The Newer Never-Ending PublishAmerica / America Star Books Thread

Okay, I'm a notorious lurker on these particular threads, but as a Marylander, who lives less than 30 minutes from Frederick, I've just GOTTA poke my head out on this one -- for not only is this one of the dopiest messages and offers ever, but it just galls me that PA tells its readers that it is "a few miles" from Discovery Communications (or the Random House table at Book Expo, or Random House itself) and thinks proximity is worth ANYTHING. (Or that anyone at Discovery will even read the books -- but that's another response.)

But even if proximity did matter, here's where PA is once again full of it:

Discovery Communications is headquartered in Silver Spring -- which just happens to be in the next county, up against the Maryland/DC border, more than 40 miles away from Frederick. It is hardly "a few miles" away.

Further, a few months ago, PA was telling devotees they would personally bring their book to the attention of Random House, which was "right down the road" (or something) from them. What they didn't say -- apart from the fact that no one at RH would even bother with a PA book being deposited at their front desk -- is that the RH facility in Maryland is (1) a distribution center, and really nothing more than an enormous batch of warehouses -- it's not their HQ and really has nothing to do with the editorial/acquisition side of publishing, and (2) it really isn't that close to them. It's one county over, in Westminster, and nearly 50 miles away.

I know, I know -- not that any of this means ANYTHING. It's just more half truths and embellishments, and par for the course for PA.

*delurks*

They say that

PublishAmerica intends to hand-deliver your books.

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But then they say

five additional copies will be submitted to the Oprah Winfrey Network

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and then they turn around and say they'll hand deliver them again.

I know I'm being nitpicky, but damn. If they can't even get it straight in their own advertisement, that's pretty much a hint that they aren't going to do ANY thing. Hand deliver or otherwise.

quagsire440 said:

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What's that?

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a professional motor?

Might not do any good, but I forwarded a link to that letter to the Oprah contact addy, and suggested their legal department look into PA's rampant exploitation of her name and reputation as a means to sell books.

Stephen King's people put their foot down with PA. I hope Oprah's big guns come around and smoke 'em.

How cool it would be to have some of PA's victim's on her show telling their stories and showing off the nasty mails they got from Prather.

I'd love to see Prather in the hot seat, explaining how she got kicked out of New Mexico.

Gillhoughly said:

Stephen King's people put their foot down with PA.

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I don't remember this, what happened?

I sent a link to the contact addy on his website, with word that PA was exploiting him to sell books.

The reply guy said they'd dealt with PA before and had to have stuff removed from the PA website. Apparently PA made it sound as though King used them, too.

Ugh. As if.

Gotta love that crafty wording that frees them of all the disappointment that's sure to happen when PA writers learn that (in the unlikely event that Oprah's people actually sees the books) their books didn't even get any consideration.

I doubt any of those books will be printed, let alone "donated".

Dear PA--This means YOU, Stooges.

Read your own FB wall. Even your long time boosters are wise to the fact that absolutely NOTHING comes of such idiotic ploys.

It's pretty clear you're hoping to exploit the newbies yet again.

You make me sick. I don't know how you can go into work in the morning, but I suppose the money you're sucking off your victims eases the nausea when you look in the mirror.

Gillhoughly said:

I sent a link to the contact addy on his website, with word that PA was exploiting him to sell books.

The reply guy said they'd dealt with PA before and had to have stuff removed from the PA website. Apparently PA made it sound as though King used them, too.

Ugh. As if.

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Pissing SK off could equal an epic-fail. He has demons on speeddial!

circlexranch said:

Pissing SK off could equal an epic-fail. He has demons on speeddial!

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Worse.

He can afford to have a lawyer.

I"ve tried to post on the Facebook PA wall and all I get is, this could not be posted. Don't tell me, PA has contacted FB for a block and FB is going along with it????

Gillhoughly said:

How cool it would be to have some of PA's victim's on her show telling their stories and showing off the nasty mails they got from Prather.

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What fun! An expose of PA on Oprah.
I guess there would be plenty of authors willing to appear to state their cases.
And publishing pros who can back up the complaints about PA's dastardly practices.


(oh, please please please let it happen...)

Qute PAs Oprah ad:

Those books are scheduled to be hand-delivered a few days after we ship your order to you.

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Well two things could happen with that:
1) They knock on Oprah's door multiple times a week with a stack of books, looking totally stupid, and get kicked off the lot for harassment.
2) Since they never print or ship the books to begin with, and only take the authors money for them, there is nothing to deliver.

ctripp said:

I"ve tried to post on the Facebook PA wall and all I get is, this could not be posted. Don't tell me, PA has contacted FB for a block and FB is going along with it????

