That's not true--it is not completely out of the ordinary for stores like Borders or Barnes and Noble to have some books by PA authors, or to hold signings for PA authors. I've had signings at both of those chains, and they were not on consignment, and managers weren't "hoodwinked" into buying books. I simply asked, and they complied, no coaxing needed at all. Plenty of others have done the same.
THis worked for me in Framingham and Bellingham because I was local. However when I tired the same approach in Connecticut the resuts were very different and I was dismissed outright. The manager in Enfield had already heard of PA and wanted nothing to do with me or my book.
I have to respectfully disagree here, After talking to Barnes and Noble Corporate in New York,(See post in old NEPAT @March 2005) they're aware of PA and their practices and have very little to do with them save for some local events. When a PA book gets carried chainwide by one of the larger stores then I'll start beleiving the PAvidian mantra. But that will NEVER happen. PA doesn't want their books chain wide in a bookstore; they couldn't handle the orders and couldn't figure out how to pay the royalty. Can anybody name one PA book out of the so called 20,000 Happy Authors that have achieved the following?
1. Sold more than 5,000 copies... NO SELF PURCHASES
2. Carried regionally by a B&M bookstore
3. Carried Nationwide by same
4. Made a NYT best seller
5. Placed in the top 500 for book sales in any year of operation (Again weed out self purchases)
6. Generated more than $2,000.00 in royalites over the seven year duration of contract.
Bookstores are not part of PA's business paradigm to them (PA) Authors going into book stores and holding events is simply part of 'AUTHOR: The RPG'.
PA Authors buying their own books and selling to friends and family is the PA business plan (Or to hairdressers, Optometrist's offices et al. And yes these are from actual suggestions from the PA boards over the past two years.) They,PA, aren't set up to do anything else but handle the small 75 and under purchases from the inhabitants of their own message boards during one of their "Promotional Tiger" specials.
In direct comparison to legitimate Publishing Houses PA is severely lacking in all facets. Is there one PA author out of the 20,000 that PA has actually promoted actively? Is there not one book (besides Willem's trash) that Publish America beleives in enough to promote? Not a single book from a single Happy Author? What does this say about them? It says even THEY DON'T BELEIVE IN THEIR AUTHORS.
Can one PA author step forward and say "Publish America promoted my book just like a real publisher would do." Is there not one PAvidian that can step forward and share a PA marketing strategy submitted to them by PA designed to help him/her go forward and achieve success beyond buying your own books and selling on consignment?? Do PA Authors REALLY beleive this is what a legitimate publisher considers marketing and promotion?
Hey, I know from experience and I have the E-mails to prove what happens to PA authors when they try to actively achieve market penetration... it aint pretty and usually ends in PA trying to call the cops to silence you.
PA is to publishing like Matchbox is to NASCAR.
And I beleive that PA authors deseve better. There are some very talented writeres that will never be read beyond a small circle because of Publish America, and that's truly ashame.
My vent for the day is done... back to work.
