The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

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Diana Hignutt

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Kevin Yarbrough said:
Christine, you may be able to say you knew her when but I will be able to sell my story of me being in her hotel room, drinking alcohol, and partying to the Enquirer.

Yeah, there we were reclining on the bed next to each other...darn, I knew that would come back to bite me. Still, I had fun.

diana
 

MartyKay

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Gratian Gasparri said:
I wonder if PartnerAmerica is now hiring partners rather than employees?

Perhaps not hiring.

I worked for a lovely company for almost a year (before it went into liquidation). The company raised money from "investors", who were tapped on a regular basis to provide "seed money" for this company. In return, the investors were given sales type jobs for the company -- they would be given rudimentary training and would go and sell the services of the company. This was because of the huge "opportunity" the company offered when it's "nearly completed software" was done. Of course, that never happened, especially since the tax authorities and the corporate watchdogs decided to jump onto the case (investors who asked too many questions were not given the opportunity to invest...) -- the company folded soon after.

The point to this little interlude, is that perhaps these new "partners" have been sold the story that PA is a successful enterprise, and invested in it with both money and their own time. I wonder if these investors know anything about what they have sunk their funds into? Or this could be pure speculation.
 

Aconite

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NicoleJLeBoeuf said:
As for her termination letter report, that was just a brief April Fool's joke. She immediately followed it up with a post featuring an April Fool animated smiley and the words "If only it were true." Reeeeead caaaaarefully! ;)

Thanks, Nicole. I never saw the edited post; it looks like she made the addition a few hours after the original post, and the thread had moved on by then. Good to know she's well.
 
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Sher2

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MartyKay said:
Perhaps not hiring.

I worked for a lovely company for almost a year (before it went into liquidation). The company raised money from "investors", who were tapped on a regular basis to provide "seed money" for this company. In return, the investors were given sales type jobs for the company -- they would be given rudimentary training and would go and sell the services of the company. This was because of the huge "opportunity" the company offered when it's "nearly completed software" was done. Of course, that never happened, especially since the tax authorities and the corporate watchdogs decided to jump onto the case (investors who asked too many questions were not given the opportunity to invest...) -- the company folded soon after.

The point to this little interlude, is that perhaps these new "partners" have been sold the story that PA is a successful enterprise, and invested in it with both money and their own time. I wonder if these investors know anything about what they have sunk their funds into? Or this could be pure speculation.
I believe you're right in that the new "partners" have invested money or time or both for their new positions. This is PA we're talking about -- they don't do anything altruistically. I very much doubt that the new crop of partners are unaware of the ill wind blowing through Poz, though. Janet has been around for quite some time and has signed her name to some very nasty epistles. She knows the climate. Whatever the incentive is for this new crop of partners, my hunch is that they'll be the ones left holding the bag when the bottom drops out.
 

Ed Williams

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Another spring day blossoms forth...

...in the Great and Mighty Land of Poz, and we find there the below referenced thread which discusses "How Do Successful Authors Do it":

http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/main/11895.htm

To which I'd love to add, "They get the hell away from PA just as soon as they possibly can!"

Some of my esteemed colleagues added the following:

Double X suggested this as the new PA avatar:

deal2.gif


Not bad at all, I would add something of a graveyard motif in the background, signifying the literary death of any book submitted to and accepted by PA, the sure-to-be impending death of PA, and as a tribute to our two-time-dead-and-in-the-grave-friend Shemp.

Diana, my award winning and super cool colleague, slipped up and said the following in reference to the Kevster:

Yeah, there we were reclining on the bed next to each other...darn, I knew that would come back to bite me.
Diana, you know I love ya, but some things I just do not need to hear before eating breakfast. I do hope you've had a tetanus shot recently, though.

The vivacious KellyS put up a bunch of avatars, but since she is the coolest amongst all who are cool, I will mention her anyway.

Finally, for your humble consideration, here is an avatar featuring a newly signed PA author's orientation program:

violent-smiley-084.gif


Another day beckons us all, let us go forth and pickle PA in the most expeditious ways possible....
 

Sher2

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Ed Williams said:
Finally, for your humble consideration, here is an avatar featuring a newly signed PA author's orientation program:

violent-smiley-084.gif


Another day beckons us all, let us go forth and pickle PA in the most expeditious ways possible....
Yep, that captures the essence of the orientation I went through, all right. :ROFL: Note to newbie PAers: During orientation, never ask Larry if that's a pickle in his pocket. :roll:
 

Sparhawk

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XThe NavigatorX said:
I think Bonnie should e-mail that guy and tell him about her experiences.

