The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

keltora · Feb 21, 2005

Ed Williams said:
....and it seems that Travis Tea has made his impact even there.

I was involved in two signings, one show, and had one speaking engagement whilst there. Saturday afternoon I'd just finished a signing and had about three hours to kill before doing a little speaking. I decided to just poke around the town square - Dahlonega is an old north Georgia mining town, and has lots of restaurants and shops. I hate shopping, but I didn't want to have to drive back to the mountain cabin they graciously let me use for the weekend, so I decided to just poke around. Anyway, in my wanderings I came upon a little bookstore. I walked in, looked around some, and after awhile owner of the store came over and started a conversation with me. While we talked, I mentioned PublishAmerica, just to get a reaction. The following was her verbatim response:

"PublishAmerica? Those asses. We carried one book of theirs, cause the lady that wrote it came from around here and talked us into it. We tried calling them to order some more, and could never get anybody there to answer the phone, so we had to work out something where we bought the books direct from the author. Bad mistake, big pain in the *** to have to do that. And besides, after this Travis Tea **** I wouldn't be caught dead carrying one of their books now. Too embarrassing."

Uncle Jim, you know you've hit it big when you're the talk of the town in Dahlonega, Georgia...

This is rich! Thanks for sharing.

Laura J. Underwood (A Little Bit of Travis Tea--My ATLANTA NIGHTS can poke out your EYE OF ARGON any day!)

DRAGON'S TONGUE forthcoming from Meisha Merlin in the Summer of 2006. Preview a copy at http://www.embiid.net.

bluwinteryfox · Feb 21, 2005

T42 said:
Ha, thought I might fill you all in. I'm not a "writer" like you all. My spelling stinks and my grammer sucks. I do research. My book is based on over 20 years of research because I study herbs and have done so since I was 12. So if it looks like I just walked out of the cornfield...I did Although I put a darn good book together and made a bad choice of publishers.

You did research and put a book together. I have to disagree with you T42, you are a writer. There are different kinds of writers. Those who write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, magazine articles, self-help books.

LynnEtte

T42 · Feb 21, 2005

Thank you Fox, I really appreciate that. After being published by PA it makes you feel a little inadequate. I know my information is important and well put together but I sure hate it that I let that many years of work get into the wrong hands. But, I have learned my lesson and will fight them all the way. I don't want even more people to feel like I do. I don't have anything to lose by fighting them and I have everything to gain. (Getting my self respect back will be the "big win")

T42 · Feb 21, 2005

LynnEtte, I just noticed that you had your name at the bottem. I'm bad at shortening everyones user name and decided from one woman to another "fox" was not the best move

Diana Hignutt · Feb 21, 2005

James D. Macdonald said:
It's bated breath, not baited breath, Diana.

It means holding your breath.

So, you're saying that I shouldn't have eaten those worms?

T42 · Feb 21, 2005

Don't take that tone

DeadlyAccurate said:
Do they really say this? I mean, that's the phrase my mother used to use on me...when I was a snotty ten-year-old. No grown adult would use that phrase with another grown adult, right? Right?

First, James thanks for the info.

Deadly Accurate, they do indeed say that. I have several letters starting with that and saying that they want an apology.
What amazes me is how they treat pa authors like a classroom full of small children but what amazes me even more is all the "faithful pa authors" who don't seem to notice. Makes me want to ask if they need my diaper size too?

Well, I must get something done today...you all have a good one :Hug2:

bluwinteryfox · Feb 21, 2005

T42 said:
LynnEtte, I just noticed that you had your name at the bottem. I'm bad at shortening everyones user name and decided from one woman to another "fox" was not the best move

Mem or T42 you can call me by my penname of Monique, or blu or LynnEtte (just never shorten it to Lynn or I become

)

It takes time but most of us who have had PA print our manuscripts realize we were taken in by big time scam artists.

