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ParaDon Books Publishing / Amazon Book Clubs
- Thread starter Gillhoughly
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I don't think it's worth the bother. They will delete them, and you'll just be wasting your time. I think posting here refuting their claims will be much more useful in warning writers. That way, the information will stay up and will come up on the first page when someone Googles ParaDon.
I note that ParaDon registered their site for one year only - perhaps they're not expecting to be around for long?
And it probably is a waste of time posting in their Guest Book (they've deleted three of my posts). As JL_Benet points out, there is plenty of damning info on AW!
And it probably is a waste of time posting in their Guest Book (they've deleted three of my posts). As JL_Benet points out, there is plenty of damning info on AW!
Just checked The Mighty El-Googlio and this thread is the second result, right after ParaDon's page itself. So we're best off putting information here.
Looks like they added some Ya'llToob fanciness to their site while it's under construction.
Also, does anyone else find this quote strange? "You can easily skip the postal process and submit with us electronically. To learn how to submit electronically, go back to the Home page and live-chat with one of our agents who will guide you through the submission process. Or just leave us a message on the right." - Submissions Page
Easily skip? I'm sorry, but having to live-chat with someone just so they can walk me through how to send something over the interwebz is a technological step backwards. So is sending an e-mail just to request the same info. Why not simply list the submission e-mail or create an online form? That makes things easier.
Lastly, this is also from their Submission Page: "We are available to take your order online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
While this is from their Home Page:
"Business Hours
9 a.m - 5 p.m
Mon - Sat"
Am I missing something?
Also, does anyone else find this quote strange? "You can easily skip the postal process and submit with us electronically. To learn how to submit electronically, go back to the Home page and live-chat with one of our agents who will guide you through the submission process. Or just leave us a message on the right." - Submissions Page
Easily skip? I'm sorry, but having to live-chat with someone just so they can walk me through how to send something over the interwebz is a technological step backwards. So is sending an e-mail just to request the same info. Why not simply list the submission e-mail or create an online form? That makes things easier.
Lastly, this is also from their Submission Page: "We are available to take your order online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
While this is from their Home Page:
"Business Hours
9 a.m - 5 p.m
Mon - Sat"
Am I missing something?
Well the Guest Book has now gone completely and while I was looking at it, all of the tabs disappeared and the bits about their "acquisition editor".
My guess is that it's either it's a substantial redesign in the works or they're packing up.
MM
My guess is that it's either it's a substantial redesign in the works or they're packing up.
MM
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Oh well. I was pretty sure the pinata still had some candy left, but better they vanish than some poor soul gives them money.
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They closed down? But I was about to send them my 300,000 word semi-autobiographic epic romance and accompanying predictions about who would win the next election and the ultimate fate of Wayne Rooney's hair! Who will I send my masterpiece to now? WHO I ASK YOU?!?
Send it to me with a cheque for £25. I'll spend the money on chocolate but at least I'm honest about it. 
The website's still up, still labelled as being under construction but all the stuff that might tell you anything about the company or the people involved in it has gone. Fortunately it's all be quoted in depth on AW for anyone who's interested.
MM
MM
Well, I can't say fairer than-WAIT A SECONDSend it to me with a cheque for £25. I'll spend the money on chocolate but at least I'm honest about it.
Oh, my goodness. Not only does this bizarre outfit still exist, the website is funnier than ever!
I'm totally underwhelmed. But wait...there's more. ParaDon now has an author!
Korede Abayomi has published two novels through ParaDon and a third is in the pipeline. He describes himself as
An entrepreneur, eh? Something tells me that although Mr Abayomi lives in California and ParaDon is supposedly based in Montana, he is in fact ParaDon's owner. I may be mistaken, but his bombastic ESL writing style is identical to that of whoever wrote the copy on ParaDon's website (http://www.paradonbooks.com/Hardboiled.html)
His skills include "online publishing, editing, proofreading and copy editing".
He also claims to be a graduate of Stanford University...just like the elusive Celina Marka.
Brace yourself for the sole Amazon review of his novel Shebang!:
Yes, that is the only Amazon review posted by "Knowledge". However did you guess? And if you're wondering about the date, Shebang! was originally published by CreateSpace. Via a time machine.
It's easy to laugh at this nonsense (and of course we do), but I hope Mr Abayomi hasn't managed to entice others into throwing away their hard work:
A list of authors was also promised for August but didn't materialize. Let's hope that December 29 also passes without a list of victims.
I'm totally underwhelmed. But wait...there's more. ParaDon now has an author!
