Exam Cram Publisher Goes Under
4/3/2002 -- Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Coriolis LLC, publisher of the Exam Cram certification study guides as well as other IT books, was dissolved last week by its majority owner, Haights Cross.
All but three of Coriolis' 50 employees were let go Thursday, and the company is looking to sell all Coriolis "assets and intelectual property," a spokesperson for Haights Cross told CertCities.com.
The closure is due to poor financials, the spokesperson said, and the decision was made after an extended search for a buyer failed.
As of press time, neither of the company's Web sites -- Coriolis.com or ExamCram.com -- make any mention of the shut down, although the Coriolis home page is currently promoting a "Spring Sale," in which all of its products are 75 percent off through most of April.
The closure came as a blow to many of the publisher's writers. One author, Barry Shilmover, told CertCities.com that despite having written seven books for the company, he still hasn't had any formal contact from Coriolis about the shut-down or the status of his royalty payments or copyrights. "I found out through a friend," he said. "It's very frustrating...but I'm not as bad off as some other authors."
Although Shilmover has not yet been contacted, it appears that other authors have. Through sources, CertCities.com obtained a copy of an author release that was sent to at least one Coriolis writer. In it, the company agreed to pay 20 percent of what the author is owed in exchange for release of liability, a promise not to sue and other conditions.
Shilmover told CertCities.com that there's a lot of confusion out there among Coriolis writers, tech editors and other freelancers: "What's happpened is that a lot of people are hearing a lot of different things, or are being told different things...."
In fact, Shilmover said that several authors who are owed money and/or would like the copyrights to their books so they can publish them elsewhere have come together in a loose coalition to share information and ideas. "What we really need to do is get the story straight," he said."If we can get more authors, maybe we can better figure out what's going on." Shilmover said that anyone interested in participating in the group's mailing list can e-mail him at .
For more information about Coriolis, visit www.coriolis.com or www.examcram.com. - B.N.
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There are 72  user Comments for “Exam Cram Publisher Goes Under”
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| 6/8/02: James from Oklahoma says: |
PS..if you 'good' techies were so damned good your networks wouldn't be hacked daily. Maybe you should shut your mouth and read a book...just a random thought |
| 6/12/02: Gizmo from Texas says: |
Does anyone know if the www.examcram.com web site is just down for a few or did it get pulled off completely? I have been going to the web site to get some very useful information, but now I cannot get to the web site. I have high hopes that the Exam Cram books find a new publisher. |
| 6/12/02: Becky Nagel from Web Editor, CertCities.com says: |
Hi Gizmo -- The site has been shut down for good. They closed it the last day the company was around. No word yet on ExamCram books getting picked up by another publisher -- kinda think we'd have word if it happened by now, but who knows? Do know that the writers were promised their rights back if the line wasn't sold, so that may mean that the books will be available in some form. -- Becky Nagel, Web Editor, CertCities.com |
| 6/17/02: Santino from Washington says: |
I've noticed that there's a site online trumpeting the fact that they've purchased the remaining inventory and are blowing it out at 70% off. If anyone is interested they should check www.halfpricecomputerbooks.com The selection looks good and it might be the last go round for some of these books. Cheers Santino |
| 7/19/02: John B. from NY says: |
This blows! Those damn ExamCram books followed the tests so perfectly and made it alot easier to study. Somebody has to pick up on them again or it would be providing such a disservice to future MCSA/MCSE students. |
| 8/6/02: Charlie from Brighton England says: |
OK Oz and co. How did you get your driving licence. I know how I got mine, I learnt to drive AND I learnt how to pass the test. I work with the systems I am an MCP on daily but it is never possible to work with all the wrinkles of a system all the time. The cram books are there to fill in the obscure gaps that you only ever come across once if ever. Just remember your driving test do you still drive like you did to pass? |
| 8/24/02: Anonymous says: |
THIS IS SO SAD!!!! I found there material to be great!!! I'm sick would someone with a large bank roll that knows how to run a company please by and continue there series? I use there books as reference and cram. They just seem to make the right mix I don't know how but I purchase a lot of materials out and this was the only series I could count on to be GOOD. |
| 9/7/02: BeenThereBefore from New York says: |
1) If Microsoft and SUN wrote better curriculum studies and documentation, people wouldn't feel like they had to resort to these books. 2) I can see OZ's point; but, frankly, there is more to it. You constantly have either HR personnel who don't know the first thing about IT or mediocre management who when going through the hundreds of resumes, only look for the MCSE, CNE, CCNA's etc. without even bothering to look if the person has any experience or valuable intangibles. I know some very competent people who never bothered with their certification because they considered it a waste of their time. Now there is software that does keyword searchs and the reviewers don't even look at the resume so where will those people be left? 3) Even though I liked the Coriolis Books, I don't think you can go with any one book. You need to research the topics (i.e. RFC's)and do good physical hands-on labwork. Book learning will only get you so in the exams. There were many things that only doing the hands on work will show you. It will not help you in the exam or when you go into an "oral exam", which most people call a job interview. Also the best way to get work is still done through networking. So get out of the books and get in touch with people. Have a good day! |
| 9/10/02: formercoriolisemployee from AZ says: |
What happened to the people at Coriolis was terrible, not to mention all the authors who lost money after so much work. Right after Sept 11, they laid off 30 people, and Haights Cross told us that was it, they had a solid plan in place for getting back to profitability, and none of us should be worried about our jobs - we were the core. 2 months later we heard rumors of another layoff, so a company meeting was called and the news was worse than we'd imagined. Everyone got a severance packet that day, with their end date ranging from immediately through March 2002. All of marketing and most of acquisition editors were gone that day - these were the people who had closest contact with the authors. They only kept a skeleton crew needed to continue with books that were still in the pipeline. Sales and everyone else was forbidden from telling the truth, in case Haights Cross was able to sell the brand. It never happened and the doors were closed. It took me 9 months to find a job, and I know many other former Coriolis people who still haven't found work, simply because the market for marketing and editorial people is SO bad right now. Such a shame - so many talented people who were really dedicated to the company. Out of all the big business shenanigans going on out there today, Coriolis was truly like a family and it broke all of our hearts to see it go under, not to mention all the personal hardship it caused for us being laid off during the worst employment environment ever. The only people who came out of it decently were about 4 execs who wre hired by Haights Cross just months before the closure. They were lucky enought to have signed on with decent severance packages - but even so, they all gave up solid jobs and relocated from other cities and had just moved their families and sold their homes and purchased new ones, just weeks before the shut-down was announced. So they had to try and job hunt and relocate again too - what a pain. Haights Cross strung several people along, promising jobs with them, only to drag it out and then choose even more expensive alternatives. And right after the shut-down, they had the nerve to put out a press release stating that they had their best year ever. Coriolis was founded by 2 guys that were in the trenches, hard-working, down to earth people just like their readers. Everyone in the company loved these guys and felt a personal obligation to give readers the best product they could. Haights Cross swept in and crushed what was and should've continued to be one of the few remaining examples of an ethically, honestly, sincerely run business. I'm glad for those of you who got something out of our books. Your letters of support and enthusiasm always got read and spread around and we all really appreciated it. Thanks. |
| 9/12/02: Victor from San Antonio,Texas says: |
Tried to access the www.examcram.com site. Not available anymore. Now owned by Network Solutions, under development. |
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