My Story with PublishAmerica by An Almost Victim!
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I'm so glad you got some good advice. But...I will caution you. Until PA actually releases you from that contract, I'm not sure you can publish that book with any other publisher. You need to read the contract very carefully, and get some legal advice before you sign a contract related to this book with any other publishers.
She is correct that right now you don't have any assets worth pursuing. But if another publisher wanted to publish that book, they would ask you to sign a contract saying you had full rights to let them publish it. And you might not - not until PA releases you. Even without the book in their hands, they have the right to publish that book.
And if it did get published by someone else, then PA might have something to sue over - your and your publisher's profits. Now, would they? I don't know. But they possibly could.
You need to get some legal advice before signing any contracts to publish that book through any other publisher.
I'm not saying it's hopeless. I'm just saying you might not be in the clear yet, and you need to be careful.
good luck!
~suki
She is correct that right now you don't have any assets worth pursuing. But if another publisher wanted to publish that book, they would ask you to sign a contract saying you had full rights to let them publish it. And you might not - not until PA releases you. Even without the book in their hands, they have the right to publish that book.
And if it did get published by someone else, then PA might have something to sue over - your and your publisher's profits. Now, would they? I don't know. But they possibly could.
You need to get some legal advice before signing any contracts to publish that book through any other publisher.
I'm not saying it's hopeless. I'm just saying you might not be in the clear yet, and you need to be careful.
good luck!
~suki
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Hee hee. You sure do like writing!
Welcome to AW! I hope the author is right and you can't be held to the contract (I do suggest getting legal advice if things start getting tense).
I found out too late. When I saw that my book was listing for $24.95 when even I didn't think it was worth half that is when I started looking around and found AW and Preditors and Editors. In addition to learning how to become a better writer, I've also learned how to move on to new, and better books. This is a great place for writers!
ETA: Meridian is a neat town. Have a chili relleno at La Pinata for me!
Welcome to AW! I hope the author is right and you can't be held to the contract (I do suggest getting legal advice if things start getting tense).
I found out too late. When I saw that my book was listing for $24.95 when even I didn't think it was worth half that is when I started looking around and found AW and Preditors and Editors. In addition to learning how to become a better writer, I've also learned how to move on to new, and better books. This is a great place for writers!
ETA: Meridian is a neat town. Have a chili relleno at La Pinata for me!
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Welcome to AW but unless and until you get a release from PA, they still have first dibs on your manuscript once it's finished.
You need to email them saying that you can't finish the book and no longer wish to publish and ask them to release you from your contract.
If they don't, then you need to change your manuscript to make sure it isn't substantially similar to the one PA has a claim on.
MM
You need to email them saying that you can't finish the book and no longer wish to publish and ask them to release you from your contract.
If they don't, then you need to change your manuscript to make sure it isn't substantially similar to the one PA has a claim on.
MM
Thank you for the great advice, Suki.
Right now, I'm just glad to still have my book, and I'm not looking into publishing it for a while since I am going to college in the fall. As for seven whole years of waiting... I'm not so sure. But I am definitely going to follow your advice with going to a lawyer and regaining my rights as soon as I can.
Right now, I'm just glad to still have my book, and I'm not looking into publishing it for a while since I am going to college in the fall. As for seven whole years of waiting... I'm not so sure. But I am definitely going to follow your advice with going to a lawyer and regaining my rights as soon as I can.
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See also Momento Mori's post. But good for you for both getting out in time, and for having a good attitude about it. Good luck in college and with the book.
~suki
I've heard advice given to keep emailing them asking them to get rid of your contract. They might lash back at you, but keep emailing them politely to let you go.
Can anyone chime in on this and if that's legit advice?
Can anyone chime in on this and if that's legit advice?
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Hi, Pinknpurple.
See also, Alternatives to PublishAmerica.
Please be very, very circumspect. The rights situation for your book at this moment is ... confused. You may have some more hoops to jump through.
Also, be aware that the honchos at PublishAmerica read this board (they have lots of time to do so since almost no one posts to the PA message board any more). They aren't above screwing with you just because they can.
All of the top echelon at PA are failed writers themselves; they'll do their best to hold back and stomp on anyone who they think is a writer or might possibly succeed in publishing.
See also, Alternatives to PublishAmerica.
Please be very, very circumspect. The rights situation for your book at this moment is ... confused. You may have some more hoops to jump through.
