Reprinted from Krause Publications' Antique Trader Book Collector's Price Guide. Copyright Richard Russell, 2003. all rights reserved.
And therein lies the problem with this extract as is pertains to the "average" writer. It's a quote from the Antique Trader Book Collector's Price Guide. I suggest that the author go straight to the PA book store and start loading up for those so called "gems" that are hidden there--the same books that are totally unedited in any way shape or form, and the same books that are poorly produced, and not to be found in hardcopy editions that would certainly boost their intrinsic "antique"value and longevity.
John, if is you, we don't hate writers or authors. Matter of fact, they are our family of creative artists that share one dream--that is to see print, share our work, and be read by more than a few aquaintences and family members. So let's not even go there. We have spoken up in the defense of those PA writers in every aspect imagineable. They work just as hard to produce a full-length manuscript be it novel or non-fiction work. But they all have the heartfelt wish to share space with all the other authors who land in the libraries and bookstores.
I've only read of one elderly author on the PA boards who is satisfied to have only a few books read by her imediate family. The rest of the posters ALL OF THEM, have more of a desire to reach a larger audience and make some decent money from their efforts. This deam is so obvious, as witnessed by their incessant need to fortify each other and concoct the most outrageous marketing ploys and stradegies. They are spending thousands and thousands of dollars in an attempt to reach these markets, in the sincere belief that this is the way true comercial publishing works. I am profoundly in their corner, and wish them all the success in the world. Because they certainly deserve it with the guts and determination to overcome all of the obstacles against them.
Their printing company is a different story. What a mask they wear to get what they're after!
When the PA authors propose legitiment questions in their forums, they are cyber erased or banned, and that is because those questions do not fit the sumpatico of PA's business model. After an author has purchased a generous portion of their own books, then PA has done its job--accomplished its prime directive, then that author can be recycled elsewhere without a care, since the next load of newbies are just beginning to make their first posts and inquiries. And then the courting begins in the honeymoon--and it's truly a spider's mating dance, where somebody gets eaten, and we all know who's lasted six years via this dance macabre.
PA is a dictatorship and I'd like to see it dumped from history--replaced by another outfit, who does the same thing, but drops the mask, the insults, the phony pandering, the outragious lies, the non-editing, the over-the-top prices, and all the other gold-digging tactics, and, then, for once tell it just like it is above board, with no weasel wording. Lulu dosen't seem to have this problem at all--they're not trying to be something they're not.
P.T. Barnum was a angel compared to these folks. After truly examining the PA case for some time, a normal person comes away with the ABSOLUTE CONVICTION that there is something very rotten, and stinking to high heavens in this company. And don't tell me that this is normal capitalism--this trascends all the boundries of busniness decency. I've been writing and exposed to publishing for 30 years and I've never quite seen the likes of this outright deception. AW is not only fighting for author's rights, but also fighting for the future of this industry. I'd hate to have my kids face a plethora of these types of companies with their writing career in the not too distant future.
I don't hate anyone, John, I feel hurt when somebody else feels hurt. I can see how easily people were deceived by this company--I've would have done the same thing, only I was spared the experience by finding this thread. We're a support group for the down-trodden too. You can hardly judge us as elitists and snobs, when we are so sensitive to someone else's pain. There are dozens of published authors in this group, and some very big ones too, so why would we begrudge the oportunity of publication for anyone, and lead them away from this printer so they might share the slush piles with us and increase the competition? So you tell me what our real agenda is? We're writers--why should we kill off our own kind? Way counterproductive.
Here's my agenda: I wanna ***** slap a printer, who masquerades as a real
publisher and demands that their authors march the goose step. No one deserves to be treated like an ingrate, or a snot stain, especially writers cause they are the most beautiful and sensitive souls on this planet.
Triceratops
