Welcome, Pete-awes!pete-awes said:
Don't let the stipid zobmis darf your dream, man. There's life beyond PA, and we're here to help you find it.
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Don't let the stipid zobmis darf your dream, man. There's life beyond PA, and we're here to help you find it.
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Line-by-line time!
Yes, let's!
"The occasional elite newspaper"? Would that happen to be:
Other "elite" newspapers include the Washington Post, the LA Times, and lots of papers that subscribe to the AP feed. In other media, there's ABC-TV (Philadelphia) and NBC-TV (New York). That's just this year.
Is it really "a David publisher taking on the Goliath publishing powers" that they're reporting on? Or is it a bunch of ice-hearted scammers ripping off a bunch of naive writers? Where would the reporters' sympathies be?
You're changing the subject from the publisher to the authors, Infocenter. The local papers, in their "local man writes book" human interest stories, aren't talking about the publisher or its practices.
What do local papers say about PublishAmerica? Remember the story in the Frederick News? How about the one in the Gazette?
This is "a David publisher taking on the Goliath publishing powers" only if in the Bible story Goliath came out and didn't even notice David.
PublishAmerica isn't taking away any sales or shelf space from real publishing. To do that, first they'd have to get sales and shelf space.
(Editing note: Drop "that be" after "powers." "Powers that be" is a cliche; here it's redundant.)
Would that be your newly-hired PR staff that does nothing but talk to serious media that did the talking, or was it someone else?
She saw right through the BS at least as far as PA was concerned. Did you wonder why PA was even being mentioned in an article about vanity presses? Do you wonder why PA compares unfavorably with pay-to-play vanity houses?
You hope.
Next time a "serious" reporter is researching PA, that's going to be one of the first places they check. Bet on it.
Okay, let's see what you have. Care to mention your national best seller? Care to mention even one book that's been stocked nationwide in a chain store?
Are those the mail-merge "resonate... glove" press releases? They don't say anything about the book itself, they don't give any reason for someone to buy or read the book, they aren't accompanied by a copy of the book, and they're sent after the contract is signed rather than a month before the book is released -- in short, this is garbage.
Okay -- say that these articles exist, and that someone, somewhere, might become interested in the books. Next time that person is in a bookstore, he or she looks for one of the books, and doesn't find it. Lost sale.
The real reason you send your authors haring all over the countryside drumming up local news coverage isn't to sell books -- it's to sell PA to other new, naive authors. That's the source of your money.
Serious media, as opposed to the Washington Post, AP, the New York Times, ABC, and NBC? Don't expect that real reporters won't research the other side of the story, folks. This might not be the happy-happy time you imagine.
And what's this? A surprise news story? Oh, be still my heart! Will this be like the surprise award-winning author? Oh, I see! You "may" expect the announcement of a surprise news story soon. Then again, you "may" not.
What could the surprise medium be? A color film-strip? That would certainly be surprising.
(Editing note: "Media" is plural. You meant to say "in a surprise medium." Agreement of number, guys. This is basic English.)
Authors knock on your door, eh? Did you notice that they were carrying pitchforks and torches?
It would be interesting if, at Larry's false advertising trial, he had to back up that statement under oath.
Sure. That's because you keep signing up more and more authors. Is it 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, or some other number now? All of those people convincing mom and dad and sister and brother to buy their books (and buying lots of their own copies to take to signings -- signings that are getting harder and harder to arrange as you saturate the market) would give you more books "sold."
Care to mention hard numbers, rather than "more books"? How many thousands each day? I'm willing to bet that if you gave the actual number, rather than the squishy-soft "more," that the total would be pathetic even by small-press standards.
Absolutely!
Who did that estimating? Willem?
The "less than flattering" reports (a more accurate term might be "devastating") only came from the very top people in the largest markets. The local puff pieces ... well. Are they archived and quoted? Can anyone even find them? What do they say? That a local woman's book will soon resonate with an audience? Give me a break!
The "malcontents" seem to be doing pretty well. They're getting the big national platforms. What do you have? The Post-Dispatch in Burning Bush, Wyoming, circulation 34?
Be careful, Larry. The Internet is where you find your new authors -- out in the world PublishAmerica is all-but-invisible.
I like to think of it as truth and justice.
(Nice comma splice, BTW.)
That would be in "the newspaper's world famous Book Review section," right?
Folks, want to see some nonsense? Short discount, excessive cover price, no returns. That's nonsense.
