The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

allenparker

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"As long as they charge no fee."

We've seen that twice now, and I'm starting to wonder:

Does B&N charge publishers a fee to be allowed to join this program? That is, will PA take their authors' money, then say, "B&N charges a fee! No deal! No way! We told you we wouldn't do it if they charged a fee!"

If I were them, I would go back with the "They charged a fee" promotion and say that the deal is still on with the purchase of the BN50 package. Buy 5 of your ebooks and we'll put you on the list.


The kicker would be that you could sell the five downloads to your friends and family. Otherwise, someone might figure out that they could download it once and copy it till the computer dies.
 

Neil Larkins

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Good news, folks! PA announces today that if you've questions for B&N, they (PA) will ask them for you. According to PA "that director" has said she "encouraged" questions. All you gotta do to get PA to provide this oh-so-wonderful service for you is buy a minimum of 3 books. Now. Today. Get that discount, son.

Um...no thanks. I'll ask my own damn questions if I have any for B&N. Somehow - and I can't figure out where I got it - I'm under the impression that if it's not the "right" question it just won't get asked.

Oh please hep me to dispell these evil doubts.

Neil
 

Marian Perera

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Good news, folks! PA announces today that if you've questions for B&N, they (PA) will ask them for you. According to PA "that director" has said she "encouraged" questions. All you gotta do to get PA to provide this oh-so-wonderful service for you is buy a minimum of 3 books. Now. Today. Get that discount, son.

Wow, that's really something.

Next up : do you want a paper copy of your royalty statement? Buy books. Do you want your statement to arrive in an envelope? Buy books. With a stamp on it? Books!
 

Marian Perera

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Please, please, please tell me that the PA authors will realize they can ask their own questions of B&N!!!

There'll always be someone like the person who didn't realize the "Dear Author" salutation was generic, and thought that the director of B&N had specifically contacted PA about her books.

PA should make another offer: "Want us to stop sending you promotional emails and special offers? Minimum purchase is 4 softcovers..."

I'll bet people would take that one.
 

Scribhneoir

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I went over to B&N's Pubit site and they haven't officially launched yet. They're collecting information from those who are interested in the service, however, and they'll be contacted after it goes live. Nothing about any fees, though.

Bolding mine.

Sounds like this might be why PA has suddenly claimed that a B&N director was incredibly excited to talk to PA about books. What do you bet PA's newest con was sparked by a B&N advertising ploy for their new PubIt service?
 

Neil Larkins

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There'll always be someone like the person who didn't realize the "Dear Author" salutation was generic, and thought that the director of B&N had specifically contacted PA about her books.

PA should make another offer: "Want us to stop sending you promotional emails and special offers? Minimum purchase is 4 softcovers..."

I'll bet people would take that one.
HA and HA HA. More like "Minimum purchase is 400 softcovers...or 4000...or..."
Neil
BTW, do ya think PEE-YAY is moving at lightning speed like this so to get as many sales as possible before the "no deal" or the authors learn the truth ax falls? Does a bear...? Never mind.
 

circlexranch

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Hey all you "P"ublished "A"uthors! Are you sick and tired of the jelose toady bugs and psychic vampires and ravening envy wolves on the internet forums complaining about our beloved Publish America?

Well, here's your chance to show them! We'll send copies of your book to Absolute Write, Making Light, Preditors & Editors, and anyone else that doesn't understand us.

For the low, low, low (but probably not as low as tomorrow) purchase of FIVE softcovers (not PAperbacks, we're on to you little sneaks and are watching your houses), at the typical discount of 50% (making your book almost, but not quite, less full retail of other books), we'll show those bashers who is boss! Let them riffle the pages and marvel at the glue in the binding. Let them smell our superior ink. Let them ooh and ahh over our shiny covers. Yes, let us show them!

Just use the coupon code 50GIL. It'll look like you are getting charged full price (and some of you will be, we're hoping you forget by the time you get your credit card statement) and we will blanket the disgruntled haters from sea to shining sea (if enough people buy in, we're not going to send out any ARCs or review copies because WE ARE A BUSINESS and if you don't like it there is always room in the cornfield for one more.)
 

circlexranch

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Barnes & Noble wants to talk to me! Yes, they want to stock my ebook!

I put myself and my little personal imprint "Circle X Ranch Press" on the B&N Pubit mailing list and THEY ANSWERED ME (w00t!)

--------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your interest in PubIt!, our exciting new easy-to-use digital publishing and distribution platform for independent and self-publishers. As soon as PubIt! launches on BN.COM, we'll send you an email notification along with some helpful tips to get you started.
-------------------------------------------------

They can't wait for me to get started! They are even going to help me and give me tips!
 

Wrider

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I just wrote a generic "I'm clueless" email to B&N, asking them if it was true that authors had to channel questions/suggestions through their publishers now. (Of course, I mentioned why I was asking.) I'll be interested to see if/what they respond.

I just realized though - PA says they'll forward these questions/suggestions on to a certain director. Maybe THAT is why PA will say this is so great...?
 

CatSlave

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I just wrote a generic "I'm clueless" email to B&N, asking them if it was true that authors had to channel questions/suggestions through their publishers now. (Of course, I mentioned why I was asking.) I'll be interested to see if/what they respond.

I just realized though - PA says they'll forward these questions/suggestions on to a certain director. Maybe THAT is why PA will say this is so great...?
Here's the B&N address:
If your question is not covered or you need more information regarding our eBooks, please write to us at [email protected]
 

AudioGenius

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I just wrote a generic "I'm clueless" email to B&N, asking them if it was true that authors had to channel questions/suggestions through their publishers now. (Of course, I mentioned why I was asking.) I'll be interested to see if/what they respond.

I just realized though - PA says they'll forward these questions/suggestions on to a certain director. Maybe THAT is why PA will say this is so great...?

Did you get the emails? If so you could contact that same director directly, her contact info is here somewhere. I'd do it myself, but I don't really feel comfortable doing so without having received the actual documents.
 

Wrider

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Try this: If your question is not covered or you need more information regarding our eBooks, please write to us at [email protected]

Oh, mine was about the "ask PA your questions and we'll forward them to B&N" gimmick. I'll probably just get a form response, but it only wasted a few minutes of my time then.

Is anyone gonna try contacting that director (Ms. Smith?) directly? I would 'cept I didn't want to overlap anyone else.
 

Wrider

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Did you get the emails? If so you could contact that same director directly, her contact info is here somewhere. I'd do it myself, but I don't really feel comfortable doing so without having received the actual documents.

Here we go - yeah. I've received these recent emails. I saw that contact info somewhere too. Has anyone contacted her already?
 

Anon76

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I don't see it. Indiana and Maryland likely have very different consumer protection laws. In any case, a decision in one jurisdiction isn't going to affect the state of affairs in the other.

Also, this is a very straightforward issue--these authors paid for merchandise which they didn't receive, so it's unlikely that even if this went to appeal, that there need to be any findings of law to resolve the matter, simply findings of fact.

The issues with PA are far more complex.

I know nothing when it comes to law. I pay my taxes, follow my state rules...yada yada yada. But when speaking of a company who is using questionable business practices across state lines, would that then be a federal problem?

Again, this is a question for those with legal bullets in their guns. LOL
 

Anon76

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Listen PA lurkers, this is a quote from an email previously posted.

"Here's the beauty of Barnes and Noble: they don't just passively put an e-book on the internet. They actively carry it in each of their many bookstores. What this means is that your e-book will be stocked and immediately available in every single Barnes and Noble store. "

YOU do not STOCK an ebook. It's a computer file. No STOCKING involved like with a print book.

Available perhaps, STOCKED on a shelf, NO.

Watch the wording on these offers cuz they are the Czars of scamming.


 

ResearchGuy

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I know nothing when it comes to law. I pay my taxes, follow my state rules...yada yada yada. But when speaking of a company who is using questionable business practices across state lines, would that then be a federal problem?

Again, this is a question for those with legal bullets in their guns. LOL
Where there is evidence of out-and-out fraud in interstate commerce, sure. But skanky, gray-area business practices? Not so much so. Anyway, big as PA seems here (in a setting devoted to writers and writing), it is small potatoes in the larger scheme of things and in a world of multi-billion-dollar frauds. AND there is that nuisance that most of the complaints are about business-to-business relationships (PA-to-author), in which consumer protection agencies take no interest, a point explored and documented here time and time again for years..

--Ken
 

Don Davidson

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Where there is evidence of out-and-out fraud in interstate commerce, sure. But skanky, gray-area business practices? Not so much so. Anyway, big as PA seems here (in a setting devoted to writers and writing), it is small potatoes in the larger scheme of things and in a world of multi-billion-dollar frauds. AND there is that nuisance that most of the complaints are about business-to-business relationships (PA-to-author), in which consumer protection agencies take no interest, a point explored and documented here time and time again for years..

--Ken

You are absolutely right about PA being small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. The feds are worried about terrorists, drug dealers, and big-time financial fraud. As for consumer vs. business, that is certainly the position taken repeatedly by the Maryland Attorney General--they won't touch PA because they view it as outside of their Consumer Protection jurisdiction.

There is also the problem that PA's fraud primarily, if not exclusively, involves inducing the poor aspiring author into signing that dreadful contract--which involves no money whatsoever. The authors who then go on to buy books are not necessarily defrauded into doing so--they know they are buying their own books; they know the price; they presumably know the shipping charges; etc. Fraud would only be involved if PA deliberately engaged in deception, such as by promising something that they had no intention and/or ability to deliver.

Of course, PA often preys on the author's naivity to induce such purchases, such as by promising to send books to Oprah or WalMart, but that is only fraud if PA makes promises they don't intend to keep. PA's emails are careful not to promise very much at all, except that they will ship the books. Personally, I think PA probably sends the books, knowing full well that they will be trashed or returned unopened. If I am right about that, then I think it would be difficult to prove fraud, because PA did exactly what they said they would do. Somewhere "buyer beware" has to come into it.
 

Tippecanoe1841

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I continue to get e-mails from them

I never signed on with PA-I just sent them an e-mail asking for more details-before I did my homework on them. They responded with an e-mail "accepting my query" and inviting me to submit my manuscript. After doing my research and becoming alarmed at the well-documented problems with PA, I told them almost a year and a half ago that I wasn't interested in publishing my book with them. Nevertheless, I continue to receive periodic e-mails from them reminding me that they invited me to submit my manuscript but to date I haven't done so yet. They make it sound like I'm be discourteous or inconsiderate toward them!

When will the Maryland Attorney General or some Attorney General in another state where scammed authors reside finally shut this scam down? Authors all dream of their books being successful, and PA and their ilk prey on that dream. It is sad and disgusting.
 

CatSlave

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Welcome, Keith.

Whenever someone submits a question to PA, their contact info gets added to the PA database under Queries. Once you're in their system, it's difficult to get out.
That's why you get periodic mail from them; it's nothing personal. They don't know you, and they don't care about your book.
They have a reputation for sending "tone" letters to authors, to intimidate them to buy their own books or stop asking too many questions.
Spend some time reading the threads in this forum and you'll see what I mean.

Just designate mail from them as Junk and don't worry about it. You're not under any obligation to them.
 
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