The New Never-Ending PublishAmerica Thread (NEPAT)

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Don Davidson

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Wow!

Note to PA lurkers: Paying to get out of your contract with a publisher is NOT normal!!

And PA only expects to sell $300 worth of an author's book. That's sad on so many levels.

One word: Blackmail.

The price to buy your way out of a PA contract is still just $300.00. I wonder how long it will be before they raise that price, just like they recently raised the (already outrageous) price of their books. But I wouldn't call this blackmail--more like a ransom demand, to free your book from its captivity. But I don't pay ransom money (or blackmail, for that matter).
 

BenPanced

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I'm wondering when/if it'll ever become SOP. With the number of people asking to be let out of their contracts, I wouldn't be surprised if they're rewriting it to include a "buy out" clause.
 

Shadowman

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Wow!

Note to PA lurkers: Paying to get out of your contract with a publisher is NOT normal!!

And PA only expects to sell $300 worth of an author's book. That's sad on so many levels.

One word: Blackmail.


I prefer Extortion.


aka: And when they're adding names, they're masterbasing.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
 

Don Davidson

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A fitting analogy occurs to me: PA lures you into quicksand and then demands a $300.00 payment to help you back out. Or you can just watch your treasured book sink into oblivion for 7 years. A true Morton's Fork.
 

allenparker

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I prefer Extortion.


aka: And when they're adding names, they're masterbasing.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

First, I do not support PA in any way, shape or form.

But, money to release a contract is as old as history. "If you want out, ok. Send me money and I will let you out."

I am in real estate and development. We buy out of contracts all the time. We let people out of contracts all the time for money. It is a time tested procedure.

Whether is it worth the price or not is an individual decision.
 

jaketrout

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For those of you who labeled me a troll,,,who cares,,,

now on to serious business...having done a little research ON MY OWN, and given the [self] purported level of expertise, knowledge and experience, have any of you PA haters ever considered starting a rival company? One that would address the very issues you despise?

Lots of effort going on in here, with little true results, that could be redirected into positive efforts. Doesn't sound like PA does anything you all couldn't do yourself...

Just a thought...
jaketrout is online now Add to jaketrout's Reputation Report Post Edit/Delete Message
 

Susan Gable

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For those of you who labeled me a troll,,,who cares,,,

now on to serious business...having done a little research ON MY OWN, and given the [self] purported level of expertise, knowledge and experience, have any of you PA haters ever considered starting a rival company? One that would address the very issues you despise?

No. Because most of us here are WRITERS. We don't want to be publishers. We don't want to be booksellers, either, hence why we like publishers who have wide distribution channels.

There are pharmacutical companies I don't like. That doesn't make me aspire to open my own.

I'm not thrilled with WalMart. Don't wanna start my own store.

How many people hate the president? Does it make them want to run out become the next one?

One can dislike the way a company operates and have no desire at all to open a rival company.

There are some writers who HAVE started their own publishing houses. They usually do a much better job than PA.

But I think most of us want to WRITE, not publish. I mean...print.

Susan G.
 

kullervo

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There are plenty of legitimate publishers of every size out there already. A writer with a great book should be able to find one.

If you're talking about opening a legitimate vanity press that does not abuse its clients, there's even one of those: Lulu.com.
 

smsarber

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Come on Jake, answer my previous question: Are you even a writer? You don't seem to be. And if you are not, then why are you here? This is a community of WRITERS, hence the name "Absolute Write," not Absolute Troll. Or Absolute Inflamatory *******. And for the love of God, learn how to use commas.

I did have the idea of starting a publisher about a year ago. But I am not a publisher, a marketer, or even a businessman. The real fact of what we do here is not to trash Publish America, but to warn people against their business practices. We all had bad experiences, and it is not conjecture that most people who sign a PA contract will have the same bad experiences. They would be just one of the many print on demand publishers, and be treated the same way, if they admitted that was what they were. But they say they are a traditional publisher. They are not. And the contract does not read that clearly for a layman. So keep researching, and I will remain steadfast to the thought that you will understand. As it is now, you seem too bent on finding fault with us, and not PA. So you can only see what you want to see.

*Any statements by SMSARBER are purley the opinions of himself, and not those of AW in general and should not be considered otherwise.
 

Sparhawk

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Jake,

The only thing we, as writers can do is warn people away from PA. We've all agreed that if PA represented themselves for what they are... a vanity press there'd be no issue. The problem is they pose a a legitimate publishing entity that will get you into bookstores etc. PA comes off like they'll promote their stable of "Happy Authors" when out of the 30,000 they've published they've actively promoted ZERO.