Oh, that would be nice. Are you planning to start answering your phones when they call? Maybe give call-backs if they get your answering machine? Perhaps sending the books when they manage to make an order? All refreshing changes.
This will be interesting. I wonder what it is?
Wait a minute -- isn't Amazon on the web? Isn't the web the place that "most normal people" disregard?
Ah! Is Ingram finally rolling out the One Source program?
Is it true that Lightning Source has you on credit hold?
Barnes & Noble doesn't have a need for PA books. Steve Riggio has come right out in public and said so. PA could vanish tomorrow and B&N wouldn't even notice. What do you sell through them? One book per store per month? Two?
You are aware that it's against B&N's corporate policy to stock PA books, aren't you?
How about the sales force, the catalog, the review copies in advance of publication, the standard discounts, the returnability, and the reasonable cover prices? How about covers that aren't clip art cut-n-paste? How about editors? How about acquiring books based on quality?
In your minds, guys.
Except you haven't. PublishAmerica books aren't in bookstores, they aren't in wire racks, they aren't in libraries, they aren't in readers' hands. You've no more "opened the gates" than Vantage and Dorrance did fifty years ago. Anyone can get printed -- few can get published. Same as ever.
Who determines who gets published? The readers.
Maybe you "take a chance" on your authors. (You don't -- you "take a chance" on them like Caesar's Palace "takes a chance" on its slot machines.) What you haven't done, because your business model makes it impossible, is figured out how to get the readers to "take a chance" on your authors.
What? Used to be that in order to get readers you had to write a good book. Now, if you've gone with PA, not even writing a good book will help you.
Aside from the 3,000 pennies your authors spend to get their copyrights registered. And however many more pennies they spend on buying their own books. At PublishAmerica if the author doesn't buy his own books -- no one does.
There are two big groups who don't think PA authors are the "peers of entrenched power." Authors and readers.
Actually, Goliath hasn't noticed you. The ones who are fighting back are your own defrauded, abused, and discarded authors. Ever wonder why that is?
Other authors, and real publishers, spend a great deal of time explaining in a great deal of detail exactly how to become their peers. Which, alas, doesn't include vanity publishing.
Speaking of "incoherent," that sentence qualifies.
They'll say that your publisher sucks, and that the readers don't consider you to be a published author -- the sales figures prove that -- but that's as far it goes.
Play it on a violin so we can all cry!
(Editing note: That should be "that is who we are fighting for." Use English, guys. It isn't optional.)
Larry, Willem, Miranda, Jessica, Janet, and Michele all go to jail after being fined into penury.
We're talking mixed images here. You say you're going to turn into lemmings and overrun poor ol' Goliath? Who cares how how many authors you've signed up, how many books you have nominally in print, if no one buys them and no one reads them? In terms of books sales you're still tiny, and tiny you'll stay as long as your business model is designed to prevent author success.
One by one your better authors will learn the truth, move away, and join that "elite" that you keep claiming would never accept them. A bitter pill for failed writers like Larry, Willem, and Miranda.
(Editing note: That's "dwarf," not "darf." Spelling isn't optional either.)
Indeed.
===========
Darf. I love that word! For those of you who were wondering:
===========
Updated to add: Here we are two years later, and so far that "suprise" news story in the "surprise" medium still hasn't appeared.
Yes, let's!
"The occasional elite newspaper"? Would that happen to be:
"It appears that our authors are being taken very seriously by the New York Times. We expect to outline the details of this partnership with the host of the one and only NYT Best-seller List for you soon, but for now we are so excited that we just want to celebrate the event with you.
It looks like we're entering a new level of publishing distinction!"
Just checking.It looks like we're entering a new level of publishing distinction!"
Other "elite" newspapers include the Washington Post, the LA Times, and lots of papers that subscribe to the AP feed. In other media, there's ABC-TV (Philadelphia) and NBC-TV (New York). That's just this year.
Is it really "a David publisher taking on the Goliath publishing powers" that they're reporting on? Or is it a bunch of ice-hearted scammers ripping off a bunch of naive writers? Where would the reporters' sympathies be?
You're changing the subject from the publisher to the authors, Infocenter. The local papers, in their "local man writes book" human interest stories, aren't talking about the publisher or its practices.
What do local papers say about PublishAmerica? Remember the story in the Frederick News? How about the one in the Gazette?
