The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

DaveKuzminski · Jun 27, 2012

Now is certainly not the time to give PA any money.

lateran_xiii · Jul 2, 2012

I leave town for two weeks and all the excitement happens. I love how the boingboing link is abbreviated so that it reduces PA to Publisham.

Interesting note in the comments--- layoffs and reduced work week at PA as of November. Lovely Christmas present for the staff.

Christine N. · Jul 3, 2012

Wait, hasn't PA had '47,000 happy writers' for six or seven years now?

Go lawsuit!

kullervo · Jul 20, 2012

So is this the new contract buy-out?

http://www.publishamerica.net/sr200.html

Old Hack · Jul 20, 2012

"Services rendered"? What?

kullervo · Jul 20, 2012

Old Hack said:
"Services rendered"? What?

Sounds pretty glorious, doesn't it? I've met a writer on Facebook who is feeling "served" and would like to escape and is wondering if this is what PA is calling a contract buy-out it these days.

twm · Jul 21, 2012

There is a picture missing on the left. I think it's for editing services.

Gillhoughly · Jul 21, 2012

So pay 200 for something a real publisher does for free?

That, or it's a blow job from Larry. Though the way he operates, he expects the writers to pay to give him a blow job.

BenPanced · Jul 21, 2012

This time, it's love. Next time, it's $200.00.

dksyooper · Jul 23, 2012

I went to the PA website and did a search for "services rendered". Three listings popped up, the first charging $50, then $100 and $200. There is no description for any of the listings and I already know that I can't trust a thing PA says. If services rendered is a way of terminating the contract, why would they list three different prices?

kullervo · Jul 26, 2012

Perhaps it depends on how "served" you feel.

James D. Macdonald · Jul 26, 2012

dksyooper said:
Three listings popped up, the first charging $50, then $100 and $200.

For fifty dollars you can walk Willie's dog. For a hundred bucks you can wash Larry's SUV. And for $200 you can shovel out Miranda's horse's stall. (You didn't think they were the ones rendering the services, did you?)

Jill Karg · Jul 27, 2012

Love their latest disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: PublishAmerica has no affiliation with the IOC, NBC, the BBC, or Sky-TV and makes no claim to preferential access or other special treatment. No specific result from PublishAmerica's best efforts to represent and promote its authors and their books is suggested or guaranteed.

Again anything to get the $ of the author without lifting a finger should be their motto.

James D. Macdonald · Jul 27, 2012

Jill Karg said:
Again anything to get the $ of the author without lifting a finger should be their motto.

No specific result from PublishAmerica's best efforts to represent and promote its authors and their books is suggested or guaranteed.

Click to expand...

They aren't promising to do anything more than cash your check.

Little1 · Jul 27, 2012

Wowowowow I go away and all the funn happened

looks like there is a battle brewing

Jill Karg · Jul 27, 2012

Yep, and so glad they won't be getting any more of my money and haven't in a long time. All their mail goes in my trash container like junk mail should go.

Don Davidson · Jul 27, 2012

Jill Karg said:
Yep, and so glad they won't be getting any more of my money and haven't in a long time. All their mail goes in my trash container like junk mail should go.

The last email I got from PA (a few months back) had a handy "unsubscribe" link. I clicked it and haven't gotten any emails from them since. At last PA does something right!

Don Davidson · Aug 2, 2012

I've posted PA's response to the class action lawsuit on my web site. As usual, they deny all, and say they didn't deceive anyone because they never really promised to do much of anything for their authors.

nikkinoffsinger · Aug 2, 2012

2009-Jan.2010 is when my nightmare with PA began. I have heard rumors of a pending law suit where a law firm is taking information from other PA victims. I have sent numerous requests to be let out of my contract. So far the rate for getting my book rights back is 299.00. They cite, money they've been out-I don't understand that since the books are not stocked in a storehouse somewhere and are print on demand. Exactly how much money have they been out because I have sold 19 copies(never seen a dime and they allege only 7 are royalty eligible-take in mind, I've never bought a single copy) and they've not promoted it because they send me daily offers of getting my book seen here and there and put in the hands of other authors and movie studios. They even have their CEO now sending out mailers while he plugs books where people have paid money for their book to be showcased in his letters to PA Authors. Last year the had a contest on Facebook. If PA authors book covers got the most votes they won 300 bucks. I threw my hat in the ring and had people vote for mine. I watched like a hawk for four days. I may not have won either way but the winning book cover was a purple dinosaur-a children's book that the author just happened to be on the PA staff that suddenly got over 1000 likes in less than 24 hours. I should have known better. There needs to be some sort of legislation or law to keep vanity presses to be able to conduct business like this.

Don Davidson · Aug 5, 2012

nikkinoffsinger said:
2009-Jan.2010 is when my nightmare with PA began. I have heard rumors of a pending law suit where a law firm is taking information from other PA victims. I have sent numerous requests to be let out of my contract. So far the rate for getting my book rights back is 299.00. They cite, money they've been out-I don't understand that since the books are not stocked in a storehouse somewhere and are print on demand. Exactly how much money have they been out because I have sold 19 copies(never seen a dime and they allege only 7 are royalty eligible-take in mind, I've never bought a single copy) and they've not promoted it because they send me daily offers of getting my book seen here and there and put in the hands of other authors and movie studios. They even have their CEO now sending out mailers while he plugs books where people have paid money for their book to be showcased in his letters to PA Authors. Last year the had a contest on Facebook. If PA authors book covers got the most votes they won 300 bucks. I threw my hat in the ring and had people vote for mine. I watched like a hawk for four days. I may not have won either way but the winning book cover was a purple dinosaur-a children's book that the author just happened to be on the PA staff that suddenly got over 1000 likes in less than 24 hours. I should have known better. There needs to be some sort of legislation or law to keep vanity presses to be able to conduct business like this.

Here's a link to the law firm's web site, where you can give them your contact information, if you wish:

http://www.hbsslaw.com/cases-and-investigations/publishamerica

Your PA story is typical. I do not trust anything they say, and I absolutely refuse to send them any money for any reason. Two more years and I'll be free.

GothicKnight · Aug 14, 2012

I am amazed they're still in business. I came close to falling into their trap but I got lucky and found this website. Since then I found a legitimate publisher for both my novels and I'm shopping the third. I am very thankful for the fine folks at AWW for setting me straight on PA.

Don Davidson · Sep 4, 2012

I noticed recently that PA's web site compares PA (in the fine print) to companies that do self-publishing and vanity publishing. Isn't that a tacit admission that PA is exactly that--a vanity publisher? Of course, PA doesn't mention that they charge their authors a lot more for the actual books than other vanity publishers.

James D. Macdonald · Sep 5, 2012

That's a big change from the old days when they used to compare themselves to Random House. (With no-doubt the intention of leading the unwary to think PA was just like Random House.)

How about it, PA, do you still not-resemble vanity presses in any way, shape, or form like you FAQs say?

Samsonet · Sep 17, 2012

Has PublishAmerica ever rejected a manuscript? I mean, before the submission's revealed as a hoax.

Ludens · Sep 18, 2012

Samsonet said:
Has PublishAmerica ever rejected a manuscript? I mean, before the submission's revealed as a hoax.

Yes, they did. They had a daily or weekly quota for accepted submissions. Also, some authors were told that PA couldn't accept their second book unless the first sold a few dozen more copies.

I am not sure if they ever refused a book for its content, though. I suppose they must have received stuff that was blatantly illegal/immoral, and rejected it. But I doubt they cared about the manuscript's quality beyond that.

The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Preditors & Editors

longs for a bungalow

haz a shiny new book cover

minion

Such a nasty woman

minion

Grumpy writer and editor

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

U.P. Writer

minion

Your Genial Uncle

So many WIPs which one to work on

Your Genial Uncle

Hakuna Matata

So many WIPs which one to work on

Theophilus

Theophilus

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin

Theophilus

Theophilus

Your Genial Uncle

Just visiting

Mostly lurking