Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

JulieB · Feb 6, 2011

Of course! B&N, Borders, and the local independent bookstores put the $27.95 price on the dust jacket of that hardcover! I could go directly to the publisher and buy it for half of that! What a fool I've been all these years!

(Waiting on another round of snow and feeling snarky.)

Alphabeter · Feb 6, 2011

Nah, you need to go find Stephen King in Maine. As he's published by a "traditional publisher", he should have a stack of books in his garage to sell you for $5. Consignment is how all such authors are supposed to make money.*

*from information available from the PAMB; may not be based in reality

DaveKuzminski · Feb 6, 2011

Yeah, how dare Stephen King and Ann Rice not publish their books with PA and then buy the books to sell from their garages?

kullervo · Feb 6, 2011

I have, just occasionally, wondered how much time certain PA writers spend in bookstores.

James D. Macdonald · Feb 6, 2011

kullervo said:
I have, just occasionally, wondered how much time certain PA writers spend in bookstores.

Not a whole lot.

After all, bookstores are the worst places in the world to sell books.*

------------------

*Does not represent my actual opinion, or the facts.

Unimportant · Feb 6, 2011

Weirdly, the cheerleader said:

A friend of mine told me that a book store he went into had my book on the computer and would sell it for 30 dollars or more. Apparently they mark up the books by 50% giving themselves a 50%profit. Had this store agree to sell your book they would mark it up to twice its cover price so beware of this. Plus, If you have a few copies of your book on hand you can allow them to sell on consignment and put the price at whatever you think is fair.

But her book has a cover price of 30 dollars ($29.95), so, um, yeah, that's what bookstores will sell it for. I'm pretty sure they won't try to sell it for more than the cover price.

As it's listed as Out of Stock on Amazon, and is a 350+ page poetry collection, I'm guessing this cheerleader has not exactly sold zillions of copies. But that's hardly the fault of bookstores.

Shrouded · Feb 6, 2011

Looking at it from the cheerleaders side,..it reminds me of the Abbott&Costello routine where Costello multiplys 13x7 and gets 28.

ctripp · Feb 7, 2011

With all the back and forth of pricing PA goes through, do they even print the retail price on the books? If there is a price printed, how could this writer believe a book store could mark UP a book. Most discount them, you can't mark something up that has a price clearly posted on it. The book stores already have their built in profit via their discount from the publisher.
Former PA authors, is there a price on the covers?

Chris P · Feb 7, 2011

ctripp said:
Former PA authors, is there a price on the covers?

There wasn't on mine.

DeadlyAccurate · Feb 7, 2011

PAMB said:
A friend of mine told me that a book store he went into had my book on the computer and would sell it for 30 dollars or more. Apparently they mark up the books by 50% giving themselves a 50%profit. Had this store agree to sell your book they would mark it up to twice its cover price so beware of this. Plus, If you have a few copies of your book on hand you can allow them to sell on consignment and put the price at whatever you think is fair.

That's not all profit. That's rent, electricity, water, wages, supplies, loss from theft and damage. And then, hopefully, profit.

James D. Macdonald · Feb 7, 2011

Given the miserable discount that PA gives via distribution, bookstores lose money any time they order a PA book.

CaoPaux · Feb 7, 2011

Chris P said:
Quote:

Originally Posted by ctripp View Post
Former PA authors, is there a price on the covers?

Click to expand...

There wasn't on mine.

IIRC, they took the price off the cover years ago. (Having one is a requirement to be stocked by Barnes & Noble. Coincidence? Not likely.

)

Unimportant · Feb 7, 2011

CaoPaux said:
IIRC, they took the price off the cover years ago. (Having one is a requirement to be stocked by Barnes & Noble. Coincidence? Not likely. )

Ah. I hadn't realised they didn't put the retail price on the cover. Good grief.

ResearchGuy · Feb 7, 2011

CaoPaux said:
IIRC, they took the price off the cover years ago. . . .

It is harder to keep jacking up the price if it is printed on the product. (And harder to jerk people around with different prices for the same item.)

--Ken

Unimportant · Feb 7, 2011

Oops, yeah, good point. I'd forgot how often the price on a book changes at PA.

