The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

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gena140

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Sheryl Nantus said:
ah, the classic "my words are gold and no one has the right to tell me otherwise!"...

*sigh*

ain't no publisher gonna take you on with that attitude, sweetie - and any writer worth his/her salt knows that while you may think every word is gold, an editor is what you need to turn it into platinum.

sorry you settled for PublishAmerica, however - how many other publishers did you try before you settled for PA?

I never said my words were Gold but my belief in God was not gonna be compromised. I wasn't going to write PORN just to sell.

I used a professional editor and she made several suggestions and changes. But that was one I wasn't willing to change.

If they had asked for other changes, the answer may have been different.

But every author has a portion of their story that they feel is worthy of being left alone. If they don't...why bother to write a story. Write an outline and wait for feedback.

I'm not gonna argue the point of settling because I don't believe I settled.

I respect your opinion about them but I'm not gonna debate over and over how I feel about them.
 

T42

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book_maven said:
Dee, thank you for posting that columnist's piece as well as the contact information for the editors. Here is what I sent:
I second that! Great post Dee!
 

Sheryl Nantus

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again, since you seem to keep avoiding the question - who ELSE did you ask to publish your book other than PA?

did you send out queries to agents?

did you send out manuscripts to publishing houses?

or did you settle for the first one that would let you "do your own thing"... because a real publisher won't let you just slap down the manuscript and walk away without any sort of editing. And no, I don't count paying some book doctor to "edit" your manuscript - more money to the scammers.
 

DaveKuzminski

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Well, now, Gena, if your lawyer is actually that good, won't a review by an attorney specialized in intellectual property law only provide a verification? Not having second thoughts or doubts now, are you? Or is it that we'll discover you didn't get anything different after all?

And how about this idea, Gena? Try sending an email to PA stating that your books haven't arrived yet. Or complain about the color of the cover. See what kind of a response they give you then.

Or just put a post on the PA forum that mentions my name and Preditors & Editors or the URL for the Absolute Writer Water Cooler forum. Dare you! See how they treat you then.

The point I'm making is that you're actually here desperately trying to prove that you made a good decision after finding out some of the truth after you signed. Now you've got to resusitate your reputation and self-respect, but the only way you seem to know is to go in swinging and try to make someone give in on just one point to you.

As to your sales, the only way you'll see your PA book go nationwide is by selling your books in an airport. Otherwise, the best you'll manage is a few local bookstores.
 

Savannah Blue

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T42 said:
Your welcome and yes you may:) Take a batch of them. I know I could use a batch myself right now:Headbang:

Thank you! Soon the past four hours will become nothing more than a hazy fog...:sleepy: :sleepy: Hey Sher! Mem gave me something to help you feel better.

Now, if we could find some way to put PA out of their misery...er I meant our misery...oh, heck. Never mind.
 

lindylou45

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James D. Macdonald said:
What would be genuinely useful would be posting as many letters from the Author Insult Team and Infocenter as you can.

Perhaps sorted by theme?

Great idea! Anyone want to share? I'll make a special page just for their incoherent responses!
 

T42

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Savannah Blue said:
Now, if we could find some way to put PA out of their misery...er I meant our misery...oh, heck. Never mind.
Ha, your suppose to eat them one at a time! I'm going to go watch LOST and see if I can find my sanity.
 

gena140

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DaveKuzminski said:
Well, now, Gena, if your lawyer is actually that good, won't a review by an attorney specialized in intellectual property law only provide a verification? Not having second thoughts or doubts now, are you? Or is it that we'll discover you didn't get anything different after all?

And how about this idea, Gena? Try sending an email to PA stating that your books haven't arrived yet. Or complain about the color of the cover. See what kind of a response they give you then.

Or just put a post on the PA forum that mentions my name and Preditors & Editors or the URL for the Absolute Writer Water Cooler forum. Dare you! See how they treat you then.

