Son of PAMB and its quotes

e.dashwood · Feb 1, 2009

A PA person is happy to return for her third book:

I WENT THROUGH A SELF PUBLISHING COMPANY FOR MY SECOND BOOK....AND FEEL AS THOUGH I WAS TAKEN FOR A RIDE. THEY SAID THAT THEY PROMOTE BUT HAVE NOT AND I HAVE ONLY SOLD ONE BOOK THROUGH THEM. VERY DISSAPOINTED WITH MY EXPERIENCE THERE.

I HAVE COME BACK TO PA FOR MY THIRD BOOK "LIVING WITH SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER" AND WILL NEVER GO THROUGH ANOTHER COMPANY AGAIN.

A reply:

Sorry to hear about your second book (but if it is with the company you list on your website) I can understand. Anyway, it sounds like you're happy now.

The company is question is Lulu, in the argument for best self-publishing company. Set-up is free and unit costs for printing allow an author a 100 percent market for prices well below a PA standard list price for the same-sized book. You don't have to pay a cent until orders come in for your book. They have pretty much the same marketing as PA for free--the PA author's main complaint about Lulu--and they are quite transparent about their charges for additional marketing services. And you own all rights.

I'd also like to know how did Lulu not promote in contrast to PA massive promotional efforts.

I'm thinking maybe she missed her PA buddies, but Lulu has their own forums and there's always absolutewrite as a diversion from the loneliness of the writer's life.

JulieB · Feb 1, 2009

I wonder if the author even got an ISBN for the book? I'm not defending PA, but they do provide an ISBN.

Pagey's_Girl · Feb 1, 2009

You could get ISBN's for books published through Lulu, but I'm not sure if you actually purchased them through Lulu or separately.

Marian Perera · Feb 1, 2009

A perennial question

I every so often look at the convention photos and they look like they were so much fun.

Well, until someone pulled the fire alarm...

I'm wondering why PublishAmerica hasn't had any since 2004? Is it money problems?

I thought PA's sales were better than ever this year, thanks to the higher prices on the books. Isn't that what PA claimed?

I know that with the economy the way it is it's hard on everyone. So I was thinking that's probably what it is.

Yes, the economy's been terrible from 2004 on. That's why PA hasn't had a convention since then.

It's too bad because I think a convention would be so much fun. And it would be so great to meet all of you and all of the wonderful people here at PublishAmerica who are so great about working with us to publish out books.

Personally, I'd love to meet the people who have to make the daily quota in Acquisitions, the people who select the stock images for the covers, and the Author Support Team. Not to mention Infocenters 4 and 5.

Jersey Chick · Feb 1, 2009

Why do I get this mental image of the Stooges keeping those people in rusty iron manacles in a dank, creepy dungeon with moss on the walls and the sound of water drip-drip-dripping in the background? That's why there'll be no other convention - you let those pale and pasty (from being chained in that dungeon) people out, and they might - yanno - talk...

Marian Perera · Feb 1, 2009

More book covers and stock images

And the stock image... (24012295 on Jupiter Images)

The next one was really easy to find. Book cover:

Stock image (23136530 on Jupiter Images):

The last one we've seen before...

134x200_66_100_0.7243_1_185_277-127665.jpg

PA liked it so much that they recycled it...

And here's the stock image... (23896909 on Jupiter Images)

rihannsu · Feb 1, 2009

That's it. I'm getting new contacts....

Oh, well- you learn something new each day....

Christine N. · Feb 1, 2009

You have a choice- 'published by Lulu', you get an ISBN and it's owned by Lulu. 'published by you', you buy the ISBN from Lulu, and your name is on it.

Either way, it's all part of a distribution package that includes listing on Amazon and some other stuff.

Pagey's_Girl said:
You could get ISBN's for books published through Lulu, but I'm not sure if you actually purchased them through Lulu or separately.

