In my last post, I noted that I’ve stopped writing for Verblio but didn’t want to discuss it further. In the light of a recent email from Madison Basch, though, I need to say a little. I had confirmed that I would not write any more for Verblio, because it had accepted a customer request which I regarded as deeply wrong, and because Basch had compounded the act with an evasive and incoherent attempt at justification. There are some lines I regard as unacceptable to cross, and Verblio crossed one of them. Giving full details would violate my confidentiality agreement. Update: After long consideration, I’ve decided I can and should add one important point: the issue was an overtly racially discriminatory request by a client which Verblio refused to remove.

Basch wrote to me after this that “Verblio is no longer in your opinion or your services as a writer.” It’s a game of “You can’t quit, you’re fired.” While it’s childish and basically harmless, Basch might present that spin to others, so I want it on record that I have not submitted any articles to Verblio for weeks and had clearly stated that I do not intend to resume.

Verblio was once a great company to write for.