About PublishAmerica First part of Publishers Weekly article

[DeePower]

Here are the first 200 words of the article that appeared in Publishers Weekly Newsline written by Steven Zeitchik <szeitchik@reedbusiness.com> Here's the link to the rest of the article. There will be another segment later today. tomorrow. You can sign up for a 30 day free membership if you want to read the entire article.

www.publishersweekly.com/...sh+America (http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA480782.html?text=Publish+America)

Authors' Allegation: Nothing Patriotic About Publish America I
Publish America sounds vaguely like the name of some book-industry superhero, but it's hardly saving the day according to a number of the authors who are complaining vocally about it.

A not-exactly-widely-known Maryland house, Publish America has been courting authors to sign with it and has been seeking a higher profile through such means as half-page display ads in the NYTBR. But authors are now making sweeping charges against the house. Allegations run the complaints gamut, but basically boil down to this: the company presents itself as a traditional house but acts like a vanity one, and not a very upstanding one at that.

According to the allegations, Publish America sells books to which it no longer holds the rights, offers authors only a 30% discount, doesn't pay royalties it owes, engages in slipshod editing and copyediting, sets unreasonable list prices and doesn't pay marketing costs despite promises to the contrary. While it doesn't charge for printing the books, it does require a list of friends and family from the author and then proceeds to market to them heavily. This on top of claims of non-responsiveness.

It might be an understatement worthy of a comic-book that the authors, about a dozen of whom have contacted PW, aren't happy.

www.publishersweekly.com/...sh+America (http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA480782.html?text=Publish+America)

[HConn]

You can sign up for a 30 day free membership if you want to read the entire article.
There's also www.bugmenot.com (http://www.bugmenot.com)

[vstrauss]

Whoa. Awesome site, HConn.

- Victoria

[lizziepants]

I have a subscription to PW, if anyone's interested in the PA article.

elizabeth@elizabethashwood.com

[DaveKuzminski]

I signed up for the free 30-day trial, but it's not letting me in.

[ncq13]

:D

[CarryTheCross]

What day does part 2 come out?

John

[publishorperish]

Why was the other site closed? That was a good article -btw! Good Job Dee, Rebecca, and Kate!

[DeePower]

I can not take responsibility for the article in Publishers Weekly. All I did was email PW, and a number of other media outlets, background material on PublishAmerica as far as my publishing experience with PA. None of that material is revolutionary, most of it I have been posting on forums and boards. I told a few other authors who felt that PA had not lived up to their promises what I was going to do and on what day. They participated on an individual basis.

PW wrote the article and published it on the first day of our media blitz, I believe by now quite a few more than a "dozen or so" authors contacted him.

The second part of the article is supposed to be published today.

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com (http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com)

[CarryTheCross]

Maybe it'll be out tomorrow. It's almost 3:30 here,and zip.

John

[DaveKuzminski]

I didn't have anything to do with writing the article, but I did email numerous media contacts asking them to give serious consideration to the authors who would be contacting them with their concerns about PA.

[DeePower]

PW Newsline goes out about 7:00 PM eastern time, at least that's usually when I get my copy. It shows up on the website later.

Thank you for your help Dave.

Dee

[ncq13]

no PA article. I wonder what happened? Perhaps it was bumped due to other pressing news? Anyone know anything for sure?

[DeePower]

If you are a PA author who does't feel that PA lived up to its promises there is something you can do, please contact me at authors@BrianHillAndDeePower.com
Include a brief paragraph or two about your experience with PublishAmerica.

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com (http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com)

[CarryTheCross]

I'm a little disappointed PW chose not to immediately follow up on the PA debacle with the second part of the article. Momentum may have been lost.

John

[DeePower]

First 200 words are below the entire article will be at www.publishersweekly.com (http://www.publishersweekly.com) It isn't up at the website quite yet.

Publish America: We Are Not Vanity

Earlier this week, we ran a story about the controversial Publish America in which authors leveled a number of charges at the house. Poor editing, high prices, unforgiving contract terms, non-responsiveness and a general approach that resembled a vanity press concerned with selling books to authors more than to the public were among the complaints. After we ran the story, we heard from still more troubled authors, each with their own tale of money lost and promises unkept.

