The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

ResearchGuy

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Oh...wow...This is a little late, but a long, long, loooong time ago I submitted my ms to PA and they offered me a contract. I found this site, and ignored them. They just now sent me an email that "I have been assigned an editor"...can they do that without a signed contract?
I suppose they can assign an "editor," but the "editor" better not do anything (and they darned well better not print a single copy or assign an ISBN) without a signed contract. This bears watching.

--Ken
 

pink lily

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This is the same scam as when businesses send invoices for services that were never rendered (I used to work with a guy who got fired for doing this). A lot of companies just pay the invoice without checking the purchase order number. In the case of lawn service, the bad guy just sends false invoices to individual customers because there are plenty of people who will just pay without dispute.

PA's scam in this case is trying to appeal to your ego, in addition to sending what amounts to a false invoice. Report them to the BBB.
 

Gillhoughly

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Oh...wow...This is a little late, but a long, long, loooong time ago I submitted my ms to PA and they offered me a contract. I found this site, and ignored them. They just now sent me an email that "I have been assigned an editor"...can they do that without a signed contract?

Shoot right back with "No, thank you, I am not signing any contract with PA. Please remove me from your data base."

The editor "assigned" to you is a minimum wage student who got your file in his "in" box. They're trying to pressure you into thinking it's a done deal.

Ex-employee one's story on how things are run.

Ex-employee two's story.

I'm thinking there will be a wave of firings just before Christmas so they won't have to pay bonuses, play "secret Santa" or go to the expense of throwing an office holiday party.


The BEST Christmas party EVER is in full swing at PublishAmerica!

2006031704140101.jpg

 

DaveKuzminski

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Oh...wow...This is a little late, but a long, long, loooong time ago I submitted my ms to PA and they offered me a contract. I found this site, and ignored them. They just now sent me an email that "I have been assigned an editor"...can they do that without a signed contract?

If you will, please forward that email to me at [email protected] . Thank you.
 

entropic island

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Also, kind of funny; their response was to me, Aidan Watson-Morris. My manuscript, To Flee or Not to Be...I guess they forgot the title, because in the email...maybe it'd be better to quote it directly:

Good day and thank you for your submission of "Aidan Watson-Morris" to PublishAmerica

My submission of myself?
 

Cyia

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Dear PA:

Thank you for your offer of an editor, but as I am not a book, I think I'll pass. I learned to edit myself years ago. While I admit to being intrigued by the concept of emailing myself to you, I don't have the first clue how to format myself or make myself into a PDF file. Also, I think it would be exceedingly difficult to hit "send" once I was uploaded into the buffer, so I'll have to pass.

Sincerely,

To Flee or Not to Be.

(Since you've got me in your system, my novel has graciously volunteered to write this correspondence on my behalf. Unfortunately for you, my novel is not a legal entity and cannot sign a contract with you, so please get me out of your system so I can go back to writing.)
 

entropic island

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Oh, yeah, I told them (as politely as I could) to erase me from their records. This site was what saved me from signing their old contract in the first place.
 

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Now Steven Speilberg is the latest craze of PA.As if oprah was not enough, get you books now sent to Dream works so that Julia roberts and company can read it and get a movie made.hell, they will send 5 copies..one for Steven himself, one for Tom Hanks, one for Julia and the others for the shrek cast.

If i was stupid i would give in but i did write to Steven Spielberg once and i can say that you will get an answer but they will not accept any unsolicitated materials.If you want your book to be made into a movie..get it thorugh an agent...This is a fact, unless you know Julia Roberts in person.

Shame on PA

i got banned for bringing this up at the PAMB
 

Gillhoughly

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Using the six degrees of separation (fewer than that, even) I have an inside line to a number of *Names* in La-La land, but sending an unrequested book to anyone out there is a waste of postage. That's just NOT how it's done!

Is PA sending out a new begging letter? Please quote it in full here.

PAMB may not want to hear the voice of common sense, but AW sure does.
 

bhall87

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Here is the email PA is sending out to everyone talking about sending your book to DreamWorks (Steven Spielberg and all). When I first read this email I envisioned PA sending a box of books labeled: "To: DreamWorks C/O Hollywood" for some reason.

Dear Author:

PublishAmerica will submit your book to Hollywood!

