- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 25,582
- Reaction score
- 3,785
- Location
- New Hampshire
- Website
- madhousemanor.wordpress.com
Renee said:Wow, that comment brought back a PA moment for me..lol..
I think CJ was being ironical.
It's that dry Canadian wit.
Renee said:Wow, that comment brought back a PA moment for me..lol..
James D. Macdonald said:I think CJ was being ironical.
It's that dry Canadian wit.
When in doubt, always use the Author Support Team address.
They will forward your email to the appropriate department.
What's really funny about this is, this author is not Pro PA. I thought she wasn't a PA supporter so I Googled her name and PA. Here's one of the links I found http://p197.ezboard.com/fabsolutewritefrm11.showMessageRange?topicID=209.topic&start=721&stop=740 Her user name was darbyj. Say Lisa you still around?Arkie said:Posted on the PA web page is their Book of the Month, "Hum of Hushed Voices." The book was published in June 2002. The Amazon price is $19.95, with Used and New from $4.33.
The book is not ranked on Barnes and Noble, and its Amazon ranking has dropped in the past hour from 1,009,107, to 1,011,466. I think that about says it all.
Until being banned by PA and then coming here to continue the fight. At least that seems to be much of what is going on.Passionate N.Y. Lady said:...We authors at PA ... can fight our own battles....
FirstPassionate N.Y. Lady said:To those of you who welcomed me, thank you.
Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents, so, we, unlike some of you, break our backs trying to overcome all the naysaying generated by the PA posts in chatrooms, such as yours, all over the net. That kind of talk just fuels the fires, and it deters those who may consider revisiting some of our PA authors works, thus, not giving us a chance to make a name for ourselves in lieu of our publisher’s reputation.
Renee said:Wow, that comment brought back a PA moment for me..lol..
No one held a gun to my head when I signed my contract, no doubt. I never said they did, I don't think anyone else has either. I obviously didn't know anything about publishing at the time. So now, let me ask : what's your excuse?
Passionate N.Y. Lady said:I just don't understand why some of you, who haven’t a connection to PA, are ‘so’ concerned with what transpires between PA and their authors? Those of us, who are there, don't appreciate being, indirectly, the subjects of all the bashing being posted by many of you.
Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents, so, we, unlike some of you, break our backs trying to overcome all the naysaying generated by the PA posts in chatrooms, such as yours, all over the net. That kind of talk just fuels the fires, and it deters those who may consider revisiting some of our PA authors works, thus, not giving us a chance to make a name for ourselves in lieu of our publisher’s reputation.
We are trying very hard to overcome the negative attitude toward PA and, I must say, this kind of talk is not helping.
Passionate N.Y. Lady said:I just don't understand why some of you, who haven’t a connection to PA, are ‘so’ concerned with what transpires between PA and their authors?
Those of us, who are there, don't appreciate being, indirectly, the subjects of all the bashing being posted by many of you.
Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents, so, we, unlike some of you, break our backs trying to overcome all the naysaying generated by the PA posts in chatrooms, such as yours, all over the net.
We are trying very hard to overcome the negative attitude toward PA and, I must say, this kind of talk is not helping.
If ‘you’ can’t change what is, then why keep beating it like a dead horse? We authors at PA are not idiots, and we can fight our own battles. Let it go, and spare us all this negativity.
Oh, and someone mentioned going into google to check out the names of authors mentioned here. Big deal, most authors, good and bad, and even my own, appears there, and on just about every bookstore site...
Because PA is scamming you. And they're trying to entice those who don't know better into their scam. The more information about PAs shortcomings, the fewer people who are ripped off.Passionate N.Y. Lady said:I just don't understand why some of you, who haven’t a connection to PA, are ‘so’ concerned with what transpires between PA and their authors?
We have tried to make it clear that PA authors are not what we're complaining about. Nearly all are just people who believed PAs lies. And their lies were so plausible that it's no reflection on anyone that they were caught. We always take pains to indicate that we have no argument with PA authors, and are saying nothing derogatory about their writing ability or intelligence. Publishing with PA is, at most, an indication that you didn't have enough information about publishing.Those of us, who are there, don't appreciate being, indirectly, the subjects of all the bashing being posted by many of you.