This is "a David publisher taking on the Goliath publishing powers" only if in the Bible story Goliath came out and didn't even notice David.
PublishAmerica isn't taking away any sales or shelf space from real publishing. To do that, first they'd have to get sales and shelf space.
(Editing note: Drop "that be" after "powers." "Powers that be" is a cliche; here it's redundant.)
Would that be your newly-hired PR staff that does nothing but talk to serious media that did the talking, or was it someone else?
She saw right through the BS at least as far as PA was concerned. Did you wonder why PA was even being mentioned in an article about vanity presses? Do you wonder why PA compares unfavorably with pay-to-play vanity houses?
You hope.
Next time a "serious" reporter is researching PA, that's going to be one of the first places they check. Bet on it.
Okay, let's see what you have. Care to mention your national best seller? Care to mention even one book that's been stocked nationwide in a chain store?
Are those the mail-merge "resonate... glove" press releases? They don't say anything about the book itself, they don't give any reason for someone to buy or read the book, they aren't accompanied by a copy of the book, and they're sent after the contract is signed rather than a month before the book is released -- in short, this is garbage.
Okay -- say that these articles exist, and that someone, somewhere, might become interested in the books. Next time that person is in a bookstore, he or she looks for one of the books, and doesn't find it. Lost sale.
The real reason you send your authors haring all over the countryside drumming up local news coverage isn't to sell books -- it's to sell PA to other new, naive authors. That's the source of your money.
Serious media, as opposed to the Washington Post, AP, the New York Times, ABC, and NBC? Don't expect that real reporters won't research the other side of the story, folks. This might not be the happy-happy time you imagine.
And what's this? A surprise news story? Oh, be still my heart! Will this be like the surprise award-winning author? Oh, I see! You "may" expect the announcement of a surprise news story soon. Then again, you "may" not.
What could the surprise medium be? A color film-strip? That would certainly be surprising.
(Editing note: "Media" is plural. You meant to say "in a surprise medium." Agreement of number, guys. This is basic English.)
Authors knock on your door, eh? Did you notice that they were carrying pitchforks and torches?
It would be interesting if, at Larry's false advertising trial, he had to back up that statement under oath.
Sure. That's because you keep signing up more and more authors. Is it 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, or some other number now? All of those people convincing mom and dad and sister and brother to buy their books (and buying lots of their own copies to take to signings -- signings that are getting harder and harder to arrange as you saturate the market) would give you more books "sold."
Care to mention hard numbers, rather than "more books"? How many thousands each day? I'm willing to bet that if you gave the actual number, rather than the squishy-soft "more," that the total would be pathetic even by small-press standards.
Absolutely!
Who did that estimating? Willem?
The "less than flattering" reports (a more accurate term might be "devastating") only came from the very top people in the largest markets. The local puff pieces ... well. Are they archived and quoted? Can anyone even find them? What do they say? That a local woman's book will soon resonate with an audience? Give me a break!
The "malcontents" seem to be doing pretty well. They're getting the big national platforms. What do you have? The Post-Dispatch in Burning Bush, Wyoming, circulation 34?
Be careful, Larry. The Internet is where you find your new authors -- out in the world PublishAmerica is all-but-invisible.
I like to think of it as truth and justice.
(Nice comma splice, BTW.)
That would be in "the newspaper's world famous Book Review section," right?
Folks, want to see some nonsense? Short discount, excessive cover price, no returns. That's nonsense.
Oh, that would be nice. Are you planning to start answering your phones when they call? Maybe give call-backs if they get your answering machine? Perhaps sending the books when they manage to make an order? All refreshing changes.
This will be interesting. I wonder what it is?
Wait a minute -- isn't Amazon on the web? Isn't the web the place that "most normal people" disregard?
Ah! Is Ingram finally rolling out the One Source program?
Is it true that Lightning Source has you on credit hold?
Barnes & Noble doesn't have a need for PA books. Steve Riggio has come right out in public and said so. PA could vanish tomorrow and B&N wouldn't even notice. What do you sell through them? One book per store per month? Two?
You are aware that it's against B&N's corporate policy to stock PA books, aren't you?
How about the sales force, the catalog, the review copies in advance of publication, the standard discounts, the returnability, and the reasonable cover prices? How about covers that aren't clip art cut-n-paste? How about editors? How about acquiring books based on quality?
In your minds, guys.
Except you haven't. PublishAmerica books aren't in bookstores, they aren't in wire racks, they aren't in libraries, they aren't in readers' hands. You've no more "opened the gates" than Vantage and Dorrance did fifty years ago. Anyone can get printed -- few can get published. Same as ever.
Who determines who gets published? The readers.
Maybe you "take a chance" on your authors. (You don't -- you "take a chance" on them like Caesar's Palace "takes a chance" on its slot machines.) What you haven't done, because your business model makes it impossible, is figured out how to get the readers to "take a chance" on your authors.
What? Used to be that in order to get readers you had to write a good book. Now, if you've gone with PA, not even writing a good book will help you.
Aside from the 3,000 pennies your authors spend to get their copyrights registered. And however many more pennies they spend on buying their own books. At PublishAmerica if the author doesn't buy his own books -- no one does.
There are two big groups who don't think PA authors are the "peers of entrenched power." Authors and readers.
Actually, Goliath hasn't noticed you. The ones who are fighting back are your own defrauded, abused, and discarded authors. Ever wonder why that is?
Other authors, and real publishers, spend a great deal of time explaining in a great deal of detail exactly how to become their peers. Which, alas, doesn't include vanity publishing.
Speaking of "incoherent," that sentence qualifies.
They'll say that your publisher sucks, and that the readers don't consider you to be a published author -- the sales figures prove that -- but that's as far it goes.
Play it on a violin so we can all cry!
(Editing note: That should be "that is who we are fighting for." Use English, guys. It isn't optional.)
Larry, Willem, Miranda, Jessica, Janet, and Michele all go to jail after being fined into penury.
We're talking mixed images here. You say you're going to turn into lemmings and overrun poor ol' Goliath? Who cares how how many authors you've signed up, how many books you have nominally in print, if no one buys them and no one reads them? In terms of books sales you're still tiny, and tiny you'll stay as long as your business model is designed to prevent author success.
One by one your better authors will learn the truth, move away, and join that "elite" that you keep claiming would never accept them. A bitter pill for failed writers like Larry, Willem, and Miranda.
(Editing note: That's "dwarf," not "darf." Spelling isn't optional either.)
Indeed.
===========
Darf. I love that word! For those of you who were wondering:
Darf, var. of DEEF a. Obs., keen, and THARF v. Obs. to need.
===========
Updated to add: Here we are two years later, and so far that "suprise" news story in the "surprise" medium still hasn't appeared.
Last edited:
Message from the THEM today with my response. 4-28-2005.
Author Support <[email protected]> wrote: And I quote
Dear Mr. Schneider,
Your letter is largely unintelligible. In the future please consult legal
counsel before sending us such a message.
It is difficult for us to determine just what you are trying to say, but
much of it seems to be just plain false. Your contract remains fully in
effect and legally enforceable. This means that you may not enter a
contract for your work with another publisher.
Thank You,
Author Support Team- end quote.
Jessica,
I wrote an entire book which you and your cohorts had no problem reading or understanding. Your publishing contract is the confusing document between thee an me.
No problem, keep the book and sell it yourself. I don't have the time to market a work on my own. Had I known previously, the inside scoop, I could have self published for the same $1,574.00 I paid you.
I would suggest to P.A. that in the future, to avoid such situations as I find myself in, you should make your contract and web site wording concise and clear to the prospective authors.
I hope you don't have trouble understanding this message, as the Flesh- Kincaid readability scale ranked it at a ninth grade level. The previous message which you had difficulty understanding was scaled at 6.72 grade level.
I'm all for ending our relationship and correspondence. I can do this-
Any further e-mails from your company, Publishamerica, will be considered harrassment. Please refrain from sending or making any contact of any type.
Please delete all of my personal information except my home address, which you may use twice a year to send my royalty check from your hard work at selling my book.
Do not e-mail me again. Do not send me snail mail, phone calls or second party reffered correspondence except for the above mentioned reason.
Thank you so much, Good luck.
Message she didn't understand below: Redundant maybe.
>>>Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 09:35:53 -0700 (PDT)
>>>From: Ken Schneider
>>>Subject: Re: K.A. Schneider: contract release request
>>>To: Jessica
>>>
>>>Jessica,
>>>
>>>I have received, and read, the revision contract. I am sorry to say I
>>>cannot sign the revision.
>>>
>>>The restrictive nature of the revision contract does not allow
>>>reasonable options for the author, and only benefits the current publisher.
