The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

Joyce Harvell please check your mail on this site...

Never excuse on the grounds of dopamine imbalance what can be explained by his being a jerk.

I have one person in LA and one in TX who ordered my book in NOVEMBER and still haven't gotten it. It arrived within days when ordered from Amazon, and within a couple of weeks from PA to everywhere from MS to CA. There seems to be no rhyme or reason whatsoever to it.

If you order a PA book through Amazon, they get it from the existing Ingram stock (or order directly from LS). The book is delivered with their daily shipment to Amazon who turn around and ship it off to you, usually all within 24-36 hours. Lightning Source's turnaround is supposedly pretty darn fast nowadays. Most of this process is automated. I saw Amazon's distribution warehouse in action on CNN once, and it's pretty impressive.

When one orders directly through PA, I assume PA then turns around and orders it from Lightning Source (giving them the lion's share of profits because their cost is something like $4 for those 19.95 books). I also assume PA doesn't have this process streamlined and automated like Amazon does. One must wait for the order to be manually placed with Lightning Source, LS to print and ship to Maryland, and then for the person in charge of these sales to get around to repackaging it and sending it off to you. If the system is run like everything else at PA, I'm sure it's possible for someone to order something on a Monday and get it two months before a person who ordered it on a Tuesday.

I've seen people on the PA website say they've ordered and received copies from Amazon weeks before the got their author copies.

(giving them the lion's share of profits because their cost is something like $4 for those 19.95 books).
OUCH! DIDN'T ENJOY HEARING THAT...GOODNESS!
Hey, notice I'm a board regular! Movin' on up...LOL
Thanks, Chris

I really need to get back to work

on that www.publishamerica.com/cg...e/7352.htm thread, the conversation has turned toward the impending Wash. Post article, and as predicted by some of you guys here, the excuses have already started to surface.

This Pierrette seems like a very nice lady, but is she saying what I think she's saying here?

Message:
Well Sky the only thing left for us to do, as loyal authors of Publish America, is to wait and read the article, then respond to it, in vast numbers.
Me thinks that they P.A. must be starting to hurt some toes out there in Publishing land, if one realize for instance that my book, published by P.A got almost the same exposure at Amazon then Amber Frey.
This publishing business was very elitist since it's beguining, but voila' now, it has gotten down to the masses, and the money is being spread around..Can't say that I blame'em.
I don't approve, but I understand it.
Pierrette.

No offense to Ms. Pierrette, but on Amazon Amber Frey's book is currently ranked 31 and her book (_Le Café de Cadix_) is currently ranked 2,082,582. I'm not too sure what she meant by that.

What Lightning Source charges PA for your books:

The printing charge is $0.013/page plus $0.90 for the cover. So for a 200 page book (typically $19.95, discounted 20% when you order it from PA, or $15.96 plus $3.00 shipping), PA pays $3.50 and nets $12.46 (plus whatever the difference is between what they charge you for shipping and what they pay for shipping).

LOL, I think that Pierette is saying that her book cover and info are on there just like the other...I truly like this woman, she's funny, but no one really pays her much mind, as she wrote one book for her family and she doesn't really care of you can market yours or not, as long as she is happy...

James D Macdonald,
:rollin You just told me that my first book is worth only :rollin $2.30 this is too funny. But this is a real deal, you can buy it for only $16.95!:eek

James,

That's very interesting info. about Lightning Source. Gee, now I have to go tally up my two book totals..

One must wait for the order to be manually placed with Lightning Source, LS to print and ship to Maryland, and then for the person in charge of these sales to get around to repackaging it and sending it off to you. If the system is run like everything else at PA, I'm sure it's possible for someone to order something on a Monday and get it two months before a person who ordered it on a Tuesday.

I don't know if they're shipping via carrier pigeon or what the deal is, but it's ridiculous. The people still waiting only ordered from PA because it wasn't yet available at Amazon and B&N. These unhappy customers have called and e-mailed PA. Nada. Typical PA, of course. Plus, it's not out of the question that it's "punishment" because they're ticked with me. These peoples' missing books were, of course, paid for up front. I've told them to contact the BBB, but they haven't done it yet.

