The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Miranda never puts her signature on PA letters to the authors.
Some unfortunate employee will have to sign the correspondence, using the words that Miranda directs.

wanda45451964 said:

Can I post her email here when she writes back.

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I don't know the legalities of it--only the practicalities. I have posted many emails from PA on my own web site, and PA has done nothing to try to stop it. I doubt that they ever will, because there's no money in it for them.

Ultimately, what you can and cannot post here at AW is a matter for the webmaster to decide. But if he turns you down, contact me. Maybe I'll just post it on my web site.

If you have a web site, you might do as I've done. P&E has a statement posted on one page advising visitors that P&E reserves the right to post emails it receives.

well now they are getting rid of the hardcovers altogether. for a whopping 60% off through Sunday.

wanda45451964 said:

well now they are getting rid of the hardcovers altogether. for a whopping 60% off through Sunday.

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They are printed to order ("print on demand"). There is no stock to "get rid of." It is another gimmick to goose sales.

--Ken

You really won't know whether or not they are really discontinuing the hardcovers or if it's just another gimmick unless you stop getting those sales pitch emails about buying them. PA tried printing hardcovers in '03 and that only lasted a short while. Apparently they didn't sell too well back then either, and at a higher cost than the trade paperbacks. (about $10 higher) Rest assured if they stop printing hardcovers altogether, they will come up with some other idea to keep those phone orders coming in.

they should get the idea by now that we are on to them, and have no money, and we couldnt do anything with them any way but put them in the closet to collect dust. they will have a 75% off sale next week.

Not everyone is "on to them." Some people are happy with their PA experience. Was an e-mail sent out stating that PA is no longer offering hardcover books or is this just another "special offer"? And, by-the-by, how many "special offers" does this make since PA said they weren't going to have any more "special offers"? I've completely lost count.

One of the PAMB posts said that they got an email about a "special discount" on hardcovers as they phased them out, with a minimum purchase of 6.

I've just been reading the other forum topics here and on the PAMB about this. Thanks, Cyia. I've only seen a photo of one PA hardcover. It looked nicely done, but it is hard to tell from a photo. I would like to hold one in my hands and see for myself up close and personal.

I got the email above yesterday and it did say minium of 6. you know that will equal to near200.00 at 30.00 a pop.including shipping and handling.

But you know what, Kid? We like you so we're going to give you a special of 12 for $399.99. Just don't tell anyone else about the special savings we're giving you.

yeah but, they arent get money out of me. Hi dave go over to the PAMB thread and read what happened to that lady at the bottom. She thinks PA will give her a big advance to tide her over. I told her sorry no, their advance is 1.00 and that's it. Poor lady.

My 'Special Offer"

This is the "Special Offer" I was sent yesterday in my e-mail. I thought you all would get a kick out of it.


Dear Author,

Congratulations on the recent release of your new book! Hopefully you have seen it with your own eyes by now; doesn't your book look exciting?

Want to see it in an even more spectacular version?

You can now order your book in hardcover, at the same price as your softcover version. Hardcovers are available three days only. They will not stay on the market after that.

Our hardcovers look simply gorgeous, black leatherette casebound, dust jackets and all. Available for the next three days only at a price that's not a penny higher than your softcover. And you know what? We'll even take 20 pct off that price!

Phone orders only, at 301 695 1707, between 9am - 5pm EST. Minimum order 6 copies, offer expires this Friday! Fullcolor books are excluded. Cover design on the hardcover jacket will be exactly as on softcover. All hardcovers are manually manufactured inhouse, receive separate ISBN upon manufacturing. Special sales code: HardNew.

Thank you,

PublishAmerica Author Support Team


I almost deleted it, but something told me to hang on to it for now. I was reading through the threads and when I saw some of the things that were being discussed, I knew then why I had kept it.

Now tell me this, they have my book listed on their site for $19.95, originally listed for $24.95 now with a slash through it, and the release date is set for December 5, 2009. Does that make any sense? Another thing I would like to know is, with all of the unhappy writers they have, and all of us wanting out of our contracts and not promoting or buying our books, how are they still in business? You would think they would be going under. We could only hope that were the case. How do they keep going? They don't seem to be selling anything.

If you want to see another one about lowering costs, let me know. I'll post it as well. You might get a good laugh over it.

I didn't get that one in email, I got the one, hardcovers are ending by oct 25th, for good, you have to buy 6 of them for 40% off. so I am not sure how yours is going to be there in Dec, if it's ending on Sunday. I am not sure how you even have that price on your book if it's not even coming out until Dec. thats weird!!!!!!!!!! Mine is still listed for 29.95 and has not been cut down at all. My soft cover was 19.95, and has been that for a month now, but before that it was 24.95. I hate to tell you thats what they will start your book off with. I have to ask and I am sure others here are pretty much wanting to know this also. Have you even got a cover. This soon I would be surprised if you even got that far. I got to the cover dept in july of last year and it wasn't released for sale until set22. I got my author copy in august. Dont expect one. you need to be asking serious questions to them. what department are you in?