The point I'm making is that you're actually here desperately trying to prove that you made a good decision after finding out some of the truth after you signed. Now you've got to resusitate your reputation and self-respect, but the only way you seem to know is to go in swinging and try to make someone give in on just one point to you.

As to your sales, the only way you'll see your PA book go nationwide is by selling your books in an airport. Otherwise, the best you'll manage is a few local bookstores.

I don't know you or who you are going to have review it. Sorry if I don't trust you...but I don't know you.

And why would I do any of that? A PA author from those boards told me about this board. You and your existence is not a secret. lol

I'm not here to change your minds about PA. I have not disputed that anyone was deceived...only that I wasn't deceived. I haven't disputed anyone's experience as being true and unfair.

I came only to post my experiences which are different. I am an honest person. The moment PA does anything contrary to what they've agreed I will post that too.

But why is it that so many fortune tellers can tell me my future.

MC Hammer began by selling records, he pressed himself out of the trunk of his car and became a multi millionaire.

He blew all of his money...but he did was everybody said he couldn't do.

I'm just as arrogant as Hammer, and maybe it will be my downfall...and maybe it won't.

But either way...your opinion of PA stands on it's own merit...why can't mine.

Why am I played as stupid, crazy, having a bad lawyer, a ugly cover, passable writing, and being put up this by PA?

Why can't I just be a person with a different perspective and IF PA is gonna screw me with no grease...won't you get the last laugh on me???

I'm confused by all this need to convince me I was so wrong.
 

reph

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gena140 said:
BLACK authors have to take a different approach which is why I chose PA.
Gena, African-American writing isn't such a niche market as all that. (PA is sometimes a reasonable choice for niche markets where the author plans to do her own promotion, except that you can get the same service – that is, printing – from other sources without a contract that holds you down for seven years.) Alice Walker, Toni Morrison: they have real publishers, don't they, not just printers?
 

bluwinteryfox

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Ed Williams said:
We are talking about nothing really relevant to PA and are consistently feeding the troll. Amazing. Victoria, Jenna, I hope some of this can be taken out and put in the proper forum(s) where it belongs. As for the rest of my friends here, realize something - encouraging and abetting something like this will only encourage more. This person has been incessantly posting here for four plus hours, and has basically high-jacked the thread. And why? Because we're helping her! Amazing...

I've posted more times in one day than I ever have since I joined AW. I like this thread, but now it's becoming silly. I'm seriously thinking of giving anyone who replies to her a negative rep point. I'm not sure how to do it, but I'll figure it out.

Let's listen to the Mightly Pickler and Stop replying to her. PLEASE.
 

Sassenach

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gena140 said:
I never said my words were Gold but my belief in God was not gonna be compromised. I wasn't going to write PORN just to sell.

WT heck does that mean?

Revisions = Porn?
 

gena140

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Sheryl Nantus said:
ah, then that "I considered submitting to one, Genesis Press" is the total number of publishers you sent your work to?

:crazy:

you settled too low.

Thank you for your opinion it is duly noted but my answer actually dealt with acquiring an agent...not Genesis press. That was in response to someone who mentioned the smaller publishers who pay royalties.

Keep reading it's here somewhere.
 

gena140

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reph said:
Gena, African-American writing isn't such a niche market as all that. (PA is sometimes a reasonable choice for niche markets where the author plans to do her own promotion, except that you can get the same service – that is, printing – from other sources without a contract that holds you down for seven years.) Alice Walker, Toni Morrison: they have real publishers, don't they, not just printers?

I have been advised that I cannot discuss the race issue in this thread but I will go ahead and start one to answer your question if you don't mind me moving it and quoting it.
 

gena140

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Sassenach said:
WT heck does that mean?

Revisions = Porn?