Bonnie's idea, if IIRC, was (is?) a gift shop that happened to sell some PA books. This is (yet again) a bookstore stocked entirely of nothing but PA books. It will have to be staffed, rent will have to be paid, utilities turned on. It's a financial tragedy just waiting to happen.

I just don't get it? Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just stupid.

1. Send me copies of your books to sell on consignment for this possible bookstore.

Again, here is the brilliance of the PA business model. Authors will buy their books from PA, get no royalties out of it because it's an Author purchase. Said Authors will then eat the cost of their books and absorb the shipping costs to send their books to this store in the hopes that people will frequent this store to buy their books.

Again. The PA sales staff is out in full force while PA sits back and earns the cash for a writers sweat and toil. PA gets is money up front with absolutly no risk.

What would happen if 10,000 writers each sent in 2 copies of their book to this store? Well, there's 20,000 books from unknown Authors (LIKE ME !!) that have no promotional force to push these books.

Also, how much does the proprieter of the book store take off the top to cover operating expenses of said store ??

My reply would be: Show me some more details before I commit anything, especially my money in the form of books and shipping costs.

On a happier note; Diane, my son did a report on XXXXXXXXXX yesterday for his English Class. HE gave your book 5 stars. You have a new fan. He said it was one of the best books he's ever read. I happen to agree with him. ;)
 

MadScientistMatt

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XThe NavigatorX said:
I don't want this to come across as author-bashing, but the fact this above mentioned author's scientific theory is being published by PA (and not a scientific journal or other scholarly publisher) is a testament to what PA really is.

If I'd never heard of PA at all or only heard glowing things about them, and I came across this book, I would have an immediate sour opinion. I only know a little about scholarly publishing--my brother is one of those smart science guys, and he gets papers published in those peer-reviewed journals now and then. I do know enough that PA was stupid to accept this book. If by chance anyone happens to notice this book, the online science community will be very vocal with their ridicule. They love stuff like this.

I seem to remember jck commenting in another thread that neither the publishing establishment nor the scientific establishment would touch his book. He was commenting about how scientists would not accept his theories. Wish I could remember the thread but the PA board doesn't have a decent search engine. Meanwhile he comments about how he seems to only skim through quantum physics books without trying to fully understand them. I'm not sure any author bashing is necessary when his comments really speak for themselves.

You know, trying to find threads on the PA board makes me wonder if PA isn't planning another way to make money. Are they planning to introduce the world's first message board search feature to require entering a credit card number?
 

James D. Macdonald

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Ann said:

Oh, dear. No, I don't think anyone should tell him. Let him find out for himself that even if he gets his stock for free that non-returnable books cost him money in the form of the shelf-space that they take up. Let him learn on his own that nothing on earth can make people buy books they don't want. Let him find out for himself that bookselling even with reasonably priced books by known authors isn't a high-profit business.

He's playing with OPM -- Other People's Money. He's taking money from investors, he's taking money from authors (they bought the books, they paid shipping). What's he bringing to the table? Let it be the experience he's about to have.

This is what -- the third? fourth? bookstore that was going to be opened that specialized in PA books. The information that he needs is out here. Let him find out for himself why it's important to do research.
 

DaveKuzminski

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I'm waiting for PA to have one of their shills announce a bookstore opening that's different from all the rest because it features a written contract guaranteeing virtually nothing just like PA. However, unknown to the authors, the books will be received by a PA rep who then fills PA author orders with their own recycled books. That way, PA can cut out the printing cost and screw one more victim.
 

AnneMarble

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Atlanta Nights on Cover of Chronicle!

I got the March issue of Chronicle magazine (which describes itself as SF, Fantasy, & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal) in the mail yesterday. The second item from the top on the cover is:
"Writers
Expose
Vanity
Publisher"

The article inside is more than one-half a page. It also describes some guy called "the inimitable James Macdonald." :) However, it doesn't mention authorsmarket.net, instead saying the whole thing started because of "what could only be described as taunts on an Internet bulletin board."
 

Sheryl Nantus

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AnneMarble said:
I got the March issue of Chronicle magazine (which describes itself as SF, Fantasy, & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal) in the mail yesterday. The second item from the top on the cover is:
"Writers
Expose
Vanity
Publisher"

The article inside is more than one-half a page. It also describes some guy called "the inimitable James Macdonald." :) However, it doesn't mention authorsmarket.net, instead saying the whole thing started because of "what could only be described as taunts on an Internet bulletin board."

ooh... famous, we is.

fwiw, that author who believes that her book is going to be stocked everywhere - the original post is up at Authors Den in their forum. I posted a reply, but nothing yet.

as you can probably guess I pointed out a few 'orrible facts of life.

the sadder thing is that she's a disabled single mother - another victim of PublishAmerica.