Just to show you how badly PA's art department messed it up...that watery image is a wolf's head. The same one that's in the following two images.

merrihiatt · Feb 1, 2009

I had to look at the photo again. I, like rihannsu, thought the two white spots in the middle were eyes. I couldn't figure out why this woman rising up out the water would have eyes in the middle of her chest! hee hee I can see the wolf clearly now. Omigosh!

rihannsu · Feb 1, 2009

merrihiatt said:
I had to look at the photo again. I, like rihannsu, thought the two white spots in the middle were eyes. I couldn't figure out why this woman rising up out the water would have eyes in the middle of her chest! hee hee I can see the wolf clearly now. Omigosh!

AAAGGHH!! You're right, it is a wolf. :roll:

xXFireSpiritXx · Feb 1, 2009

Hi. I haven't posted for awhile but I've had three other books published by an English publisher as well as my two by PA, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED by Jason Robert and WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU WHEN YOU SIGN. My PA books are about my 31 year battle with schizophrenia and I wrote them at The University Of British Columbia where I earned a BA in English
Literature. My first book is my best and a producer has contacted me about A FUNNY THING HAPPENED and said he is as of yesterday
contacting and interviewing screenwriters for my groundbreaking
psychological romance. He says that when he gets the right screenwriter we will sign an option agreement with an agent I have
contacted. This is a very exciting time but movies can sometimes take a year or two to make so I must be patient. I am grateful to PA for being the first publisher to show a lot of interest in my work.
I have contacted many producers but none have shown such enthusiasm for my first novel as this producer. I will keep you posted and I recognize some familiar names here. It's great to be
back.

***sigh***(mimicking Jersey Girl

)

Before writing, I studied film and screenwriting in college. I wish this guy knew that is NOT how the film industry works. I see his enthusiasm turning into a cry of anguish pretty soon.

In my opinion, an author shouldn't have to shop to producers, the producers come to them. And honestly, if you read between the lines, this is most likely an independent film company where no profit will be made whatsoever.

Christine N. · Feb 2, 2009

If done properly, the author shops to film agents, who shops to studios and producers to sell the option. At least that's how the agent who reps a multiauthor series I write for does it.

James D. Macdonald · Feb 2, 2009

merrihiatt said:
I couldn't figure out why this woman rising up out the water would have eyes in the middle of her chest!

So men would look her in the eye when they talk to her, of course.

JasonRobert said:
He says that when he gets the right screenwriter we will sign an option agreement with an agent I have
contacted.

Click to expand...

I sure hope that agent isn't Bobby Fletcher at WL Screenwriters Agency. There goes another pile of money....

xXFireSpiritXx · Feb 2, 2009

I wanted to post the response I received to my complaint about the books I received not being up to standards.

Dear Jason Macumber:
Thank you for your email. Please send us a sample of the damage, preferably the worst copy or worst several copies. We will make a decision to or not to replace all copies after we review the damage. Please include correspondence with the books, including a description of the damage and the total number of damaged copies.
You may send that to:
PublishAmerica
Attn: <NAME DELETED./AST
P.O. Box 151
Frederick, MD 21705
Thank you and have a good day,
<NAME DELETED>
PublishAmerica Support
[email protected]

Hmm. If you read between the lines it seems to me they will only replace them if they deem them bad. And I have a feeling they will not admit to that responding with a tone letter. I am not wasting $$ shipping them books only to have them say no and then tell me I have to pay for shipping to get the books I sent back. I am currently drafting a letter to get out of my contract.

inkkognito · Feb 2, 2009

I wouldn't bother with them any more on this matter. File a dispute with your credit card company ASAP, as there is only a limited amount of time you can do that. Be prepared to send the sample to the CC company (and I imagine photos would do, not a whole book) in order to back up your dispute. That will be much more effective than dealing with PA, where the coin has two tails and you're only allowed to call "heads."

scully931 · Feb 2, 2009

Queen of Swords said:
Not to mention Infocenters 4 and 5.

