The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

magazine

It is Senior's Lifestyles, home office in Hattiesburg, MS. but they have another place here. It is the leading magazine for Mississippi. The girl who came to my house many times, did all the work and arranged everything was the Account Executive. I will e mail you her name.

She is a lovely person who loved my book and tried very hard to make it all happen. WE developed a great rapport and she dropped by to visit often. She was going way beyond the call of duty before the bookstore got involved.

I have a copy here than I can scan with my story or send you if you'd like to see it. It was in Feb. 2004.

I've got dozens of these stories if you are interested. In each case, someone read the book, loved it and then it went down the toilet when they found out who the publisher was.

In another city, the preacher had to announce in church that they should not be angry with the bookstore mgr, that she could not go against corporate policy and carry my book. I will e mail you the name.

Molly

There's a new review of Wille's self-serving tome on amazon. Not surprisingly, it slams it. If you're interested, better read it fast; these days amazon is as quick to delete reviews for that book as PA is to delete posts.

John

Thanks for the heads-up John. It was a very well written review.

I especially liked the part stating that it's a "dog's breakfast of ridiculous unfounded claims (e.g. bookstores being ineffectual in selling books).

The best part was when he wrote that the "text requires the attention of a proper editor." Now that is funny. Can you imagine that he leaves the editing of his book to the same people that do/do not edit all PA books?

I wonder how long this book will be selling at the low, low price of 9.95 on PA? It is supposed to be a short, introductory price. HA! The rules for Meiners and Clop are not the same as for the PA authors. When do you think the newbies will see this?

BA

The entire Maryland govenment has washed their hands of dealing with PA, and the Maryland BBB is a eunuch. I think at this point, it's the Feds' baby.

John

Raj said:

Hey everybody. I recently recieved a letter from the Maryland BBB saying they couldn't do anything to end my contract. Anyone know where do I go from here?

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If you can, get a lawyer who specialises in literary law. Good luck.

Publish America

Hello,



I am also in the midst of getting my book published through PA, and wish I had seen the thread about them and others similar to it before I submitted to them my manuscript.



I was looking into POD to get my book published, as I only wrote it to interest my son in reading, that and I had a neat story line that I wanted to see through to the end.



Anyway, I was researching publishing your own book (the vanity stuff) when I happened onto PA. I didn't have anything to lose, so I gave them a shot. I was in the middle of WOC training when I called my wife (after two weeks we were allowed 5 minutes on the phone) and she told me that PA picked up my book. I was happy, and to tell the truth ecstatic may be a better word.



I feel like a yutz (not sure if that is a word, but it certainly feels correct), and have mentally gone over the list of people that I informed of my being a published author.



You know what is worse? I am halfway through the second book, and was even researching bigger publishers to see if I could "move up" the publishing chain. The second book is a stand-alone sequel to the first, and I feel that might compromise a legitimate publisher from picking up my book... oh and that is the worse part.



I actually feel that I should be considered an author now. I have let my first book out to a few people to review and they all tell me its great, but being a realistic guy I realize that my development of the characters may leave a little to be desired.



And now I can't even pull back my first book to continue working it over into something that might interest people. I didn't work on it but a few months, or rather I started in the fall when I finished grad school, and submitted the final draft sometime in May. I was hoping that at the very least I would have a good edit of the book by PA, but from what I have heard they do not edit any better than my 11 year old.



What should I do now?



LaViers

"Published Author"

The BBB has no legal authority, and never has.

What you should do now is write another, better, book and try to sell it to a commercial publisher.

What I am going to do now is try to merge this thread with the Never Ending PublishAmerica Thread above....

-- JDM

That seems to be what I need to do, only now I am unclear whether I have what it takes to write a book that could get published.

I also hate the idea of my story being killed by PA before it had a chance.

LaViers said:

That seems to be what I need to do, only now I am unclear whether I have what it takes to write a book that could get published.

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You're not the only one to have expressed that feeling. PA will publish a good book that may well have been accepted by a commercial publisher as quickly as one that isn't ready yet. The only way to find out if you have what it takes is to try. Other PA authors have gone on to sell books to commercial publishers. Good luck with your second book.

I also hate the idea of my story being killed by PA before it had a chance.

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That's the really nasty part. Well, one of them, along with abusive emails, misinformation, terrible contracts, no returns etc. You said you made this story for your son, I hope that's some consolation because it's a wonderful gift to give him and not something PA can take away.

He will have the book (my son), and that does make me feel somewhat better... but now I have this urge to actually get published. I am going to go on with the second book, and hopefully it will "be given the chance that it deserves" by a real publisher.

There is a lot of information on this board, I plan to use it.

Allan

You know what? I just re-read what I had posted in the critique page and found that what I had submitted to PA was a bit sophomoric.

I guess I was hoping for a knock up edit job from them.

Have any of you ever retained the services of an editor out of pocket?

Have any of you ever retained the services of an editor out of pocket?

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Don't do it. All that you get if you've had your slush edited is a piece of edited slush. Regardless of what all the vanity places tell you, paying an editor prior to submission is not standard practice.

Join a workshop instead if you feel the need to get feedback.

One thing I don't understand (maybe it's already been covered in this massive thread, but still...): Why won't PA release a book if the author requests it? I mean, once the author is disgrunted enough to stop buying copies to sell, what's in it for them? Do they just enjoy hurting people? I'd think they'd offer to sell the rights back to the author. It'd be another source of revenue.

