The New Never-Ending PublishAmerica Thread (NEPAT)

Nexusman · Mar 19, 2006

Dawno said:
Oh my goodness, CB - Entire response deleted by Nice-O-Matic (tm)

Same here. It seems there is a case of severe cranial-rectal transposure syndrome over on the PAMB.

-Nick

James D. Macdonald · Mar 19, 2006

Saundra Julian said:
Detractors often classify PA as a vanity press, as if vanity and self-publishing is anathema. Of course Publish America does not meet, by any stretch of the imagination, the definition of vanity or self-publishing.

Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with self-publishing. Just be aware that it's very difficult, and works best in certain very narrow areas.

Vanity publishing now ... I've proved (with the help of PA's "best debater"), and am willing to prove again (with the help of PA's second-best debater if necessary) that Publish America is, indeed, both in theory and in practice, a vanity press.

Kevin Yarbrough · Mar 19, 2006

Dawno said:
Anyone been keeping count? Seems like a lot of our NEPAT posters have received releases recently.

That is why I had mentioned having a thread with the names of PA authors that have been released and the reason for it. Uncle Jim, can we do this?

Gabriele · Mar 19, 2006

Saundra Julian said:
Remember this guy?

"The publishing business is a very competitive and therefore you will find some publishers that will try to black ball PA just to keep them from getting a piece of the pie. These publishers have become jealous because PA is doing so well."

According to another PA author, his book (ISBN#) is no longer showing up on the PA bookstore... Surprise registered mail coming? Better pull out another chair...

Hm, did he learn something and asked to get out of the contract? Because above statement isn't anti-PA, on the contrary.

Of course, there's the possibility that the PA leadership gang is now going completely bonkers and can't distinguish friend from foe any longer. :ROFL:

James D. Macdonald · Mar 19, 2006

Kevin Yarbrough said:
That is why I had mentioned having a thread with the names of PA authors that have been released and the reason for it. Uncle Jim, can we do this?

Sure, you can do it -- but it seems to be the sort of thing that would best be done as a page on a website. One person maintaining it, keeping it alphabetical and all.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Mar 20, 2006

Gabriele said:
Of course, there's the possibility that the PA leadership gang is now going completely bonkers and can't distinguish friend from foe any longer.

When friend and foe alike cost PA $50 each to be listed on Amazon, PA has no 'friends' - especially if the person in question has already milked his own friends and family and maxed out his credit cards to purchase his book.

Christine N. · Mar 20, 2006

I run into that "what do you mean, you didn't pay to publish?" thing here too.. and I'm in S. Jersey, only 100 miles from the publishing capital of the USA, perhaps the world (NYC). Many, MANY people have no idea how it's supposed to work. I've found more than one person who I've steered away from PA and onto the right path.

I think the notion became predominant when people just start googling "Book Publishing" or "Publishers" - because the top links invariably come up as vanity presses. So it's not hard to see where the public at large, who has any interest in publishing a book, comes up with the notion. I, who grew up around books, kind of knew how it was supposed to work, I just had to dig for the information. At least I knew the names of the "big" publishers. But not everyone will do that, nor pay attention to publishers names on the books they read.

Aconite · Mar 20, 2006

CB said:
No author emerges from the writing cocoon fully distinct. Publish America assists in the birth of the literary butterfly in all of us."

Anyone here know much about butterflies? Specifically, do you know what happens when someone tries to "help" a butterfly emerge? The butterfly's wings never straighten and dry properly. The poor things crumple, shrivel, and are permanently malformed, and the butterfly dies. Amazingly enough, that is often what happens to emerging authors when "helped' by PA. Ol' Carl picked a better metaphor than he knew.

To be properly formed, a butterly must emerge at its own pace, and go through the process of allowing its wings to unfold and dry slowly at the proper time and in the proper way.

PVish · Mar 20, 2006

Aconite said:
Anyone here know much about butterflies? Specifically, do you know what happens when someone tries to "help" a butterfly emerge? The butterfly's wings never straighten and dry properly. The poor things crumple, shrivel, and are permanently malformed, and the butterfly dies. Amazingly enough, that is often what happens to emerging authors when "helped' by PA. Ol' Carl picked a better metaphor than he knew.

Plus butterflies have a darn short lifespan. Not unlike PA books.

Good metaphor.

ETA: It wouldn't surpise me for PA to drop the 7-year contract in favor of a 1-year (possibly renewable) contract. That would save them a bundle on Amazon fees and still enable them to bilk their authors.

xhouseboy · Mar 20, 2006

"Publishing America has been good for publishing in general and publishing related forums specifically. Before involvement with PA, how many of us do you suppose knew anything about the publishing business, or had heard of authors on this board, or authors on other writing boards? I daresay not many.

The PAMB has provided reams of verbal tapioca for several writing-related forums, as well as essayists and bloggers.

Old Joe Stalin was good for the Russian people in general and the Gulag system specifically. He has also provided reams of historical data for future generations.

Before his rise to power, how many of his fellow citizens do you suppose knew anything about his style of leadership. I daresay not many.

rekirts · Mar 20, 2006

I think the notion became predominant when people just start googling "Book Publishing" or "Publishers" - because the top links invariably come up as vanity presses.

