Since this is the beginning of the Newer NEPAT, let me state the reasons why I am dissatisfied with my PublishAmerica experience:
* The price PA set for my book is not competitive ($24.95 softcover, $29.95 hardcover).
* The bookstore managers I spoke to would not stock print on demand books and looked at me and my PA book as if I had the plague.
* Without the look inside feature on Amazon, no one can read any part of my book and get an idea of my style of writing. PA denied me the digital rights when I asked them for them for the express purpose of posting them on Amazon.
* I have received a ton of solicitations (PA calls them "special offers") to purchase my own books, yet PA never sent the notification to my family and friends, nor did they send out a press release. In the PA contract these items fall under the wording "at PA's discretion."
* I was banned from the PA message board. When I asked PA why I was banned, I received an e-mail stating that they didn't owe their authors an explanation.
* I didn't like the cover art for my book, but when I said as much, the other option I was offered was a red rose that looked like clip art. I chose the first option, it was better than the red rose, which had absolutely nothing to do with my book.
* The line-by-line edit that PA said they would do was nonexistent. They put a disclaimer in the front of the book stating that it was being left exactly as the author wrote it (I'm actually glad about this now, since I have heard horror stories about PA inserting errors into books!). I wanted a line-by-line edit. I wanted to know what areas I needed to work on. A quickie spell check is not editing.
* I was under the mistaken impression that PA read submissions and published works based on their merit. I have learned that this is not the case. PA will publish just about anything.
Those are the main reasons, although there are more. Suffice it to say, I am done with PA and can't wait until my rights are returned to me -- six years and counting.