Any ideas?

They have in the past let authors go if those authors bought a number of books. As far as I'm aware, they no longer do this.

Their vindictiveness is odd. I think it's to do with the personalities of those who run PA. They seem to want to punish those authors who realise what's happened and want out. I can't think of a rational reason why, it's actually pretty stupid and only increases the bad publicity they receive.
So yes, I think the head three of PA do just enjoy hurting the people they can no longer control or manipulate. They don't seem to want others to succeed in a career they have so far failed in.

Letting unhappy authors go

No way ! It's the old "dog in the manger ploy". "I don't eat hay, but I'll be danged if I'll let the donkey have it". Another P.A. game. Too petty and cruel to let you go, even after they can no longer get any thing from you. Another form of power over their victims. They will "sit" on your book, before returning it to you.

But does pa really let anyone go? Look at Molly. I'm sure there are more just like her. You think you have your rights back but pa continues to sell your book. I truly believe the best thing to do is just forgot about the book pa has. Write another one, a better one.

Roger J Carlson said:

One thing I don't understand (maybe it's already been covered in this massive thread, but still...): Why won't PA release a book if the author requests it? I mean, once the author is disgrunted enough to stop buying copies to sell, what's in it for them? Do they just enjoy hurting people? I'd think they'd offer to sell the rights back to the author. It'd be another source of revenue.

Any ideas?

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If they started doing this, many newbie authors might ask for their rights back before buying any books from PA. Additionally, they'd have to revise their numbers on "happy authors" all of the time and spend more man-hours removing blurbs and books from their website.

Rob

(shudder)
It's nearly royalty time again.
http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=3500

bluwinteryfox said:

But does pa really let anyone go? Look at Molly. I'm sure there are more just like her. You think you have your rights back but pa continues to sell your book. I truly believe the best thing to do is just forgot about the book pa has. Write another one, a better one.

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Yes, I agree to write another, better book. Yet it isn't so easy just to let books you worked so hard on, that took two years each to write, that you put in long hours at the library researching, to just let them go, forget them, let PA ruin it all for you.

If you get your rights back there is no reason why an author cannot do a revision and retitle their books, then submit them elsewhere. I say don't give up on your work, no matter what has happened. Fight for what belongs to you. I have a relative that is a world famous romance writer, and I know that if a publisher screwed one of her titles, she'd get a lawyer fast and get it back, and then she would have it republished.

I know some authors, a few, that got their rights back from PA. They let me go as well. But I know one elderly gentleman in his sunset years that requested a release, only for the reason he wanted to wrap things up in his life. They refused to release him. His book isn't selling and he doesn't buy his own copies. It is very sad.

Trapped in amber said:

(shudder)
It's nearly royalty time again.
http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=3500

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Which means it's nearly time for a new group of refugees to arrive. I'll start dusting off the extra chairs...

Seriously, people who are looking at PA as a "publisher". PLEASE wait until after the "royalties" arrive for this cycle. See who stays, and who goes. Betcha anything those that stay are the ones whose book isn't out yet, and the ones who go are the ones who get the check (or just a statement with a big old zero on it.)

Christine N. said:

(or just a statement with a big old zero on it.)

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Hell, I'm lucky if I even GET a statement witha big ole zero on it! I've gone month and months without hearing from PA, only to have them turn up in my inbox every now and then with another offer to buy my own books.

Maybe not hearing from them is a good thing though.

Jenn

Oh, NO! Et tu, Fiction Fix?

So, for awhile now, I've been getting Fiction Fix's newsletter. Recently, I considered sending them a short article, even though they are a non-paying market, just to A) support a publication I've enjoyed, and B) get a clip showing that I've written for publications about writing.

But. I had to go and read the latest issue today (which I'd been late getting around to).

And I read its "front page" article (term used loosely for web publication).

http://tinyurl.com/8aqgg

"To Market, To Market" by Sally Fradkin is an article describing the lessons learned after finally getting accepted after sixteen rejections... accepted by PublishAmerica.

Who, as we all know, will accept bloody near anything. It's painful to see that this woman thinks the PA acceptance has actually taught her what it takes to be published, when actually what she's about to learn is... well, I'm sure there are people here who can give her the heart-breaking preview of lessons yet to come.

I want to weep for her. She's in the honeymoon phase, of course. She's walking on sunshine, planning her signing tour, delighted that the Good Lord finally brought her story of grief healed and tragedy overcome to the attention of Someone Who Will Give It The Chance It Deserves. And the thing is, she has received sixteen rejection letters. She's incorporated changes based on notes those rejection letters contained. She's been making her story better and better... and now she's unwittingly mired it in the tar-pit that is PA.

In absence of a Letters to the Editor section or well maintained forum (I found a mention of "The Coffeehouse Lounge", but it doesn't link), perhaps the best way to rebut this article--tactfully, kindly, but firmly rebut it--is to submit articles of our own to Fiction Fix.

Meanwhile, I've had second thoughts about how useful a publishing clip from Fiction Fix really is. I may yet submit an article for the reasons described above, but it seems the editors are a little too far out of the loop as regards to the goings-on in the publishing industry (or a little too undiscerning) for me to present a FF clip to anyone as any sort of badge of credibility.

Harsh words, and I'm disappointed to have to utter them, but there you go.