The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

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Sher2

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lindylou45 said:
PickleAnyone -- works for me!
One more for the list -- is it permissible to say PissAnt Publishing in public? :roll:
 

PixelFish

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Blink!

Okay, I'm scratching my head at this statement from one of the PA threads. (This one actually: http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/lounge/8651.htm )

The quote is this:

"...but in this day and age of high cost living (especially in California) it is hard for the working man/woman to be able to afford high priced books. (books over 4-5 dollars)"

Considering that my average paperback seems to run about 5.99-7.99, and the only time I drop below four dollars is when I raid the used book stores, I'm thinking this person is in for a huge sticker shock when they realise that PA is pricing books at well over industry standard.

They have a point though (even if they don't have their numbers right)--the average person isn't going to shell out of a high-priced book. Particularly one with dubious production values.
 

Diana Hignutt

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Crystal Rivers said:
If I hear the phrase "Everything was CLEARLY OUTLINED IN MY CONTRACT" as a defense of PA one more time, I'm going to blow chunks.
EmoteSmack.gif
(I'm new. Am I allowed to say that.)
EmoteSsh.gif

You and me, both, Crystal. I hate following those links. I just hate it. But, I can't stop myself...

I feel so sorry for those authors.

diana
 

lindylou45

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Well, to leap to PA's defense, the FAQ page on their site does say:

Quote:
Bookstores do not automatically put a book on their shelves. All stores have full access to our books, but in order to actually stock them, they must be convinced that the book will sell. Author: there is work to be done!


That was added in July of last year. It wasn't there when I signed my contract.
 

Sher2

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DaveKuzminski said:
Maybe we should come up with a 12-step program for PA general partners? ;)
I don't think they could be trusted to do the steps, Dave. Perhaps they'd do better in a strictly controlled environment. Some place like Camp Cupcake comes to mind.;)
 

Sher2

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Diana Hignutt said:
You and me, both, Crystal. I hate following those links. I just hate it. But, I can't stop myself...

I feel so sorry for those authors.

diana
It's kind of like an accident scene -- you know it's bad, and you really don't want to see it because you know it will give you nightmares, but you have to look.;)
 

Patricia

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Sassenach said:
The idea of a PA-only bookstore is so patently absurd that it's hard to read those posts without wanting to swing a giant clue bat.

In defense of Bonnie -- when she queried all of us before opening her store, the biggest majority of us were still in the early stages of production or release. We were not aware of the full scope of the nightmare. We supported Bonnie and offered consignment books to jump-start her. Her bookstore has never been exclusively PA. I, for one, wish her the very best -- her heart was right and she wanted to help. She no longer takes PA books.

PA further sullied the whole thing by sending her some books, which only made the hopeless venture seem more plausible. Very cleaver of them.
 
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lindylou45

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Christine N. said:
Personally, I like Prettybig A**hol*s

How about: Pernicious A**hats :banana:

(Thanks goes to Kelly S. for my new favorite curse word!) :Hail:
 
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ResearchGuy

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Crystal Rivers said:
If I hear the phrase "Everything was CLEARLY OUTLINED IN MY CONTRACT" as a defense of PA one more time, I'm going to blow chunks.
EmoteSmack.gif
(I'm new. Am I allowed to say that.)
EmoteSsh.gif
That wording reminds me of what I see from company shills on a stock message board I have followed for years. Makes me wonder how many of those posting the "clearly outlined" phrasing are outright PA shills.

--Ken
 

Sassenach

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Ann, I'm speaking strictly of the idea of a PA-only shop. It would seem that anyone who's visited a commercial bookstore would realize that the idea of a shop selling books from a single house is, well...implausible.
 

Patricia

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Sassenach said:
Ann, I'm speaking strictly of the idea of a PA-only shop. It would seem that anyone who's visited a commercial bookstore would realize that the idea of a shop selling books from a single house is, well...implausible.