>>>
>>>I have knowledge of the confidentiality covenant. I will not now, or
>>>ever, give up my rights to free speech. They are guaranteed to a citizen
>>>of this country,( the U.S.A.), under the Constitution of the United
>>>States of America.
>>>
>>>Please note that any agreement on the subject of the publishing rights being
>>>returned to the author, would have to be final, and non-restrictive in
>>>any form.
>>>
>>>As the sole holder and owner of the copyright in my possession, and as
>>>stated by the publisher, is to remain with the author, do not wish my
>>>work to be published, printed, or reproduced, in any form.
>>>
>>>I wish for the publishing rights to my book,( The Scent of Magnolias and
>>>Men), which is owned by me, (Ken Schneider), through copyright, to be
>>>returned without restriction.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Be it known by all including the current publisher, as the copyright
>>>holder, Ken Schneider, is the sole owner of the titled work, (The Scent
>>>of Magnolias and Men-authored and copyright held by Ken Schneider), is
>>>no longer in favor, nor consent, of allowing the above titled work, any
>>>print production, or, publication in any form, by any party, unless
>>>re-authorized by the copyright holder at a future date.
>>>
>>>Also be it known that the author has paid for by purchase, 150 of the
>>>above mentioned books at a cost of 1,574.00 dollars, and, that buy a
>>>similar purchase, could have self published a book of the same quality
>>>with that same dollar amount.
Kas.
Author Support <[email protected]> wrote: And I quote
Dear Mr. Schneider,
Your letter is largely unintelligible. In the future please consult legal
counsel before sending us such a message.
It is difficult for us to determine just what you are trying to say, but
much of it seems to be just plain false. Your contract remains fully in
effect and legally enforceable. This means that you may not enter a
contract for your work with another publisher.
Thank You,
Author Support Team- end quote.
Jessica,
I wrote an entire book which you and your cohorts had no problem reading or understanding. Your publishing contract is the confusing document between thee an me.
No problem, keep the book and sell it yourself. I don't have the time to market a work on my own. Had I known previously, the inside scoop, I could have self published for the same $1,574.00 I paid you.
I would suggest to P.A. that in the future, to avoid such situations as I find myself in, you should make your contract and web site wording concise and clear to the prospective authors.
I hope you don't have trouble understanding this message, as the Flesh- Kincaid readability scale ranked it at a ninth grade level. The previous message which you had difficulty understanding was scaled at 6.72 grade level.
I'm all for ending our relationship and correspondence. I can do this-
Any further e-mails from your company, Publishamerica, will be considered harrassment. Please refrain from sending or making any contact of any type.
Please delete all of my personal information except my home address, which you may use twice a year to send my royalty check from your hard work at selling my book.
Do not e-mail me again. Do not send me snail mail, phone calls or second party reffered correspondence except for the above mentioned reason.
Thank you so much, Good luck.
Message she didn't understand below: Redundant maybe.
>>>Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 09:35:53 -0700 (PDT)
>>>From: Ken Schneider
>>>Subject: Re: K.A. Schneider: contract release request
>>>To: Jessica
>>>
>>>Jessica,
>>>
>>>I have received, and read, the revision contract. I am sorry to say I
>>>cannot sign the revision.
>>>
>>>The restrictive nature of the revision contract does not allow
>>>reasonable options for the author, and only benefits the current publisher.
>>>
>>>I have knowledge of the confidentiality covenant. I will not now, or
>>>ever, give up my rights to free speech. They are guaranteed to a citizen
>>>of this country,( the U.S.A.), under the Constitution of the United
>>>States of America.
>>>
>>>Please note that any agreement on the subject of the publishing rights being
>>>returned to the author, would have to be final, and non-restrictive in
>>>any form.
>>>
>>>As the sole holder and owner of the copyright in my possession, and as
>>>stated by the publisher, is to remain with the author, do not wish my
>>>work to be published, printed, or reproduced, in any form.
>>>
>>>I wish for the publishing rights to my book,( The Scent of Magnolias and
>>>Men), which is owned by me, (Ken Schneider), through copyright, to be
>>>returned without restriction.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Be it known by all including the current publisher, as the copyright
>>>holder, Ken Schneider, is the sole owner of the titled work, (The Scent
>>>of Magnolias and Men-authored and copyright held by Ken Schneider), is
>>>no longer in favor, nor consent, of allowing the above titled work, any
>>>print production, or, publication in any form, by any party, unless
>>>re-authorized by the copyright holder at a future date.