But in an interview yesterday, the company's executive director, Miranda Prather, said that all of the author claims were unfounded.

On bookstores, she said that the company does have a substantial book presence but "we don't control the bookstores in the country," and declined to estimate how many of the 9000 authors the house claims in fact had a trade presence. Responsiveness was a priority; she said there is a "two-day turnaround" for authors who get in touch. (Responses are generally conducted by email, according to authors, and indeed there are no phone extensions, just a general voice mailbox, when one calls the company.

More at the PW site.

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com (http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com)

[DaveKuzminski]

Evidently, there will be another article at Publishers Weekly on the 22nd. However, that's as close as I can get to any of their articles. For some reason, my free trial isn't working, so I can't read Miranda's interview.

By the way, is it time yet for PA to announce their partnership with PW?

[Ed Williams 3]

...is out, now, and yet again, another glowing pat on the back for our friends over at PA. They have to be starting to really feel some heat, and I do note not one post on the PA boards about this. Think any authors have been banned yet for posting something up about it?

[DeePower]

There have been posts but they have been deleted within minutes.

Dee
really, really, tired.

[Euan Harvey]

Thanks HConn. That is an uber-cool website. :D

[DeePower]

The discussion has really deteriorated. Carl has gone ballistic and is now into name calling.

I've been suspicious for awhile that Carl was really two people, especially since he's been posting way past the free month's subscription.

The original Carl used English like it was his second language. The cadence of the speech and a lot of the word usage was very similar to those nasty emails I have received from support at publishamerica.

The second Carl, posted like someone we won't mention by name, but is PA's number one cheerleader and lives in Ohio.

So I posted under the name Carl Ross and it worked. Of course I signed my real name and that the post was a test.

Just thought you'd all like to know.

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com (http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com)

[James D Macdonald]

Dee, you silly-billy! That email address was supposed to be pistachionutlover@lycos.com, not pistachenutlover@lycos.com.

[James D. Macdonald]

A year passes like nothing with PublishAmerica. 2005 was a very bad year for PA on the publicity front. Let's hope 2006 is worse.

[icacat]

I published my first novel with PA with some success - which, I know, is rare, but I spend a lot of time and effort on publicity. And, I pay someone to edit my work because I can't excect them to.

Anyway, I do have my book in stores. And I've managed to sell almost 400 copies. BUT for my 2nd book, I found that PA is a major PITA and recently (about an hour ago) received a most discourteous reply to a request that they actually follow their contract that I'd made DEMANDING that I apologize to the nameless, faceless author support email.

So, I'm jumping from the "eh. PA is ok" wagon to the "They SUCK" boat.

Oh, and did I mention that I've been banned from their site (and that was before I posted their email in my blog).

Amey
http://www.ameytippett.com
http://alisonsjourney.blogspot.com

[icacat]

Oh, and I should've mentioned that I'm a bit hard-headed and tend to have to get burned before I'll actually believe the bad things I hear about people - or, in this case, companies.

Amey
http://www.ameytippett.com
http://alisonsjourney.blogspot.com

[Sheryl Nantus]

*pours a cuppa tea*

come on over to the NEPAT thread and the Overflow - we've got tea and cookies to welcome you!

:)

[janetbellinger]

I have my ex-PA book in stores too. It's just that they are on consignment and I'm not inclined to call and ask how many if any have sold. And I will not under any circunstances sell any more. I will give them away, but I won't sell them. Good luck.

I published my first novel with PA with some success - which, I know, is rare, but I spend a lot of time and effort on publicity. And, I pay someone to edit my work because I can't excect them to.

Anyway, I do have my book in stores. And I've managed to sell almost 400 copies. BUT for my 2nd book, I found that PA is a major PITA and recently (about an hour ago) received a most discourteous reply to a request that they actually follow their contract that I'd made DEMANDING that I apologize to the nameless, faceless author support email.

