The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

ResearchGuy said:

Thought I'd pop on over to the PAMB. This is what I got just now:

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Technie thingies deleted.

And I thought it was just me. I thought they had somehow started to recognized my IP address because I often go from the AW board to check out posts. So much for that ego trip.

ResearchGuy said:

"Not valid" pretty much sums PA up as a publisher. "Critical error" must refer to the decision to sign the PA contract.

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That was good!

If anyone must post on a guestbook, please use your full legal name and a working email address.

Memphis Ed said:

....the authors at PAMB are wishing the Infocenter a Merry Christmas.

1984, anyone?

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Are you saying you won't be wishing Jenna a Merry Christmas?

At the risk of bringing 1984 here...

Merry Christmas Jenna!

Canada James

thoglog said:

i never posted this site upon anyone's guestbook...all i stated was-please be informed of your publisher and their practices. I feel no ill ease toward anyone there other than a friend of mine who worked for years and was taken for her money bec. of PA

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The reason this is such a touchy subject is due to one (or possibly more) individuals who systematically posted disparaging comments on both website guestbooks and Amazon/B&N book review sections. This behavior evoked an extremely negative reaction towards those here (and elsewhere) who were trying to help PA authors deal with their situation. Because these areas are not only public, but also important (personally) to individual authors, they are not a good place to get your message across.

Your concern is admirable and welcome here, and so is your friend.

pepperlandgirl said:

I think it's pretty clear that CancerBoy is a scam artist.

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You don't know that. All you know is that he's 19 and caught up in something that may be over his head.

I shudder at some of the things I got myself into at 19. Shudder.

Canada James

Canada James said:

Have you read it? That's a pretty strong statement to make if you haven't.

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Canada James said:

How do you know he isn't just suggestion more exercise, less junk food and more broccoli?

Canada James

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This is the gist of what he's saying, although there's a lot more. And he also seems to be impersonating real experts in the field.

When my goal is reached then I will do everything in my Power to make Success happen to each and every Author who's looking for Success and this I can Promise. Right now I'm in the Process of finding a Cure and I want to expand my Research and have all Top Cancer Doctor's join me in this Research and expand it in a Whole new Level and I need Support and Help from all Author's.

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His 'goal' being to achieve sales of 100,000 copies by New Year by flogging his book to other PA authors and their family and friends.

DamaNegra said:

Er... I think the 'reviews' on Amazon destroy that point. Especially with the Oxygent Elements thingy.
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Yes, unless he really thinks he is Dr. Phil....

Nancy

OMG....

I just read Oxygen boy's Amazon page a little more closely.

This would be funny if it wasn't so sad: (From the author) "My IQ is really good and my doctor told me that I'm one of the few most Talented geniuses that there ever is."

PA authors should see this and realize that PA will take anything. This is an example of what we've been saying.

Do you guys really think this sounds like a statement from someone who should be published? Doesn't this concern you?

Nancy

Heheh that sounds to me like: "My mommy says I'm really smart and I'll grow up to be a genius!!"

Someone with such a high opinion of himself, and with no modesty (like that guy) doesn't inspire too much confidence on me. If he has a high IQ, then boasting about it is a poor way to demonstrate it.

Also, he didn't say how high his IQ was.

xhouseboy said:

This is the gist of what he's saying, although there's a lot more. And he also seems to be impersonating real experts in the field.

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I meant to delete my post after the summary was posted.

Canada James

Guys, please take discussions of that particular book and its marketing over to the Take It Outside board. It's off-topic here.

Canada James said:

You don't know that. All you know is that he's 19 and caught up in something that may be over his head.

I shudder at some of the things I got myself into at 19. Shudder.

Canada James

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No, he claims he's 19. That could be part of the sell. "Ahh, he's just a kid. Man, I remember when I was 19 and..."

I'm really a 34 Italian man posting from South America where I've been exiled for the past 10 years.

Well, not really.

But I could probably make you believe it if I wanted to sell you something.

Leave guestbooks alone!

Alright, so I joined AW. I do not like PA and signing with them is my biggest regret. But I want to just ask everyone nicely not to sign my guestbook (or any other author's guestbook who is currently signed with PA) unless you're going to comment about my novel. By telling me all about PA, you are telling me things I already know! Therefore, you're kind of just wasting your own time. And when several people sign my guestbook all at once, ganging up on me when I FEEL THE SAME WAY YOU DO, it is crossing into the realm of harassment. Furthermore, the things you write about PA might have helped if it was 6-7 months ago, but not NOW, when I'm bound under a 7-year contract! I'm stuck with this company, and it sucks, but what choice do I have? Even if I can manage to get my rights back, PA can still sell my book and collect royalties. Anyway, my point is that signing guestbooks in this manner is going too far. Your time could be better spent in other ways.

-G.J.

Actually, if you get your rights back, PA cannot legally continue to sell your book.

General Joy said:

Alright, so I joined AW. I do not like PA and signing with them is my biggest regret. But I want to just ask everyone nicely not to sign my guestbook (or any other author's guestbook who is currently signed with PA) unless you're going to comment about my novel. By telling me all about PA, you are telling me things I already know! Therefore, you're kind of just wasting your own time. And when several people sign my guestbook all at once, ganging up on me when I FEEL THE SAME WAY YOU DO, it is crossing into the realm of harassment. Furthermore, the things you write about PA might have helped if it was 6-7 months ago, but not NOW, when I'm bound under a 7-year contract! I'm stuck with this company, and it sucks, but what choice do I have? Even if I can manage to get my rights back, PA can still sell my book and collect royalties. Anyway, my point is that signing guestbooks in this manner is going too far. Your time could be better spent in other ways.