:Headbang:
 

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James D. Macdonald said:
She saw "available" and read "stocked." Exactly as PA intended.

PA should be forced to append "to order" to what they state so that there's less confusion. However, I doubt that will come to pass.
 

Sher2

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DaveKuzminski said:
PA should be forced to append "to order" to what they state so that there's less confusion. However, I doubt that will come to pass.
Never happen. The "A" in PA is for ambiguity. :Smack:
 

MadScientistMatt

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PublishAmbiguity? That's another nickname with some real potential, particularly for manuscripts that could be cleared up a little with a good editor. How many other names have we given them?

PublishAnyone
PublishEveryoneInAmerica
PimpAmerica
 

Sher2

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MadScientistMatt said:
PublishAmbiguity? That's another nickname with some real potential, particularly for manuscripts that could be cleared up a little with a good editor. How many other names have we given them?

PublishAnyone
PublishEveryoneInAmerica
PimpAmerica
Let us not forget PunishAmerica and PrintAnything.;)
 

robeiae

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James D. Macdonald said:
She saw "available" and read "stocked." Exactly as PA intended.

Well, to leap to PA's defense, the FAQ page on their site does say:
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!
Of course, you would have to go look for this, but I am sure it is sufficient, legallly speaking, to keep them out of trouble.

To follow this tangent for a second, the PA practive of using language to deceive the unwary but also having the "truth" somewhere in its documentations/advertising is far to common in many, many industries. This suggests that proper research is always needed before agreeing to any kind of contractual arrangement or even general purchase. I note this only because you would hope that writers, of all people, knew the importance of research. Of course, when you have supposed writers spouting off about quantum theory but admitting to knowing little about it, this is obviously only a pipe dream...

Rob

I grow tired of Animal House (mostly because I can't remember any more lines). How about this:

Sandy: Carl,I want you to kill all the gooferson the course!
Carl: Check me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key!
Sandy: Oooopth! Not goofers man, GOOFERS!...the little brown furry things!
Carl: Oh, we can do that...we don't even need a reason!
Sandy: Aiy, do it man!
Carl: Okay, let's do the same thing but with gophers.
 

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victoriastrauss said:
Just have to speak up for slower writers here...BIC is essential, but it may not result in a book a year. Or even a book in two years. Not everyone is able to write that fast. Nor is writing that fast essential for success (though it certianly helps). Many successful authors publish at intervals of several years.

- Victoria

Yeah, YMMV should have been at the end of my lecture.:Sun:
 

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How about.....

Patently

Amoral...


Also, on the "PA Authors Only Bookstore" thread, it seems a little reality is coming into play, witness these remarks:

Do you have a business plan established for your bookstore with a five year forward profit and loss statement and balance sheet projection? Have your partners performed market research regarding the demand of POD books in a POD only book store? I ask this because there will be significant competiton to such an establishment from the existing BRick and Mortar establishments. You would be competing with bookstores that carry well known authors with a large, already established readership. Your potential target market and product offering will require, in my opinion as a Business Analyst, a substantial investment in up front promotional costs to market your product.
The entire thread is here:

http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/lounge/8651.htm


"Well, the Sister was right. You boys could
use a little churching up. Slide on down to
the Triple Rock, and catch Rev. Cleophus.
You boys listen to what he's got to say!"

 

Sher2

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Ed Williams said:
Patently

Amoral...

Oh, be still, my heart! That one truly rocks and resonates me. Where's the tee-shirt designer? I'll buy the first one.:)
 

keltora

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

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!

It should be noted that this is not what their page originally said. They have changed many things in the wake of getting their collective fannies whacked by media coverage.
 

James D. Macdonald

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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's a victory for our side. Formerly they didn't mention it at all.

 

Christine N.

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MadScientistMatt said:
PublishAmbiguity? That's another nickname with some real potential, particularly for manuscripts that could be cleared up a little with a good editor. How many other names have we given them?

PublishAnyone
PublishEveryoneInAmerica
PimpAmerica

Personally, I like Prettybig A**hol*s
 

Sher2

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keltora said:
It should be noted that this is not what their page originally said. They have changed many things in the wake of getting their collective fannies whacked by media coverage.
So true. There have been times in recent months when various verbiage has changed more than once within a matter of hours.

Laura, I'm thinking of changing my siggie to "When I die, I wanna be a hillbilly vampire.":)
 
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