Also, be aware that the honchos at PublishAmerica read this board (they have lots of time to do so since almost no one posts to the PA message board any more). They aren't above screwing with you just because they can.
All of the top echelon at PA are failed writers themselves; they'll do their best to hold back and stomp on anyone who they think is a writer or might possibly succeed in publishing.
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Welcome, Pink. You'll find AW a massive, welcoming, and highly useful site. Best of luck to you!
Hi pinkpurple!
I wanted to ask you something, since you mentioned losing so much work on a crashed laptop. Do you still have it? Even if the laptop won't start, the files may still be in tact, and may be transferable to a new computer by USB cable, just like the crashed laptop was an external hard drive.
I wanted to ask you something, since you mentioned losing so much work on a crashed laptop. Do you still have it? Even if the laptop won't start, the files may still be in tact, and may be transferable to a new computer by USB cable, just like the crashed laptop was an external hard drive.
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To Cyia: I do still have my old laptop! And I've tried almost everything. I did actually try the USB cable trick, but it is completely dead and the battery refuses to charge. 
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I'm so glad you found us too. In the meantime, while you're waiting that seven years (be sure to email them at the end of that time requesting they do not renew the contract, they've pulled that trick before) write.
Write more novels. Edit them. Get them critiqued. Edit them again. When you're done with college, and looking for a reputable publisher, you'll have more than one thing to sell them.
And if you need any help, the people here are always here, even for newbies.
Write more novels. Edit them. Get them critiqued. Edit them again. When you're done with college, and looking for a reputable publisher, you'll have more than one thing to sell them.
And if you need any help, the people here are always here, even for newbies.
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To Cyia: I do still have my old laptop! And I've tried almost everything. I did actually try the USB cable trick, but it is completely dead and the battery refuses to charge.
I had a similar thing happen, and unfortunately got rid of my laptop. Afterwards, I was told I should have taken it to professionals. Frequently, people like Geeksquad can retrieve data from a dead hard-drive. Even if a hard-drive is completely erased (which it doesn't sound like this one is) some version of files, particularly documents, can usually be retrieved. I don't know how much money/time you're willing to spend on retrieving those MSs, but just something to think about.
Anyway, welcome to AW and congrats for escaping PA before any seriously lasting harm could come to your book (rights ambiguity not-withstanding, since if you worst comes to worst you can just wait them out for 7 years). Good luck with college and your writing!
Thank you everyone who is wishing me luck with college! I am definitely in need of all the luck I can get I am majoring in Registered Nursing, which many have thought strange since I am a writer and singer by trade. Even so, I have always wanted to be apart of something that matters - both physically and spiritually. I guess my calling is to help people physically through the medical field and spiritually through my stories
I am majoring in Registered Nursing, which many have thought strange since I am a writer and singer by trade. Even so, I have always wanted to be apart of something that matters - both physically and spiritually. I guess my calling is to help people physically through the medical field and spiritually through my stories 
If you know someone with the same kind of laptop, get with them and swap out hard drives. Then you download your files to a flash drive, swap hard drives back, and you're in business as soon as you plug your flash drive into your new computer.
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FWIW, GeekSquad, 9 times out of 10, have people who don't know what they're doing when it comes to computers.I had a similar thing happen, and unfortunately got rid of my laptop. Afterwards, I was told I should have taken it to professionals. Frequently, people like Geeksquad can retrieve data from a dead hard-drive. Even if a hard-drive is completely erased (which it doesn't sound like this one is) some version of files, particularly documents, can usually be retrieved. I don't know how much money/time you're willing to spend on retrieving those MSs, but just something to think about.
Anyway, welcome to AW and congrats for escaping PA before any seriously lasting harm could come to your book (rights ambiguity not-withstanding, since if you worst comes to worst you can just wait them out for 7 years). Good luck with college and your writing!
TC: Welcome to AW.
I escaped from PA, too. They said I was too young and had to be 16 in order to get published (gosh, this was almost six years ago; 20 now). It's a good thing you escaped their clutches. Try to get out of that contract, and in the mean time, write. 
The sign of a good writer--you hooked me right away. Your first post on this thread was interesting. Never stop writing. And glad you found out about PA. And found AW.
I've actually thought about doing that, Dave. The only problem is, my laptop is an older model and I really don't know anyone that has one even similar to it. I have been looking on places like Ebay and Craige's List for my model. Hopefully I will find an affordable one soon! lol