The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Well, once the contract runs out, I doubt that PA will have a leg to stand upon when the royalties are then due. They can't claim then that the amount has to exceed a minimum to be paid. Simply said, it's due then.

It's true there are no copies in stock. I discovered that six years ago. The plain fact is, PA is lazy as ever and doesn't bother sending these "associate" sites notices of cancelled books so they can be deleted. Probably be up there until doomsday...which may come any time now.
Neil

I plan on taking the basic manuscript from the book and rewriting it a bit closer to what I now feel like it should be, change the title and insert it back into the series chronologically where it should be. I wrote it, then realized that there was so much that happened before that story that I decided to start at the beginning with my characters. So far I have two novels done, one on each of the two main characters, one about halfway done that will pretty well set it up for the fourth book, the first one that I actually did! Confused yet? I know I am, but that's just the way it went.

I sent them one letter with a delivery confirmation, I am betting that a registered one might get bounced back just by no one wanting to sign for it!

And on a different note, I have received several royalty checks from PA over the years, I still have two that I never cashed to remind me to check into things a bit better. One is for $1.75 and the other $1.15.

I imagine you aren't the only one who hasn't cashed those small checks. The problem with that is it leaves the money in PA's pocket.

I've cashed mine. Together with the spare change under the car seats I've bought a lovely ice-cold Diet Coke.

Question: What about the royalties totaling less than $50 that PA is holding back?
Considering how few authors ever earn a $50 royalty check in any six months, is PA actually paying anyone?

Not long back a guy on a social site (he'd wised up to PA) posted snark about his .49 royalty check.

I suppose some either slip through the cracks or they don't have a minimum on their contract.

IIRC, PA announced -after the contracts were signed- that the author would have to accumulate at least $50 in royalties before PA would send them a check.

Is there a clause in the newer contracts that allows PA to do this?

How much author money is PA holding back, legally or otherwise?

Help me with this one. PA's home page touts the success of PA author, Andy Anderson, who has apparently reached agreement with little-known movie producer, Christopher Forbes, to create a film version of Anderson's book, The Golden Countess. Sounds wonderful, except that while Anderson has 4 books published with PA, The Golden Countess is not one of them. So PA seems to be taking credit for the success of a book that it has nothing to do with. Or am I missing something?

Is this true?

Just received another one of PA's marketing e-mails, but this time they didn't ask for a sale. Well, not directly. Still, is it true Ms Von Trapp was, for the past 5 years, a PA author?

Dear author:

We received word today that Agathe von Trapp has died. Ms. Von Trapp was the eldest daughter of the singing Von Trapp family, and known throughout the world as "Liesl" from the movie The Sound of Music, re-aired by ABC this past weekend. She was also one of PublishAmerica's most accomplished writers, having been a PublishAmerica author for five years. She was 97.

PublishAmerica counts almost 50,000 authors. We rarely make public announcements about their private lives, but Agathe always allowed us to make an exception. In part, this was by design. She remained involved with the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont and kept stacks of her autobiography for sale there. Ms. Von Trapp was a keen marketer of "Agathe von Trapp: Memories Before and After The Sound of Music", now out of print at PublishAmerica.

But she was also a woman of kindness who always treated our staff with generosity, and who wrote her memoir with great openness in order to separate fact from fiction. Clear-minded until the end, and always attentive, she took time to sketch a painting of her favorite purple flowers as they grow in the Alp meadows where her family's story began, and sent it as a gift to a PublishAmerica staff member. Agathe von Trapp chose to join PublishAmerica because she wanted to be among authors such as yourself. She will be missed.

--PublishAmerica Bookstore

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Agathe von Trapp chose to join PublishAmerica because she wanted to be among authors such as yourself. She will be missed.

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Yeah. Authors like myself who are LONGING to be missed by PA. As in desperately longing to be missed by PA.

Unfortunately, I still have 5 1/2 years to go.

Ms. Von Trapp was a keen marketer of "Agathe von Trapp: Memories Before and After The Sound of Music", now out of print at PublishAmerica.

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Not too keen a marketer, since her book is out of print. Still, she was 97 years old.

Jamie Farr has also faded away as one of PA's "celebrity" authors. Good for him.

Agathe von Trapp chose to join PublishAmerica because she wanted to be among authors such as yourself.

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Um, yes, unpromoted, unpaid, overpriced, and out of print. Yeah, PA, put some of your special brown-nosing spin on things to make the death of that woman work for you.

Her PA title sells used on Amazon from 20.00-167.00. It's 14.00 on the family website.

She seems to have had only one title with PA. The rest (on a casual search) seem to be with small presses. Looks like the lady got wise to them.

She was also one of PublishAmerica's most accomplished writers, having been a PublishAmerica author for five years.

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If that was true, then why is her 2004 book out of print? Have a problem with that 7-year contract, or did she find a way to get an early cancellation? Please share.

Yet another pathetic attempt by PA to exploit any celebrity who's come within their orbit to make themselves look attractive to customers and keep the Author: the Role Playing Game going just a bit longer for the honeymooners.

You're not fooling anyone, Stooges. Leave the lady and her family alone.

Don Davidson said:

Help me with this one. PA's home page touts the success of PA author, Andy Anderson, who has apparently reached agreement with little-known movie producer, Christopher Forbes, to create a film version of Anderson's book, The Golden Countess. Sounds wonderful, except that while Anderson has 4 books published with PA, The Golden Countess is not one of them. So PA seems to be taking credit for the success of a book that it has nothing to do with. Or am I missing something?

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On Amazon, that title comes up with PublishAmerica as the publisher. Still, a key word search on the bookstore at PA's site for the words in the title and the author's name do not bring up the book. I think it's PA missing something this time, Don. But that's not unusual, as we all know.

Interesting, von Trapp's book is now published by Harper Paperbacks: http://www.harpercollins.com/searcheng/2pagesearchx.aspx?mode=search&search=von trapp

My guess is she took the book to a real publisher when the contract expired. The good news is that PA won't get any monies from renewed interest and sales generated by her death.

~brianm~

That is good news for the Von Trapps. I read Maria's book many years ago. I would say in mid-80's. It was very interesting and their lives in the States. She was a very strick parent but I think she did the best she could raising his children and her children to him.

Could someone help me with this?

The memoir says PA pubbed in Nov. 2004 but all the customer reviews are prior to the date, some by a year. Is this the norm or is this another PA scam to get people to buy their books?

elindson said:

Could someone help me with this?

The memoir says PA pubbed in Nov. 2004 but all the customer reviews are prior to the date, some by a year. Is this the norm or is this another PA scam to get people to buy their books?

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If you're referring to Gill's link above, that's for the paperback edition. Some of the reviews, as noted, are for the hardcover edition. That was published in 2003 by Providence House, which appears to be a subsidy publisher. (I couldn't find them in the index, but that's what a web search turned up. If anyone has more accurate info I'll be happy to edit this post.) It's not uncommon for Amazon to consolidate reviews for various editions of a book.

PA has a five year contract??

brianm said:

My guess is she took the book to a real publisher when the contract expired. The good news is that PA won't get any monies from renewed interest and sales generated by her death.

~brianm~

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Yes, the good news is she got out from under them, and of course that they won't be able to capitalize on her passing. But according to that sales e-mail {and make no mistake! It's an e-mail to garner sales out of this author} she was only with them for five years.

I'm stuck for another 5 1/2. I could CRY.

CatSlave, very interesting re: now published with HC!
If any PA writers discover and question this, I'm sure PA wll spin the "Well Agatha took advantage of one of our many offers, buy 20, we send one to a real publisher"

A Scribe said:

I'm stuck for another 5 1/2.

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Not necessarily. Tell them you're not going to promote your book and will never buy any more copies. Cite lack of sales on past royalty statements, and tell them you want an early termination for your contract, please send written confirmation to ( your address).

Rinse - repeat as necessary. Whatever reply they send--and they will argue and demand money--send the SAME mail in reply. Don't engage them in argument, they argue on purpose to stall you out, hoping you'll give up and go away. Or hoping you'll get exasperated and pay them off.

You keep at it with the same mail and they might get bored and cut you loose. Check the other threads in this forum about getting free.

And do NOT pay them a dime for that.

I got the rights reverted for four of my books simply by asking the publisher.


Me: Hey, I'd like a reversion of rights on my titles: ___ . That okay with you? It's not like they're selling.

Publisher: Can I sell off the left over copies? (Not a problem you'll have with PA)

Me: Absolutely! I may buy a few from you when I get some cash.

Publisher: Sounds good. Send a reversion of rights letter and I'll have the paperwork started.

Me: Sweet! Thank you!


Of course, I'm having a more difficult time doing that with another publisher, but still pressing forward.

A Scribe said:

Yes, the good news is she got out from under them, and of course that they won't be able to capitalize on her passing. But according to that sales e-mail {and make no mistake! It's an e-mail to garner sales out of this author} she was only with them for five years.

I'm stuck for another 5 1/2. I could CRY.

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She may have requested a shorter time period than the standard seven years, requested a reversion of her rights, or paid the $49.99 - $199.99 fees to have her rights returned when PA made those offers early this year.

~brianm~

It wouldn't surprise me if PA terminated her contract due to lack of sales.
How much marketing can a 90+ year old woman manage?