There certainly are, and they certainly put that effort into their work. That is why we are so pissed off at PA: they are stealing the dreams of deserving writers.Regardless of the levels of our quality of writing, and there are many wonderful, topnotch, writers at PA, just as much blood, sweat, and tears went into our work as it did yours.
Again, we always take pains to make it clear we are against PA, not it's writer.Did you ever stop and think for one moment that just maybe, for some of us, your comments appear demeaning?
First of all, if you are investing money in an agent, you need another agent; yours is ripping you off. And the best publicist for any author his her publisher, who, unless they're a vanity press, put a lot of effort in getting her books in front of the general public.Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents
It isn't just this board the points out the problems with PA. Bookstores, agents, and publishers know about PA. But PA has set you up so that your book will fail. They don't even care, since many of their practices makes it next to impossible for the book to sell well.That kind of talk just fuels the fires, and it deters those who may consider revisiting some of our PA authors works, thus, not giving us a chance to make a name for ourselves in lieu of our publisher’s reputation.
But the negative attitude toward PA comes from their own practices. If the board died today, there'd still be plenty of warnings about them.Look, I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers, I’m just trying to get you to understand what this kind of talk can do to our self esteem and our motivation. We are trying very hard to overcome the negative attitude toward PA and, I must say, this kind of talk is not helping.
The discussion is not really for PA authors. It's for those who haven't yet signed a contract with PA.If ‘you’ can’t change what is, then why keep beating it like a dead horse? We authors at PA are not idiots, and we can fight our own battles. Let it go, and spare us all this negativity.
I can't speak for my colleagues, but when I started writing I had some well-published authors encourage and help me. When I asked how I could repay them, they responded by saying that I should try and help new writers any way I could. It matters to me that new writers get treated in a fair and ethical way. PublishAmerica, by consensus, is the most deceptive POD publisher in the world, and they treat their authors horribly. I figure anything I can do to help new authors avoid their clutches is payback to those fine authors who helped me in the beginning. Simply put, we don't like seeing fellow writers misled and having their work devalued, which is exactly what PA does to them.Passionate N.Y. Lady said:I just don't understand why some of you, who haven’t a connection to PA, are ‘so’ concerned with what transpires between PA and their authors?
Probably terrible, and for that we're sorry. Your next question should be, "Why is everyone so concerned with what we are posting here?" Is it that we can substantiate what we say and are speaking the truth? The facts would seem to indicate so. Thus far, AW's record for veracity vs. PA's is like comparing champagne to radiator fluid, and that's me being extremely kind about it.Those of us, who are there, don't appreciate being, indirectly, the subjects of all the bashing being posted by many of you. Posts on our own message boards keep popping up with concerns on what is being said here and elsewhere. How do you think it makes ‘us’ feel?
Whatever is said here, and I see little that's ever directed at PA authors, pales in comparison with what PA does to its authors each and every day.Did you ever stop and think for one moment that just maybe, for some of us, your comments appear demeaning?
That's one of our biggest complaints regarding your publisher, the way their system is set up an author can't be successful. Ask Nancy Mehl, who sold lots of her PA books, what happens when you write a successful PA title. Or talk with Diana Hignutt. Both of these fine women worked their butts off, and yet neither are any longer affiliated with PA. You should ask yourself - why?Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents, so, we, unlike some of you, break our backs trying to overcome all the naysaying generated by the PA posts in chatrooms, such as yours, all over the net.
Actually, you have comported yourself here admirably, your posts are very well written and I think everyone here is empathetic to your situation. Trust me - PA is going to take you down a road that will increasingly fill with potholes and hazards.Look, I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers, I’m just trying to get you to understand what this kind of talk can do to our self esteem and our motivation. We are trying very hard to overcome the negative attitude toward PA and, I must say, this kind of talk is not helping.