So, I'm jumping from the "eh. PA is ok" wagon to the "They SUCK" boat.

Oh, and did I mention that I've been banned from their site (and that was before I posted their email in my blog).

Amey
http://www.ameytippett.com
http://alisonsjourney.blogspot.com

[James D. Macdonald]

If I may be so bold as to ask, how many bookstores? Which ones? (Jean Marie also managed the trick, at a Borders, through titanic effort.)

And, if I may ask, at what dollar cost to yourself?

[JerseyGirl1962]

Oh, and I should've mentioned that I'm a bit hard-headed and tend to have to get burned before I'll actually believe the bad things I hear about people - or, in this case, companies.

Amey
http://www.ameytippett.com
http://alisonsjourney.blogspot.com

You sound like my husband, lol. :tongue

BTW, :welcome:

~Nancy

[Tilly]

Ugh. They've sent letters to many, many authors demanding an apology. They punish authors who step out of line by trying to intimidate and belittle them. And of course banning them from the board. It's very sad they're such an abusive company.

Welcome:Sun:

[Bo Sullivan]

Yes I got banned from the Board as well when all that Michael Jackson stuff was going on. I stuck up for him and got banned.

Duped

[James D. Macdonald]

Q. How many Author Support Team members does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. Don't take that tone with us. 20,000 very happy authors agree that the lightbulb is not burned out. We expect your prompt apology.

[deneenk]

Deneen K. Berry, Author
1007 S. Jefferson Street #2
Lockport, IL 60441
815/588-3474

SENATOR “A.J.” WILHELMI September 9, 2006
VIA FACSIMILE:815/207-4446 RE: Deneen K. Berry vs.
PublishAmerica (MD)
TITLE: “And Darkness Covered
The Land”
AUTHOR: Deneen K. Berry
MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE THE “IRS” CHECK INTO THIS:
THIS COMPANY WILL NOT RELEASE THE MONIES DUE ME. THEY ARE A POD PUBLISHER (PRINT/PAY ON DEMAND), AND ARE PAID IN ADVANCE BEFORE SHIPPING OUT THE BOOKS. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THIS COMPANY….POSSIBLY, THEY CAN’T PAY US BECAUSE THE MONEY IS GOING OUT OF THE COUNTRY. I DON’T KNOW. BUT YOU SHOULD CHECK INTO THIS COMPANY FOR FRAUD…(PLEASE DO USE MY NAME “UNLESS YOU CAN GET” MY MONEY OWED, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE IDENTIFIED PUBLICALLY)
FIVE PAGES TOTAL

Dear Entity,

I am having a troublesome time getting PublishAmerica pay me the royalties due me from May, 2006 (book became available in print) through July 31, 2006 (cut off date). I am unemployed and have working on book sales since May. I personally have contacted via facsimile and email over 3000 Christian bookstores.

After the cut off date, the disbursement date was August 31, 2006 of which I received a check in the amount of $15.69, stating that I will have to WAIT until the next pay period (March, 2007) before I would receive the remainder of royalties due me, because the vendors have 90 or more days to pay PublishAmerica. This is in BREACH of the contract, which states that I will receive royalties in August and February.

Please take a look at the attached copies of facsimiles that I have sent out, and let me know if I have a chance of winning this BREACH OF CONTRACT.


Please, I pray for your infinite wisdom and consideration in this matter. PLEASE ADVISE IF I HAVE A CASE AGAINST PUBLISH AMERICA FOR NON PAYMENT OF WAGES EARNED FROM MAY , 2006 THROUGH AND INCLUDING JULY 31 2006 ?

Please see attached pages.

Respectfully,

S/s
Deneen K. Berry




COPY OF LETTERS SENT:
Deneen K. Berry
1007 S. Jefferson St. #2
Lockport, IL 60441
815/588-3474
deneenk@aol.com (deneenk@aol.com)


BILL O’REILLY @ FOX NEWS September 6, 2006
OPRAH @ HARPO RE: Deneen K. Berry vs.
LARRY COPPLER@PUBLISH (COPPLER@PUBLISH) AMERICA PublishAmerica
(via facsimile)
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL….