>>>
>>>Also be it known that the author has paid for by purchase, 150 of the
>>>above mentioned books at a cost of 1,574.00 dollars, and, that buy a
>>>similar purchase, could have self published a book of the same quality
>>>with that same dollar amount.
Kas.
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Saddest lines in that Pete-Awe thread
Out of many sad lines:
--Ken
Out of many sad lines:
How handy for PA that the victims blame themselves while exemplifying the meaning of "vanity publishing."
--Ken
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akaa1a said:
Holy Gibberish, Batman! English really is Willem's second language, isn't it?
John
Uncle Jim, a great post, but....
...I do have one question. Are you and I professional malcontents? Is Dave one? Does that make Jenna and Victoria professional malcontentresses? And does that make ZaZ and Memphis Ed professional palcontents? Inquiring minds want to know....
...I do have one question. Are you and I professional malcontents? Is Dave one? Does that make Jenna and Victoria professional malcontentresses? And does that make ZaZ and Memphis Ed professional palcontents? Inquiring minds want to know....
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triceretops said:
Bring me an apple, and you're set. No, wait - make it a Fried Twinkie. All of Ed's Hamdog posts made me crave far worse foods than an apple. Pour chocolate sauce on it and I'll make sure you get an A.
I agree that we need a PA-to-English dictionary with entries for words like stipid, spline, and darf.
LOL - Hey, I wonder if someone submitted that dictionary to PA, how long it would take for them to realize their chain was being yanked?
Susan G.
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Hmmmm. As someone who for many years has specialized in making poorly written prose into well written prose, it is my professional opinion that your message that generated that insult was thoroughly intelligible. (You knew that, of course.) Now ... that leaves the question of the definition of "unintelligible" in the PA-speak Dictionary.changling said:
Unintelligible. Adjective. Tending to infuriate the management by being clear and direct while contradicting management's bullying instincts and underhanded tactics.
--Ken
Well, shoot, I didn't have any trouble understanding it and I'm not even a big-time general partner in a vanity press. Could it possibly be that Jessica is just ... stipid? Or stipid enough to follow orders to be deliberately contentious?changling said:
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Nah. Just Jessica, Janet, and Michele. Larry, Willem, and Miranda will be soaking up the sun and drinking large tropical drinks on the white sands of some Caribbean island without an extradition treaty.James D. Macdonald said:
- Victoria
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I am a professional malcontentrix, thank you very much.Ed Williams said:
- Mistress Victoria
And all the lurkers agree with me in email...
Friends do not let friends sign with PA.
=============================
On another note, I have officially been self appointed to be the official repository for all of Ed Williams' future reputation points. Just click on my name and give them to me and I'll be sure that Ed hears about your kind thoughts when he gets ba...
...oh.
Hi Ed!
How long have you been standing there?
As I type, I am serving General Motors's need for toothbrushes made from yak hair and rose petals. What's my secret? Sales volume! Considering the number of orders I receive from GM for the product, I can serve the need without lifting a finger.
Last edited:
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Say, anybody remember the movie, Young Frankenstein? And the character, Frau Blucher? (cue horse whinny) And do you further remember the scene where the creature escapes, and she triumphantly throws her hands in the air screaming, "Free! Freeee!"?
(Yes, you in the back row with your hand up, I do have a PA point to make with this; please, bear with me)
Anyhoo, PA has basically said that my book with them will be held hostage forever. It'll never again see the light of day (well, Someone else may have something to say about that...but I digress). If they'd only done what I asked them, months ago, and returned those rights, we could have parted as..well, not friends, certainly, but perhaps as respectful adversaries.
That's no longer an option. So, Willem, Larry, Miranda, Mary-Ellen, Granpa, Jim Bob, John Boy, et. al, be it known:
I. Am. Pissed. This Southern boy is PO'd at PA. Or to put it another way, I am, as a certain DI of my acquaintance put it so eloquently, a "thoroughly pissed and highly motivated individual."
My book is dead? Fine.
Then I'm free.
No longer will I have to entertain the least concern about wrecking my book's escape. It won't happen. You've told me so. In response, I'll be happy to tell anyone who'll care to lend an ear exactly how it expired. You see, I'm a member of several writing groups, have some strong editorial backing at a sizable "traditional house" (whatever that may be), I am not media shy in the slightest, and I'm scheduled to speak at one of the largest writers' conferences in the nation this fall. I assure you, my book did not die in vain. And though you may hinder its reappearance, you cannot stop it.
