Is PublishAmerica A Cult? -I love this site!

[TwentyFour]

Poz writes about PublishAmerica like I would write about food in the kitchen! Anyone else got a site they want to share or have made?

Sample on why I like this site...


http://www.freewebs.com/pozkin/
--Is PublishAmerica a cult?
What is it that lends PA such a cultish perception in the public eye? In a word, it's control. PA management controls its authors through strict censorship on its message boards and through derision in its MB and e-mail replies to authors who dare to question any aspect of PA's business practices. Management, with a figurehead leader who exudes authority and demands respect, actively cultivates an us versus them mentality vis-a-vis PA authors and the rest of the writing community. This "isolate and control" aspect is what has earned PA the notorious "Kool-Aid" label. PA's repetitive mantra about how they're revolutionizing the publishing industry, how their books are available "from sea to shining sea and across the fruited plain," that high prices are not a deterrent to book consumers, how PA "bashers" are simply jealous, that if PA authors can't sell their books they just aren't working hard enough, etc., etc., is often construed as brainwashing. Control and brainwashing, in conjunction with a (somewhat) charismatic leader who assumes the mantle of benevolent counselor, are the hallmarks of a cult; hence the analogy.

[TwentyFour]

In college, I wrote my thesis on Jim Jones...so naturally I love the analogy.

[Monty]

#1 Having an agent doesn't protect you from PA when your agent doesnt know a thing about the POD business side of publishing books.

#2 PA even fooled my agent however I admit I now have A better agent and because he has agreed to represent me he is sad my book Zorana's Quest is involved in such a nightmare.

#3 Just read PA message board it reminds me of the song master of puppets by Metalica. I would think Cult is way to kind a word for suckers that will not pay a author when he can prove he has sold over 50 copies of his book online through amazon.com and other online book sellers and the jerks claim I didn't sell a think for six months. Seems this board reccomends not even bothering to complain. ME lawyer is how I complain.

#4 call me luke skywalker or obi wan kenobi because PA your reign of terror is over.

Movie sprit one: The authors fight back.


Poz writes about PublishAmerica like I would write about food in the kitchen! Anyone else got a site they want to share or have made?

Sample on why I like this site...


http://www.freewebs.com/pozkin/

[James D. Macdonald]

Gracious!

What was the name of this agent?

(I'm kinda betting it was the kind of agent that makes you pay them.)

[brianm]

Gracious!

What was the name of this agent?

(I'm kinda betting it was the kind of agent that makes you pay them.)

I believe he mentioned in another thread it is Eaton Lit. Agency... who sent him to PA.

[Sheryl Nantus]

I'm almost afraid to ask - Monty, who's your *new* agent who's sending you to iUniverse?

[Monty]

Her names Carla Lund I used her when I tried my hand at acting and was more successful there then as A book author so I thought I would try a new aproach but since I am still not signed up for her as of yet I can refuse the offer still.

? should I?


I'm almost afraid to ask - Monty, who's your *new* agent who's sending you to iUniverse?

[Monty]

Bingo there you are correct. Why I am still looking for a good agent seems there hard to find.
We all know good agents are hard to find.

I believe he mentioned in another thread it is Eaton Lit. Agency... who sent him to PA.

[Sheryl Nantus]

well, why do you need an agent if you're going to publish through iUniverse?

last time I checked, it wasn't a prerequisite...

???

[Sassenach]

Her names Carla Lund I used her when I tried my hand at acting and was more successful there then as A book author so I thought I would try a new aproach but since I am still not signed up for her as of yet I can refuse the offer still.

? should I?

Punctuation, please.

[James D. Macdonald]

From P&E (http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peale.htm):

Eaton Literary Agency: Charges fee. Not recommended. A literary agency.

I'm not familiar with Carla Lund. Has she sold any books to a publisher?

[TwentyFour]

Can a moderator rename this thread or rename it Carla Lund. Maybe put it in the Bewares? It seems to have changed over time and I think this should be put up in bewares in case others ask about this agent.

[James D. Macdonald]

Nah. Carla hasn't been in that many posts.

If someone wants to start a "Carla Lund" thread up in the main B&BC forum, that's cool.

[ByGrace]

I am blatantly, fervently anti-PA. So please don't take my post wrong. I have a very close relative that was involved in a cult for 12 years and a writer friend who was involved with a cult most of her teens and early twenties. Although I understand the analogy of PA being a cult, I can't agree with it. Unless you yourself or someone close to you has actually been in a cult it is difficult to understand the mindset, how they were lured in, kept in, and what followed after they left. It is extremely difficult mentally and spiritually and can take years of counseling to recover.

PA is a business scam plain and simple. They are masters of manipulation through false advertising. They conceal what they really are and what they do from the hopeful writer. It doesn't take long for writers to discover what they have gotten themselves involved in...a sham business out to take their money.

Is PA a cult? I don't believe so, not based on what I know about cults. Is it a business scam? Absolutely. I once had a book published by them. I never had the desire to blindly follow Willem Meiners or Larry Clopper. I never wanted to leave my family and home and live with them, or recruit for them newbies. I never was convinced they were the one and only true publishing company to follow. I haven't needed therapy to get over getting out of my contracts with them.

I am angry though, that I was taken in by this fraudulent business.

[Popeyesays]

Some folks call Amway a cult.

