Poinsettia Publications

Momento Mori · Jun 28, 2011

They came to my attention after someone on my Twitter feed linked to this news story:

http://www2.newsadvance.com/lifesty...fakes-kidnapping-promote-new-book-ar-1136854/

Website is here: http://www.poinsettiapubs.com/

Currently only 9 books available (3 fiction, 6 non-fiction). No information on the owner's experience (or who is involved with it).

MM

priceless1 · Jun 28, 2011

They appear to be a POD because Bookscan shows the publisher as Lightning Source. I checked all their available titles, and their sales are in the single digit range, so they must be making sales in more nontraditional marketplaces.

And may I just comment on the link you provided?

But that was just the beginning. Davis staged and filmed a kidnapping (“I checked with a lawyer first to make sure I wouldn’t get in trouble”) to post on the website, then sent an e-mail to a wide variety of agents. It began: “By the time you receive this, I will have already kidnapped your child.”

I think what this author did was reprehensible and should have his skin boiled. His antics were pedestrian and insulting. Had he sent me that letter, he'd be hearing from my lawyer. Being an idiot doesn't get you a publishing contract...a well written story does.

And frankly, any publisher who would accept such a fool makes me wonder about their judgement.

Momento Mori · Jun 28, 2011

priceless1:
I think what this author did was reprehensible and should have his skin boiled. His antics were pedestrian and insulting. Had he sent me that letter, he'd be hearing from my lawyer. Being an idiot doesn't get you a publishing contract...a well written story does.

And frankly, any publisher who would accept such a fool makes me wonder about their judgement.

I completely agree with you - in fact it was what made me look up the publisher in the first place because I couldn't believe that any professional outfit would want to be associated with such a bone-headed stunt.

MM

Old Hack · Jun 28, 2011

I saw a link to that article on Twitter too. If the article is reporting the facts then the actions of the author concerned were reprehensible.

HapiSofi · Jun 28, 2011

I am filled with a sense of wonder. I always knew that someday I'd hear a "misguided author" story to equal the one about the first-time author who phoned Leonard Riggio at home after 11:00 p.m. to vent about the bad placement his book was getting at B&N.

"Must get the book into print within 90 days" is dead easy, if you don't care whether it damages the author's career and/or credibility.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 28, 2011

But that was just the beginning. Davis staged and filmed a kidnapping (“I checked with a lawyer first to make sure I wouldn’t get in trouble”) to post on the website, then sent an e-mail to a wide variety of agents. It began: “By the time you receive this, I will have already kidnapped your child.”
“The first phone call I received the next day was at 7:30 in the morning, from an agent,” Davis recalled. “She was yelling at me, saying, ‘Are you crazy?’”
We talked for a little while, though, and I told her: “The most important thing for any novelist these days is to stand out, to attract attention. Based on the fact that you’re calling me this early, I’m assuming I’ve accomplished that goal.”

Y'know, if some clown tried that, I wouldn't call him on the phone. I'd call the FBI, and let them go to his house for a little chat.

Old Hack · Jun 28, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Y'know, if some clown tried that, I wouldn't call him on the phone. I'd call the FBI, and let them go to his house for a little chat.

This. At least.

And I'd let the papers know, and start a lawsuit.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 28, 2011

And after all that, the best he can do is Poinsetta? Why not go direct to Kindle and save himself a great deal of trouble?

Giant Baby · Jun 28, 2011

Fortunately, for all his talk in the article about standing out and attracting attention, his own attempts seem to have fallen flat. Not much here to recommend to a potential copy-cat, happily.

“You have to do something to stand out,” said Davis, whose latest book, “Rejection,” was published earlier this year. “You have to do your own marketing, or you’ll just get lost in the crowd.”

His twitter in the character's name has three followers (including the publisher). His facebook has thirty-something friends, many of whom appear to be the very folks who were kind to him here. And when he went for his great reveal a few months back (also here), it was met with a resounding yawn.

If he managed to sign with an agent after all the "attention" he grabbed with his scheme, it's information that's glaringly absent from the interview, and he's published by a house that accepts unagented submissions. I'm really not sure what he's thinking, even talking about his clever marketing ploy when the results (or lack there of) are so painfully google-able.

IceCreamEmpress · Jun 28, 2011

I really hope Davis faces some legal consequences for his thoughtless and cruel action, and that his book sells zero copies. RAEG!

Also, can a mod correct the typo in the thread title? My obsessive-compulsive inner copy editor will thank you.

PVish · Jun 28, 2011

He's been a member of Absolute Write under his main character's name. See this thread. Looks like he was banned.

priceless1 · Jun 28, 2011

PVish said:
He's been a member of Absolute Write under his main character's name. See this thread. Looks like he was banned.

How utterly appropriate.

Stacia Kane · Jun 29, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Y'know, if some clown tried that, I wouldn't call him on the phone. I'd call the FBI, and let them go to his house for a little chat.

Ditto. I'm actually shocked that anyone would report that story like it's a cute thing to do.

I have two little girls; I would freak out bigtime if I got an email or letter like that, and would definitely see it as a threat.

