Interzone was sold to The Third Alternative and Pringle had no more legal obligation to the publication, reports continued to trickle out of writers receiving overdue payments written from Pringle's own checking account. I, personally, was delighted to find in the mail one afternoon a stack of contributor's copies from Pringle that I'd given up for lost a year before. Those are the kinds of gestures that cement a lasting, positive reputation even when life is otherwise dealing you a rotten hand.

DNA publishes (and I use that term loosely) some significant titles, including the venerable Weird Tales, and if the publisher has indeed managed to overextend the company to the point of insolvency, that's too bad. But if they go under now, it won't matter to me. As far as I'm concerned, those markets don't exist, under the "Burn me once..." rule. My experience left a bad taste in my mouth, obviously, and I don't recommend anyone deal with any of the markets under the DNA banner. Fortunately for me, I did manage to extract payment eventually. It chafes, however, that I never received my contributor's copy of Science Fiction Chronicle no. 203, so if any of you kind readers happen to have one lying around, I'll be happy buy it off you.

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