Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

I have only ordered once from Ex Occidente, The Nightfarers by Mark Valentine, and I received the book without any problems, but the numerous complaints by other customers have prevented me from placing any more orders. I would like to order four more books right now, but it would be too much of a gamble so I am not going to do it. It is a real shame, because the D.P. Watt book sounds excellent, and this will be the first book by Mark Samuels that I have missed.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

I am given to wondering if "Keith418" isn't Barbara Roden in disguise. I throw this idea into the wind for the simple reason that she does tend to do stuff like that, and has done it here before. Check out post #412 on this very board. Disguise the name but keep the same speech patterns. Duh!

If you're a big company like BP, Tesco or Microsoft, then using dirty tactics is fine, all part and parcel of operations, but in the small-time speciality publisher world...? Weird. And disturbed. And very insecure.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

It is worth noting that Dan does not administer the site himself, but operates through a web master who is currently situated on the other side of Europe. This is maybe why it takes a while to be updated sometimes.


When he gets back from his vacation it might be worth mailing him about this. If he sends them as a single package I don't think he would mind sending proof of postage if it would help allay your concerns.

Rhys, I think your becoming a little paranoid here.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell and truth will out, as Aesop used to say... If Keith418 is a genuine person, then he can always buy my own forthcoming Ex Occidente book* directly from me. If he's Barbara Roden in disguise, I'm sure he'll splutteringly decline this offer...

* The book is called The Impossible Inferno and is one of the "Nine", by the way.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

Dear all,

This looks more and more like one of those silly but utterly funny outdoors adventures of Bolek and Lolek, the two immortal cartoon Polish characters of the late 80'ies. Those who missed the Cold War cartoons don't know what they have been missing.

First of all, a message to Bendk; send me an email with your address and I'll have a copy to you once I am back in Bucharest. You cant miss Mark's "The Man Who Collected Machen". That would be an obscenity. Keith and The New Nonsense: send me once again your messages with your problems via my email. I will take care of them.

Let me start by saying that I don't have the smallest intention to enter into discussion with any of the damaged parts here. Not the point by any means. I could hardly stir up a mass of miserable, stagnant thoughts with this ferocious roar in my ears anyway. Indeed, I am sorry for these customers who seem doomed to have problems with me. Some of them - even personal issues, which is entirely another discussion. But then again, the Internet usually provides a very twisted view of problems, where some human faults appear magnified because the other sides of the situation do not receive equal coverage, if any. For the archive, in 2009 - the beginning of 2010 I've shipped more than 2,200 packages all over the world. Someone does receive these books, after all. I wonder who might be those lucky ones. It is a complicated situation and if I failed I failed because of my human limitations and not because of an ill and tenebrous will.

I do have my faults, no doubt. Sometimes I simply forget I have to respond to an email or send a promised package; I read that email, I even pack that/those books and then I say to myself I will get to them a bit later; after 13 hours at the work, at the printing factory, at the postal office and so on, my memory starts to fail me; which is both a blessing and a curse. You should also keep in mind that I only ship once a week and then not all orders. Usually it will take me around 10-12 days to have all orders shipped. Sometimes, of course, it will take me less than 24 hours. Usually so.

Vis-a-vis the problems with the shipping, still, the biggest problem seems to be the U.S. I am already tired filling complaints at my local postal offices. Anonymous letters for them. A few months ago I was thinking to stop distributing and selling my books to U.S. What a bless that would be! The idea is not off entirely. Of course, those who ordered or pre-ordered a book will still receive their volumes. The tracking number and scanned invoice should be the way. Do not be shy to press me to provide you with these details. It will take me a few days to do so, yes, but in the end you will have all the oficial details for your package.

For those who intend never to order again directly from the press, try Andy Richards from Cold Tonnage and Simon from Fantastic Literature in Europe and Mark Ziesing, David from Mythos Books and Paul from Wrigley-Cross Books in United States. I am not sure how many copies I will be able to provide to these fine gents, especially now when the editions are a lot smaller but they should have a few copies of almost every book.

And when you think this is happening now - now, when finally the true aim and the ambitions of Ex Occidente Press are on the table, in front of you.

That needs a bit of explanation. In less than three weeks Ex Occidente Press published four books, the fourth being the exceptional Chris Barker's "Tenebrous Tales"; an achievement in itself since last year I was very hard trying to have one book out per month and despite all my efforts, I've failed. Three new other volumes are expected from the printers until the end of this month; plus a deluxe hardcover chapbook of the "lost tales" from Quentin S. Crisps's "All God's Angels, Beware!".

Earlier next month the first two titles of a new imprint will be out. The imprint, the smaller and more ostentatious son of Ex Occidente Press, is called The Little Black Girl of Danube. Details about the new house will be online soon, together with its own site. For now, though, I can give a few details to the venerable and kind TLO handgunners and flagellants. The books - original or obscure, neglected novellas - will be published in a large landscape format - 27,7 x 23,7 cm - each book coming with two decorative folios, silver and burnished gold, cloth boards, dust-jacket printed on Buckram paper, marbled end-papers and silk ribbon. Each book will come packed within a special "envelope", made entirely of silk. A wax seal will adorn the packing. The first two The Little Black Girl of Danube volumes are scheduled for the beginning of July.

If there is still any ambiguity about the present and the future of Ex Occidente Press, let me just say that 2010 will be the best year possible for the press. It is already.

Now, if you excuse me, I am going to raise a glass of Tokay wine to The New Nonsense and smoke a black cigarette. Here is for dark strangers and the world in summer!

With Best Wishes from Cioran's Rasinari,
Dan T.G.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

Good for you, Dan!
And nice to see you here, by the way...
Regards!

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

Dan did contact me. If I get the books, I will post a piece here acknowledging this fact. He also emailed a friend who had not received her book either.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

I've never had any problems with getting books. Just wish I had a little more to spend on them.

Looking forward, for many reasons, to the Bulgakov.

And this sounds very interesting.

'Earlier next month the first two titles of a new imprint will be out. The imprint, the smaller and more ostentatious son of Ex Occidente Press, is called The Little Black Girl of Danube. Details about the new house will be online soon, together with its own site. For now, though, I can give a few details to the venerable and kind TLO handgunners and flagellants. The books - original or obscure, neglected novellas - will be published in a large landscape format - 27,7 x 23,7 cm - each book coming with two decorative folios, silver and burnished gold, cloth boards, dust-jacket printed on Buckram paper, marbled end-papers and silk ribbon. Each book will come packed within a special "envelope", made entirely of silk. A wax seal will adorn the packing. The first two The Little Black Girl of Danube volumes are scheduled for the beginning of July.'

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

I'm having flashbacks to my first reading of À Rebours.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Re: Ex Occidente Press
 

When you provided the tracking number to my package it arrived at the northwesterly tip of the States safe and in under two weeks. I really hope you continue to offer US shipping, Dan.

But damn you for leading my wallet into a dank alley and jamming a shiv in its ribs!