Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

CatSlave

Mah tale iz draggin.
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I still can't figure out whether or not it's a joke. The "science" hurts the brain. It actually manages to be worse than the "molecularly bound oxygen" magic water that some poor shmuck tried to sell me yesterday.

For the fun of it, here's the link to the fella's post on the PAMB for all of you who are missing out.

And here's some more fun with him.
Warning! If you're capable of rational thought, then it's possible that this could impair you in some way.
If there was any truth to his claim, he would be on the cover of Time magazine, instead of trapped in the bowels of the PAMB.

On second thought, maybe that's the best place for him.
 
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AudioGenius

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If there was any truth to his claim, he would be on the cover of Time magazine, instead of trapped in the bowels of the PAMB.

On second thought, maybe that's a good place for him.

I never considered that the claim might be true, I just can't figure out if he believes it ... or if it's actually supposed to be funny.
 

Marian Perera

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One author, who's been with PA since 2002, says her book jumped from $19.95 to $29.95, and as a result "I believe my book days are now over". Another author asked if she had renewed her contract. She replied,

I did renew. But that was before the prices raised. Their is no way I can order more books even at a discount price with shipping as high as it is and will go up Jan.1 because stamps are going up again.

I love PA and appreciate them so much and have also told others about them. They gave me a chance when maybe the other publishers wouldn't since I am an unknown.

But the fact remains, I am 69 years old and on a very limited income and can not order more books with this price even at a reduced price.

Also, these reduced prices are for credit card only. I had to use my friends card the other times I ordered because I don't have a credit card. So that hurts also. I just wonder how many others have the price on their books.
That's incredibly sad.

Especially since it was so, so preventable. She could have told them she wasn't renewing the contract two years ago and she could be with an economical outfit like CreateSpace.

But I think the "I love PA" gets to me the most. I wonder, does she believe PA feels any love at all for her?
 

M.R.J. Le Blanc

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It's been like that for quite awhile. Shipping is $3.99 to the US, $12 internationally. So even buying a $9.99 PAperback will cost $21.99 in total. And that's hoping you don't hit duty costs at the border.
 

PVish

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Some good questions in this post, but . . . *sigh*

Can anyone tell me if Barnes and Noble or Amazon will be able to purchase the PAperback and/or Bargain Hardcover's through Baker and Taylor and Ingram to put on the shelves in their stores and will they be able to sell them for a price that is comparable to that of PA or will they only be able to obtain the softcover which they will be required to sell at the high price. Mine is currently $32.95 and although I agree that my book is worth that much I also agree that the price is a bit steep considering the prices of other softcovers on the market.

And honestly, most authors don't pay to have their books published from the big six publishing companies. They get paid and then they are promoted by the publishing company. I'm not saying I am not happy with PA because I am. They've allowed me to become a published author and for that I am grateful. What I know is that no matter how much I love a subject of a book, I'm just as frugal as next person and I look for the low prices or wait for a sale. I do have the activated lower prices but if the larger book outlets can't at least sell them for around the same price PA sells them then it won't be competitve. Some people don't like to order books on-line and if they can only get the book by buying it on-line they will never get it. Being able to get it at a bookstore would really be the best.

Again, I am happy with PA and I am excited about my book. I've sold many of my own private stock....but would like to see everyone else do well and have it be competitive in the bookstores.

A bit later, this new author adds:
. . . I have already sold almost 100 copies myself. I have two book signings lined up in October and I have already had a two page newspaper article in a newspaper about me and my book. I am very fortunate but I have been promoting my book since I sent in the manuscript. I have created a Facebook Page, a website....[redacted] and my own Press Kit which I have given to several newspapers and book stores. It has been a lot of work and I am fortunate that I do have a budget to use for the selling of my book.

I can't imagine how I could be doing anything without the funds to promote it. I feel for those who don't have the funds to do so....and the price being so high will keep it from being sold. I've actually thought about opening my own on-line bookstore but that would take a lot of time and I am a full-time teacher's aide which I love and it would take away from my daughter to run a business out of my home. I have to keep my priorties straight. God comes first then family and then everything else
 
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PVish

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Then, my friend, you have probably just about tapped out the pocket market around you.

Don't expect a whole lot of additional sales.

When another PA author asks for info to buy her book from her, she refers the potential customer to PA:
The PAperback price is lower than what I can afford to sell it for so you may just want to order it from them. Currently I am selling my softcover for around $14 plus tax and shipping. I'm not making anything on them really but at least people are getting them in their hands and that is all I really wanted anyway.

