PA "New Releases" Analysis

I performed a little analysis of the first 20 books on PA’s latest 90 new releases, to give an idea of their pricing, and to show why their books, regardless of content or expertise of the author, are so difficult to place in brick and mortar stores. Add over pricing to lack of editing, to acceptable discount, to a highly suspect return policy and the sum total adds up to author disappointment.

Of the 90 books on the list, 21 were under 100 pages. The largest page count of all books was 428 and the smallest: 49. If there is a pattern I see emerging from having watched the “new releases” listing over a period of three years, it is that PA is squeezing their books. They seem to be printing more 5.5 X 8.5 sizes than in the past. I expect they are doing this to increase the page count and the price. Although, you can’t see it here, they also manipulate the page count upward by using large fonts and double spacing.
Seventeen pages is the smallest word count for a PA book that I know about.

While you are looking at the listing, compare (this is not a plug) against Debra Doyle’s and James D. Macdonald’s latest from a real publisher: EOS, imprint of Harper Collins: 304 pages, 41/4 X 63/4, $7.99 U.S., $10.00 Canada.

PAGE—PRICE—SIZE

88----- $14.95 6x9
92----- $14.95 6x9
269 $18.95 6x9
216 $19.95 5.5x8.5
147 $19.95 5.5x8.5
177 $19.95 5.5x8.5
146 $19.95 5.5x8.5
145 $19.95 5.5x8.5
196 $19.95 5.5x8.5
62----- $ 9.95 6x9
200 $19.95 6x9
210 $16.95 6x9
108 $16.95 5.5x8.5
428 $24.95 6x9
197 $19.95 6x9
122 $17.95 5.5x8.5
112 $16.95 5.5x8.5
149 $19.95 5.5x8.5
75----- $14.95 6x9
416 $24.95 6x9

I may be wrong but I believe PA is raising prices.

Looking at this week's releases, it looks like they're starting their $12.95 price at a book with 45 pages; $14.95 starts at the 70-page book; $17.95 at the 125 page book and $19.95 at the 150 page book.

They had four books that came in with 73 pages, which seems a bit of a coincidence. I expect they did some stretching with double-spacing and large font to get them over 70 pages so they could put a price tag of $14.95 on them.

I didn't see one book on this week's releases priced under $12.95. For the unknown PA author who has visions of placement of a 150-page unknown book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble amidst 300-plus pagers from mainstream publishers at $11.95, well........

Then to think of buying 60 at the 50% author discount--plus shipping--what are you going to do with them?

Well PA does have that new printing press to pay for.

PA printed out 117 books this week. Thirty-five were under 100 pages. They were priced at $12.95 and $14.95. Many of this week's releases were under 150 pages. The least priced book of the lot was $12.95.

Compare PA pricing to Pulitzer Prize winning, and Oprah Bookclub selection, "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy, on sale at my local Walmart, in paperback for $10.43.

Combine a small book with overpricing and marketing becomes a real problem for the PA author, poor editing, no distribution, no returns, not withstanding. Without PA authors purchasing their own books, PA surely could not stay in the book printing business for very long.