The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

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Sher2

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Memphis Ed said:
....the "Praising PA" thread has morphed into a virtual admission that they are self-published and trying to identify successful self-published authors to compare to.

What is missing is the fact that normal self-publishing allows an author to make some money. The PA model does not.

BTW, the nighty gal is back and Jean Marie and friend aren't at it yet this AM.

Could any therapists on this board tell me why I can't put this down?
Thanks for the update on the nighty gal. Prurient minds want to know. :roll:

No therapist here, but I'd guess the reason you can't put it down is the same principle which compels us to look at accident scenes, no matter how much we really don't want to.
 

T42

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Memphis Ed Could any therapists on this board tell me why I can't put this down?[/QUOTE said:
Because were writers! We love the drama! Face it, were all Drama Queens!:thankyou: (Hey you boys are too so don't try to deny it!)
 

keltora

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Sassenach said:
All books will be ebooks once we achieve the 'paperless office.' [Wasn't that supposed to happen about 10 years ago??]

Yeah...that will happen when computers are totally trouble free...

As someone who works in a library that has installed a multitude of computers and is dumping print for online and electronic databases and discovering that it was not a smart move because those computers are just not perfect...

;)
 

T42

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T42 said:
Because were writers! We love the drama! Face it, were all Drama Queens!:thankyou: (Hey you boys are too so don't try to deny it!)
That reminds me, Ed you better not be in the back room of the user CP. Don't make me come after you! Is that floozy in the nightie back there with you?:Smack:
 

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Could any therapists on this board tell me why I can't put this down?

For the same reasons people get hooked on soap operas. Day in, day out it's the same old thing: who's cheating on who, who's getting married to the hunk or babe somebody else loves, who killed who, and so on. However, once in awhile something happens that keeps you glued to the screen day in, day out just to see what's going to happen next.
 

keltora

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James D. Macdonald said:
Yes, that's the S&H price for 250 books. Yeah, that's in addition to the price of the books.

PA charges $3.00 for the first book, plus $0.50 for each addtional book.

Interesting...I just ordered 10 copies of one of my older books (because I sold off all the free copies I got and need more for my next speaking engagement) and the shipping is about $4.00 for the whole kit and kaboodle of them.
 

Ed Williams

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I think it's called....

....human interest type material, it seems to be what most message boards thrive on. I've had more than one person email me about our thread and tell me that it's like a literary soap opera being played out before everyone's eyes. Just think about it, you have:

The Villain - PA, the New Three Stooges, and the POD Squad.

The Heroes and Heroines - Uncle Jim, Jenna, Victoria, Ann, Dave, and most importantly, ZaZ.

A Good Plotline - Nefarious bottom feeding vanity POD actively scamming and breaking the hearts of hopeful writers.

And add in these items: feuds, an attempted Easter resurrection by a nut case, in-thread arguments, trolls, apologists, nay sayers, and a few cerebrally challenged individuals to boot. There's also been a little sex, but modesty forbids me to say much more about that. All in all, a good thread ends up being a representative slice of life, and I believe we can safely say that this thread embodies that. And then some.
 
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Sher2

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Ed Williams said:
I've had more than one person email me about our thread and tell me that it's like a literary soap opera being played out before everyone's eyes. Just think about it, you have:

Know what's wild? I believe, and have believed, that someone could copy this thread, stick a few pages of text on the front end of it, send it to PA and they would offer a publishing contract for it. Bottom line, anyone who reviews the facts and still believes PA is a viable publishing entity wishes to be deluded, that's the only explanation that could be given.
Of course, they would! The Cerebrally Challenged Threesome would grab it in a heartbeat. It's got everything they're looking for -- drama, tone, resonance, and the pivotal overcoming adversity. You know they'd love to give it the chance it deserves. Might want to expound on the sex thing a bit, though. Oh, I know -- put Nightie Girl on the cover. It'd be the hottest thing since 'Atlanta Nights.' :kiss:
 

Memphis Ed

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Ed Williams said:
And add in these items: feuds, an attempted Easter resurrection by a nut case, in-thread arguments, trolls, apologists, nay sayers, and a few cerebrally challenged individuals to boot. There's also been a little sex, but modesty forbids me to say much more about that. All in all, a good thread ends up being a representative slice of life, and I believe we can safely say that this thread embodies that. And then some.

How about CBS presenting "Desperate Authors", starring Bob Denver as Shemp, Woody Allen as Clopper, Carol Bunett as Miranda, Don Rickles as Wilhem, Omarossa as the recently banned-from-this-board, Petula Clark as the campout queen, and the cast of "Lost" as happy PA authors?
 