Just a note to update you. I re-checked the Contract and nowhere does it state that I have to WAIT until PublishAmerica gets their money from the vendors or until the next royalty pay day (which is March of 2007) before I get my earned royalties.

The backside of the check is in violation of the Contract, which states that the Publisher agrees to render, and forward to the Author, in the months of February and August……total royalties payable to Author on SALES during the accounting period

THE BREACH: ***But pursuant to the back side of my $15.69 check which states: “..; books sold through bookstores/wholesalers (including Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com) during the past three months may not yet be included as bookstores/wholesalers have up to 90 days or longer to pay PublishAmerica, ..***”)

Scenario: If I go to work for BILL O’REILLY OR OPRAH WINFREY, and I am told I will get paid $20.00 per hour, and the ending of the pay period is in two weeks, thence I get my paycheck as agreed (paid in full for the semi or monthly earnings). I do NOT get a notice on my paycheck (like on my PublishAmerica paycheck) that says I have to WAIT until the television advertising companies pay the network…

PublishAmerica is in BREACH of their contract in NOT paying me my royalties EARNED from May of 2006, through and including July 31, 2006.

Maybe this is a problem for the Department of Labor OR governmental agencies…


One last time, I hereby request that PublishAmerica send me my full royalties that were earned this pay period ending July 31, 2006 VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS.
Respectfully,

S/s
Deneen K. Berry

COPY OF LETTERS SENT:

DENEEN K. BERRY
1007 S. JEFFERSON ST. #2
LOCKPORT, IL 60441
815/588-3474
deneenk@aol.com (deneenk@aol.com)


BILL O’REILLY @ FOX NEWS September 5, 2006
OPRAH @ HARPER
LARRY CLOPPER @ PUBLISH AMERICA

RE: Deneen K. Berry, Author
Title: “And Darkness Covered the
Land”
TOTAL TWO PAGES

SUMMARY OF EARLIER LETTER SENT VIA FACSIMILE TODAY



12/08/2005 Signed Contract regarding Royalties paragraph 12 states as follows:

The Publisher agrees to render and forward to the Author, in the months of February and August next succeeding the date of publication of the said literary work, and thereafter semi-annual statements of account for so long as copies of the work subject to royalty are sold. With respect to copies sold, the statement shall indicate the price of each copy sold. The statement shall indicate both the total royalties payable to Author on sales during the accounting period and the breakdown indicating the royalties attributable to specific kinds of sales, Author may, upon giving sufficient notice of no less than seven days, examine Publisher’s records and account to the extent that such records and accounts are relevant to the publication of the said literary work, which shall be done at Author’s expense
05/2006 Said book finished and available for sale to vendors

07/17/06 Received email from support@publishamerica.com (support@publishamerica.com) stating:

The above named author has sold over 1.5 million copies of the book as per copy on letter attached to Bill O’Reilly, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Clopper. PLEASE SEE 4 PAGE LETTER SENT VIA FACSIMILE on today’s date September 5, 2006.
09/05/06 Received check no.: 30537 in the amount of $15.69 representing royalties:

On reverse side of check the Cut-Off Date for this pay period was July 31, 2006, so what happened to the 1.5 million copies sold during May, June and July as per the email from PA ?????
Reverse side of Check further states: “ What Happened To Books Sold Last Month: all books bought directly from PublishAmerica are included in this statement (meaning the $15.69) (NOT MENTIONED IN CONTRACT); books sold through bookstores/wholesalers (including Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com) during the past three months may not yet be included as bookstores/wholesalers have up to 90 days or LONGER to pay PublishAmerica, in which case PublishAmerica would not yet have received payment. Such sales will be included in your next royalty statement. (which means Author will NOT get the benefit of those 1.5 million sales until May of 2007)
IS THIS A BREACH OF THE CONTRACT THAT STATES “RENDER AND FORWARD ………….copies sold”


I, the Author, am very upset that I was not told ahead of time in the Contract that it would take PublishAmerica almost one full year to pay me…Therefore, I respectfully request that PublishAmerica, render to me the total amount of sales/check from May, 2006 through and including July 31, 2006 via Federal Express.