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They have to accept you as a friend before you can post on their wall.
In other words, fergeddaboudit.

Try this Facebook instead: PA authors say what they really think

PA itself has no control over this site, unlike their own message board.
Don't be put off by the PA logo. These people tell it like it is.

HistorySleuth said:

Qute PAs Oprah ad:


Well two things could happen with that:
1) They knock on Oprah's door multiple times a week with a stack of books, looking totally stupid, and get kicked off the lot for harassment.
2) Since they never print or ship the books to begin with, and only take the authors money for them, there is nothing to deliver.

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All mail is hand-delivered one way or another, if you stop to think about it.

Are we talking about the PA fb page that was created by a past PA author, or a totally different page?

This is the PA author's page: Tell it like it is

It's so nice to see that. Because odds are if PA authors know how to post on PA's forum, they know how to find them on Facebook. (Or at least, so we can hope.)

For things such as this, the bookstore won't have to stock the book. They'll take the books on consignment, for that day and only for that event, and pay out the author at the end of the day.

The books will only be in the store for as long as the event happens.

CatSlave said:

I wonder which book store will host the book signing, since none of them stock vanity-press books.
At least, not the 'traditional' book stores like Borders.

Frederick itself is a pleasant town. Too bad about certain residents here.

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Canada James said:

For things such as this, the bookstore won't have to stock the book. They'll take the books on consignment, for that day and only for that event, and pay out the author at the end of the day.

The books will only be in the store for as long as the event happens.

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Since this is PA, we're talking about a hyooooge maybe on the bookstore accepting the books even on consignment.

Petitions Against PA

Dear Beloved Members of the Absolute Write Forum,


I found this while trying to research anything that could defeat this literary rapist and infernal demon:

HTML:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/shut-down-publish-america

However, a message from a reliable source on FB states that the petition has some discrepancies, and needs to be corrected before our campaign can begin in earnest.

I turn to you because you, like myself, number among the defiled and defaced, and that your knowledge and experience exceed mine on this subject. What can we do to defeat this beastly tyrant?

The rights to my work may be important, but too many others suffered by their hand. I would have their will and thirst for justice quenched here if possible.

If you are on facebook, write me there, in addition to what transpires here. I would be willing to disclose my e-mail address as well to those who request it.

Thank you for your time spent reading this, along with any input or feedback you can provide concerning this.


Yours most sincerely,

The Poet Raziel

I saw that yesterday, and I have a question.
The site claims that PA has been in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings since 2004, but I can't find any court documents to substantiate the claim.
Can you be more specific?

I'll let others tackle the issue of a class-action suit against PA. It's been discussed a number of times.

Here's the latest of the ridiculous ploys to separate the authors from their cash. If they really think about it they'd realize that obviously the majority of PA's email go to THE AUTHORS! So they'd be advertising to each other.
They can do that on the PAMB for free.

Dear Author:

Let's advertise your book. Once every 3 seconds.

Stop and pay attention! Think this through, do the math. That's how rare this opportunity is.


PublishAmerica uses email to
*answer 25,000 new would-be authors per year;
*talk to newspapers, radio and TV 50,000 times;
*respond to 50,000 author questions;
*discuss book signings with authors and bookstores 60,000 times;
*announce book releases to readers 100,000 times;
*distribute 10 million sales messages, like right now.
That's an average of one message per every 3 seconds, day and night.

We will advertise your book in such messages, in our signature line, several days in a row. That's many tens of thousands of exposures to consumers of books, and it includes hundreds of media outlets. You'll find a sample below.

Here's how your book qualifies:

Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your book, and use this discount coupon: AdvertiseMe. Minimum order volume is 6 copies, which will guarantee that your book's advertising line will appear in PublishAmerica's external email as described above during two full days, and reach tens of thousands of consumers and professionals, including booksellers, agents, writers, and news reporters.
For orders of 12 or more copies use this coupon, AdvertiseMe4, and score 4 days of advertising. For orders of 19 or more copies please use this coupon, AdvertiseMe7, stretch your advertising to a full week, and catch someone else's eyes more than 200,000 times!
------------
PublishAmerica strongly recommends Eat Yourself Thin by David Holmer who has lost over 30 pounds and 7 inches off of his waist! Buy it here: http://www.publishamerica.net/product90615.html.
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Thank you,
PublishAmerica Author Support Team

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