Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

scully931

So you're suggesting what? Bigfoot?
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I am simply gobsmacked at that reply. And I've been reading these threads for a long time.

When PA authors have access to a reply with a tone such as that and STILL continue to support PA, I have no pity left for them.
 

allenparker

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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.


I challenge that number. First, this would mean on average, their books sell 25 books each to stores.

Now, I sold more than that, but I know several other authors who couldn't get in the door of a bookstore. I would love to audit that statement.

In real estate, we call this puffing, making something look shiny and worth the money. In other places they call this dishonest.
 

Cyia

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From the response:
be glad your book is being published at no cost

It occurs to me that this is comparable to someone going to Kinkos to have their MS run off and rationalizing that it didn't cost them anything... until they actually went through checkout so they could "own" their own work. (except that with the Kinkos route, the book can still be shopped to a commercial publisher)
 

DeadlyAccurate

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In real estate, we call this puffing, making something look shiny and worth the money. In other places they call this dishonest.

I think puffery can only be legally used when you're making statements like, "the best" and "the greatest." "Our ice cream tastes better than all the rest" would be puffery, since it's simply a matter of opinion. "Our ice cream uses cream taken only from cows hand-massaged by virgin milkmaids" would not be puffery. (I'm pulling this out of advertising and marketing classes I took over a decade ago, so I can't guarantee my facts are 100%).
 

ChristineR

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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.

moz-screenshot.png
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I can't resist pointing out that other book publishers will offer their books to bookstores at a 40-60% discount, plus accept returns, plus the cover prices of the other books is typically about half what the PA books go for.

Infocenter is suggesting that a bookstore should buy that book at $13 (52% of $25) and sell it for $20, when they can get an edited book with a cover designed by a real designer for $4 and sell it for $10.

It's PA that should be out of business, by their own logic. Their mindset is boggling...then I think of Miranda's history.
 

CatSlave

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"Quit the crap."

Larry, that sounds like your polished prose.

Please don't think we're forgotten you... :evil

ETA: Let's see if Marty is singing the same song in six months when the next royalty checks come in again.
Check back with us then Marty, okay?
 
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merrihiatt

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I think that PA author got banned for writing this:

Don't ever tell me or anybody to quit the crap! That's very rude and if I want a question answered I'll ask it! That's my understanding that's what this message board is for! And I've never asked this kind of question before!

With that kind of attitude I might have to find a different publisher for my second and third book! Don't ever be rude to anybody for any reason ever!

Wow! It doesn't take much to get banned from the PublishAmerica message board. Ask a question and ** poof ** they get rid of you. Pesky authors who have questions are simply not allowed.
 

CatSlave

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Follow up:

Public banning? Yeah, real professional, there.

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=30823

Don't ever tell me or anybody to quit the crap! That's very rude and if I want a question answered I'll ask it! That's my understanding that's what this message board is for! And I've never asked this kind of question before!

With that kind of attitude I might have to find a different publisher for my second and third book! Don't ever be rude to anybody for any reason ever!

I don't appreciatet that answer either! I have patience but I thought my question was pertanent! Currently I am glad that my book is being published at no cost to me but I can't stand this attitude! In fact I'm furious with these replies!


INFOCENTER SEZ:

You're outta here. Poof!
 

merrihiatt

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From the thread where PA told the author that bookstore should be closed, the original poster writes (bolding and underlining mine):

That same bookstore tried to get me to put them on consignment at first. I guess they will just have to miss out on the opportunity to make a profit on a local book. They can order through ingram just like everyone else, I suppose.

The problem is that they won't miss out on the opportunity, the author is the one who misses out. In PAland, it's the author who pays for the books, the author who pays to make text changes, the author who pays to change the back cover page, and the author to whom PA is selling their books, not readers and definitely not bookstores. If a PA printed book gets into a bookstore it is because of the author, not because of anything PA did to help that author.
 

CatSlave

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Sounds like some of the members at the PAMB are getting a bit peeved at the rude treatment they're receiving.

I'm glad to see they're speaking up for themselves.
 

Marian Perera

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Royalty check lateness

Not by any means the only author to be waiting for a royalty check, either.

I live in Virginia & received my royalty check on 9/4. I have 2 books published w/ PA, but only one book was listed on the statement. It was my first book. My second book came out in April of this year. I know that I have been selling copies because people are requesting me to autograph their copies. Don't know why I didn't receive money for this book. I have sent an email to PA.

To all the authors who have had more than one book published by PA, do they send seperate royalty checks for each book published?
 

Unimportant

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QoS, that one's gone poof! already.
 

CatSlave

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That author needs to speak to a lawyer, methinks.

Maryland Attorney General
Maryland Attorney General
Maryland Attorney General

Although they've ignored previous complaints, maybe they will pay attention if enough people complain.

Since it's royalty time at PA, there must be a LOT of unhappy people at the moment.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Let the authorities know you are a voter and a consumer, and you've been skewed.
 

Marian Perera

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Just in case this one goes too

This loyalist was told by infocenter to email the royalties department regarding the delay in receiving her check, so she did. The only reply was that all the checks had been sent out on the 31st.

I only recieved one statement via email for my first book and nothing at all about my second book, NO statement for it in the email no royalty check in the post. I too am in a quandry as to why I got nothing for my second book.
 

BenPanced

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LexiCan

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To the author who asked if PA had gone out of business because of the lack of a response to emails, infocenter replies,

Quote:
<Author's name> : quit the crap.
Wow.

I am absolutely astonished by this! I knew the Infomonster/Miranda was bad but this is just so rude! I feel terrible for this author! I may try to find her and see if she'd like to come here.
 

LexiCan

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Exactly, Gill! Thank you
 

scully931

So you're suggesting what? Bigfoot?
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Think the *POOF* part was for our benefit? :D

BTW, PA lurkers, are you really going to stand for a company that treats its customers that way? And if your response is, 'but they publish my book at no cost to me'... well, I think we've covered that about a thousand times on here, so do your homework, get some guts and get out of there!