The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Welcome, Mike. As others have said, AW is a great resource, so check out the other areas of the site, too.

Regarding the hardcover/softcover/PAperback price lowering/highering issue, my book has stayed the same throughout all the brouhaha. Same price ($24.95), same softcover option as when I first signed with PA, and I have never received any kind of notice that any changes are even being considered (even though I've read them from folks who have posted them here). I think my book is part of PA's "almost without exception" disclaimer.

Welcome to all the new members.
Our numbers seem to be increasing quickly these days.

CatSlave said:

Welcome to all the new members.

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Yes, glad y'all have found your way here.

CatSlave said:

Our numbers seem to be increasing quickly these days.

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And it isn't even the August royalty check (or lack therof) season yet.

Terie said:

Yes, glad y'all have found your way here.



And it isn't even the August royalty check (or lack therof) season yet.

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Yep, sure gettin' a lot of new authors here. Almost as fast as PA gets'm...and for the same price.
Neil

I'm not sure where to put this, so please feel free to move it.

There are two PublishAmerica pages on Facebook. This one http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=10335565151&ref=ts was created by an author, and there are plenty of negative comments about PA there from their "happy" authors.

This one http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000962252451&v=wall&ref=ts appears to be set up by PA itself.

The most recent post refers their authors to a contest on this site http://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-of-the-year-awards/ The entry fee is only $99 and 2 copies of the submitted book. And, of course, let PA know if you submit your book.

These are the standards used for judging:
* Editorial excellence
* Intent of book met by author
* Originality of subject matter
* Accuracy
* Author credentials
* Professional packaging

Marie Pacha said:

I'm not sure where to put this, so please feel free to move it.

There are two PublishAmerica pages on Facebook. This one http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=10335565151&ref=ts was created by an author, and there are plenty of negative comments about PA there from their "happy" authors.

This one http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000962252451&v=wall&ref=ts appears to be set up by PA itself.

The most recent post refers their authors to a contest on this site http://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-of-the-year-awards/ The entry fee is only $99 and 2 copies of the submitted book. And, of course, let PA know if you submit your book.

These are the standards used for judging:
* Editorial excellence
* Intent of book met by author
* Originality of subject matter
* Accuracy
* Author credentials
* Professional packaging

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Sounds very Poetry.comish. I note that all the latest reviews that they've done are books published by CreateSpace and iUniverse. PA CAN'T be sending their authors there, that'd be way too vanity presslike ... and we know that PA has nothing in common with vanity presses, right? ... Right??

I did find the judging standards pretty funny though.

With the most recent offers by PA, I can't help but wonder if PA is trying to manufacture favorable evidence for legal purposes.

DaveKuzminski said:

With the most recent offers by PA, I can't help but wonder if PA is trying to manufacture favorable evidence for legal purposes.

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Well, someone at PA has experience trying to manufacture evidence.

Here's hoping such a thing turns out just as <strike>guilty</strike> err... "well" (should it be occurring) on this attempt.

DaveKuzminski said:

With the most recent offers by PA, I can't help but wonder if PA is trying to manufacture favorable evidence for legal purposes.

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And that will work out about as well as their book manufacturing performance, methinks.

--Ken

Alphabeter said:

<strike>guilty</strike>

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The strike tag appears to just be so it'd be [ S ]guilty[ /S ] (without the spaces in the brackets).

Step 1

The letter of "offer" to settle in exchange for return of all rights. July 2, 2010 it was mailed to Mr. Clopper.

Step 2

The next process has now begun. July 8, 2010.

Step 3

Only thing I will tell you is ------ they ain't gonna like it!

Stay tuned.

God Bless

Bill

So...what are you going to do if they call your bluff and accept the offer? Remember: Miranda lurks on AW, so this won't be a shock to them in the least.

Latest update on PA offers here: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5126578&postcount=3059

BenPanced said:

So...what are you going to do if they call your bluff and accept the offer? Remember: Miranda lurks on AW, so this won't be a shock to them in the least.

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As I promised in the letter, I will "stop" my efforts upon their acceptance, however what has already been initiated I cannot and will not attempt to stop. They will just have to suffer the fate as it may unfold, which shall not be my doing but theirs.

PS - I am "NOT" bluffing, I am deadly serious.

God Bless

Bill

Sepisllib said:

As I promised in the letter, I will "stop" my efforts upon their acceptance, however what has already been initiated I cannot and will not attempt to stop. They will just have to suffer the fate as it may unfold, which shall not be my doing but theirs.

PS - I am "NOT" bluffing, I am deadly serious.

God Bless

Bill

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Good luck Bill!

They want me to buy copies of my book as well. Not going to do it.

Sora said:

They want me to buy copies of my book as well. Not going to do it.

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Why in the world did you give them your second book without even seeing the first one???

I didn't. I meant my first one.

And I don't plan to spend any money. I'm flat broke. Which is why I'm looking for a job right now.

They just sent me an email in response to my latest request for contract release, offering to let me out if I bought 300 copies. I sent them a link to my webpage that shows the book with a counter, counting down the days, hours, and seconds till the contract expires. So far, I haven't gotten a response from them. Imagine that. 178 days to go...

B.L. Robinson said:

They just sent me an email in response to my latest request for contract release, offering to let me out if I bought 300 copies. I sent them a link to my webpage that shows the book with a counter, counting down the days, hours, and seconds till the contract expires. So far, I haven't gotten a response from them. Imagine that. 178 days to go...

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Yeah, just wait it out. I'm all paranoid, but make sure you make it clear that you don't want your contract renewed when the 7 years is up. I could see them arguing that your request to end the contract does not equate to a request for non-renewal. Just to mess with you. Weasel words.

B.L. Robinson said:

They just sent me an email in response to my latest request for contract release, offering to let me out if I bought 300 copies. I sent them a link to my webpage that shows the book with a counter, counting down the days, hours, and seconds till the contract expires. So far, I haven't gotten a response from them. Imagine that. 178 days to go...

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That's standard operating procedure with them. You can play a very slow drinking game by it.

The countdown won't impress them, sorry. They're immune to shame or irony. All they want is money. Anything to do with common decency just isn't there; the Stooges were born without it, and have nothing but contempt for their customers.

The reasoning is if one is daft enough to fall for their sales pitch, then one deserves to be stripped of as much money as they can get. That's the reasoning of the sociopath: "It's his fault I took his wallet, he shouldn't have been carrying it in the first place!" I knew a counselor who worked in prisons, and he heard that a lot.

Try again but no games. Don't mention the 300 copies ploy they tried. Just state you do not want to renew your contract, haven't sold any books in ___ years, will NOT be buying any. You want to terminate now, rather than later for tax purposes, or something like that. Please send written confirmation of contract termination of (title, ISBN) to address below.

The idea is to bore them. If you don't play their games, they might cut you loose just to avoid the e-mails. My counselor friend let the repeat offending sociopaths know that stealing again would be an inconvenience to them. "If you take another wallet, they put you in jail, and you don't like jail, it's boring, right?"

Again--you are NOT dealing with normal, reasonable, sane people.

B.L. Robinson said:

They just sent me an email in response to my latest request for contract release, offering to let me out if I bought 300 copies. I sent them a link to my webpage that shows the book with a counter, counting down the days, hours, and seconds till the contract expires. So far, I haven't gotten a response from them. Imagine that. 178 days to go...

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Send them this:

Sepisllib said:

As I promised in the letter, I will "stop" my efforts upon their acceptance, however what has already been initiated I cannot and will not attempt to stop. They will just have to suffer the fate as it may unfold, which shall not be my doing but theirs.

PS - I am "NOT" bluffing, I am deadly serious.

God Bless

Bill

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IANAL, but this could possibly come back and bite you in the ass. Hard.

BenPanced said:

IANAL, but this could possibly come back and bite you in the ass. Hard.

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Um, yes. Especially if this has to do with any level of actual violence or anything even remotely illegal.

They are NOT worth it.

Really, it's better to write another book and MOVE ON.

PA is nasty, but they are little more than a pimple on one's backside that feels larger than it actually is.

Gillhoughly said:

PA is nasty, but they are little more than a pimple on one's backside that feels larger than it actually is.

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Now there's an image.....