Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

DaveKuzminski

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If PA is holding back royalties and the contract doesn't give them that right, then speak up about it. Go to arbitration or court. Make PA have to pay not only your royalties, but to defend their inexcusable action in refusing to do so. They don't have the right to do that when the contract states otherwise.
 

Marian Perera

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A couple of newbies discuss the lack of response from the booksignings department.

Has anyone else emailed the [email protected] and not got a single response? I have emailed them twice and asked questions about book signings and still have got no response.

I'm sorry to say that my immediate response to this was, "Only twice?" But the first reply was quite detailed - and revealing.

I am having problems with the booksignings department, as well.
Several months ago I received an email asking for three book stores at which I would like to host signings.

Other people were asked to send the contact information for five bookstores.

I sent the information. I waited. I waited. I contacted PA again, and someone new told me she had had luck with one store and possible with a second, and that she would follow up. She said the signing at Waldenbooks would probably be in September.

I haven't heard from anyone since that email. I have sent several emails and called several times. Once, when I called I spoke with a woman who told me that I needed to know the name of the person who sent me the book signing email in order to proceed with further help. Unfortunately, I didn't have the name while I was on the phone, so I had to hang up. But when I checked my emails, it turns out that the woman who told me I needed to have a name was the original person who sent me the email about the booksigning at Waldenbooks.

The first person who contacted me regarding my request for the booksignings was EBONIE. The person who returned my email several weeks later was KAREN.

Unfortunately, it looks to me like PA has dropped the ball. I don't quite know what to do next. My local newspaper never received a press release from PA, either.

On another thread about booksignings, an author said,

I have sent my list of 5 different bookstores in my area as directed by the PA booksigning dept. I have not been able to be successful in getting even a single event that way. However, by myself I have managed to get 4 events scheduled. Do you have to keep sending emails to the department to get all the signings? They have contacted the stores I requested, but with no results. Do I send them a new list of 5 more to call or is that it? Will they continue to follow up on the ones sent? Can you keep sending requests for them to contact more stores, say out of the area?

So many questions?????? So much to learn.

The response, from an author who did get booksignings this way, was,

...just be patient and maybe follow up after three weeks politely. They still get a lot of flack about POD so you have to be grateful that they are performing this service.

I don't understand the emphasis on gratitude. This is a business where, if the author sells more books, PA profits. It's not a favor handed down from benevolent PA to mendicant author.

A new author then said,

I contact the book signing department and gave them a list of cities I would be interested in doing signings at and asked some questions. No replies. Should I email them again with the contact information of book stores in those cities?

Of course. You should just keep emailing and emailing and emailing until you get tired of that and call the bookstores yourself.

To which another newbie replied,

Karen has not followed through for me, unfortunately. Her last contact was July 28th. I have sent her emails to see if she has followed through, but I have not heard one word from her.

I have tried to call but I always get the "this message box is full" response.

I have been waiting since July 28th. Let's see now... it's Labor Day.
 
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LexiCan

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Karen has not followed through for me, unfortunately. Her last contact was July 28th. I have sent her emails to see if she has followed through, but I have not heard one word from her.

I have tried to call but I always get the "this message box is full" response.

I remember a while back everyone was saying "Karen rocks!" I'm pretty sure that Karen is one of those employees who was enthusiastic about her job until she found out what PA really is. She either asked questions = fired, or was due for a raise = fired, or just quit on her own. This would account for the "this message box is full" experience. PA probably just lets everything that was in her message box go. After all, they are really not interested in setting up signings....they are interested in the illusion that they are trying to set up signings.
 

BenPanced

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A couple of newbies discuss the lack of response from the booksignings department.

I'm sorry to say that my immediate response to this was, "Only twice?" But the first reply was quite detailed - and revealing.

Other people were asked to send the contact information for five bookstores.
BZOWNT! Or, as they say in Frahnch, et pouf! Off to the cornfield with this one!
 

Gillhoughly

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I contact the book signing department and gave them a list of cities I would be interested in doing signings at and asked some questions. No replies. Should I email them again with the contact information of book stores in those cities?

The PA mail reader--if there is one--was probably laughing too hard to send a reply.

Dear PA lurker,

You're just another brick in the wall, mate. Therefore you will NOT be sent on any multi-city signing tour like those writers with books on the NYT bestseller lists. None of them ever went near PA. They know better.

PA has not invested any *real* money in you: no more than 30 minutes of minimum wage time to rush through the paperwork, mail you an insane contract and update their computer files to put you on their spam mail list. That time includes running your book through spell check, grabbing a stock cover based on your title, and hitting SAVE, before moving on to the next victim.

With no real money invested in you they have no reason to promote you at all. They know YOU will be their biggest customer.

PA is all about making money for PA, not you. YOU are their cash cow for as long as you choose to let them milk you.

So, how many mails have you gotten this month (it's early yet) urging you to "stock up" and "have copies on hand?"

How many books have you actually sold in the last six months compared to the number of mails from PA wanting you to buy your own book?

Crunch the numbers. If the spam mails outnumber the sales to people other than yourself, you need to lose those losers!

But you know that already. That nagging warning voice in the back of your head is all too right. :(
 

Marian Perera

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Hooray!

I've been talking to a PA author who was thinking of submitting a second book to them despite shoddy treatment on the discussion board and discrepancies in royalties.

The author felt grateful to PA for giving the first book a chance (picture me sitting here with my head in my hands at this point) and thought that at least PA had opened the door into the great wide world of publishing.

We chatted for a bit, I predicted that this author's post would be deleted, explained a bit about PA and suggested alternatives such as honest self-publishing services or commercial publishing.

The post was deleted. The author told me that the second book is going to be shopped around.

It was a nice way to start the day. :)
 

Marian Perera

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That's a great post, QoS: I've added a link to it to my blog post about #PublishAmerica twitters!

Thank you, Jane. :)

Not by any means the only author who's getting nowhere with the booksigning department; on another thread, a new author said,

Did PA help you with your booksigning or did you do it on your own? I can't seem to get a response from PA in this regard or a couple of other things. I don't know if I am expecting too much or what but I am getting nothing. Please help me if you can.

I wish he'd included his email address; the last sentence just makes me want to do anything I can to help.

Edited to add : This author made more posts about the lack of response regarding a booksigning.

Please tell me how I can reach Karen about my new book Moments of Mine. I have made over 8 requests for help to no avail. How can I reach Karen for help. I live in Atlanta and have a great book to put out in the world. I need book signings to make that happen. Please advise.

Eight requests. I just hope he wasn't using a 1-900 number for these.

One of those posts was deleted or moved less than a minute after I read it, and infocenter replied to the one quoted above.

Jerry: there are no 8 such requests. Please contact [email protected].

So, was the author mistaken or lying when he said he made over 8 requests for help?
 
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Marian Perera

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Royalty check question

This is from an author who has been waiting for over a week for her check.

Well so far no check as arrived. Infocenter can you tell me if the check for my book <title> has actually been sent off yet and if not why the delay or when it was mailed? Thanks

The reply?


Thanks. Now, many times will she need to email them before there's a response?
 
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CatSlave

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Maybe scarletpeaches will loan (lend?) us her photo of the bare, bright red baboon buttocks with permission to use it when we deem appropriate. :evil

I want to say that PA is full of shiat, but we're not supposed to use that kind of language.

But you get my point.
 

Cyia

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I wish the people making those "nonsense" emails would screen cap them and the "sent" folder of their email to post.
 

Marian Perera

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Booksigning frustration

A new author has posted about this before, but the posts were either deleted or moved to the private forums. He just posted again to say,

PA told me they would arrange the booksignings if I gave them the name of 3 local bookstores.

That was a few months ago.

I'm still waiting.
icon_rolleyes.gif

The reply, from a loyalist, was

contact them again. Charley was good with me. He helped me arrange for a book signing I have on thursday. And be patient.

I wonder, how much more patient is the original author supposed to be? Should he wait another few months, maybe?

Understandably frustrated, the author then bumped up an old thread of his. The first post had been made in April, when he was new to the game, and so the thread is titled "A Joy to Work with PublishAmerica". He originally posted to say how great it was to work with PA and how professional everyone was.

I'll just add a P.S. in September:

CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO DELETE A POST THAT NO LONGER SEEMS TRUE ON THIS BOARD?

icon_evil.gif


I can not get anyone to answer my emails regarding book signings. There has been no follow up. I was told something was in the making for September, and that there would be follow up. There HAS BEEN no follow through from PA.

I have tried to telephone many times. Usually I get the message that the mailbox is full. Othertimes, the phone rings and rings, but no one answers.

This is pretty discouraging, and it's a far cry from my original dealings with this firm.

I would like to delete the April 2009 post.

The honeymoon lasted less than half a year.

Edited to add: Both of this author's posts are now gone.
 
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merrihiatt

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This is pretty discouraging, and it's a far cry from my original dealings with this firm.

PA is all bright and shiny, encouraging you to sign on the dotted line in the beginning. It's only after you begin to ask questions and realize what their business model is that you feel the sting and burn. And, the echo of e-mails and phone calls going into the black PA hole.
 

Marian Perera

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Not just the US and Canada any more?

Very very happy to be a part of PA family.

I am a new author from India, my novel <title> is in production stage and waiting for its release. My website will be up very soon. I wish to get advices from you all about the marketing and promotion of my book.

My advice? Check how much it will cost to ship books to India.
 

Terie

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My advice? Check how much it will cost to ship books to India.

Oh, dear. I have to laugh at PA on this decision, considering their business model is to make money off the authors.

The company I work for has moved lots of jobs to India over the past few years, so I know how much little most Indians who work in the high-tech sector make: a little less than US minimum wage. Of course, that's a pretty good wage in India, since the cost of living there is much lower than in the West.

But at PA's prices, it would cost someone in the high tech sector 4 to 5 hours' wages or more per book (cost of the book at the author's discount and shipping). And someone who isn't making that kind of money--such as the vast majority of the rest of the population? And getting a friend or loved one (not to mention a complete stranger) to spend more than one day's wages to buy a copy? You get the picture.

I can't imagine PA will make very much money off of their Indian authors. Very few will have that kind of money to spend waste.
 

Marian Perera

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An author was concerned because she hadn't yet received her royalty check, so infocenter advised her to email the royalties department.

I just heard back from the royaltys department and all they said was that checks and statements were sent out on the 31st. So I would like to inquire if there are any people still waiting for their royalty checks? If so will you tell me where in the country you are?

Perhaps she's (wisely) given up on getting any helpful information from PA.
 

PVish

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This won't last. Better archive it:
Hello,
I was wondering if anybody else has experienced the same problems as me concerning book signings and promotions. Booksellers and promoters tell me they'd be interested in my book if it was available through Ingram. Some of these booksellers have already been well documented on this site--Borders, B&N--but I'm also having trouble with smaller bookstores. Early on in the PA program I was told my book was picked up by the Spring Arbor division of Ingram. I've also done book signings at other stores who claimed it wasn't a problem. I've written PA about it and they told me they would "resubmit" my title. Does that mean it expires after awhile?

Cost is another issue. A lot of bookstores would rather work on a consignment basis where we can reduce the retail cost of my book rather than deal with the higher retail cost recommended by PA. It would be nice if we could get PA to reduce that cost and offer better discounts to both the bookstores and us. I know the argument is always it's a better quality book, but that's not really true. I've been at book signings where self-published authors' book quality was just as good as mine, if not better. This gets discussed on this forum over and over, but PA doesn't seem to be listening. There aren't any best selling authors selling softcover books at $24.95, yet we think we can. Yes, I've done so, when the store didn't have any other way to make a profit. But I've sold far more in the $10-15 range, which is the cost of similar books. Has anybody else experienced these problems? If so, let's coordinate and try to get it fixed. Thanks.

I feel so sorry for this guy. Everything he says is true, but PA isn't likely to fix it.

Edited to add a reply from the person QoS quoted in her post above:
As far as I know Ingram is one of PAs distributors. So I don't know why places you have tried would make such a claim. Some times they just want to come up with excuses not to accomendate or stock pa books. The contracts we get are good for seven years and after that if we don't opt to renew the book goes out of print. Also if you check PAS web site now all the prices of the books have been reduced. They had my current book listed with a price of $27.95 for a while and now it is back down to $22.95. My first book which was nearly $30.00 for a while is back to $24.95. So just be presistent and check with every lead you get. You are bound to make progress.

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: The post has gone POOF! (Are we surprised?)
 
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CatSlave

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More Bool-Shite from the PAMB

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=30822

I had a bookstore owner ask me an astute question that got me really thinking.

First she asked what the retail price of my book would be.
(Since I am still waiting for the cover ...
icon_confused.gif
I guessed.)

"Well, most books on website like mine are $24.95 then slashed to $19.95 for the softback." She winced to my reply, to which I continued and nodded, "Yeah I know!" (I think we need something done about this PA - IMO)

"Is the book available to everyone on line at that price."
"I think so."

Then came the question that I had no answer to. "If you can get it cheaper on the web site, why would anyone sell it in their store?"
icon_rolleyes.gif


I was wandering if the before slashed price on the PA site was the retail or if it were different and if it is that, why would people sell it in their store?

Please reply. PA watchers, you can too. Thanks.

INFOCENTER REPLIES:

That bookstore should go out of business, today. With all due respect, there's nothing astute about that question. If a store can't compete with discounting stores elsewhere, online or off, they haven't done their homework, and/or they are unprepared to survive.

This debate is as old as back when guys with names like Wanamaker, Woolworth, Sears, and Penney discovered the blessings of discounts, and changed America's buying power. "It's unfair!" is what the mom and pop stores sobbed. Really? Well, get used to it. Life's hugely unfair. But in the meantime everybody else benefits from those discounts.

A bookstore that can't withstand the discounting competition from Barnes and Noble, Borders, Costco, WalMart or Amazon has no life left in it.

PublishAmerica prices its books such that it leaves a wide room for vendors to discount them. In fact, as we speak we ourselves are offering all books at a 52 percent discount, with free shipping (call 301 695 1707 if you want to benefit). Last weekend, the discount was 65 percent.

With a million books sold to bookstores to date, we can all simply agree that PublishAmerica must be doing something right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Don't Think So.

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James D. Macdonald

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With a million books sold to bookstores to date, we can all simply agree that PublishAmerica must be doing something right!

With 40,000 authors, and being in business for ten years ... having only a million books sold to bookstores means that PA is profoundly broken.
 

PVish

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This probably won't last long either:
Hey you guys, has PA gone out of business? A couple weeks ago I heard from an author who had been trying to contact them for two weeks with no response and I havent heard anything from the text department so I thought they became a victim of the economy! Does anybody know?
Thanks.