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Title Wave Management

rejectME

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I have received several e-mails about this organization that is reported to be run by "authors who want to help other writers get published."
They don't claim to be a literary agency, but an group that helps writers develope their mss, put together proposals for publishers, and help send them out to "traditional publishers" for placement.
They advise that they charge a one time fee as opposed to taking royalties like an agency. Of course this could be because they don't want to have any connection to the writer after the fact. Here's an example...

One poor soul in particular sent an e-mail recommending the group because they had helped him get "published."
He paid their set up fee and apparently worked with them to find the right publisher.
I went to Amazon.com to see who he published with and low & behold, it was none other than... PA!
I was sickened by this. That someone had the audacity to take someone's money to get them into PA when a writer without a pulse could get in on their own.

Jerry
 

rejectME

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rejectME said:
One poor soul in particular sent an e-mail recommending the group because they had helped him get "published."
He paid their set up fee and apparently worked with them to find the right publisher.
I went to Amazon.com to see who he published with and low & behold, it was none other than... PA!

As it turns out, the "poor soul" is one of the people running the group and goes by Jay or Jason.

SCAM AWAY, JAY... We're watching!

Jerry
 

CaoPaux

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I think Dave K. mentioned this one in the PA thread. It's run by a handful of PA authors. Check out P&E for his take on them (Not Recommended).

I agree, though: sad and useless.
action-smiley-002.gif
 

tfdswift

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yikes

All these things are jumping up and saying "Run and Hide" Please tell me that somewhere out there is hope for a newbie????

~~Tammy
 

Richard

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Sure, it's called Google. Two seconds to find out about most of the scam artists (including the absence of any impact at all...), with absolutely nothing they can do about it ;-)
 

DaveKuzminski

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Richard said:
Sure, it's called Google. Two seconds to find out about most of the scam artists (including the absence of any impact at all...), with absolutely nothing they can do about it ;-)

While Google is among the best tools available, it lacks one thing that would make it truly useful. It doesn't include recommendations. This is important because I've seen writers back down before because of legal threats from scammers that were nothing more than bluffs. Therefore, the most useful tools in a writer's kit are going to remain Writer Beware, Absolute Write, P&E, and so forth because they don't back down from the empty threats of scammers.
 

Savannah Blue

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rejectME said:
I have received several e-mails about this organization that is reported to be run by "authors who want to help other writers get published."
They don't claim to be a literary agency, but an group that helps writers develope their mss, put together proposals for publishers, and help send them out to "traditional publishers" for placement.
They advise that they charge a one time fee as opposed to taking royalties like an agency. Of course this could be because they don't want to have any connection to the writer after the fact. Here's an example...

One poor soul in particular sent an e-mail recommending the group because they had helped him get "published."
He paid their set up fee and apparently worked with them to find the right publisher.
I went to Amazon.com to see who he published with and low & behold, it was none other than... PA!
I was sickened by this. That someone had the audacity to take someone's money to get them into PA when a writer without a pulse could get in on their own.

Jerry

Bolding is mine to make referrence easier.

Since this 'company' is charging $300.00 to help authors be 'printed' by PublishAmerica, does this mean there will be a new generation of PublishAmerica authors who cannot sing the tune..."I never paid a dime to have MY book published?" :tongue
 

akaa1a

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What's really scary is...

the money that Title Wave Agents make probably goes right back into PA's pocketbook when they go to buy their own books to sell.

Whatcha bet PA gives them a kickback? Deeper Discounts, anyone?

It's like a form of blackmarket slavery... find the authors, lock 'em in, and we'll pay you to drop them off at our doorstep.:mad:
 

Alphabeter

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Purely for my own twisted curiosity:

if someone does go with Title Wave, :crazy:
pays them [TW] money to
get 'published' by PA and :Smack:
pays them [PA] money for
copies of their own book :eek:

Whom do they sue first? :Shrug:

A :Sun:
 

James D. Macdonald

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Over at their site, Title Wave says:
[font=Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial]Okay, so how many times do we have to say it-WE ARE NOT PUBLISHERS OR LITERARY AGENTS. We have never, nor will ever claim to be so. We are a group of published authors who's main focus is editing and doctoring manuscripts, and helping our clients by pitching their work for them. Literary Agents and Publishers don't charge fees, we do, because we have to. We don't have the financial backing that Literary Agents have. We are an alternative. Authors come to us for our experience and our willingness to help them. Getting published is a hurdle, not a simple step, and we never guarantee that it will happen. Thank you.


Unfortunately, they fail the walks-like-a-duck/talks-like-a-duck test. They're an agency, and a fee-charging one at that.

Since the only credits that allow them to call themselves "published authors" seem to be from PublishAmerica, and their only sales for others seem to have been to PublishAmerica, exactly what expertise they have in editing, "doctoring," and pitching manuscripts remains to be seen.

[/font][font=Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial] We only pitch to traditional, reputable publishing houses and presses that pay, at minimum, industry standard royalties.


Goodness! I hadn't realized that PublishAmerica was reputable, or that 8% of net was industry standard.

Guys, while I'm certain that your hearts are in the right place (between the 4th and 6th ribs, slightly to the left of centerline), please, find a different hobby.

[/font]
 

Jaws

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Snarzler said:
Purely for my own twisted curiosity:

if someone does go with Title Wave, :crazy:
pays them [TW] money to
get 'published' by PA and :Smack:
pays them [PA] money for
copies of their own book :eek:

Whom do they sue first? :Shrug:

A :Sun:

Their parents, for recklessly letting them attain the age of majority without having a guardian ad personem appointed. ;)
 

Alphabeter

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Shark, will you represent me when I sue my mother for letting me reach my age of majority without the sense of the common?

And I am unanimous in that.

Yeah, cuz its like totally her fault for like thinking that I could like survive on my own. I went with PA for gosh darn tootin' sakes!

On the other hand, she could be part of that grand conspiracy to make artiste children Mature and Responsible. In which case I'm so gonna have a dragon bite her in the sequel.

A :Sun: