Condensed: Here are The Reasons We Don't Recommend PublishAmerica

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OneTeam OneDream

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Crunchy Frog said:
PublishAmerica books do not count as professional publication credits, thus won't qualify the authors to join professional authors' organizations, such as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, etc.

Also, due partly to a recent string of negative publicity they received from publications such as Publishers Weekly, Washington Post, and Associate Press, PublishAmerica has an extremely poor reputation in the legitimate publishing industry. Writing, "my first book was published by PublishAmerica!" in your query letter is not likely to impress anyone. In fact, it might make you sound like a clueless amateur. At best, agents/editors will ignore it. At worst, they'll automatically reject you.


Just out of curiousity, why is it that you do not get professional credit from Pa?

Bare with me, I'm new.
 

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OneTeamOneDream said:
Just out of curiousity, why is it that you do not get professional credit from Pa? Bare with me, I'm new.

Because of their business model, which is a shoddy attempt at hiding a vanity operation.

So, in a nut shell, you don't get credit for vanity publication, because anyone can do it. P.A. takes anyone, publishes all comers. Reverse vanity, publish now, buy books later when you find that they are not in bookstores and you have to buy them to get the book out to the public. Not really published, just printed.
 

OneTeam OneDream

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changling said:
Because of their business model, which is a shoddy attempt at hiding a vanity operation.

So, in a nut shell, you don't get credit for vanity publication, because anyone can do it. P.A. takes anyone, publishes all comers. Reverse vanity, publish now, buy books later when you find that they are not in bookstores and you have to buy them to get the book out to the public. Not really published, just printed.


Gotcha....thanks. I wasn't considering them, I was just trying to get more informed.
 

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A note on the new "returnability" program that PublishAmerica has instituted:

Returnabiliy is only through Ingram's, and comes with a mere 5% discount to the bookstores. That means that the bookstore will lose money on every PublishAmerica book they stock, even if it sells.

The result is that fewer stores will even consider stocking these books.
 

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The information in this thread is still fresh and accurate. PublishAmerica hasn't changed its business model. It's still a vanity publisher that relies on false and misleading advertising. They're still selling overpriced books back to their own authors. They're still doing everything in their power to discourage bookstores from stocking the books.

Please see the other threads in this forum for far, far more.
 
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