I had my first book through PA and beleived the hype. I got my rights back and got my book republished by a REAL publisher and that REAL publisher has accepted my sequel and has expressed interest in my current WIP.

Do you know how this was possible? Well let me tell you, it was from the people on this forum. By follwing their advice and accepting the criticism from writers here I learned more about the craft and how to get out from PA's clutches. That book in the avatar on the left of my post is a direct result of hard work and the guidance of people on this thread. I consider myself a writer and am proud to be among others in that are writers. I have much to learn and am enjoying the journey; if I can spare a newcomwer the horrors of Publish America then I feel I've given something back. I wouldn't wish PA on any new writer that wishes to be taken seriously.

If you honestly beleive that Publish America is so wonderful then I suggest you write a book, submit to PA get "The chance you deserve" and live the PAvidian experience. GO into a bookstore with your tome and see what happens. Maybe then, after you've had the experience, you'll change your tune about PA and about us.
 

Alphabeter

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PA keeps reminding me more and more of Scientology all the time.

Hmm, the Mission Impossible theme would be a good one for PA.

It is an impossible mission to get anyone to take you seriously as a printed writer of Publish Anything--even when you pay!
 

Alphabeter

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For those of you who labeled me a troll,,,who cares,,,
Wow, more commas than a Rowling text!

now on to serious business...having done a little research ON MY OWN, and given the [self] purported level of expertise, knowledge and experience, have any of you PA haters ever considered starting a rival company? One that would address the very issues you despise?

Lots of effort going on in here, with little true results, that could be redirected into positive efforts. Doesn't sound like PA does anything you all couldn't do yourself...

Ask Lynn Price aka priceless1. Her publishing company, Behler Publications came about by her being screwed over by PA. I believe BP outsold ALL of the PA authors last year in actual brick-and-mortar bookstore sales because Behler actually has a distribution deal which puts books in stores at a discount without people having to prepay.

And they got Oprah, Rosie O'Donnell and Maria Schriver to read their books, which were positively reviewed. What is PA's biggest claim? They got Jamie Farr (Klinger from M*A*S*H) to endorse his wife's...and then kept it on their "Up in Lights" page for 30 months.

Keep doing your research PA-style Jake. You wouldn't want to actually know what you're shooting off your keyboard about before posting.
 
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Momento Mori

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jaketrout:
having done a little research ON MY OWN, and given the [self] purported level of expertise, knowledge and experience, have any of you PA haters ever considered starting a rival company?

Jake, I'm a little confused by your comment. What research did you do that led you to the conclusion that starting a rival company was a good solution? What do you think it is that the people posting on this thread are trying to accomplish? More to the point, what is it that you are trying to accomplish by posting here? Are you someone who has used PA or are thinking of using PA?

jaketrout:
Lots of effort going on in here, with little true results, that could be redirected into positive efforts.

But people here do direct their efforts into positive results - many people who got sucked into PA hell managed to get out, write better books and get agents and publishing deals. At the same time, they've helped countless other writers avoid making the same mistake that they did.

jaketrout:
Doesn't sound like PA does anything you all couldn't do yourself...

But why does anyone here need to start up their own company? There are plenty of commercial publishers and legitimate self-publishing operations who are up front about what they do that already address the concerns discussed by the posters here.

MM
 

aka eraser

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Folks, it appears Jake has difficulties in reading comprehension. Or perhaps his time is too valuable to do more than skim what other posters have to say.

Whatever the reason, he doesn't, can't, or won't get it.

And that sound you hear is the ice cracking under his skates.
 

CatSlave

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In response to the recently departed jake, when I think of all the good people who have been warned against PA by this forum, I get all warm and fuzzy inside.
 

Alphabeter

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If I compile his posts and submit them to PA, will they still classify the manuscript as fiction? "jake" 's material is not-to-be-believed!
 

cynrad22

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Judging by my post of my PA letter, you all haven’t seen one like it before, with the exception of the $300. Thank you to everybody who commented about it, I would like to work it into my response if it is ok with you all. I don’t feel that I am wasting my time by responding to them. On the contrary, I have the time and energy to waste on them at the present, and if I get under their skin, who knows…maybe they will call the local authorities on me too…lol. Can you imagine…lol. Anymore comment about it would be great!

About Jaketrout…

Did you ever think that that’s all he wanted to do was stir up the community we have here, and cause trouble? I think people like him should be ignored unless they have something constructive to add to the thread. Just a thought, I am not yelling at anyone here, just merely a thought I had about the guy is all. I do however do not agree with his last post where he started it out on a sour note about the troll thing, that right there was what lead me to believe that he is here to solely cause trouble. It was in bad taste and bad form on his part and I think the people on this thread are bigger than that and shouldn’t respond to his bulls**t.
 
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