Kevin Yarbrough · Feb 21, 2005

T42 said:
Thank you Fox, I really appreciate that. After being published by PA it makes you feel a little inadequate. I know my information is important and well put together but I sure hate it that I let that many years of work get into the wrong hands. But, I have learned my lesson and will fight them all the way. I don't want even more people to feel like I do. I don't have anything to lose by fighting them and I have everything to gain. (Getting my self respect back will be the "big win")

PA makes you feel inadequate? I thought that was what marriage was suppose to do? Just joking...just joking. Don't take away my reputation points.

MEM, they won't sue. As it has been said many times before, PA does not want to see the inside of a courtroom. Neither does their lawyer, I think. I mean, after all, how would it look to the judge to see that they tried to have an author arrested for fraud knowing dang well that there was no fraud invovled? Plus, you get to get discovery if they take you to court. I'm more than sure PA doesn't want their biz opened up for everyone to see.

That's my opinion. Now where did I leave that decoder ring? PURPLE!!!!!!!!

Kevin Yarbrough · Feb 21, 2005

Diana Hignutt said:
So, you're saying that I shouldn't have eaten those worms?

Diana, were the worms at the bottom of a bottle of Tequila? If so, then eat all you want. If they were from the garden, then I would say try snails. I hear they taste better.

bikrpreacher · Feb 21, 2005

PublishAmerica

I don't think its so much that they might sue, (for us here on this board), it's more a thing of, if you tell them what you are doing, they look for ways to close doors. Trust me, it might take them awhile, but they are reading these boards,

Kevin Yarbrough · Feb 21, 2005

bikrpreacher said:
I don't think its so much that they might sue, (for us here on this board), it's more a thing of, if you tell them what you are doing, they look for ways to close doors. Trust me, it might take them awhile, but they are reading these boards, and they do know how to close a door...closed one on me, but luckly I had a backup!

Hey PA:

I wish they would close doors. Close the front door of their townhouse for good that is.

AnneMarble · Feb 21, 2005

cwgranny said:
Did you see the thing kas (I think it was him) said about "passive voice" -- it gave me a horrible stomach cramp to read it. I had to go lay down.

I couldn't figure out where I came from. OK, I realize that many (OK, most) writers label anything with a "was" as passive voice even when it isn't. But this goes far beyond that. In this case, I'm not even sure that he was even talking about the sentences with the "was" or about the action tags.

Anyway, you can use the same sort of examples without "is" or "was" in the dialogue and still avoid "said." That's because he was using action tags. I can avoid "said" by using similar tags.

The writer looked out the window, and turned toward her assistant.
"I ordered Chinese food half an hour ago."

The assistant got up from the chair and looked for herself.
"The delivery guy just pulled up!"

realitychuck · Feb 21, 2005

T42 said:
Thank you Fox, I really appreciate that. After being published by PA it makes you feel a little inadequate.

Being published by PA is absolutely no reflection on your writing. You made a mistake in choosing a publisher, that's all (and it is a easy mistake to make if you aren't aware of what PA actually is).

Jaws · Feb 21, 2005

T42 said:
After being published by PA it makes you feel a little inadequate.

I can see this now… which says I'm probably hallucinating…

Since Atlanta Nights seems to be so successful in helping writers overcome their PA-caused feelings of inadequacy, perhaps the Travis Tea Collective should be the spokespeople for the next, umm, big EDD drug? V1agra and C1al15 need a little competition; and there hasn't been a good celebrity spokesperson for these "products" since Bob Dole (which is even funnier if you knew him at all while he was "merely" Senate Minority Leader… or, worse yet, knew his wife at all at any time).

bikrpreacher · Feb 21, 2005

Jaws said:
I can see this now… which says I'm probably hallucinating…

Since Atlanta Nights seems to be so successful in helping writers overcome their PA-caused feelings of inadequacy, perhaps the Travis Tea Collective should be the spokespeople for the next, umm, big EDD drug? V1agra and C1al15 need a little competition; and there hasn't been a good celebrity spokesperson for these "products" since Bob Dole (which is even funnier if you knew him at all while he was "merely" Senate Minority Leader… or, worse yet, knew his wife at all at any time).

at Jaws, very funny.

