PAMB and its quotes

Christine N. said:

Hey, they could do what every other commercial publisher does...

Publish fewer books, and spend time actually, yanno, making sure they're worth selling. Yanno, read 'em all the way through, picking ones that are the best, putting a real effort into a smaller number of books.

Nah, why would they want to do that?

Click to expand...

And abandon The Wave of the Future[SUP]tm[/SUP]?

My book is probably going to be featured at the old Alma Mater elementary school for this year's book fair. I was just going to do the sale during my author visit, but THEY suggested to do it this way.

BUT. BUT. BUT. I am also following up the sale with an author visit. And they school will be ordering direct from my publisher. AND they will be getting the 40% school and library discount. AND they won't be getting a bill for those books until after the sale AND they can send back any that they didn't sell.

So... there ya go. A PA author doesn't stand a chance with a school when they can't offer any of that. The author would have to pay up front for the books, and then take back any that didn't sell, and they'd probably have boxes of books in the garage afterwards, and be out a ton of money.

BUT they wouldn't be able to get in anyway, since they couldn't offer the discount.

I think, though, that this PA author is suggesting a little order form for all PA books, to be sent through the mail to people. Like when you get the "Book Club" fliers, with all the little pictures of the books on them.

Just what I need, more junk mail. PA would never endorse it.

Yep, there ya go.

And congratulations.

The school gets the 40% profit (assuming they charge full list price), and I'll bet you get royalties on sales, right?

Yes ma'am.

Another person's book has errors....

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=18872&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Once again PA has put out another book with errors. They sure do love staying consistent, don't they?

If they are not to blatent, I wouldn't worry about it. For instance, we have a consistant error which we missed and that is the incorrect use of it's and its. I'm sure readers are forgiving as only one or two people mentioned it

Click to expand...

Ha, ha. He's serious, too.

Maybe only one or two people read it?

Christine N. said:

I think, though, that this PA author is suggesting a little order form for all PA books, to be sent through the mail to people. Like when you get the "Book Club" fliers, with all the little pictures of the books on them.

Click to expand...

That's an idea that some bright-eyed honeymooner comes up with every year or so on the PAMB. Nothing ever comes of it, of course.

We ought to start numbering those ideas, to save time and space. This one, the PA Book Club, can be #56A.

Dont be too hard on bookstores. They are in it for one reason and that is to make money. Actually they may have done you a favor.
Generally a bookstore will order 20 to 25 books for a booksigning. Lets say you only sold 3 books. What happens to the rest? They might put them on their shelves for a week or so, but if they didnt sell, the would be returned much to your embarrassment especially if PA has paid you a royalty on those books and now you owe PA because the book was returned.

Click to expand...

now you owe PA because the book was returned

Just...wow!

Unbelievable and so sad!

now you owe PA because the book was returned

Click to expand...

For our friends who are published by PA:

No, you don't owe PA anything. It's just that PA doesn't owe you any royalties for that book.

If PA claims that they don't owe you any royalties, I hope that you'll request an audit. PA's accounting standards are apparently ... lax.

After PA began the five percent discount/return program, they changed the royalty statements.

They added a line for "Returned Books" indicating an 8% percent debit in the Royalty Amount column (subtracted from earned royalties). This is why I would never have pressured a bookstore to order books for shelf placement, or for a signing. Theoretically, books returned based on 8% discount could negate all royalties, and could royally (pardon the pun) put the author in the royalty hole.

I have not read that a PA author has had to refund royalty payments based on a negative royalty statement, but the construction of the statement does give rise to the urban legend that in fact it could happen.

I expect the purpose for this bookkeeping innovation is to pressure authors to purchase books directly; thereby, forgoing royalties (PA authors do not earn royalties on books they purchase), but the author would not be subjected to the possibility of being penalized for store returns.

Arkie said:

After PA began the five percent discount/return program, they changed the royalty statements.

They added a line for "Returned Books" indicating an 8% percent debit in the Royalty Amount column (subtracted from earned royalties). This is why I would never have pressured a bookstore to order books for shelf placement, or for a signing. Theoretically, books returned based on 8% discount could negate all royalties, and could royally (pardon the pun) put the author in the royalty hole.

