I'd like to buy a clue...
http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/lounge/7916.htm
Message:
I took a look at this "Travis Tea" and the book, "Atlanta Nights," through Google, and it took me to the Lulu.com website. Lulu is a POD that publishes books for free using POD technology, and charges for "special" items, such as cover art, hardcovers, etc. (Please don't mistake this for criticism of Lulu, as I believe if a book is good, it deserves to be published and there happen to be many avenues to that end, running the gamut from whopping-advance publishers to do-it-yourself vanities.)
Back to my research (which only used up about 10 minutes of my valuable time): it seems "Travis Tea" is simply a bunch of Sci-Fi/Fantasy writers who are members of the SFWA (Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers of America) and they were offended when PA "insulted" their craft by saying (and this quote is from their website): "...that SF & F authors are 'writers who erroneously believe that SciFi, because it is set in a distant future, does not require believable storylines, or that Fantasy, because it is set in conditions that have never existed, does not need believable every-day characters.'"
Therefore, these Sci-Fi/Fantasy writers concocted a scheme to "expose" the big, bad PublishAmerica for the...um...what?...publisher-that-is-willing-to-give-a-chance-to-books-that-might-have-been-passed-over-by-other-publishers...that it is. (Shame on you, PA!!)
This brilliant, mind-blowing, daring plot worthy of 007 himself consisted of...hang onto your garters here..."writing" a really bad book (what a feat of ingenuity!). This book, "Atlanta Nights," was sent to PA in the hopes of embarrassing the publisher when it was accepted for publication. (It was accepted, but not published by PA. It was published by Lulu...a POD.)
Nevertheless, the Sci-Fi/Fantasy group calling itself "Travis Tea" are trying to get whatever mileage they can out of this. They are trying to get people to buy their bad book. They are trying to call attention to their "exposé" of the wicked PA. And now, because they apparently have more time than talent, they are trying to embarrass PA by posting stupid, bad reviews of its authors on Amazon.com. This last shows the moral character that they have (or lack), because it is rude and unprofessional to attack a fellow writer. Constructive criticism regarding art is one thing, but these are personal attacks aimed, not at the writer's product, but at the writer's publisher, of all things! I find it hard to believe the SFWA, as a professional organization, continues to allow this to happen in its name.
Another thing: If you look at "Travis Tea"'s other reviews, every last one of them contains a slam against PA and a plea for people to buy this "Atlanta Nights."
So, people, let's not spend any more time on this foolishness. Those Sci-Fi/Fantasy writers can continue to try to drag us down to their level by posting garbage, and we'll just continue to have Amazon take out the trash! Once again:
[email protected] (thank you, Pierrette!).
Chins up and pens poised!
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obviously none of these people read the paper...
wonder how long this'll stay up.