I thought as much Sass -- just wanted it clear for Bonnie's sake. :)
 

Sher2

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lindylou45 said:
How about: Pernicious A**hats :banana:

(Thanks goes to Kelly S. for my new favorite curse word!) :Hail:
One of my new favorites, too.:) (I'm doing 12-step for involuntary swearing)

One more for the list:
PathologicallyAsinine
 

lindylou45

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Sher2 said:
One of my new favorites, too.:) (I'm doing 12-step for involuntary swearing)


Just tell people you have Tourette's Syndrome. Works for me! :Thumbs:
 

Sher2

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lindylou45 said:
Just tell people you have Tourette's Syndrome. Works for me! :Thumbs:
Effin' good excuse! Damn, why didn't I think of that? Ooops, I just cursed again. I'm going back to "Wild Kingdom." :Smack:
 

ResearchGuy

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Sheryl Nantus said:
actually, I liked the post where it's now not the PA Author's store, but his "friend's"...
...truly, the blind leading the blind...
Did you notice THIS jewel?

"It was my idea a few years ago to have STBX or Blockbuster, as I had suggested the concepts to others, so those freinds [sic] who are now investors asked me for new ideas."

So, this guy is claiming credit for the "idea" of Starbucks and of Blockbuster, and now his new "idea" is an all PublishAmerica bookstore. I hope that he and his investor "freinds" (sic) do very well. But is it completely off base to suspect some, shall we say, "issues"?


--Ken


 

underthecity

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Sassenach said:
Ann, I'm speaking strictly of the idea of a PA-only shop. It would seem that anyone who's visited a commercial bookstore would realize that the idea of a shop selling books from a single house is, well...implausible.
Not only implausible, but talk about putting all your eggs in one basket! When PA goes out of business (and oh yes, they WILL go out of business) so does the bookstore. You'll never see another bookstore that sells books from just one company. If say, Random House for instance, suddenly folded, any normal bookstore will be fine since that store carries books from hundreds of publishers, not just Random House.

There's an economics/marketing term that refers to offering customers a choice of one product versus just one product, but I never took any courses like that to know what it is. Anyone know the term? It's like when you go into your grocery store and see Coke, Pepsi, Big K, etc. All these products do the exact same thing, but all have different flavors and appeal to different consumers.

A bookstore that carries books by just one publisher won't be effectively serving the customer. With all due respect, this store will be carrying "generic" brand books. Instead of Stephen King books, it'll carry horror novels that are trying so hard to be Stephen King, but aren't. No Harlequin romances, just generic equivalents. No Michael Crichton technothrillers, just books by authors who wish they could be Crichton, but aren't. These books will look similar, but they won't "taste" the same, nor will they have the same quality.

It's a concept doomed to failure.

underthecity
 
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Kevin Yarbrough

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You were reclining, I was horizontal. Honey, I can word it so many ways that I could put PA to shame. I won't lie, just not tell everything.

Kevin: And there we were, on the bed. She was reclining back and I was horizontal."
Enquirer: What happened next?
Kevin: She was all over that bed man, it was great.

You see, I didn't lie. I just left out that you were laying back on the bed and I was sitting up, and that you were moving around the bed to make room for other people to sit down.
 

DeePower

Clearly outlined in the contract?????

The PublishAmerica contract does not say that their books will be stocked in bookstores, but neither do any of my other three publishing contracts. My other publisher's business model is to get my books (and of course the books of their other authors) into bookstores and out the door in the hands of readers. Publish America's business model is to sell the author their own books. PA has effectively set up road blocks that make quite sure that bookstores won't stock PA books.

The PublishAmerica contract does not guarantee that any marketing will be done, but the language certainly implies that PA will market the author's book. My other three publishing contracts don't guarantee any marketing either, but our new book has co-op advertising dollars available, is being advertised in several publishing, bookselling, and library publications. Radio interviews and TV interviews are being set up. And more.

The Publish America contract includes language that says I can audit my royalties as do my other three contracts. But PA refuses to even acknowledge any questions from me. They have not sent royalty statements for the past two periods with no explanation and refuse to respond to any of my questions. Other PA authors have questioned their statements and have been rudely chastizsd and lied to. When I have asked a question about royalties from my other publishers I received an immediate response, usually a phone call that same day. A polite immediate explanation.

The PA contract does not mandate that the author has to do all the marketing, it does not say that the author is responsible for getting their own book in bookstores. Where does this drivel come from?

Dee
 

Kevin Yarbrough

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I think PA stands for Porthole Autocrat. Since it is run by people who are "ruler(s) with absolute power and have a huge opening in their a s s."
 
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