Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

Marian Perera

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Just saw this post about the convention:

I called PA to verify that there would be a convention in Atlantic City June 8, 9, and 10. I've already paid $102.99 for a 3-day pass. The person I spoke with seemed unsure at first, then acknowledged that this was true. But there's been no discussion or promotion of this convention since the original promo came out. Hotel arrangements were to be made via PA.

I am unsure as to how to proceed. Will there be a convention as advertised or not? If not, will my money be refunded? If so, then please clarify dates, details, etc. regarding the convention.

Thanks.

Isn't it illegal to sell someone tickets to a convention, cancel the convention (or more likely, never plan to have one in the first place) but then fail to refund their money?
 

brianm

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The FTC has rules and regs that protect consumers regarding online purchases but she'd have to pursue a refund of her monies through the credit card company she used to pay for her passes.

ETA: IMO, if the dates pass and PA does not immediately refund monies collected, PA authors could file complaints with the DA's office citing fraud. IMO, a large number of PA authors would need to file complaints in order for the DA to take on the case. If only a handful filed complaints, I would think the DA would advise contacting credit card companies for refunds.

~brianm~
 
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brianm

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Last I had heard, the convention was to be held at Bally's but there's no mention of it on Bally's events calendar.

PA announced the convention in November 2010 but according to this PA author, the links for early ticket purchase were removed from PA's website in December 2010.

How many of you have bought tickets for the author's convention next June? I noticed that PA removed the links for ordering early tickets.

ETA: I'm going to call Bally's after 8am PST and ask if they have an event scheduled.
 
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JulieB

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Brian, they may be prohibited from mentioning PA, though they would be able to mention whether or not the event space is booked. Now, you could call the hotel and ask if you can book a room for that weekend and get the PA convention rate. ;-)

I'm helping negotiate a contract with a hotel for an event, and I just happen to have a copy on my desk. (Okay, I had to dig for it, but it was there!) In all the legal stuff there's a clause that prohibits the hotel from using our name in their advertising or even publishing that they're hosting the event without our express written permission. So if you call the hotel banquet office and ask, they might tell the space is already rented out, but not to whom.

There are good reasons for that type of clause, and it can protect both the hotel and the person/group renting function space. Betcha PA has that same clause, and I won't read anything nefarious into that because it's standard stuff.

And yes, I've seen event organizers get into trouble when they cancel the event and don't offer refunds. I know of one genre convention organizer that faced criminal charges. Of course, this is probably considered more of a business event, and I'm not sure if the same kinds of rules apply. The only business event I helped put on that got cancelled ended up getting rescheduled a few months later. We were postponed by what would fall under an "act of God" clause, but we did put on the meeting.
 

brianm

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I've also been involved with setting up conventions. I did call reservations to inquire about the room rate for the PA convention and they advised they showed no such event and transferred me to a convention coordinator for more information. They advised they showed no booking.

~brianm~
 

JulieB

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I've also been involved with setting up conventions. I did call reservations to inquire about the room rate for the PA convention and they advised they showed no such event and transferred me to a convention coordinator for more information. They advised they showed no booking.

Oh, dear. I hope the folks who paid in advance can get their money back.
 

DreamWeaver

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Oh, dear. I hope the folks who paid in advance can get their money back.
I believe one can probably count the number of people who've ever gotten money refunded by PA on the fingers of one foot.
 

TheTinCat

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Jesus F. Christ, PublishAmerica ... You're a bunch of cosmic jesters, you know that?
 

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I knew PA was gouging their authors by making the author pay to have their book converted to an e-book, but I hadn't quite realised that they charge the author again and again for each freaking e-book format!
Just a quick question for anyone that may know, does PA still offer the Nook-Book conversion for $49.00 plus shipping. I decided that it was a good idea for my first book; <title redacted>, and was thinking about also doing it for <title redacted> I chose the Nook-Book because it’s in color and thought that it was a good choice for children’s books. I love that my book can be purchased either as Nook-Book and also the old fashioned way. (a real book) Thanks for any advise and God Bless….
 

Gillhoughly

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One of the PA writers apparently has been reading the AW threads and checked on the convention with the Bally people. He posted on another board he's tired of PA's BS and getting a refund via the credit card company.

I'm glad to hear that.

I've noticed that there's just a few hardcore PA fans making posts on the PAMB. These things come in cycles. Sooner or later they wise up, realize PA is to publishing what strip mining is to the landscape and move on to better venues. There's no dramatic good bye--not that the InfoMonster would leave that up--they just cease posting.

One might hope for the two ladies on that thread will be next to wake and smell the coffee over here on AW!
 

stormie

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And this just posted on PAMB in response to another's question if they can go right to Amazon and set up the book for Kindle on their own:
The answer is "Yes." I posted my science fiction book,****, directly by using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing.
(name redacted)
icon_smile.gif
Love the smilie face. There ya go, PA. You can only fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
 

Cyia

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And this just posted on PAMB in response to another's question if they can go right to Amazon and set up the book for Kindle on their own:
Love the smilie face. There ya go, PA. You can only fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.


Except that by posting such on a public board run by the people who have the rights to his/her book, he/she has just admitted to breach of contract.
 

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I think that this bloke, like the others, put his non PA book on Kindle.
 

WWWWolf

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Except that by posting such on a public board run by the people who have the rights to his/her book, he/she has just admitted to breach of contract.

Even if it is, how long before the fellow PAMB users go "Dude, that's a breach of contract! PA is going to cook you alive! ... but hey, it never occurred to me that I could just go and publish the book on Amazon on my own. Hmm, maybe I won't sign up with PA for my next novel. Can't breach a contract I didn't sign, after all."
 

Marian Perera

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One of the authors who paid to have her book uploaded to the Kindle discovered the price.

My book is now on kindle, but the price is the same as the print edition $24.95. I see that David is experiencing this and I haven't seen any responses from others. Any advise on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Infocenter's response?

What, should e-books be more expensive, then?

Ignoring the author would have been kinder than tossing off this mocking, disingenuous one-liner.
 

TheTinCat

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What, should e-books be more expensive, then?

You know, InfoCenter, pretending people are morons won't make them morons. Telling them how they feel won't make it true, telling them what their point actually was won't make it so, and telling them they aren't really concerned won't ease their feeling that things are not as they should be.

It does, however, make you look really, really silly. I cannot for the life of me understand why scammers - whose greatest desire in life is to be taken seriously and looked up to - will purposely make themselves look deeply childish and silly, over and over and over.
 

Ulee_Lhea

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What, should e-books be more expensive, then?
** Head explodes **

How on earth do they get away with being so beastly rude to their own authors?

I had to read that several times before it sunk in. My brain didn't want to believe that meant, well, what it clearly means.
 

Jill Karg

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From PA site,
Latest News: Research shows that our average customer purchases 7 books per order.


Saw this and started laughing, again deceptive...Customers are only the author themselves. But hey if you a new author and see this you say, "Wow, what a great publisher."

What research are they quoting...it is not a un-bias one that for sure.

Again it's worth a chuckle, and rolling of the eyes.
 

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Another author who "didn't pay to be published" asks:
Has anyone paid to have an agent represent them in the book expo this week in NYC. I did and have not heard a word about it. I also paid to have my book become an ebook and don't know how to do this. Any tips from anyone would be helpful.
I'm guessing the agent in question is Bouncing Bobby?
 

ctripp

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Another author who "didn't pay to be published" asks:

I'm guessing the agent in question is Bouncing Bobby?


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

The writer is likely referring to yet another wonderful deal on PA's shopping page. Link above. I imagine all "agent" means is your book will be featured on a crappy plastic shelf, cover facing out:)
$80!!!!!!ack!

I did notice on the BEA floor plan that PA's tiny 16' booth was right behind bobby's much larger strategic space, both in the "independent" pub section of the show.