That makes sense. The group I belonged to started 20 years ago before anyone could google anything. The person who started the group was a published writer so he knew the ropes, and he was (is) very keen on writers getting paid for their work.

That doesn't necessarily mean that any of us would have known what PA was about when it came on the scene. You don't know you're going to have to pay and pay and pay when you sign up with PA.

Gratian Gasparri · Mar 20, 2006

Ol' Fashioned Girl said:
When friend and foe alike cost PA $50 each to be listed on Amazon, PA has no 'friends' - especially if the person in question has already milked his own friends and family and maxed out his credit cards to purchase his book.

Pardon my ignorance, but it costs PA $50 to list a book on Amazon? Does that hold true for every publisher?

ResearchGuy · Mar 20, 2006

Saundra Julian said:
Remember this guy?
. . . and of course, C.B. is honey coating everything once again . . .

snip*. . . But, are PA authors by and large vain? You bet. We all have varying degrees of vanity. Perhaps in the biblical sense that's wrong, but not in the writing sense. . . .

In the Biblical sense (KJV), "vain" means futile, and "vanity" means futility.

--Ken

Saundra Julian · Mar 20, 2006

Ah ha, this man's book has not been released yet! That's why it isn't showing up in the PA bookstore...guess it will be a while before he see the light, especially with C.B. blowing smoke...

Christine N. · Mar 20, 2006

I think the $50 listing fee was POD books only, but I'm not sure.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 20, 2006

POD books. Books that exist in potential only; clogging the databases in return for few sales and little profit ... I can see the market correcting for that.

DaveKuzminski · Mar 20, 2006

PVish said:
ETA: It wouldn't surpise me for PA to drop the 7-year contract in favor of a 1-year (possibly renewable) contract. That would save them a bundle on Amazon fees and still enable them to bilk their authors.

I see PA dropping it to a three-year contract. Just long enough to put pressure on their victims and short enough that most will ride it out rather than complain. Then they won't have to spend a bundle on certified mail to end the contracts ahead of time.

See PA? I even helped you on this one so you wouldn't bruise your widdle brains. Now we wouldn't want that to happen, would we? Otherwise, Miranda might feel inclined to operate and you certainly don't want that, do you?

PVish · Mar 20, 2006

Over on the PAMB, another new author notices the editing errors:

during the editing process by P.A., if some grammar mistakes were not changed, is there a reason behind it? because i am finding quite a number of mistakes concerning grammar so how exactly does the editing process work and what is it does P.A. actually edit? i know they are in a rush to finish my manuscript but is that the reason i am finding editing mistakes? for example, a few punctuation marks were missing. please help anyone!

Seems like the newbies are getting clues a lot faster than they used to. To answer some of her questions:
1. No, there's no reason behind it. It's the the way PA does things.
2. The editing process is a spell-check.
3. You are finding editing mistakes because PA doesn't actually edit.

xhouseboy · Mar 20, 2006

Quote;Pvish

during the editing process by P.A., if some grammar mistakes were not changed, is there a reason behind it? because i am finding quite a number of mistakes concerning grammar so how exactly does the editing process work and what is it does P.A. actually edit? i know they are in a rush to finish my manuscript but is that the reason i am finding editing mistakes? for example, a few punctuation marks were missing. please help anyone!

Nothing changes.

Prediction:

No responses to this poster's query yet, but what's the odds some PA apologist will soon pop up to question which editing option she chose, and then turn it all around and lay the blame full square on this newbie author.

Christine N. · Mar 20, 2006

Or the old standby "Every book has errors, even ones from big name publishers."

Yeah, but big-name publishers don't ADD errors.

DaveKuzminski · Mar 20, 2006

Christine N. said:
Or the old standby "Every book has errors, even ones from big name publishers."

Folks should note that PA and its apologists never take responsibility for their errors. Instead, they make excuses or point the finger at other publishers when the complaint isn't about other publishers. It's about PA. Own up to the responsibility, PA. If you want respect, then earn it.

Gravity · Mar 20, 2006

DaveKuzminski said:
. Own up to the responsibility, PA. If you want respect, then earn it.

But that's just it, Dave. Willie and the Poor Boys don't want respect. They simply want gelt--and plenty of it--from their authors. Respect be hanged.

John

Sheryl Nantus · Mar 20, 2006

I'm quite happy at not being released at this point. Since for some ungodly reason I keep getting royalty checks without actively trying to sell any I figure I'm actually making a profit from my PA mistake.

and they're losing money.

and I keep on flapping my lips.

heh, heh.

works for me.

PVish · Mar 20, 2006

Just wondering...

Anyone have any idea how many of the 200 authors in the book are still with PA? If a bunch have been dropped, then isn't 200 Authors a bit, uh, out-dated and therefore useless as a catalogue?

Oh wait, it was useless as a catalogue when it came out. . . .

Saundra Julian · Mar 20, 2006

It's Official

"Goldie" is officially "un-printed" !!!!!
Molly and I got our release in the mail a few minutes ago! Yahoo! :hooray:

Good bye, PA and good riddance!!

Saundra Julian

The New Never-Ending PublishAmerica Thread (NEPAT)

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