James D. Macdonald

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M. Story said:
I came across these comments taken from a MB where PA was being discussed. These were posted in 2003. Some things never change...

The thread Ms. Story is talking about is here.

It does kinda make you wonder "where are they now?"

In one case, where the fellow left a web link to his page, we now find:

My contract with PublishAmerica to publish my short story collection: [title of book] has been dissolved amicably. This collection will now be published by [publisher] under its [name] imprint. I will keep you informed of the progress of the book. Many thanks for your kind support in the past.

Looks like someone signed a gag order... but also looks like they wrote a book that could have been published elsewhere.
 

Sher2

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Memphis Ed said:
How about CBS presenting "Desperate Authors", starring Bob Denver as Shemp, Woody Allen as Clopper, Carol Bunett as Miranda, Don Rickles as Wilhem, Omarossa as the recently banned-from-this-board, Petula Clark as the campout queen, and the cast of "Lost" as happy PA authors?
Dang, prime time won't ever be the same.:ROFL: Sheesh, you couldn't ask for better casting than "Lost" for the authors. They're in Limbo, maybe in Purgatory, maybe even dead, perhaps or perhaps not to be resurrected, and about to start ripping each other limb from limb. Sounds like Poz to me.
 

Gratian Gasparri

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James D. Macdonald said:
Assuming your publisher only bought United States rights (rather than North American rights or English language rights), why not resell it to a Canadian publisher?

Long story... I hope you don't mind if I share it, since there are a number of PA authors lurking who ought to now how the small and mid-sized niche presses work when one is a new author like myself.

Basically, the publisher actually has the North American rights since they had a Canadian distributor when my co-author and I signed the contract with a smaller American niche publisher in my genre. This smaller publisher was then bought out by my current publisher, which is much larger and has been around a lot longer (and has probably the best distribution system in the US when it comes to the Catholic genre.) Nevertheless, the relationship with the Canadian distributor was discontinued for some reason. Since there is little demand in Canada for Catholic books, especially from new authors, and since the American publisher really got behind our book in the US, my co-author and I were quite happy to let this slide. I think part of it was the fact our new publisher sold more copies in pre-sale than our old publisher had anticipated for the book's lifetime.

Where it got more complicated is that the new publisher has a longstanding relationship with the French Canadian publisher that is buying the French rights, the latter of which also has an English division. The two have co-published books in the past, and they're seriously considering doing so with the English edition of the sequel. (Such a deal will likely also involve picking up the rights for a French translation of the sequel.) So the more likely scenario is that the French publisher may buy in on the reprint of the first English books in the series, or they might simply pick up on the distribution. Regardless, to negotiate with another Canadian press would actually limit the potential of a package deal with the French publisher.

Until this is worked out, however, my co-author and I are in a strange situation where we're using the commercial model in the States and the vanity model in Canada. Of course, over 95% of our sales are in the US, of which well under 1% are eyeball sales. In Canada, however, I would place eyeball sales at no less than 50%, although this would include booksignings where the store purchased the copies directly from the publisher.

Given the 60% discount off of case lots from the publisher (50% for any other quantity) plus strait shipping (no handling), it usually only comes out to around $4.15 to $4.50 a book, depending if it is stopped at customs or whatnot. Additionally, I've got up to 90 days to pay and any unsold quantities are returnable, so overall I would say the opportunity to publish with the American market is a blessing from God and that the system is for the most part working for us rather than against us.

Put another way, according to my friends who publish in the Canadian Catholic market, my co-author and I are still selling more books each month in the American market than what most Catholic books sell each year in the Canadian market. Nevertheless, the latter still sell more books than the average PA author. Which brings me back to my original point, namely, PA authors deserve better.
 
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Sheryl Nantus

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the sad thing is that the author in question in the Canadian city did write me back and I pointed her to this board and this thread... seems she's been bamboozled back into the fold by the other PA authors looking to keep one of their own captive as long as possible...

:cry:

folks, if you even have to START discussing self-publishing then you're with the wrong publisher.

Jean Marie so rocks... can't wait to see what she responds with. She's probably the most successful PA author as far as getting bookstores to stock her book and now she's being penalized by the other authors for not paying through the nose, like they did...

warped, warped reality...

:scared:
 

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James D. Macdonald said:
The thread Ms. Story is talking about is here.

It does kinda make you wonder "where are they now?"
(Snipped)

Thank you, Uncle Jim. I followed that link to the discussion pro and con (heavily con) about PA and found a PA Google ad, on which I promptly clicked.
EmoteTrophy.gif


Mo
 
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NancyMehl

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Jean Marie....