Are they anything like Thing 1 & 2?

thecraftteens · Feb 2, 2009

scully931 said:
Are they anything like Thing 1 & 2?

Certainly. They, like the Things, have a Bad Hair Day. Okay, that was chessy. :Shrug:

Back to lurking in the corner.

merrihiatt · Feb 2, 2009

James D. Macdonald said:
So men would look her in the eye when they talk to her, of course.

I walked right into that one.

Marie Pacha · Feb 2, 2009

Jason,

I would email them back and ask if they would accept photographs of the damage as the sample they are requesting, and then provide them with a list with the number of damaged books and specifics on each.

It would save PA and you, time and money.

merrihiatt · Feb 2, 2009

Since PA is only asking for one copy of the book or several of the pages that are the worst, I'd send them what they're asking for and give them the opportunity to do the right thing. They may indeed say they won't replace them, but they may also say they will. Of course, you should not have to pay shipping to return the books or receive the new ones. What a pain in the... not to mention a huge disappointment.

merrihiatt · Feb 2, 2009

A PA author writes:

Hi...Just want to agree with others about most managers will not store your books in their store. B&N bought some books for my booksigning and then what they did not sell, they returned. They do not stock my book on their shelves again for the same reason-Print on demand.

Marian Perera · Feb 3, 2009

A certain veteran was previously quite enthusiastic on the PAMB and eager to market her book, to the point where she offered to work as an unpaid sales rep for PA.

We're already pounding the pavement for our own books, as you said, so why not help the rest and PA in the process? Shoot, I wouldn't even require payment necessarily, but some free copies of my book would go a long way as a good return for me.

Today I checked her website.

I am sorry to have to announce that, due to some unforeseeable events, the fantasy series <title> has been placed on hold temporarily. While <Book One> will continue to be available to the public via the internet and some brick and mortar retail sources, Book Two and Book Three are in a holding status.

It pains me to not continue with this series as it is my first ever completed novel series and, therefore, holds a special place in my heart. However, until resolution can be met I can not, in good faith, produce a product that will not perform to my expectations and the expectations of my fan base.

I will continue, through other publishing avenues, to produce short and long fiction and non-fiction

Bolding mine.

triceretops · Feb 3, 2009

Could it possibly be that her sales for book #1, which is out, did not garner enough sales to allow the acceptance of book 2 and 3? Translation: she didn't meet the 75 copy author-purchase rule.

Tri

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Feb 3, 2009

Or maybe her expectations weren't met? Maybe she was hoping to recoup the money she put into book 1 and hasn't.

PA lurkers: it's okay to dream big. We all do. But I can guarantee you, first-time writers are getting paid more on their initial advances than you will ever earn through going with PA. If PA has never had a bestseller by now, they never will. Your stories are worth more tha a dollar - give them to someone who can really sell them without relying so heavily on you. Stop wasting your money on PA.

Yog's law. Believe it.

PVish · Feb 3, 2009

Queen of Swords wrote

A certain veteran was previously quite enthusiastic on the PAMB and eager to market her book, to the point where she offered to work as an unpaid sales rep for PA.

I notice that two of the other three posters on that thread no longer post. I wonder what happened to them.

I get the feeling that once new authors make an initial purchase, PA is pretty much through with them unless they become cheerleaders for PA. I've noticed that some enthusiastic newbies stop posting shortly after they receive their books.

Son of PAMB and its quotes

I grow my own catnip

Still plays with dolls

starting over

Up all night to get Loki

starting over

Mrs. Bruce Wayne

haz a shiny new book cover

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Mrs. Bruce Wayne

Killing my darlings...

haz a shiny new book cover

Your Genial Uncle

Killing my darlings...

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

So you're suggesting what? Bigfoot?

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Still a work in progress

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Writing! Writing! Writing!

starting over

aka Sadistic Mistress Mi-chan

Cat hair collector