Most of you know very well that the quality of your story takes no back seat to any movie story you have seen over the past few years. How many of your readers have told you that your book should really be considered for film adaptation? And if they haven't, at least the thought must have crossed your mind.


PublishAmerica will submit your book to one of Hollywood's most successful studios. We will send your book to Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks for their consideration, five copies, so that more than one studio staffer gets a chance to read your work! DreamWorks has produced stars such as Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and the Shrek cast. Their films have won numerous Oscars. Many of Hollywood's success movies are based on fiction or nonfiction books.

We're not waiting for Hollywood to ask for your book. We're donating it to them. And we will let your local newspaper, radio, or TV know that your book is being submitted to Hollywood. So they can put the spotlight on you as a local author.

Here's how we do it:

If you want to have books on hand, order now, and we will donate five copies
to the DreamWorks studio. And you receive a 40 pct discount!

We ship DreamWorks' copies the same day we ship your books to you.


Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, click on it, then add to cart, indicate quantity, and use this coupon: Hollywood40. Then click Recalculate and finish the transaction. Minimum volume is 12 copies.


In the Ordering Instructions field, just write: "Media Yes". Our PR department
will automatically contact you for names and addresses of your local news media.
Again, we will ship your books to Hollywood the same day we ship your
order to you. By using the coupon you are authorizing us to donate the books
to the DreamWorks studio in Universal City, California. You may also request
that we ship the five FREE books to you instead.


Full-color and hardcovers excluded. Offer expires this weekend on Sunday night.

Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team
 

BenPanced

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Oh, that offer is so full of shi...fail, it ain't funny.

(And didn't Spielberg sell his share in DreamWorks? I think I remember hearing something about that so it's no longer "his", really. Oh, well. Sell the lie!)
 

merrihiatt

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I keep wondering about the shipping/handling charge on these orders, so I checked my PA printed book out. The price of my book on the PA site is $19.95. With a minimum order of 12 books required, the cost of the books alone (with 40% discount) is $143.64. Shipping options include a 2-5 day delivery at $47.88 or a 5-21 day delivery at $11.88. Minimum cost to the author (me): $155.52. Maximum cost to the author (me): $191.52.

In the end I would have 12 copies of my book in my hands, 5 copies of my book going into the black void (under the guise of being sent to DreamWorks with no way to track that it actually was sent or received, let alone actually read by anyone at DreamWorks). This is one of the worst offers PA has come up with, and they've come up with some doozies (is that how you spell that word?).

It all comes down to the same thing, PA wants your money in any way they can get it, except to actually put their authors' books into the hands of readers.
 

Gillhoughly

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Gah!

It's the Oprah letter with different names pasted in.

Yeah, the cast of Shrek, uh-huh. I know they meant the voice actors but I had a mental picture of Shrek and Donkey trying to figure out why all these strangers are sending them books.

I'm sure Spielberg and his merry minions are going to be thrilled to bits about this one.

Hanks, Roberts, Cruise? In case anyone has missed it, A-List actors have AGENTS and others standing between them and everyone trying to send them a script or a book.

God, this is ROBBERY, sheer robbery of the PA victims.



"So I got up yesterday morning and the mailbox was full of books, five copies of the same titles. I thought it was some kind of weird joke or maybe another "gift" from one of my stalkers, but today there were even MORE books. I told the carrier to hold all deliveries until they can get in a bomb-sniffing dog to check things out. One of those boxes could have drugs in it. That must be it. Whoever is behind this is on drugs."
mike_myers_eddie_murphy_cameron_diaz_shrek_003.jpg

 

Stacia Kane

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Heck, why stop with "Dreamworks, Hollywood?" Why not "Santa, North Pole?"

Yes, that's right! For every single book you buy, your wonderful publishing pals will send a FREE copy to Santa Claus, for inclusion in the stockings of good little boys and girls ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

Imagine, YOUR book in Oprah's stocking! Or the President's! Or Martin Scorcese!

Santa--and PublishAmerica--can MAKE THIS DREAM A REALITY!!

Order today! The more you order, the more people all over the world will get your book as a gift on Christmas morning! Don't miss this opportunity!


.
 

Scribhneoir

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What scares me is that they must be getting a lot of takers on these offers, because they keep coming up with new variations.

Unless they're not getting a lot of takers and each new variation is the one they desperately hope will work.