Polenth · Jun 29, 2011

PVish said:
He's been a member of Absolute Write under his main character's name. See this thread. Looks like he was banned.

Yes, we were one of the forums he trolled. I remember him (in a bad, I'll never buy his work, kind of way). He only posted about rejections in the rejection forum, rather than taking part in AW anywhere else. Then started spamming for his rejection site in unrelated threads (the mods cleared that up, so it doesn't show in his posting history) with the 'big reveal'. Which turned out to be he'd written a revenge novel, about a novelist who'd gotten too many rejections. Writer revenge stories are pretty eyerolling-worthy at the best of times, but it was clear he thought it was a new idea somehow.

He's mistaking traffic for positive interest... I saw the link for sure, but that and his behaviour on the forum meant I wanted nothing to do with him or his work. Knowing he then emailed agents with kidnapping threats means it was worse than I thought.

I'm amazed any publisher would see that as a good thing. I certainly hope no author sees that and believes any of it. He didn't get a horde of loyal fans from trolling AW, whatever the article might claim.

Wayne K · Jun 29, 2011

Rejection
Perno Morris is desperate. After years of rejection letters and returned manuscripts, decades of frustration, disappointment and stacks of rejection letters, he decides to take matters into his own hands. After seeing super literary agent Susan McCarthy on a national talk show, where she mentioned her vacation home, and that she has a six year old daughter, Perno decides to kidnap her little girl to get his book published. Dressed as a catholic priest, Perno takes little Christine McCarthy from a fast food restaurant when her babysitter went to the restroom. He is videotaped from an ATM machine camera across the street, but can only be identified as a man of clergy. The camera’s view of his car is blocked by a delivery truck, and images are not recorded. He holds her hostage in the basement of his farm house miles from town.

He had previously notified Susan in an overnight letter, received by her assistant, that she has only 90 days to have his work published or he will kill the child. He included a disk of his manuscript and instructed her to use the pseudonym Thomas Cavanaugh as the author. He did not write the novel for money, it was now purely a matter of ending his years of disappointment.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 29, 2011

Traffic != sales

Momento Mori · Jun 29, 2011

Perno morris:
I think that self publishing, for the most part, is for people who just want to see their work in print. Becoming a recognized author would be someone who has had their work accepted by a publisher, printed and placed on the bookshelf for others to buy.

Oh the irony.

MM

Little1 · Jun 29, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Y'know, if some clown tried that, I wouldn't call him on the phone. I'd call the FBI, and let them go to his house for a little chat.

This.. I am sorry you don't mess with my fam. It brings out my evil side.

priceless1 · Jun 29, 2011

Perno Morris is desperate.

That much is clear. I'm still seething.

Rachel77 · Jun 29, 2011

Holy crap!

staged and filmed a kidnapping (“I checked with a lawyer first to make sure I wouldn’t get in trouble”)

I'm amazed that a lawyer would okay this (though, to be fair, the article doesn't actually state that any lawyer did okay it; it just quotes him saying that a lawyer was consulted beforehand).

Like others have said, I wouldn't see that as "author trying a cute scheme to get representation for his book," I'd see that as a threat against my child. There are some scary people out there; if an author did this to me in an attempt to get me to take him seriously, I'd certainly take him seriously: he'd be talking to the FBI.

foreverstamp · Jun 29, 2011

HapiSofi said:
I am filled with a sense of wonder. I always knew that someday I'd hear a "misguided author" story to equal the one about the first-time author who phoned Leonard Riggio at home after 11:00 p.m. to vent about the bad placement his book was getting at B&N.

Is that true? that's so funny. horibly inapproprate but funny.

PVish · Jun 29, 2011

If ever an author should have signed with PublishAmerica, this might be the one. ("Infocenter, I have your child." "Don't take that tone with us! Stop whining and contact Author Support.")

michael_b · Jun 29, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Traffic != sales

Checked Poinsetta's Alexa ranking. No data is what it comes up with.

Until now I've never heard of them, and they seem to mostly publish self-help titles with no distribution. One book has a mention of being in a single brick and mortar store, and I don't see any ebook distribution at all. Of course, I also didn't notice any mention of ebooks, but then again I didn't really stay there that long.

Bubastes · Jun 29, 2011

PVish said:
If ever an author should have signed with PublishAmerica, this might be the one. ("Infocenter, I have your child." "Don't take that tone with us! Stop whining and contact Author Support.")

Or the agent he threatened could've submitted to PublishAmerica:

"I have your child."
"PublishAmerica bought your book. Gimme my child back."
"OK."
:skips down the road with $1 check in hand:

The end.

That's not enough for a book, though.

ETA: Currently ranked #3,066,629 at Amazon. Yawn.

PVish · Jun 29, 2011

michael_b said:
Checked Poinsetta's Alexa ranking. No data is what it comes up with.

Until now I've never heard of them, and they seem to mostly publish self-help titles with no distribution. One book has a mention of being in a single brick and mortar store, and I don't see any ebook distribution at all. Of course, I also didn't notice any mention of ebooks, but then again I didn't really stay there that long.

The "Rejection" ebook is here for $9.95.

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