Regards,
Scott

[TwentyFour]

When I did my thesis on Jonestown and cults, there was many different types of cults that we have in the world. One cult-the Pyramid Scam Cult is what I meant. They scam you, they have you recruit and form bigger groups to control. The mindset of the tone letters are cultish, they brainwash the author into believing publishing is done that way and backtalk to an author is normal in the business when asking for information.

While I am sorry your family went through this, it is known as being cult behavior. There are many ideal on what a cult is.

I will refer you here: http://www.religion-cults.com/

The amway cult: http://factnet.org/coerlink.htm#1

They show the scams as this:
GSA = Global Scam Artist
S = sucker



Level(1)1 GSA
Level(2)-1s
Level(3)-1s1s
Level(4)-1s1s1s1s
Level(5)-1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
Level(6)-1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
Level(7)1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
Level(8)-1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
Level(9)-1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
Level-(10)1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s1s 1s1s1s1s1s1s1s
ETC ETC ETC
ALL this money goes to the GSA. NOT A CENT goes to anybody else in the Global payment scheme. If this is NOT a pyramid, I don't know what is. I can't even draw the base of the pyramid because it is so big.
So, if you like the idea of making $3 dollars/week, or you think you can be better than 99.99 percent of people before you, who are very, very experienced at conning people, then by all means send in your money.

To determine the legality of a network marketing
compensation plan, to ascertain whether it is legal or
alternatively is a "pyramid," review the compensation
plan offered by the company and ask these questions:

1. Do I become a distributor of the company if I buy
the company's product?
---> Yes, but not quite... you still have to pass
up 2 people (which, is why I think it is a pyramid)

2. Am I required to buy the company product to become
a distributor?
---> Yes, it has always been this way. At least, you
are never given the option to be a retailer without
purchasing the tapes

3. Am I required to buy a distributor kit to become a
company distributor? (This includes kits "at company
cost").
---> Yes, you need to give them 60 bucks.. but,
perhaps they were trying to wiggle around this by
saying that this is for buying a silver coin or
something.

4. Is there more than one way to become a
distributor, is one of these ways to buy the company's
product and/or sales kit?

---> see questions one and two.

5. Once you become a distributor can you move to
higher commission positions within the compensation
plan by virtue of your own purchases or payments to
the company? (Even if you don't have to do it this
way, can you do it this way?)
---> YES! You can upgrade to GII, where "the big
money is"

6. After becoming a distributor, when moving to a
higher commissioned position within the compensation
plan must you make a minimum payment or purchase in
connection with obtaining that higher position?

---> Hell YES.

7. Was it pointed out to you in connection with your
being asked to become a distributor with the company
that an initial, immediate product purchase was a
means by which you could immediately obtain one of the
higher commissioned positions within the company's
compensation plan?

----> Yes, you could see the big picture and come in
at the GII level... but you still need to pass up the
2 referral sales (pyramid)


If the answer to any of questions 1 - 7 is "yes", the
program which you have been asked to join as a
distributor violates the multi-level marketing laws in
most states and the federal postal statutes - that
program is a "pyramid". A few states permit network
marketing companies to require the purchase of a sales
kit "at company cost", subsequently a plan with this
feature may not be illegal in your state of residence.
However, most states do not have this sales kit "at
cost" exception. A network marketing program with this
feature, if legal in your state, will still be illegal
in most other states and illegal under the postal
statutes.


http://www.angelfire.com/zine/gas/pyramid.html

[James D. Macdonald]

See also the Make Money Fast Hall of Humiliation (http://www.mmfhoh.org/)

[Monty]

No I have not signed with her and most likely will not because after the PA burn writting is hard for me to do at best now. I write for the love of writting now not for the money there isnt any.

[Jennifer Robins]

Monty,
It's good to see you here. I wondered what happend to you. I don't get here very often, but today I just thought I would take a peek to see what's going on with good old PA.
Hope you are doing well. I'm still writing. Even doing some scripts.

Jennifer Robins

[J.S Greer]

In college, I wrote my thesis on Jim Jones...so naturally I love the analogy.

Dammit, I just made a Jonestown comment in reference to PA on another thread. I feel unoriginal now. ;)

Poisoned Kool aid anyone? :tongue

[triceretops]

Well, I don't know about likening them to the Jim Jones deal, but I have always thought of the diehard members of PA as the "Stepford Scribes." I can see a glazed, idiotic look of denial on their faces, along with a smile that has stretched their faces to the breaking point. Kind of like automatons, walking around with limited knowledge, forever bumping into things. Of course, PA are the robot makers, winding them up and letting them loose in the community, where they meet other smilling, bobble-headed authors, who get sucked into the program. There IS programming going on there, though. No doubt.

Tri

[J.S Greer]

Well, I don't know about likening them to the Jim Jones deal, but I have always thought of the diehard members of PA as the "Stepford Scribes." I can see a glazed, idiotic look of denial on their faces, along with a smile that has stretched their faces to the breaking point. Kind of like automatons, walking around with limited knowledge, forever bumping into things. Of course, PA are the robot makers, winding them up and letting them loose in the community, where they meet other smilling, bobble-headed authors, who get sucked into the program. There IS programming going on there, though. No doubt.

Tri

That made me laugh out loud. Stepford scribes. :roll: