The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

You have GOT to be kidding me

When my e-book first came out, it was priced at approximately $9. as was advertised when the e-book option was first announced.

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Even then it would have been pricey. My book, released by Samhain, is $5.20.

Today, the price has been raised to$29, more than the softcover price.

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Also, the softcover price, about to be hardcover price I guess, has been raised from $20 to $25.

Probably the best course is to be patient and wait for these sort of wild fluctuations to settle down.

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"Wild fluctuations". Do you feel comfortable having a publisher who lets the price of your book fluctuate wildly?

And this post was deleted:

My spouse is a PublishAmerica author. I was surprised to see that softcover books are being discontiued in favor of hardcovers. Since economic times are hard, I would imagine that most readers would buy a less expensive softcover than a more expensive hardback. A hardback is a nicer book. However a reader's purchases are often dictated by what a person can afford rather than what a person really wants. Many libraries have had budget cuts. It would be easier for a library to afford a softback rather than a hardback.

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But not before a cheerleader tried to do damage control, as usual:

Actually, the hardcovers will be the same price that the paperbacks were. Did you read the announcement email throughally? Because it did state they will be the same price as the paperbacks. The prices won't be raised.

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The prices have been raised. Guess it takes a lot of denial not to see that.

And another author replies,

As I read the announcement, a major difference will be that we will no longer be receiving the huge discounts we have been getting on softcovers. If you sell your books yourself, as I do, this is very significant. Gone are the 50%, 75% discounts, free copies, etc.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think so. Time will tell.

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CaoPaux said:

I expect the first will be the S&H rate increasing from outrageous to ludicrous.

Yet, even if they lose a lot of those already buying their own books, as with every other PA scheme there'll still be enough Happy Authors to keep them afloat. How many are they claiming now? 50,000? Even if it's only half that, and only 5% of those fall for it, 1,250 people at, say, $500 an order a year gives them $650k.

ETA: And it's all but guaranteed that a new Happy Author will buy at least one lot upon "release". How many are they pumping out a month, now?

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Several weeks ago, if I remember correctly, PA said that 12,000 of their 50,000 authors had taken advantage of their sales barrage. How many books they sold per author, they didn't say, but they must have thought that wasn't enough so may be why they came up with this new angle. But how this could make them more money at higher prices is beyond me. Something's sure going on over there that defies logic.
Neil

$29 for an EBOOK??? Really? That's beyond insanity. Honestly? I wouldn't pay that for a hardcover of a favorite author, never mind an ebook.

On the hardcover 'conversion,' here's another small twist.

The natives were getting really restless about their books not being available on Amazon and B&N. The 'changeover' to B&T and blaming LSI was starting to wear thin.

Now, they have another changeover to use as an excuse for nothing showing up as available on Amazon!

They can say that their new printer/binder is low on stocks of newborn baby mink skin and they don't have enough virgins to keep up with the binding because of the phenom demand for PA books. So, the unavailability on Amazon is just temporary and they are working on it! And, for a modest purchase of five books, five more books will be sent to the mink farm to be used as baby mink bedding, thus increasing production.

Just my observation!

Neil Larkins said:

I meant to include, what PA considers slanderous but it's out there now. I think I need to shut up until I can write what I mean.
Sorry
Neil

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Neil, you'd have to know the whole history to know why umbrage was taken. Do NOT stop posting. We want to hear about your experiences and want you to join in encouraging other PA refugees to swim for shore.

We have cookies . . .

I think this stands to be a record thread on the PAMB:

I simply don't want hard covers. Even if they give them away I don't want them.
They cost too much to mail. They look good for a long book maybe but my book is 9k words. It looks ridiculus.
Most people will be reluctant to sign a seven year contract with PA that stipulates only hard covers.
Face it, this is TAPS!

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And it sounds like the long-time cheerleader is still desperately clinging to whatever positive she can dig out. In answer the the mention of no more 50-75% off sales:

We still have our 20% authors discounts due us by contract though.

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'Cause PA would never try to weasel out of or around a contract.

As for that pitiful 20%, the shipping costs will probably be jacked up even further to compensate for it.

circlexranch said:

Neil, you'd have to know the whole history to know why umbrage was taken. Do NOT stop posting. We want to hear about your experiences and want you to join in encouraging other PA refugees to swim for shore.

We have cookies . . .

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Just so long as they're chocolate chip.
I understand, I do. This is some touchy stuff. People's lives have been on hold...or maybe even ruined by this kind of thing. I know I've been greatly affected by it. But my advice to myself is still valid: Give it some thought before posting.
Neil

Can anybody help with this: Who do I ask on how to get my avatar on here? I'm with another forum that uses the vbulletin format and had no trouble there. I get a message saying it's too big here.

I don't think the system will let you put up a custom avatar until you have 50 posts. I could be wrong, though. I'm just going by memory.

ETA: Further research shows this tidbit may be found in the Newbie Guide.

DreamWeaver said:

I don't think the system will let you put up a custom avatar until you have 50 posts. I could be wrong, though. I'm just going by memory.

ETA: Further research shows this tidbit may be found in the Newbie Guide.

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It's not custom. No animation or anything like that. Just a cartoon I got off another site...with permission. I'll check the NG again (I only quickly scanned it the first time).
Neil
Okay, I went to the NG and was confusing avatar with personal photo...but I wasn't able to do that either. Either way, I read about the restrictions and will keep working on it. Should be able to do something when the time comes. Thanks.

It's custom because it's not one of the ones that everyone can choose from here. You have to have 50 posts to bring your own date to the party. (at least, I think it's 50)

Does this make sense? I'm not so sure it does...

I simply don't want hard covers. Even if they give them away I don't want them.
They cost too much to mail. They look good for a long book maybe but my book is 9k words. It looks ridiculus.
Most people will be reluctant to sign a seven year contract with PA that stipulates only hard covers.
Face it, this is TAPS!

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Okay, I just had to quote this to say nine thousand? Isn't that firmly in the short story range? Isn't it right that a novella would need at least twenty or thirty thousand to count? I mean, we're talking about thirty pages here, right?

This is the kind of thing that just makes me cringe because it shows that the author did absolutely no research. If he had, he would have realized that nine thousand words is nowhere near long enough to count as a "book" and as such marketing it to book publishers was a huge mistake. And the fact that PA publishes these things as novels should be a big warning flag to anyone who has even a basic understanding of how things work.

I thought the same, but then I considered it might be poetry.

Is poetry measured in words?

kaitie said:

Okay, I just had to quote this to say nine thousand? Isn't that firmly in the short story range? Isn't it right that a novella would need at least twenty or thirty thousand to count? I mean, we're talking about thirty pages here, right?

This is the kind of thing that just makes me cringe because it shows that the author did absolutely no research. If he had, he would have realized that nine thousand words is nowhere near long enough to count as a "book" and as such marketing it to book publishers was a huge mistake. And the fact that PA publishes these things as novels should be a big warning flag to anyone who has even a basic understanding of how things work.

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SFWA defines a novella as 17,500–39,999 words and a novelette as 7,500–17,499 words, for the purposes of the Nebula awards. So by that scale it's just barely in the novelette range.

Now, if it's a children's book, 9,000 words is reasonable for a chapter book:
http://writingfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/chapter_book_basics

But if that's the case, then the text is much bigger, with lots of inside illustrations, adding to the page count.

Poetry, I have no idea. Since the original post is gone, I guess there's no way to know for sure if it was some type of book that's supposed to be that short, or simply a novelette published as a novel.

I remember the author's name, so I'm guessing it's this book.

48 pages, regular price $16.95.

Jersey Chick said:

It's custom because it's not one of the ones that everyone can choose from here. You have to have 50 posts to bring your own date to the party. (at least, I think it's 50)

Does this make sense? I'm not so sure it does...

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That's what the Guide says and it does make sense. I sometimes have these disconnects...uh, what was I saying again?
Neil

Queen of Swords said:

I remember the author's name, so I'm guessing it's this book.

48 pages, regular price $16.95.

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The stories I've written with similar word count I regard as extended (or long) short stories. I have one with 26,000 words and consider it a novella.
Back when my PA book was just out a year I met a guy who wanted to use PA for his book. I didn't recommend PA and had my doubts they'd publish it since it was about 10,000 words. But they did and he'd said he was happy with them. Three years later he asked PA to publish another book and they declined, saying "he" - as opposed to "they" - hadn't sold enough copies of his first book. He wasn't so happy then.
Neil

kaitie said:

Okay, I just had to quote this to say nine thousand? Isn't that firmly in the short story range? Isn't it right that a novella would need at least twenty or thirty thousand to count? I mean, we're talking about thirty pages here, right?

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A picture-heavy children's book? Does PA do children's books?

Neil Larkins said:

Back when my PA book was just out a year I met a guy who wanted to use PA for his book. I didn't recommend PA and had my doubts they'd publish it since it was about 10,000 words. But they did and he'd said he was happy with them. Three years later he asked PA to publish another book and they declined, saying "he" - as opposed to "they" - hadn't sold enough copies of his first book. He wasn't so happy then.
Neil

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Interesting. This is the first I've heard of PA turning someone down. My PA book has sold (I think) 12 copies, ten to me. I've gotten two royalty checks, for about $1.45 each.

On another note, the softcover sale has been extended for two days. The email says 10,000 softcovers were sold over the weekend.

The author lives in Lutz Florida, and the only review is from someone in the same town and since 2007 that's the only review he's ever posted-- the only review that book's ever gotten.

I sense...



Or a friend doing a favor for a friend.


Yesterday I went to a local writers' group where a couple of enterprising self-pubbers were the speakers. (They went with Lulu and CreateSpace, whew! and I congratulated them on their wisdom for avoiding PA--they did BASIC research!)

Unfortunately, they both suggested getting all one's friends to post positive reviews on Amazon and other spots as a way of "creating a buzz."

I raised my hand to let them know that such a tactic is usually counter-productive, but they moved on to another topic, so I held my peace. They were happy and doing no one any harm. Their sales are zip, their marketing tactics clumsy and annoying, but that wasn't my problem.

I did find it scary that so many members of this group were under the impression that getting something uploaded onto a site meant publication and that they'd start making money as writers.

They're willing to settle for a pittance--as in buying lunch from McDonald's dollar menu money--not taking things to the next level and making a real sale. I came away with the impression that they don't think it's possible.

As shepherd Book from Firefly said, "I have my work cut out for me."

James D. Macdonald said:

If he'd bought 75 copies himself they'd have been happy to accept his next book.

Not buying copies of your own book is the best way to make PA refuse to offer a contract. (Lord knows that quality has nothing to do with it.)




Extended? Raise your hand to show who's surprised.

10000, all to the authors. Vanity, vanity, vanity.

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I was going to weigh in on this too but got beaten. Thanks!
My prediction for PA's next action: At least one more extension to make the absolute, for-sure, we-ain't-kiddin', no-lie, no-bull FINAL SALE fair to everyone...THEN they'll announce that due to overwhelming response to the sale, they are putting their decision to go all hard-cover on hold indefinitely.
Neil
(What do I win if I'm right? Oh...a new PA contract. Um...forget it.)

James D. Macdonald said:

Not buying copies of your own book is the best way to make PA refuse to offer a contract. (Lord knows that quality has nothing to do with it.)

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Too bad boycotting my own book won't get them to cancel it.

Neil Larkins said:

I was going to weigh in on this too but got beaten. Thanks!
My prediction for PA's next action: At least one more extension to make the absolute, for-sure, we-ain't-kiddin', no-lie, no-bull FINAL SALE fair to everyone...THEN they'll announce that due to overwhelming response to the sale, they are putting their decision to go all hard-cover on hold indefinitely.

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You either have a crystal ball or common sense. It doesn't take much of either to figure out PA's next move. ETA: take that the funny way, not the insulting way.