I was asked to add more sex, and market my book as erotica. I chose not to do that. I was asked to remove all references of God from my book. I chose not to do that either

All revisions do not equal porn but in my case it did.
 

victoriastrauss

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gena140 said:
Now many here believe my lawyer is not repuatable and should be fired, but nothing was hidden from me.
Gena, the flip comment about firing your lawyer was mine. I probably shouldn't have made it, but I was responding in a tone similar to the one you were using in your early posts (by the way, I appreciate the effort you're making to take it down a notch.)

However, I have a hunch your lawyer isn't knowledgeable about publishing, or s/he wouldn't have included the clause you cited (even if a publisher were willing to make an offer on a book already under contract, which is highly unlikely, they wouldn't pay a kill fee. Really and truly, that's just not going to happen). Also, an experienced publishing lawyer would have discouraged you from signing the PA contract, which is not a standard publishing contract. I mean no disrespect to your lawyer, who may be excellent in his/her field, but publishing is an extremely specialized business, and some very specific knowledge is needed in order to properly evaluate a publishing contract. A regular attorney is not likely to have that.

One thing you'll find, if you are able to create a demand for your book via self-promotion, is that PA won't be able to meet that demand. It simply doesn't have the capacity to provide books in large quantities in a timely manner (and by large quantities I don't mean thousands or even hundreds--I mean anything over a couple of dozen). The public's interest has the durability of sliced bread: if your book isn't right there, immediately available, at the exact moment when interest is kindled, the interest is going to move on to something else.

It's true that self-publishing carries a certain stigma (though that stigma quickly vanishes if you're able to sell 5,000 or more copies within a few months of your book's release), but it also offers significant advantages over PA-style publishing, and one of these is the ability to respond to sales demand if you're savvy enough to create it.

- Victoria
 

Sheryl Nantus

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gena140 said:
I'm confused by all this need to convince me I was so wrong.

because you could be a Good Writer. Heck, you could be a Great Writer - it's not impossible.

but it's like setting out to be a long-distance swimmer with an anchor tied to your feet - you're giving yourself a handicap that you don't need and it might pull you down beyond recovery.

there are people here with wisdom far beyond your years in the publishing industry - for you to shrug them all off is putting your writing further down in the hole and ignoring the incoming tide.

you could be a great writer - but no one will ever know, thanks to your going with PublishAmerica.
 

Savannah Blue

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lindylou45 said:
Great idea! Anyone want to share? I'll make a special page just for their incoherent responses!

You can have my funny pages, Linda.

My favorite one starts out, Dear Mrs. Keeet, There is nothing respectful in your request...blah, blah, blah. (Yep, they really spelled my name that way.)
 

DreamWeaver

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Okay, here's a question:

If one, or even ten, authors manage to actually make the PA model work for them, whether it be by having top lawyers watchdog for them, or niche-marketing to stores that prefer PA to self-publishing, then...

...is it still morally acceptable to fight to shut down PA on behalf of all the other victimized authors, who were too naive to catch contract ambiguities, believed half-truths, or simply fell for a really slick, practiced scam? Knowing that a successful fight will negatively impact the ten authors who have actually managed to tame the beast and do all right out of the bargain? [Please realize, this is hypothetical :)]

I vote YES. I do my best to try to deal with ethical companies in all aspects of my life--the unethical ones might not hurt me, but they hurt someone and I simply would rather not be a part of that.

Do I always succeed? No. Do I always even know a company is unethical? No. But, once I know, that's when I need to stop and think. PA has shown me that it belongs on the unethical list. YMMV.
 

reph

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Sparhawk said:
I am assuming that there is no corporation and it is a self purchase. Therefore there is no legitmiate means of claiming said books as any type of legitimate business expense.
Part III of federal Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship), is headed "Cost of Goods Sold." That's where you'd claim the expense.
 

lindylou45

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Savannah Blue said:
You can have my funny pages, Linda.

My favorite one starts out, Dear Mrs. Keeet, There is nothing respectful in your request...blah, blah, blah. (Yep, they really spelled my name that way.)

Great, can you either email them to me or PM them to me? I'd appreciate it.
 
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