Unimportant · Feb 7, 2011

Yet another PA author is waiting for her e-book conversion with non-infinite patience:

I am still waiting for the conversion to ebooks for Google and the kindle for Amazon. It has been since Jan 1. when I paid for my "eYourbook package". Really, I am off in thinking this is taking a very long t1me.

Marian Perera · Feb 7, 2011

An author who has been with PA since 2004 is asking about the e-book conversion she paid for.

That's funny because someone mention to me it doesn't take long at all. They said with in 24 hours....I'm just saying.....I have a question into support with that exact question..just...last week...still no reply...what PA should do is keep you informed.... ...honestly!

TheTinCat · Feb 8, 2011

Well, the conversion itself probably doesn't take long. Someone at PA getting off their ass and clicking the button, now that's a different thing... I mean, they have to use HUMAN HANDS! And we all know how expensive and difficult those are to work with.

PVish · Feb 8, 2011

PA's answer:

We are working through a tsunami of books that are being converted. Rest assured, no one will be left behind.

CatSlave · Feb 8, 2011

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!"

...then trip over our own feet and fall flat on our faces.

Alphabeter · Feb 8, 2011

No one whose credit/check has cleared will be left behind.

There, fixed it. Not for accuracy though

ctripp · Feb 9, 2011

"rest assured, no one will be left behind'

NO, really? And here I thought if someone paid for something a month plus in advance there would be a chance they wouldn't get it! What a frustrating comeback!
I don't know how PA's flip answers don't result in the writers lashing back.
Perhaps some do and they and their posts just disapear from the board.

About 4 weeks ago I was on PAMB and there were 3 posts from a new writer. I clicked on the first and he was very excited about being a new Author, had started a Facebook page and was inviting all the others to join. He didn't link to the page but asked that anyone interested could go to Facebook and type in Publish America Authors. Then, in front of my eyes, that one and the other 2 posts of his (which I didn't get to read but I assume were the same post) went poof!
I went to Facebook, thinking perhaps he had set up an I HATE PA page and PA deleted it toot sweet. Nope, he was a happy PA Author so...?
Ah, if the other writers were to go to Facebook and begin typing in "Pu" they would find all the Publish America is a scam pages set up.
Now, we don't want that, do we.

Unimportant · Feb 10, 2011

An author tells PA she's happy with the look of her second book, but there's a heap of WTFery buried in there:

Thanks PA! While I have yet to receive my author copy of my book, someone who preordered my book and received their shipment already, sent me one.

I am very impressed!! Initially, I was so disappointed to know that my children's book would not be made as a hardcover - although I did ultimately get a chance to have you make some, my disappointed faded quickly when I saw my book.

You've done a very good job with my 2nd book. The paper quality is excellent and the artwork looks wonderful - the colors are very bright. I am also impressed that this softcover is not just stapled together as my first book was. These books are professionally bound and the cover is 'plasticized' giving them a good shot at landing in libraries.

"This softcover is not just stapled together as my first book was."

WHAAAAAT? They bound books with staples and authors just rolled over and accepted that?

Cyia · Feb 10, 2011

Unimportant said:
WHAAAAAT? They bound books with staples and authors just rolled over and accepted that?

There were a few posts a while back about how "chintzy" the children's books were with their two staples to hold the whole thing together.

Richard Falk · Feb 11, 2011

This newbie is in for a rude awakening:

This web site in Estonia has a number list for books in stock.
My book has been selling approx 200 every two to three days
Total so far is approx. 1,000 sales
just cut and paste your ISBN

Unless he has a very large and rich extended family, his book won't sell 200 copies in its lifetime, let alone every two to three days.

Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

I grow my own catnip

Player of the Letters

Preditors & Editors

minion

Your Genial Uncle

No COVID yet. Still masking.

Ne tequcesiverius extra

Christine Tripp

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Absolutely Fazed

Your Genial Uncle

Mostly Harmless

No COVID yet. Still masking.

Resident Curmudgeon

No COVID yet. Still masking.

No COVID yet. Still masking.

starting over

I am a mighty viking!

Cat hair collector

Mah tale iz draggin.

Player of the Letters

Christine Tripp

No COVID yet. Still masking.

Rewriting My Destiny

Author of "Warp"