-G.J.

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Welcome GJ.

I fully agree with your points about personal attacks in guestbooks. If you read the last few pages on this thread you will see that others here were also up in arms about it. I honestly do not think anyone from this thread was responsible, but rather it being a concerted campaign by some malcontent intent on casting suspicion. Whoever it was did not even get the address of the forum right on several different occasions, and it appears that at least on one occasion s/he selected a name from this board as it was a name several PA authors were familiar with. The big mistake made there was that this individual is polite and respectful in all his correspondences, and might even have cause to claim that he has also been maligned by this unacceptable behaviour.

I wish you great success with your writing. There are some fine writers signed with PA - who now wish they hadn't - and several former PA authors are also members of this forum. It's the crooked practises of PA that this thread is keen to expose, and hopefully that desire doesn't go as far as to target individual PA authors by personally attacking them in their guestbooks.

Welcome, General.

You may have realised the reality behind PA's promises but there are plenty of aspiring novelists who post on the PA Boards clearly indicating their intention to submit a second manuscript to PA before they have received their first book and had the opportunity of finding out just what sort of a 'chance' PA has given them.

In those particular cases, if I choose to gently and politely caution the individual concerned against entering a hasty second contract and no private e-mail address is available I have no choice but to post a guestbook entry. But personal attacks and foul language are I agree - neither necessary nor acceptable.

If I post on a guestbook, it is polite and brief. I simply state I will be happy to explain my reasons if they care to contact me, otherwise I shall not trouble them further, and wish them well with their current book. (I see no reason why a PA author shouldn't enjoy what I am sure is the great thrill of holding his/her book in published form regardless of any sales problems that lie over the horizon.)

My name and occupation, location and e-mail address are always clearly given. And I should add that on more than one occasion it turns out I am simply confirming suspicions that had already started to rise.

And keep in mind, every PA author who is unaware of the reality of publishing with PA is a potential recruiter of yet more innocent victims.

General, forgive my intrusion, but may I ask at what point in the production cycle, and how, you became aware PA was not what it seemed to be? I ask this in case your answer helps in finding extra ways to expose them but I understand if you choose not to answer.

Dave--yes, they can't do that legally, but I've heard they do it anyway!

xhouse--thanks for the kind words...

and Bufty-- I understand what you're saying, but what happened to the old adage, "live and let live"? If an unsuspecting PA author should wander over to this site, asking what everyone thinks of PA, then by all means, tell him/her everything! But as I said, I think littering someone's guestbook with remarks about the publisher is going too far. Some people (and I don't understand why) still like PA even well after their first (or second) book was released. Even if we don't agree, that's their perogative.

-G.J.

Nice to see you here General!

Things will get better!

Joining AW is a start my good man!

Eric-

General Joy said:

Dave--yes, they can't do that legally, but I've heard they do it anyway!

xhouse--thanks for the kind words...

and Bufty-- I understand what you're saying, but what happened to the old adage, "live and let live"? If an unsuspecting PA author should wander over to this site, asking what everyone thinks of PA, then by all means, tell him/her everything! But as I said, I think littering someone's guestbook with remarks about the publisher is going too far. Some people (and I don't understand why) still like PA even well after their first (or second) book was released. Even if we don't agree, that's their perogative.

-G.J.

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Yes, General,

Littering a guestbook with wild cursings about PA, and abusing authors is totally unacceptable. But I am sorry, I cannot 'live and let live' or turn away when I can see from the PA Boards that an unsuspecting fellow writer (a novelist in particular) is heading for quicksand.

I doubt many 'unsuspecting authors' make any attempt to search out a site like this after signing the contract - what reason would they have to do so? And even if they did they have to balance what they read here against the opinions expressed on the PA Board by what they understandably regard as knowledgable fellow-writers all apparently expressing enthusiasm for PA in that controlled environment.

Hi General, and welcome! Bufty, I'm assuming you're not the one who signed this guestbook? If not... it appears that the "Guestbook Slimer" is at it again. I have promised to ban this person if he or she is a member here-- I do NOT support the person's actions (rude messages left under fake names, often pretending to come from Absolute Write). Only once was I able to match up an IP address of someone who left nasty messages in PA guestbooks with someone who had registered here-- and that was a young girl who had lied about her credentials and was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at a conference organized by PA authors! She was immediately banned (she'd only been here for a day or two at that point anyway).

Anyway, if you have the IP address of the person who posted on your guestbook (that goes for any lurkers out there who've been slimed, too), I'd love to know it. I can tell you if it matches with anyone here. It is my utmost belief that it is NOT anyone here who'd do such a thing.

Definitely not.

Bufty, yeah maybe not too many authors would come here after they've signed the contract, but that's my point exactly. Once we've signed, it's too late for us! Some might visit here before signing, and that's when all the comments would be beneficial.

Jenna, one of the people who signed my guestbook was signed "Bufty" but no address. (Bufty, I don't know if it was actually you or someone using your name) and the other was thoglog (again, another name I see here on the forum). Sorry, I don't mean to be a tattletale--I'm not saying those who signed should be punished or anything; I'm only saying to everyone to please NOT sign it anymore unless it's a comment about my novel. Thanks.

-G.J.