The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Bubastes

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It boggles the mind. As I posted how can a reporter fall for PA???? If you do your proper reserch you can't fail to find MILLIONS of posts and evedence agents PA.

If you're too close to your subject, you can lose objectivity. I suspect that's what happened in this case.
 

Little1

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If you're too close to your subject, you can lose objectivity. I suspect that's what happened in this case.


I guess, and the "OMG they exepted me" can cloud your judgment as well.
 

Neil Larkins

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Seriously, does no one in the reporting business do their homework anymore? I realize that times are changing, but credibility and research should still count for something.
Yeah, it's damn sad, all right. And maddening.
I started to compose a long point-by-point criticism of Ms Pinion-White and then decided, what's the use? The damage has already been done. More writers looking to get published will pick up on what she's written than all those here trying to prevent it. PA should be proud of themselves.
As for doing homework, you are so right, Sevvy. Ms Pinion-White is no journalist in the classic sense. This is more of an opinion piece. Hey. I made a funny. Oh, she discovered something, so wrote an oh-Pinion piece.
Neil
 

ResearchGuy

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Yeah, it's damn sad, all right. And maddening.
I started to compose a long point-by-point criticism of Ms Pinion-White and then decided, what's the use? . . .
FWIW, I posted a link to my "Pursuit of Publishing" booklet, which can arm aspiring book authors against the scams and put them in a position to at least know what questions to ask and where to turn for meaningful answers. (A couple of pages of the booklet specifically expose PA's shenanigans.)

--Ken
 
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merrihiatt

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Interesing that this definition of a vanity press was posted, yet the similarity to PA seemed to escape the writer of the piece.

Vanity publishers often left authors with boxes and boxes of unedited books, offering no cover design and no help in getting the product sold.
 

victoriastrauss

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Vanity publishers often left authors with boxes and boxes of unedited books, offering no cover design and no help in getting the product sold.

The "boxes of books" thing is becoming fairly common as a way of making a (faux) distinction between different kinds of fee-charging publishers. I've seen a number of fee-based publishers deny they are vanity publishers because they use POD and thus don't saddle authors with a garage full of books.

- Victoria
 

Don Davidson

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Her book, Planet Gemini, is a 6" x 9" paperback, 441 pages, and is priced at $34.95 at PA's web site ($29.95 at Amazon.com). Her other book, Fertile Earth, also a 6" x 9" paperback, 236 pages, is priced at $29.95 ($24.95 at Amazon.com). I can't help but wonder how many books she has sold at those prices, since her article doesn't mention that.
 

JulieB

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Speaking of high prices, we went to buy textbooks for my son today. He's taking a Science Fiction as Literature class this semester. (It's required for his degree.) He bought three books, and the total was less than $100. Yeah, for college that's darned cheap. The teacher chose commercially published stuff.

I did have a moment when I looked at one of the books - a 110 page hardcover novella priced at $35. Then I realized it was a singed, limited edition from Subterranean Press. It's a gorgeous book, and I've bought several titles from them before, and the quality has been fabulous, even on chapbooks.

So yes, the book is quite a bit under 400 pages, but it has gorgeous, original art on the dust jacket and they layout is really nice. Put an book from Sub by an author I've never heard of next to a PA book, and I'll pick the Sub Press book every time.
 

Gillhoughly

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Oooooh, brother.

I got this in from a tipster:

Dear author:

Are you sometimes thinking about an overhaul of your book? Think it can use some changes, or even many changes, but it needs a fresh pair of eyes to pull it off?

Use a PublishAmerica ghostwriter.

Our veteran group of PublishAmerica ghostwriters have been editing, changing, improving thousands of books for many years. They often report that their "fingers are itching" to rewrite this or that portion of the books they were working on. They have just recently been reassigned from our text department to our ghostwriting team.

Ghostwriters may touch a plot or storyline, improve characters and strengthen dialogue, change the language, elevate the book to a new level. They rewrite anywhere between some and all of the book. They will work with you, ask for your input. Ghostwriters waive all rights: the book's copyright remains exclusively yours. Once they are done, you can choose to use some or all of their changes. Your ghostwriter will take care of submitting the rewritten book file to our printers, but only after your final approval. Oh, and of course we will send you some copies of the brand new version of your book, for free.

Ghostwriters make you a better writer. They stay anonymous. You will still receive all the credit for your improved book!

Go to http://www.publishamerica.net/product95963.html and instruct us to assign a ghostwriter to your book. In the Ordering Instructions box, write the title of your book. You will be contacted by your ghostwriter within 48 business hours. Benefit from our low introductory price of $499 before it increases to $699. You must choose a shipping option to activate the service. First come, first serve.

Thank you,
Hey, Larry--who are your "PublishAmerica ghostwriters have been editing, changing, improving thousands of books for many years"?

You? Make me laugh a bit harder.

Miranda? Not with her singular lack of grammar and spelling skills.

Is this the same insane clown posse that puts errors into books, slaps on the wrong covers, and leaves out pages?

You've improved books the way Bernie Madoff improved the lives of thousands of --oh, wait, he hasn't done a damned thing for anyone but himself.

The only thing YOUR bunch is itching to get their hot fingers on is more cold cash from your victims writers.
 

JulieB

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But they never paid to get published.

(Just imagine the sarcasm dripping from the above line. Now go clean your desk. It's nasty.)
 

merrihiatt

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The "boxes of books" thing is becoming fairly common as a way of making a (faux) distinction between different kinds of fee-charging publishers. I've seen a number of fee-based publishers deny they are vanity publishers because they use POD and thus don't saddle authors with a garage full of books.

- Victoria

I've got one box of unedited, stock-cover-image-added books in my closet. I made the mistake of placing one order with PA when I first signed with them (50% discount, free shipping/handling).