The New Never-Ending PublishAmerica Thread (NEPAT)

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merrihiatt

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Thanks, CaoPaux. My search was good and I found info. about rep. points and comments, but I don't see any little scales on anyone else's posts but my own??? Something is haywire. And, in my CP I only see thread, date and comment. No name of poster. And, there's nothing hanging off the edge of my screen or anything. It's all the way to the right hand side.
 

CaoPaux

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Others have had problems like that: Drop down to the Tech Help forum for tips on how to resolve them.
 

Gillhoughly

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I'm being a squeaky wheel.

Great, keep at it. Send them the same message again every time they send you a mail to buy your own books. They'd have, what, 29 or is it 30 of them by now?

Address it to Miranda. Piss her off. She'll get tired of messing with you when you don't react to her tone mails and just keep sending the same message.

If she blocks your mail send it up the ladder to Clopper. Make his day. Willie's too busy zooming around the office in a hellocopter beanie or something.


Yes, yes, I want to give your book the chance it deserves!


propellerbeanie.jpg

 

darkprincealain

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Super-scary. If that guy descends from the Hellocopter, won't the kids in the childrens ward go screaming?

The latest developments with the framed royalty checks and that page with all the crazy links are just... *boggle*
 

merrihiatt

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I did get a response from PA (amazing!). Actually, I received two! The first one asked me to clarify what I meant by "digital rights." The second one, sent about 10 minutes later, stated that PA was electing not to return my digital rights to me, but if I wanted to buy 50 books, they'd make an e-book available.

** shaking my head **

I responded with my standard wording (thanks Gillhoughly!).

ETA: Thanks CaoPaux -- I'll check that forum.
 

quixote100104

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Compiled Documentation?

Greetings :),

I know this information is likely scattered though the two threads, but I was wondering if anyone had compiled a list of the professional organizations (writer, publisher, agent, etc) which have commented on/made policy regarding PA and the dates/text of thier comments/policy. Ditto publicly availible court records, gov't agencies, consumer watchdog organizations etc with regard to thier buisness/empoyment practices?

How about other discussion groups, again not just for writers but other members of the profession as well?

I have another friend, a mutual aquiantance of my PA victim (who recently accused me of being a stalker because I was tracking publicly availible sources on the marketing of his book, looking into the publisher and asking him questions) who is considering looking for a publisher and I'd like to be able to counter any recruitment arguments.

This is the best source of information I've found online about PA (and everything else to do with writing, it seems :) ), but it's still a single source with a distinct bias. A list of direct references from knowlegable third parties who clearly have no personal axe to grind would strengthen my case a lot.

Thanks :)
 

Marian Perera

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Greetings :),

I know this information is likely scattered though the two threads, but I was wondering if anyone had compiled a list of the professional organizations (writer, publisher, agent, etc) which have commented on/made policy regarding PA and the dates/text of thier comments/policy. Ditto publicly availible court records, gov't agencies, consumer watchdog organizations etc with regard to thier buisness/empoyment practices?

There's this thread:

What professional writers, editors and agents say about PA

The only consumer watchdog organization I can think of is the BBB, and while PA doesn't seem to be a member of it, the BBB is toothless when it comes to literary scams.

Some authors may have contacted authorities in Maryland regarding miscalculations in their royalty checks, though.

How about other discussion groups, again not just for writers but other members of the profession as well?

I'm not sure what you mean - discussion groups for agents or editors?

This is the best source of information I've found online about PA (and everything else to do with writing, it seems :) ), but it's still a single source with a distinct bias. A list of direct references from knowlegable third parties who clearly have no personal axe to grind would strengthen my case a lot.

Agents and editors are unlikely to have anything personal against PA, any more than Yale University would have something personal against a diploma mill.

Many of us also have no personal axe to grind (for instance, I've never submitted anything to PA). You might also want to look into what PA authors (and defenders) who have been banned from the PublishAmerica Message Board have to say.
 

Merricat

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Try the one thing PA authors must avoid like the plague-- Google PublishAmerica. You'll find plenty of reactions.

Actually, many of them DO google publishamerica -- but I think many of them don't understand a lot of arguments against PA (a lot of industry-specific things like distributer vs. wholesaler are difficult to parse if you haven't read up on the terms beforehand) and meanwhile, they've got to fight against the stars in their eyes that Someone Wants To Publish Their Book.