*sigh* again.
 

Marian Perera

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Some authors are discovering the catch about PAYperbacks. Those aren't listed on Amazon or other online stores.

How do we (and can we) get the new paperbacks listed on Amazon? My book is listed there at the softcover price of 25 dollars, and I think we could get more sales if people see that they can buy the books for less than half of that. Now that it is available in paperback, I tell people that they could buy it directly from the publisher for ten dollars plus shipping, rather than from Amazon.
Softcovers are listed (even though they're usually unavailable, out of stock, buy buttons removed, etc) but apparently PAYperbacks aren't there at all. So unless a reader finds a PA author's website and discovers a book is at a lower price, or the reader browses PA's PAYperback section, they're unlikely to know about this option.

Oh, and the part about "buy it from the publisher for $10 plus shipping"? Yesterday I came across a PA book that did sound interesting and was in PAYperback. But PA charged $12 for shipping to Canada and I wasn't about to pay $22. So I checked Amazon. There, the book is in softcover, but the buy buttons are gone and it's priced at $16, which meant I'd probably end up paying nearly as much.

Sadly, it was listed under the Independence Books imprint, which meant the author paid to have the PAYperback activated, paid for it to be an Independence Book and now lost a sale thanks to PA.

And on the PAMB thread an author says,

I sell mine for $16.99 plus tax. I haven't made any profit yet, but I'm glad to at least be getting my name out there.
Her book has been out for 17 months and she hasn't made any profit. Mine has been out for four months and... I have.

If all you want to do is get your name out there, you'd do better uploading your manuscript to a free website.

Finally, the lady who is on a fixed income and can't buy any more of her own books posted,

Amazon has mine for $15.95.Barns & Nobles has it but doesn't have a price. Both are in softback. Borders and Baker & Taylor does not have it.
Maybe some day the price will get right for all of us.
I wouldn't count on it. I really hope you're not counting on it either.
 

merrihiatt

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It's August. It's been eight months since PA books have been available at online websites like they used to be. That's three-quarters of a year that PA authors have not had their books available.
 

Unimportant

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Another author makes excuses for PA's laggardness:
There are still those who are waiting for their copies to come which I explained to them it takes 2 to 6 weeks to get there. Which is to be expected in ordering everything. I plan to send future books to PA and i am very thankful to them for making my dream come true.
Everything? What other publisher -- and what other business -- takes six weeks to fulfil an order?
 

Jersey Chick

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I ordered our own Stacia Kane's Unholy Magic (Well, preordered it and City of Ghosts as well.) I had them the day after they were released.

I've ordered other books on Amazon, and had them within a week of ordering. A week. Not six weeks. One. Week. In some cases, it was even less than that.
 

Unimportant

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The problem isn't with small presses, either. I ordered from The Book Depository (UK) a small-press (Norilana Books) novel and it shipped within 48 hours; likewise, I ordered some books directy from Small Beer press and got them within a reasonable period of time.
 

JulieB

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When I ordered Atlanta Nights and Crack of Death (each from Lulu.com) I had my copies in about a week. And we're talking POD books here.
 

Bartholomew

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Another author makes excuses for PA's laggardness:

Everything? What other publisher -- and what other business -- takes six weeks to fulfil an order?

I buy crap on Amazon and Ebay--invariably on Monday--and the latest I've ever, ever gotten an item was the following Monday.

And that was because, I was told, my order got lost.
 

DeadlyAccurate

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I made an order from Borders on August 5, and 3 of the 4 books arrived today (August 10). The reason the fourth book didn't arrive? It was a pre-order, and it's not due out until August 24 (Mockingjay, if you don't have the release date of that book memorized).
 

M.R.J. Le Blanc

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The only things I've ever ordered online that took more than a week were things I ordered from Japan and China, and the only reason they took so long was because of waiting for Paypal to clear. Once that happened I got emails saying the item(s) was/were shipped, and I received them in the time they said they would. If CDJapan tells me it'll take 3-6 business days to arrive, it'll arrive in 3-6 business days.
 

Marie Pacha

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My new publisher is not "the Nation's number one book publisher!!" (Why is nation capitalized?)

Anyway, my publisher contacted me on Friday of last week to tell me that they ordered 8 copies of my book for me. They contacted me yesterday to tell me that LSI shipped the books, also yesterday.

Based on the last ones that were sent, if I don't get them today they will arrive tomorrow.