I've been away a few days, so let me first say "Welcome" to Mr. Stodghill. And I enjoyed your last post. Excellent advice. And now I will add my two cents worth.
I noticed early on in my dealings with PA that they tend to dismiss sites such as this one by saying, in effect, "You shouldn't believe what you read on the internet. Those people are just disgruntled liars." Angry posts simply reinforce this misconception and play into PA's hands. So I saved all of my correspondence with PA and posted it on a page on my web site (link below). The one thing PA cannot refute is facts, especially when those facts are set out in their own emails. I have posted emails from PA that concede that they do not market or promote the books that they "publish." (Their excuse is, of course, that the contract does not require them to do so, and thus they have not breached the contract--which is really beside the point.)
My problem with PA is, and has always been, that they are not up front about their business plan, which is to sell books to authors, not to the public. Everything on their web site, and in the contract, seems designed to convey the impression that they make their money by selling books to the public. (For example, "We want your book, not your money.") I consider that to be fraudulent, misleading, and deceptive.
I found AW too late to avoid signing the contract with PA, but at least I found you before I wasted any money on PA. For that, I will always be grateful.
I noticed early on in my dealings with PA that they tend to dismiss sites such as this one by saying, in effect, "You shouldn't believe what you read on the internet. Those people are just disgruntled liars." Angry posts simply reinforce this misconception and play into PA's hands. So I saved all of my correspondence with PA and posted it on a page on my web site (link below). The one thing PA cannot refute is facts, especially when those facts are set out in their own emails. I have posted emails from PA that concede that they do not market or promote the books that they "publish." (Their excuse is, of course, that the contract does not require them to do so, and thus they have not breached the contract--which is really beside the point.)
My problem with PA is, and has always been, that they are not up front about their business plan, which is to sell books to authors, not to the public. Everything on their web site, and in the contract, seems designed to convey the impression that they make their money by selling books to the public. (For example, "We want your book, not your money.") I consider that to be fraudulent, misleading, and deceptive.
I found AW too late to avoid signing the contract with PA, but at least I found you before I wasted any money on PA. For that, I will always be grateful.