Gravity said:
I think Ms. Jean Marie is about this close (putting my thumb and forefinger a sixteenth of an inch apart) to getting herself banned. Heck-o-pete, over a year ago they banned me, and for a lot less inflammatory talk.

When that happens, does anyone have her email addy, to direct her here? Tell her the MASH choppers will be warmed up, waiting to transport her, and the finest doctors are on call to see her through....

John

I'm taking a big chance here since I don't have time to read all the way to the end of this thread - so someone else probably pointed this out already - but since Jean Marie calls "he we are not allowed to talk about" Shemp - don't you imagine that she is already reading this thread on a regular basis????
(Hi, Jean Marie! :welcome: )

Heck, by the time I finally catch up, she may already be posting! LOL!

Nancy
 

MadScientistMatt

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keltora said:
Yeah...that will happen when computers are totally trouble free...

As someone who works in a library that has installed a multitude of computers and is dumping print for online and electronic databases and discovering that it was not a smart move because those computers are just not perfect...

;)

I know... my local library has computers and had a set of paper scraps for writing notes from the search on them next to the computers. I turned one of the scraps over and found it was actually a card from the now abandoned card catalog. I wanted to cry.
 

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NancyMehl said:
... - but since Jean Marie calls "he we are not allowed to talk about" Shemp - don't you imagine that she is already reading this thread on a regular basis????
(Hi, Jean Marie! :welcome: )

Uncle Jim pointed this out to me, and I must say -- man, I've been away a long time, I didn't know Shemp = HB. There were about 200 pages or so of thread there that I missed.
 

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Sheryl Nantus said:
the sad thing is that the author in question in the Canadian city did write me back and I pointed her to this board and this thread... seems she's been bamboozled back into the fold by the other PA authors looking to keep one of their own captive as long as possible...

Because we probably have some Canadian PA authors lurking here, I hope everyone will be understanding if I suspend good manners among authors and talk money and numbers with regards to the Canadian market.

I would guess that my book with the co-author from Windsor has probably sold between 300-600 copies in Canada since coming out last September. This is just an educated guess. As an aside, you can see why my co-author and I were so interested in keeping our foot in the American market even though it makes things more difficult at home.

But this gives you an indication of how a book from a newbie Canadian author with an American publisher does in Canada with shaky distribution. Yet this assumes all things are equal between my publisher and PA. Such is not the case because:

1) My books are returnable.
2) My books books are not invoiced until 90 days after delivery.
3) My books are discounted 40-60%.
4) My books are professionally edited, designed, promoted, etc...
5) My books have been reviewed in most major American and Canadian periodicals in my genre.
6) My books are competitively priced at US $10.
7) Given my author's discount and minimal shipping fees, I can sell the book at par in Canada, that is to say $10 Canadian, and still make close to twice my money back through an eyeball sale.

So I wish my fellow Canuck well. She seems like a real nice lady. But IMHO she really needs to get with a commercial publisher where her book will be given the chance it deserves. For my part, I cannot see how the average Canadian brick-and-mortar bookstore could stock a PA book for anything under $30 Canadian and still make a profit.
 

keltora

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MadScientistMatt said:
I know... my local library has computers and had a set of paper scraps for writing notes from the search on them next to the computers. I turned one of the scraps over and found it was actually a card from the now abandoned card catalog. I wanted to cry.

We actually kept our card catalog for three months to give the public time to wean themselves...

On the day after the catalog went away, a patron came in and started crying "What did you do with the card catalog? How am I going to find my books?" at the top of their lungs.

It was rather sad. Many of our staff wailed just as loud. :eek:
 

tab

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I may be young but, good riddance to the ancient card catalog. On that note, I actually went out and bought 3 books from a brick and mortars store last night. They didn't have some of the authors I was looking for, unfortunately.
 

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Ed Williams said:
....human interest type material, it seems to be what most message boards thrive on. I've had more than one person email me about our thread and tell me that it's like a literary soap opera being played out before everyone's eyes. Just think about it, you have:

The Heroes and Heroines - Uncle Jim, Jenna, Victoria, Ann, Dave, and most importantly, ZaZ.
Ed, you're number 5 of 8! You humbly didn't include yourself as a hero. Shame on you, The Mightly Pickler needs his recognition too.
 

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Gratian Gasparri said:
For my part, I cannot see how the average Canadian brick-and-mortar bookstore could stock a PA book for anything under $30 Canadian and still make a profit.

CJ discussed this in quite some detail in a post now buried in the Take It Outside board.
 
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