Mam, some of the changes recently made on the PA website where they're now a bit more honest about what they will and won't do came about because of sites like ours. Think about it, do you see any other publisher challenged or questioned as much as PA? There's plenty of reasons why...If ‘you’ can’t change what is, then why keep beating it like a dead horse? We authors at PA are not idiots, and we can fight our own battles. Let it go, and spare us all this negativity.
It's where they appear on Google that should matter. For most of us, if we put our names into Google our sites will come up in the top 1-3 listings, which indicates that people are visiting them. Just for kicks, type in the name of Mr. Marcus, one of the most vocal PA advocates. He might be on page 2 or 3, and he's considered a very "well-known" PA author. That's incredibly poor name recognition.Oh, and someone mentioned going into google to check out the names of authors mentioned here. Big deal, most authors, good and bad, and even my own, appears there, and on just about every bookstore site...
We salute you as well. You're obviously bright and care about your writing. If you would like to visit with us again, please do. There are a ton of good writer resources available on this site, and you can voice your opinion on this thread without fear. Remember one thing - you respect us, and we'll respect you.For those of you making a living in this game of publishing, I salute you--really.
Passionate N.Y. Lady said:To those of you who welcomed me, thank you.
I will admit, I did not read every single one of the 18,240 replies. I don’t have that kind of time, and I don’t know of anyone who does. I did, however, select many pages randomly.
I just don't understand why some of you, who haven’t a connection to PA, are ‘so’ concerned with what transpires between PA and their authors?
Those of us, who are there, don't appreciate being, indirectly, the subjects of all the bashing being posted by many of you. Posts on our own message boards keep popping up with concerns on what is being said here and elsewhere. How do you think it makes ‘us’ feel?
Regardless of the levels of our quality of writing, and there are many wonderful, topnotch, writers at PA, just as much blood, sweat, and tears went into our work as it did yours. Did you ever stop and think for one moment that just maybe, for some of us, your comments appear demeaning? Well, if that is the purpose of your unkind words, let it rest on your shoulders.
Many of us don't have the money to invest in publicists or agents,
so, we, unlike some of you, break our backs trying to overcome all the naysaying generated by the PA posts in chatrooms, such as yours, all over the net. That kind of talk just fuels the fires, and it deters those who may consider revisiting some of our PA authors works, thus, not giving us a chance to make a name for ourselves in lieu of our publisher’s reputation.
Look, I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers, I’m just trying to get you to understand what this kind of talk can do to our self esteem and our motivation. We are trying very hard to overcome the negative attitude toward PA and, I must say, this kind of talk is not helping.
If ‘you’ can’t change what is, then why keep beating it like a dead horse? We authors at PA are not idiots, and we can fight our own battles. Let it go, and spare us all this negativity.
Oh, and someone mentioned going into google to check out the names of authors mentioned here. Big deal, most authors, good and bad, and even my own, appears there, and on just about every bookstore site...
For those of you making a living in this game of publishing, I salute you--really.
I can well understand someone signing a contract with PA. The people that run PA are professional scam artists, they know what buttons to press, and some incredibly bright, talented people have signed with them. Of that I have no issue, I would never blame a single soul who's ever signed with them. As I get further into it is where I have a problem. If PA says, "Go out and do some wild things to get yourself noticed!" I might think, okay, that's cool, so I'll put a crazy pic of myself on my website eating a hamdog or I'll give my book a wild title or whatever. Fine. But it comes down to degree - do I go out, get naked, and dance in front of a police station with a book taped to each cheek of my heiny? Or do I paint my body brown, get on all fours, and impersonate a moose in the middle of a downtown intersection with a basket of books balanced on my head? When people do things that insane, and posing in lingerie on a writer's message board or faking your death twice seems pretty insane to me, then the people involved in such stunts should expect some degree of public reaction when they undertake them.Canada James said:The point was this: if you're going to make fun of PA authors for their acts of desperation to get their books noticed based on the "they must take responsibility for their actions" line, then you must adopt that line for their entire involvement in their PA relationship.
CJ, I couldn't have said it better. You really should consider taking up writing, you have a flair for it, you know.Personally, I've been advocating that there's a certain amount of ... shall we say ... temporary insanity that goes with the desperation that PA must be what they literally claim to be.