Korede Abayomi has published two novels through ParaDon and a third is in the pipeline. He describes himself as
An entrepreneur, eh? Something tells me that although Mr Abayomi lives in California and ParaDon is supposedly based in Montana, he is in fact ParaDon's owner. I may be mistaken, but his bombastic ESL writing style is identical to that of whoever wrote the copy on ParaDon's website (http://www.paradonbooks.com/Hardboiled.html)
His skills include "online publishing, editing, proofreading and copy editing".
He also claims to be a graduate of Stanford University...just like the elusive Celina Marka.
Brace yourself for the sole Amazon review of his novel Shebang!:
Yes, that is the only Amazon review posted by "Knowledge". However did you guess? And if you're wondering about the date, Shebang! was originally published by CreateSpace. Via a time machine.
It's easy to laugh at this nonsense (and of course we do), but I hope Mr Abayomi hasn't managed to entice others into throwing away their hard work:
A list of authors was also promised for August but didn't materialize. Let's hope that December 29 also passes without a list of victims.
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Get a load of these lovely little gems:
We will schedule you for book-signing appearances (if you up to it) on a regular bases.
You we be regularly mentioned on our social media websites.
And finally:
We will even give you your own customizable email address (YourFirst&LastName)@paradonbookspublishing.com
Wow...your very own email address? Really? Just for me??
Amazing...
We will schedule you for book-signing appearances (if you up to it) on a regular bases.
You we be regularly mentioned on our social media websites.
And finally:
We will even give you your own customizable email address (YourFirst&LastName)@paradonbookspublishing.com
Wow...your very own email address? Really? Just for me??
Amazing...
Well, I'm sure Mr Abayomi knows what he's doing. He's a member of "Stanford University Honor Society": http://www.linkedin.com/pub/korede-abayomi/20/159/504
I was also amused by this:
Who needs the marketing resources of a major publisher when ParaDon is happy to hand out a "coupon printout" at Food4Less?
I was also amused by this:
Who needs the marketing resources of a major publisher when ParaDon is happy to hand out a "coupon printout" at Food4Less?
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It's amazing how the inept Wal-mart/Walgreens/Target/Food4Less marketing departments have completely underestimated the average discount customer's yen to overpay for poorly published slush. So glad ParaDon is printing coupons to take advantage of that inexplicable blind spot. [/sarcasm]
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"Convert" how? Are they hiring and paying voice talent? The production of an audio book is not a matter of "conversion," it's a matter of finding someone who can do a good job "performing" the book and providing different voices for the characters.
I don't care how toll-free it is or who gave it to me, I do not want a publisher handing out my phone number. ANY phone number. The very idea is shocking.
I've gotten some pretty bizarre and/or disturbing and/or unpleasant emails at all hours of the day and night. I cannot imagine answering the phone at three am thinking there was an emergency and finding some stranger yelling at me from the other end about what a "whore" my heroine is.
This is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. Creepy and yet terrifying. Seriously, who in the world thinks this is a good idea?
Stacia, I've heard of dodgy publishers offering to publish books in audio form in return for a fee: they use Windows' text-to-voice software to produce the audio files.
I don't know if that's what is happening here, but it might be.
I don't know if that's what is happening here, but it might be.
I've never heard of this, but I get the feeling it'll sound like Stephen Hawking's synthesized voice. Something of the sort is used for the public announcements at a nearby bus station - the first time I heard it late at night it scared me to death.
That's pretty much it, Alice. If you have Windows 7 or 8 you should be able to try it out for yourself on any text you have lying around.
It's not a good result.
It's not a good result.
OMG.
I've just tried it on Mary Had a Little Lamb, and the prospect of listening to a full-length novel being read by a robot is horrifying!
Seriously though, my Googling finger is aching from the strain of trying to discover the name(s) of ParaDon's owners. Alleged co-founder Richard Egland remains elusive, quite an achievement for a "newspaper mogul", and my e-mails to Acquisition Editor Celina Marka bounced back. According to the website the company is based in Great Falls, Montana, but I can't find a street address.
I've just tried it on Mary Had a Little Lamb, and the prospect of listening to a full-length novel being read by a robot is horrifying!
Seriously though, my Googling finger is aching from the strain of trying to discover the name(s) of ParaDon's owners. Alleged co-founder Richard Egland remains elusive, quite an achievement for a "newspaper mogul", and my e-mails to Acquisition Editor Celina Marka bounced back. According to the website the company is based in Great Falls, Montana, but I can't find a street address.
I listened to War of the Worlds done that way. If the story's good enough you can overlook the weirdness of the pronunciations and the fact it pauses every time it hits a period, even after Mr. and Mrs., but really it only makes sense as a free way to convert out of copyright classics.