Let the games begin.
John (who, if he listens hard, can hear the sound of a distant battle trumpet...drawing closer)
(Yes, you in the back row with your hand up, I do have a PA point to make with this; please, bear with me)
Anyhoo, PA has basically said that my book with them will be held hostage forever. It'll never again see the light of day (well, Someone else may have something to say about that...but I digress). If they'd only done what I asked them, months ago, and returned those rights, we could have parted as..well, not friends, certainly, but perhaps as respectful adversaries.
That's no longer an option. So, Willem, Larry, Miranda, Mary-Ellen, Granpa, Jim Bob, John Boy, et. al, be it known:
I. Am. Pissed. This Southern boy is PO'd at PA. Or to put it another way, I am, as a certain DI of my acquaintance put it so eloquently, a "thoroughly pissed and highly motivated individual."
My book is dead? Fine.
Then I'm free.
No longer will I have to entertain the least concern about wrecking my book's escape. It won't happen. You've told me so. In response, I'll be happy to tell anyone who'll care to lend an ear exactly how it expired. You see, I'm a member of several writing groups, have some strong editorial backing at a sizable "traditional house" (whatever that may be), I am not media shy in the slightest, and I'm scheduled to speak at one of the largest writers' conferences in the nation this fall. I assure you, my book did not die in vain. And though you may hinder its reappearance, you cannot stop it.
Let the games begin.
John (who, if he listens hard, can hear the sound of a distant battle trumpet...drawing closer)
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See, John-Boy, this is what's going to be PA's ultimate downfall -- a whole slew of pissed off people standing outside the walls blowing trumpets. It's amazing that they have such tunnel vision that they can't see the writing on the wall. People talk. And people write. And people communicate with other people quite capable of talking and writing at the same time. Soon, so many people will know about their dirty tricks that it will be impossible for them to do damage control. That's when the walls will fall. Right on top of The Big Three and the Petite Three would be good.Gravity said:
Mis-information center quote:They won't tell you that, though -- they will say that they don't want your publisher. But it is you that they are after, and you -- that is whom we are fighting for. End quote.
No one is after the authors, many are here incognito, many are our friends and e-mail us regularly with malcontent toward P.A.
Smoke and mirrors. Nothing will change. An appeasement message to calm the growing discontented money machine that has begun to sputter.
How many of these messages does one have to see? NYT partnership. I wish that one of you here, with connections to the NYT ad department, would get the low-down on that. Partnership, or "Hello, we would like to buy an ad."
How many more, "We are working with Barnes and Noble...." Oh, great, another partnership. Fabulous, P.A. will now consign your books for you, for a price. As with all of their "Messages" there is an underlying sinister plot to gain money from the authors.
Time will tell on this latest proclimation. I hope that this time multitudes catch on when the new "Partnerships and programs fall by the wayside like the NYT Stinger.
There will be no return policy. The book prices will be the same. P.A. books will only be sold on the internet, (along with a tens of thousands of other cheaper books), and by the author.
Until there is a, return policy, reduced prices and discounts for bookstores, and honest forthright and concise information about their business model, they won't gain respect in the publishing world.
If, any of these things change, then David will have joined Goliaths army.
The devil is in the bible as well.
Ken
No one is after the authors, many are here incognito, many are our friends and e-mail us regularly with malcontent toward P.A.
Smoke and mirrors. Nothing will change. An appeasement message to calm the growing discontented money machine that has begun to sputter.
How many of these messages does one have to see? NYT partnership. I wish that one of you here, with connections to the NYT ad department, would get the low-down on that. Partnership, or "Hello, we would like to buy an ad."
How many more, "We are working with Barnes and Noble...." Oh, great, another partnership. Fabulous, P.A. will now consign your books for you, for a price. As with all of their "Messages" there is an underlying sinister plot to gain money from the authors.
Time will tell on this latest proclimation. I hope that this time multitudes catch on when the new "Partnerships and programs fall by the wayside like the NYT Stinger.
There will be no return policy. The book prices will be the same. P.A. books will only be sold on the internet, (along with a tens of thousands of other cheaper books), and by the author.
Until there is a, return policy, reduced prices and discounts for bookstores, and honest forthright and concise information about their business model, they won't gain respect in the publishing world.