As the honorable Bill O’Reilly of Fox News would say: “WHAT SAY YOU ????”


Respectfully,

S/s
Deneen K. Berry, Author
“And Darkness Covered the Land”

PS Copies of these letters will be sent to the Washington Post and the Frederick News on or before September 7, 2006 unless this problem has been resolved.

THIS EMAIL TO ME WAS RECINDED:
(ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT SAID THAT THIS EMAIL WAS SENT TO ALLLLLLL PA AUTHORS, AND DID NOT SPECIFICALLY MEAN MY BOOK ONLY..)
-----------------
COPY OF EMAIL
Forwarded Message:
Subj:
300 Million Book Pages!
Date:
7/17/2006 5:39:15 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From:
support@publishamerica.com (support@publishamerica.com)
To:
deneenk@aol.com (deneenk@aol.com)
Sent from the Internet (Details) (aolmsg://00e0adc8/inethdr/3)


Dear author,

We want to share the following good news with you: together, your books have now reached more than 1.5 million households, with an estimated combined audience of 5 million readers. Together you have given all these people food for thought, and you have planted all the good seeds that come with reading, such as new knowledge, entertainment, education, challenging the mind. All in all, you have made it possible for a combined 300 million PublishAmerica book pages to be read by your readers! For the number crunchers among you: that's a mind-boggling total of 150 billion words, created and presented by you to your multi-million audience.

Congratulations, and thank you.

Also, here's to remind you that August is around the corner: royalty pay day! As always, royalty statements will be mailed to you by the end of the month, by regular mail, so you may expect arrival in the first days of September. Be sure to check if we have your latest mailing address. If not, now is the time to help us update our files. We need your new address no later than July 31, or you risk non-delivery of your royalty statement by the postal service. Please send your updated information to support@publishamerica.com (support@publishamerica.com).

Finally, a word to those who prefer to have copies of their own book on hand. Always remember that you are under no obligation or pressure to purchase your own book. Never buy your own book just because you think it is expected of you. It is not. All PublishAmerica books are available through all regular retail venues, and many thousands of them are returnable by bookstores who, in turn, are ordering a PublishAmerica book more than 500 times each day.

Some of you will find in your next royalty statement that copies of your book have indeed remained unsold and been returned by bookstores for a refund. If royalties had been extended to you on those books, you will now find the amount subtracted from what is due to you.

That said, there are always authors who, under Pars. 5 and 10 of their contract, simply feel better having copies of their own book available. Each time we run a special offer for them, they ring our phones of the hook. They use those books to give them away, or they sell them, or they use them for lectures or book signings, or they save them as presents until their grandchildren can read.

For those entrepreneurial and often inventive souls, here's our special deal:
On all orders of 65 or more copies placed by the author, we will allow a 45 pct discount, plus we will pay royalties on those books! These royalties will be included in your August check!

Phone orders only, at 301 695 1707, full-color books are excluded, offer expires July 25.
Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support

****(SENARIO: EVEN IF PA RECEIVED JUST $5.00 PER BOOK, FROM FEB. 06-JULY 06, AND DOESN’T PAY THE AUTHORS, THEN HE MAY BE SITTING ON $7,500,000.00. AND IF HE DOESN’T PAY HIS AUTHORS, DO YOU THINK HE’LL PAY FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY TAXES????)***********

[deneenk]

GOOD JOB !!

[SeanDSchaffer]

Q. How many Author Support Team members does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. Don't take that tone with us. 20,000 very happy authors agree that the lightbulb is not burned out. We expect your prompt apology.


I would apologize, but the insults I would have to use in my apology might get me in trouble with the mods here at AW. I think I will pass in this case.

BTW, the number of PA Author Support Team members it takes to change a light bulb is irrelevant, anyway. I'd imagine they require their 20,000 very happy authors to do that. They expect them to do just about everything else around there...

[James D. Macdonald]

Deneek, do you really want to post your address/phone number/etc. on the Internet?