I have not read that a PA author has had to refund royalty payments based on a negative royalty statment, but the construction of the statment does give credence to the urban legend that in fact it could happen.

I expect the purpose for this bookkeeping innovation is to pressure authors to purchase books directly; thereby, forgoing royalties (PA authors do not earn royalties on books they purchase), but the author would not be subjected to the possibility of being penalized for store returns.

Click to expand...

Why does PA waste so much time screwing over their own authors? I know their evil scammers but it defies logic and common sense to be this scummy.

zizban said:

Why does PA waste so much time screwing over their own authors? I know their evil scammers but it defies logic and common sense to be this scummy.

Click to expand...

I've started wondering that too. The game they're running seems like it must be exhausting to keep up, especially since the authors can talk to each other online and trade notes. I'm reminded of a few movies that portray con artists as a kind of addict.

I'm also surprised that no one has sued the pants off them yet.

Unlike so many other art forms, the act (not the art) of writing is something anyone can do with today's technology. If computers and the Internet did not exist, how many of these people would actually do the work that is required to become an artist/writer?

For every PA writer that becomes unhappy, there are at least 1000 more "writers" waiting in the wings for the ego stroke. Everything PA does is based on stroking the ego, and then pocketing hard-earned money.

Some people want to believe there is an easy way to become an artist, and PA fulfills that for them, temporarily. When reality sets in, it separates the serious writer from the fortune/fame hunter.

There is so much "celebrity" in the world today, and so many want a piece of the money and fame that goes with it. They fail to understand that money and fame have nothing to do with being an artist and when their 15 minutes of fame is up, they refuse to let go of their dreams.

brianm said:

For every PA writer that becomes unhappy, there are at least 1000 more "writers" waiting in the wings for the ego stroke.

Some people want to believe there is an easy way to become an artist, and PA fulfills that for them, temporarily.

There is so much "celebrity" in the world today, and so many want a piece of the money and fame that goes with it.

Click to expand...

Yes, yes, and yes. And PA exploits that beautifully.

James D. Macdonald said:

For our friends who are published by PA:

No, you don't owe PA anything. It's just that PA doesn't owe you any royalties for that book.

If PA claims that they don't owe you any royalties, I hope that you'll request an audit. PA's accounting standards are apparently ... lax.

Click to expand...

PA does not pay royalties on books the author purchases himself.
Keep that in mind when you are estimating your profits.

PA censors another author

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=19543

I thought I could post something that might be helpful to all you artists and writers. I guess I must have crossed one of PA's lines. Sorry. Guess I'll just stop trying to be helpfull. So long everyone.

Too bad. I hope someone can direct him to the AW forum.

CatSlave said:

http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=19543
I thought I could post something that might be helpful to all you artists and writers.

Click to expand...

What was that all about?

James D. Macdonald said:

What was that all about?

Click to expand...

Dunno. Looks like his post was deleted before anyone could read it.
I hope any comments that follow may shed some light on what he was offering as help.

James D. Macdonald said:

What was that all about?

Click to expand...

He appears to be an artist/sculptor more than an author. His site shows off his artwork that is for sale, along with his two books. He drew the covers for both books.

Maybe he started a thread about covers and offered his services by saying... "If someone would like an original cover for their book, instead of the standard, been used 1000 times cover, and something that actually depicts what their book is about... please contact me."

brianm said:

He appears to be an artist/sculptor more than an author. His site shows off his artwork that is for sale, along with his two books. He drew the covers for both books.

Maybe he started a thread about covers and offered his services by saying... "If someone would like an original cover for their book, instead of the standard, been used 1000 times cover, and something that actually depicts what their book is about... please contact me."

Click to expand...

That makes sense. From the looks of his website, he appears to be quite talented.
(I see his website link is now further down in the thread.)
Good luck to him.

Maybe he referred to this painting and they took it wrong?

James D. Macdonald said:

Maybe he referred to this painting and they took it wrong?

Click to expand...

Not that they're paranoid or anything.

James D. Macdonald said:

Maybe he referred to this painting and they took it wrong?

Click to expand...

LOL... warn before you do that! I spit coffee up all over my screen!