Quixotic: I would not frame your argument in terms of "here's all the ways PA is bad!! Look at how bad they are!!" Instead, talk to your friend about what he wants to accomplish with publishing this book, and explain in general terms what various publishers can offer that'll help him reach his goals. Does he want to be in bookstores? Great, he'll need a publisher with a distributor. Here's what distributors do. Here's what wholesalers do. Here's why distributors are preferable. If he brings up PA -- "you want to be in bookstores, right? do they have a distributor? no? hmm, maybe they're not the best choice for you then." Does he want reviews in major publications and cover blurbs from other well-regarded authors? Here's how those things happen. Here's why they won't happen with PA. Here's how the industry works. Don't bring up Publishamerica out of the blue; put it in context.

Education, and then allowing him to draw his own conclusions based on the information out there, is a lot less overbearing and a lot more useful in the long run.
 

Christine N.

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Ask your friend what he wants to get from his book. If it's 'be on store shelves and sell lots of copies', tell him PA won't do it for their book. Can not and will not. Ask him what he expects from the process, and if he's actually researched it. PA won't give him any of it.
 

ResearchGuy

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Most of those mentions of PA books and PA authors are in local newspapers in the Human Interest section: Local Man Writes Book.
That is not per se a bad thing. (PA aside, speaking in general terms.) Some of the best, most prominent book PR I have seen in the local paper has been columns or feature articles rather than book reviews.

--Ken
 

Don Davidson

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In the meantime, to the person who left me a note asking if I was sure PA held the digital rights to my book, the answer is yes. It is stated clearly in my contract. Drat! I'm not even allowed to post excerpts or chapters without PA's permission.

Everyone must make his or her own decision on whether or not to knowingly violate their contract with PA in this regard, but if you decide to post excerpts or chapters from your book online, what is PA going to do? Sue you? Take you to arbitration? And if they do, what are their damages? If you don't buy your book, they won't sell any, so what money have they lost? (Posting excerpts might actually generate a few sales.) If they tried anything like that, I think I would immediately counter-claim to cancel the contract based on fraud in inducing me to sign it in the first place.
 

Don Davidson

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This is the best source of information I've found online about PA (and everything else to do with writing, it seems :) ), but it's still a single source with a distinct bias. A list of direct references from knowlegable third parties who clearly have no personal axe to grind would strengthen my case a lot.

I have a definite bias against PA (since I gave them the rights to my book for 7 years), but I have posted actual documents to and from PA on "The Truth About PublishAmerica" page of my web site, so anyone who is interested can see exactly how PA works, much of it in PA's own words. For example, in their email to me of 5/28/08 and in their responses to my complaint to the BBB, PA tacitly admits that they don't market or promote their books--they merely fall back on the contract language, saying that nothing requires them to do so. That is of course true, but probably not an admission that they would want to become public knowledge.
 

merrihiatt

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Ever heard of a Pre-Spring Sale? Well... now you have!

Dear Author,

Good news for authors who choose to have extra books on hand with Spring only weeks away. PublishAmerica authors are now given a 50 percent discount on all purchases, and shipping is FREE.

There is no minimum purchase limit, therefore the 50-pct-off offer applies to orders as low as 1 copy. Shipping is FREE for all orders of 12 copies or more.


Phone orders only, at 301 695 1707, between 9am - 5pm EST. Hardcovers are excluded, but full-color books are included! Free shipping within USA only. Special sales code: Orchid. Offer expires this Friday, February 6.

Thank you!

PublishAmerica Author Support Team
 

Marie Pacha

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At this rate they'll need more holidays and seasons soon.
 

Susan Gable

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They could have gone with a Groundhog's Day Sale.

"Because the groundhog saw his shadow is no reason to be dismayed by 6 more weeks of winter! We're offering a special SALE!"

Susan G.
 

DaveKuzminski

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Hmm, if they visit a bookstore, they could surely find a calendar there (with an ISBN, no less) that lists only holidays. Then they'd be set for the whole year. And who knows? Maybe the next year and the ones after that as well if they don't mind being a day or two off for some holidays.
 
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