To be honest- I've never understood what Pierette tries to convey. But you can tell she really doesn't have a clue about the bigger picture of publishing issues. Only time will tell!

I'm sure HB et al will put a spin on the Post article to make it seem like the Conspiracy is now even Bigger due to All The Book Signings that Have Cut Into The Corporate Publishers' Profits...

:rollin

anyone who is in the area of this Holiday Inn signing should drop in and get some pictures of them buying each other's books...

....the PAvidian spin will be as follows:

1. The Washington Post is part of the old line media, and therefore supports "traditional" publishing.

2. Some of us paid off or unduly influenced (le Eight le Big) the reporting.

3. PA is so ahead of its time that it's basically misunderstood by the traditionalist thinkers at the Post.

After all that is said, HB will tell everyone that it's just more proof that mainstream USA is against the great and mighty pirate ship. Then, he will create a diversion by setting up a multi-author signing that will be held at a Jiffy Lube in El Segundo.

:lol :eek :p

a Jiffy Lube in El Segundo :rollin
No, seriously, do they have signings at Jiffy Lube? LOL, you are really hilarious!

....the PAvidian spin will be as follows:

1. The Washington Post is part of the old line media, and therefore supports "traditional" publishing.

2. Some of us paid off or unduly influenced (le Eight le Big) the reporting.

3. PA is so ahead of its time that it's basically misunderstood by the traditionalist thinkers at the Post.

It's actually already started. See:

"RE: Comparing PA as a traditional publisher
Message:
Thought this might be a good thread to give you the following information:
xxxxxxx today sent a memo about an impending article in the Washington Post on Sunday regarding Publish America...It sounds to me like a bashing is about to happen...PA's reputation as a publisher to be reckoned with is spreading probaly among other publishers...You see, in life the higher a monkey climbs the more his bottom is exposed...The enemies are on the doorstep so watch out..Make sure you duck when they (the enemy out there) swing at us!And hold on to your manuscript!..."

Look out, Jiffy Lube!

Ed, you forgot #4:

4. PA is so ahead of its time that the Old Traditional Publishers are running scared and the article is part of their plot to hold on to their monopoly.

- Victoria (a.k.a. Two of Eight. Hey, where are my Borg implants?)

The implants are packaged up with your skin-tight cat suit and stilleto heels.

Post pictures.

------------------------------------------------------------
...how anyone could possibly think that a booksigning in a Holiday Inn Conference room could amount to anything. It defies all logic. I know that PA is responsible for putting out a lot of terribly misleading information, but in this case the responsiblity for this upcoming debacle lies with a few current PA authors.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ed,

Sadly enough HB also thinks that everytime someone mentions his name here that he is getting publicity...lol. In fact, I remember having that little argument with him awhile back. It use to make me mad that anyone could be so...empty in brain cells, as to think that..but now, I have to admit his new idea is very funny. Helpful? No. Smart? Of course not! I can not believe anyone would join in on his Holiday Inn idea, first of all because he can not recoup the expense of the $75 somewhat dollars. Not to mention that the entire situation is just a bad idea, especially in a motel. I can not believe that anyone would go along with HB's idea. It sounds like a lose-lose situation to me.

I recevied my two author copies of my second and last PA book today. Believe it or not, the cover actually looks quite good, but because this 275 page book is being sold for $24.95, chances are that these are the only two copies that will ever be printed.

Linda

>:

"Never excuse on the grounds of dopamine imbalance what can be explained by his being a jerk."

LOL. Okay, well said, Hapi, well said.

I too am a "published author" in the PA world. I did several local interviews and sent out lots of promotional stuff and i think I sold a whopping 10 books! 16.95 is a high price for a 130 page Watergate humor book.
:rollin

Sweet lady, I think HB desperately wants to think that when we mention him that he gets publicity. What other way could he get any? Think the Holiday Inn gig will give him some much craved exposure?

...hope we will see you around more, you are certainly welcome here.

Yeah, that New York Times. About PublishAmerica.

Dee

The Making of a Bestseller, April 2005
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Yeah, that New York Times. About PublishAmerica.

Woo-hoo! But why cranky? Surely, the NYT didn't think PA is a good thing.