Oh my god, look everyone its no 900 # listed above like we get. hope to hear from you again colt442. i imagine alot of people will want to talk to you.

wanda45451964 said:

so I am not sure how yours is going to be there in Dec, if it's ending on Sunday.

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Wanda. PA prints on demand. That's how the books will "be there." That is what "print on demand" means, and by now you should be aware that PA is a POD printer.

This entire thing is a scam. Every email from PA is a lie. Surely you realize that their emails won't make any sense under rational analysis because you can't analyze scams, lies, and bullcrap.

the email that I got said its ending sunday. So if his book is coming out in dec, thats weird. Of course, we all do know that it is a scam and they never stop trying gimmicks to make us buy our own books. I think they send different emails to different people.

Listen to this!

Oh, yes, it's already listed on their web site for sale! And yes, I already have the cover. If you want to see it, you can either go to their web site and look for it or check out my web site at www.freewebs.com/stephschaffer Click on "Destiny Has A Way" you'll see it all there.

I know my site kind of promotes it, but no one ever looks at it so I'm not to worried about it. You win some, you lose some, life goes on. LOL!

Another thing, my first cover was horrible. It reminded you of something that should have been on a horror or vampire book. I e-mailed them back and told them my concerns and they actually changed it! All they did was lighten the coloring and change the text but at least I got that much out of them.

I did find some errors in the book its self and when I sent the the corrections, just as I had with my first book, they wanted to charge me $99 to fix it. So, with that I got no where.

wanda45451964 said:

the email that I got said its ending sunday. So if his book is coming out in dec, thats weird.

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PA books do not "come out." They may not be available to order until after a certain date, or, that could be part of the scam. I don't know. Either way, these books do not "come out" at all. They are only printed when the author/victim pays to have them printed.

wanda45451964 said:

Of course, we all do know that it is a scam and they never stop trying gimmicks to make us buy our own books. I think they send different emails to different people.

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We know they send different emails to different people, because we've read these emails in this thread, as recently as 6 posts before this one. No one should be surprised that part of PublishAmerica's scam is sending different "sales" emails to different PA authors/victims.

Colts442 said:

I did find some errors in the book its self and when I sent the the corrections, just as I had with my first book, they wanted to charge me $99 to fix it. So, with that I got no where.

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That one seriously blows my mind. "We screwed it up, but you'll have to pay extra to fix it!" Seems like it's a another cash grab, much like the 900-number.

Try this one out!

If you got a kick out of the first one, try reading this:


Dear PublishAmerica Author:

Happy news!

Today we are lowering the retail price of your book. Most prices go down by a whopping $5 across the board. We are also reducing our shipping and processing charges significantly.

To see what your book now retails for, check it out at www.publishamerica.net.

As your book's low price becomes the official list price that applies to the entire industry, all bookstores and other retail outlets are expected to also show the change soon.

To celebrate this exciting news, your book is now available
for authors at a 50 pct discount off the new, lowered price.
Through the weekend only! No minimum purchase volume required.

Go to our online bookstore, use this coupon: Low50, and you're all set.

As for the shipping charge changes, we have cut regular delivery fees by roughly 75 pct.


Want an even deeper discount off the new low price? Call 301 695 1707 between 9-5 EST (Mon-Fri), for orders of 20 or more copies. Change applies to softcovers only, hardcovers excluded, fullcolor books included. Bookstores may require six weeks or more to process changed list price. Offer expires Sunday Oct. 11.

Thank you.
PublishAmerica Author Support


What got me about this one was when I checked the price of my first book. When it was first posted to their web site when it originally was "released" it was listed for $16.95. After awhile, the price went up to $19.95. This is the soft cover mind you. Now with their "price lowering" so to speak, it's back at $16.95. How is that any lower compared to what they say in this e-mail? Any more when I get this stuff, I have to laugh. I laugh at them and I laugh at myself for not being more cautious when I signed with them. Live and learn I guess. Crying over spilt milk will get you no where.

I had to share this with everyone. I thought you would get a good laugh if nothing else. LOL!

Oh yeah, and so far, I have never received anything from them that had anything to do with a 900 # I guess that goes to show how all of us are being sent so many different e-mails.

Yeah, they didnt even colt a 900 number, they gave him their old number that I am guessing is disconnected. I am wandering if he paid 99.00 for the mess ups to be fixed. did he pay the 99.00 or just keep the mess ups. I am still wandering why after not getting paid for the first book, and we all know how that went, because of ours, did he do another book. I mean is it just me or do they think the new book will go in B@N? Just have to ask that. We are all victims of Pa.

oh, yeah they now have a 900 number since they moved. Steph have you ever gotten a big royalty check from them at all? I have gotten a total of 2.37. in a year. This is after having seen my book sell on amazon about 6 copies in the last 6 months, 2 at B@N and 3 at BOOks a million. But when royalty time came nothing!!!!!!!!! I am glad that youa re not clueless anymore. Yes, I got the above email a month ago now. theys end different ones to different people. I will go and check your book cover out. Thats the only thing that they did right, minus mistakes inside. you do know you will not get paid anything until it sells 49.00. Thats in your new contract. My book is called Seductive stories for lovers, and its in the fiction section and should be in the romance section.