If, any of these things change, then David will have joined Goliaths army.
The devil is in the bible as well.
Ken
Susan, the profound....
P.S. Victoria, with God as my witness, you shouldn't get me all worked up on these boards, as your last post did. I'm trying to be a literary professional here...
...respect and admiration I already had for you has just been ratcheted up that much higher. You are now in the Buddy Holly category of women I admire and respect.Susan Gable said:Bring me an apple, and you're set. No, wait - make it a Fried Twinkie. All of Ed's Hamdog posts made me crave far worse foods than an apple. Pour chocolate sauce on it and I'll make sure you get an A.
Susan, since the words in a dictionary are all properly spelled, would PA even recognize half of them?
P.S. Victoria, with God as my witness, you shouldn't get me all worked up on these boards, as your last post did. I'm trying to be a literary professional here...
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MadScientistMatt said:
I found it interesting that we made the same analogy -- and wanted to see who posted first.
Thank you much!
Pete..welcome!
Hello Pete. Are you the Pete I think you are, Cowboy Pete? Or a different one? Either way welcome to AW. PA boards are full of b/s, you're right -- because that's what Infocenter wants to see - crap non-writing related & mis-information -- because that's what they breed..lol...I stopped reading them long ago.
Nice to see ya here!
Renee Bagley
pete-awes said:
Hello Pete. Are you the Pete I think you are, Cowboy Pete? Or a different one? Either way welcome to AW. PA boards are full of b/s, you're right -- because that's what Infocenter wants to see - crap non-writing related & mis-information -- because that's what they breed..lol...I stopped reading them long ago.
Nice to see ya here!
Renee Bagley
Am I the professional malcontent referred to
in the PA retort to the NYT article, since my name is in the article? Je n'ais ce pas.... Je suis un malcontent ( just in case that Pierrete is lurking)
But I'm not exactly sure what a professional malcontent is? Professional -- does that mean I have achieve a certain level of expertise, or does it mean I charge money for it?
One last plea. A group of authors, not just me, a group of PA authors, were able to get articles in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, The associated Press, the Frederick News Post, an affiliate of NBC, and an affilate of ABC just by telling the truth about our experiences with PublishAmercai. We made a difference about PublishAmerica.
You can too, email Ann Crispin [email protected] for the next phase.
And while I have your attention our new book (no, no, no, not the PA book) book is ranked 495 on amazon. There is life after PublishAmerica! Or maybe in spite of.
Going to go celebrate now - on so many levels.
Dee
in the PA retort to the NYT article, since my name is in the article? Je n'ais ce pas.... Je suis un malcontent ( just in case that Pierrete is lurking)
But I'm not exactly sure what a professional malcontent is? Professional -- does that mean I have achieve a certain level of expertise, or does it mean I charge money for it?
One last plea. A group of authors, not just me, a group of PA authors, were able to get articles in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, The associated Press, the Frederick News Post, an affiliate of NBC, and an affilate of ABC just by telling the truth about our experiences with PublishAmercai. We made a difference about PublishAmerica.
You can too, email Ann Crispin [email protected] for the next phase.
And while I have your attention our new book (no, no, no, not the PA book) book is ranked 495 on amazon. There is life after PublishAmerica! Or maybe in spite of.
Going to go celebrate now - on so many levels.
Dee
Sher2 said:
They find the best pre-approved message, following the directive from comedy club office, and patch it into an e-mail as best they can. "Sent Mo-larrya." Click, "Take that you malcontent." Click, "Right back at ya',you retardconteder.
My dictionary says the same thing Ken.
Unintelligible. Adjective. Tending to infuriate the management by being clear and direct while contradicting management's bullying instincts and underhanded tactics.
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Ed Williams said:
Nope! We're not getting paid for this gig. We haven't lost our amateur standing, so we'll be able to compete in the Malcontention Olympics next summer in Baton Rouge.
From PA land...
Guys, the troops over there are not drinking the Kool-Aid as much as they once did.
As for Pierette, she's been taken in by the Zombies and replaced with a robot. Nighty chick is gone, as is (I guess) the campout.
I was really looking forward to that....
Guys, the troops over there are not drinking the Kool-Aid as much as they once did.
As for Pierette, she's been taken in by the Zombies and replaced with a robot. Nighty chick is gone, as is (I guess) the campout.
I was really looking forward to that....
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