T42 · Feb 21, 2005

Thanks Everyone

Really guys, you have to stop writing...I need to get some work done....I can't do that if you keep talking :Ssh:

Ha, I appreciate all the feedback and support. Now I'm going to shut this puter down and do something. Really!

James D. Macdonald · Feb 21, 2005

The News Keeps Spreading

Our good friends at The Free Republic have heard of Atlanta Nights. Go, us!

cwgranny · Feb 21, 2005

AnneMarble said:
I couldn't figure out where I came from. OK, I realize that many (OK, most) writers label anything with a "was" as passive voice even when it isn't. But this goes far beyond that. In this case, I'm not even sure that he was even talking about the sentences with the "was" or about the action tags.

I think his reasoning is this -- you are tagging the identity of the dialogue speaker (whose voice you are hearing) without actively pointing at him with a speech tag, thus identifying the speaker through the use of narrative action must be "passive voice." But to work out that kind of definition for a term he must never have seen in context (passive voice) reminds me of some "theories" some friends and I came up with about sex when we were about 12.

To me, one of the most tragically painful things about the PA board ISN'T the lack of information about PA -- it's the reality that some of these folks are honestly using it as their sole source of information about writing. I try not to read it because it makes me feel like crying for some of these writers. They're actually trying to learn...but guys, it helps if you get your sex talk from someone who has had sex. Or seen sex. Or read about sex. Hey, at least wait for a guy who has had a dog fall in love with his leg.

gran.

Christine N. · Feb 21, 2005

James D. Macdonald said:
It's bated breath, not baited breath, Diana.

It means holding your breath.

Baited breath is when you have a mouth full of worms.
(wait for it.... ah yes, you get it now)

reph · Feb 21, 2005

Bated breath

"Bate" comes from Middle English "baten," shortened from Middle English "abaten," to abate (source: American Heritage Dictionary). Bated breath is abated breath.

Christine N. · Feb 21, 2005

Travis Tea is..

being blamed for another negative review of a PA book on Amazon...

http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/lounge/7897.htm

Sigh. Yeah, you guys that wrote the book are the idiots, right. Who would ever think a bunch of professional writers would stoop to something like this??? Stepford people, that's who.

(I'm really not trying to pick on the author's, they really are the victims. I just wish they would realize it.)

bikrpreacher · Feb 21, 2005

Just thought I'd throw this in too, since I started emailing, people are looking up my book, so I put a review up myself if you want to check it out...just to try to explain what in the world is going on.

Jaws · Feb 21, 2005

Christine N. said:
Baited breath is when you have a mouth full of worms.
(wait for it.... ah yes, you get it now)

<

> Which is about right in some sense: PA had to put the hook into some authors and reel them in…</

>

(No personal attack intended.)

AnneMarble · Feb 21, 2005

Christine N. said:
being blamed for another negative review of a PA book on Amazon...

http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bin/pamessageboard/data/lounge/7897.htm

Good grief! I think that so-called "review" broke nearly all the guidelines about reviews on Amazon. Not only does it have nothing to do with the book, it also quotes somebody else's text and it includes off-site URLs. I'm surprised Amazon doesn't have filters that look for "http" in reviews.

Kevin Yarbrough · Feb 21, 2005

Jaws said:
<> Which is about right in some sense: PA had to put the hook into some authors and reel them in…</>

(No personal attack intended.)

Jaws, they didn't bait me or reel me in. I was walking along, found the fish on the ground and took it home and cooked it. Stupid me, since I ended up in the bathroom all night and had to buy new underwear. Guess the foul stench that came from it should have given it away. But, you know, I wanted to be able to say...

"Hey, look! I got a fish. I'm a fisherman."

The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

fun's my middle name

Herb Lady

Herb Lady

Very Tired

Herb Lady

fun's my middle name

Will write for peace of mind

Will write for peace of mind

Will write for peace of mind

Nefarious Ghost Fan

Hack Writer

Apex Predator

Herb Lady

Your Genial Uncle

haz a shiny new book cover

Fig of authority

haz a shiny new book cover

Apex Predator

Nefarious Ghost Fan

Will write for peace of mind