Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

A little birdie told me PA has been sending people to the forum run by Shelagh Watkins.

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She has a flaming hatred of AbsoluteWrite and its citizens, and so she resonates with PAers like a glove.
Pretty boring stuff over there.

Ok, never understood how PA can charge shipping charges when they ship nothing...like the stupid and I mean stupid movie $99.00 we will sit on our hands and nod then not get back with you deal.

It's there some sort of law against charging shipping cost when you are not shipping anything?

Again, I'm one of those oh no she is not nice to deal with authors that got hoodwinked but saw the light a bit too late.

Our team knows what your book is about, who the characters are, and why your story makes for a really good movie.

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If the above were true, why was my ROMANCE novel placed in PA's bookstore in the PHILOSOPHY section? Purely based on the title of the book. They never bothered to read any of the manuscript. Pesky little details like that aren't PA's specialty. What is their specialty? Selling books to their authors. It is not their business model to get books into the hands of readers. Never was, never will be. They make much more money by selling their author a dream of being published. Sure it's tied up with a bright, shiny red bow, but it's not real. A lovely illusion, maybe, but it has no basis in reality.

This post from an author who is "unable to get replies to my emails from PA" so won't last.

Hello, after so many times of trying to get my contact information to the authors support email without any success, I am here asking everyone if Publish America really exists physically or is just a computerized web site that is out there for our entertainment.

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or this from the same author:

Okay, a friend of mine bought two copies of my book titled "[title redacted]", another friend bought two more, someone else said he did the same, so where are the royalties?

I have sent countless emails to the author's support and royalties people updating my contact information, no answer, I have checked my emails over and over, again, no answer.

I am writing another story but I won't even try to send it to Publish America again. Next time I am getting an agent to mediate in this, and I will certainly look for another publisher.

I am just about to start looking for an attorney to help me with this nightmare of being ignored and disrespected the way Publish America does.

Any suggestions?

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Amazing. Someone's asleep over there. That post above has been on the PAMB since noontime, eastern US time. It's now 5:30 PM.

From that same thread and author:

My main concern is that even though I have been updating my contact information so many times via email, it has been more than one and a half year since I don't get either a check or an email giving me any information whatsoever. I am really confused.

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Dear Confused After a Year and a Half,

Wake up.

I checked that author's website but didn't see any contact information... though the butterflies flitting across the screen made me reluctant to spend time searching.

Oh, that sounds better. I followed the link the author had provided in one of his threads, to a freewebs site.

My philosophy was always to write for the good of the spirit and to appreciate the precious gift God gave me and to know that I am able to write what is inside my heart while having some fun at the same time. Believe it or not, so many times I have laughed and sobbed with all my heart after reading my own stories and it feels good to do that.

Writing for money??? It never crossed my mind until now really. But having money is always very helpful.

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To this writer on PAMB I would say, have they considered a blog if they didn't think about making money???!!
Real writers, hopeful published authors, want to make their talent for telling a story into a career. It AIN'T for just fun,nor the glory of God.
It's a JOB, just as it is for the publishers, editors, art directors, designers, the receptionist and the kid in the mail room!!!

This won't end well.

Hello I posted a comment regarding my inability to get PA author's support to give them my new contact information and other information about my royalties and that comment which I just posted yesterday has dissappeared. What is going on?

Can anyone tell me why this is happening? All I want is information about my own story, so what's the big deal?

Any comments will help

Thank you very much

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Okay, a friend of mine bought two copies of my book titled "[title redacted]", another friend bought two more, someone else said he did the same, so where are the royalties?

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This author probably missed the part in the contract where it says a royalty check won't be cut until royalties due go over $49 or whatever it is these days.

Queen of Swords said:

This won't end well.

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And it's poofed.

Message



Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:34 pm Post subject: Unable to get replies to my emails from PA Hello, after so many times of trying to get my contact information to the authors support email without any success, I am here asking everyone if Publish America really exists physically or is just a computerized web site that is out there for our entertainment.

My book title is "book"

Any suggestion will help

Thank you

_________________
AuthorBack to top

infocenter
Site Admin

Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Posts: 479
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:46 am Post subject: Oh, stop the whining and contact [email protected] like everyone else.

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Got to love their response to a new customer aka new author that just signed with them. Can we be any ruder?

Jill what do you mean "can we be any ruder?"

She means that PA is very rude.

PA said:

AuthorBack to top

infocenter
Site Admin

Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Posts: 479
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:46 am Post subject: Oh, stop the whining and contact [email protected] like everyone else.

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Yeah Stormie I was using the "We" as PA not us, I just get floored by their customer service or lack of it. I guess they think this author isn't going to buy any of his/her books so they slam them for asking a reasonable question.

Ah, ok. I thought you ment us and was like um. We are vry nice to PA authers

EDIT:

Wow just saw what you quoted storme. That is mean your author is asking a simple question! UGH evil PA is EVIL

Oh, stop the whining and contact [email protected] like everyone else.

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As many times as I have seen their rude and PUBLIC responses, it never ceases to shock me. Seriously, when they respond like that on their own board for all to see, what kind of message does that send to the other author/customers (and why don't those authors/customers get the message!) Oh, right, it's PA...customer service is not part of their business profile.

LexiCan said:

Oh, right, it's PA...customer service is not part of their business profile.

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Fixed that for you. They don't view anyone as customers, after all... just resources to be squeezed until money stops dribbling out.

ctripp said:

It AIN'T for just fun,nor the glory of God.

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ctripp, this is sounding like writer bashing, and that's not what we do here.

Above all, PA writers are victims. We offer them shelter, a place to learn, get help, and a place to vent.

It does NOT matter why a writer writes. Of course it will be different from why you write and why I write--but whatever another writer's motive, we will respect it.

As it happens I meet a lot of writers who seriously do not care if they make money. They are expressing themselves, and if it's for God or to impress Grandma, it doesn't matter. Cash is not their goal. They just want people to read their books. Getting paid for it is not their focus.

We will respect that. Writing is writing.

When I encounter PA writers with that attitude I point out to them that PA books are not be widely read, then point those writers to better venues for their words. If getting paid for the work takes place, that's just cake for their frosting.

Thanks Alex, again I forgot the company motto...take take take...

customer service doesn't fit that motto.