Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

Richard Falk

Author of "Warp"
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I particularly liked this comment on the PAMB from our friend Purple Snowflake:

Sadly the forum here is like a graveyard... spooky and quiet. So I'll no longer be spending time here...
Maybe the forum has become quiet because it's endlessly being spammed by a certain party from north of the border intent on promoting their ebook on how to sell vanity-published books? Perhaps people got fed up with trawling through all that self-promotion to get to some real discussions?
 

Gillhoughly

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There are no "real discussions" on the PAMB.

The info monster (HI, MIRANDA!!!) deletes anything that could possibly be seen as a crit of PA and the regulars must have twigged. They may be on another board where censorship is not an issue.

The PAMB is for praising PA and promotion. Everything else dies a swift death in oblivion.
 

Chris P

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Nah, I never meant to suggest one of us contact her; that would be unprofessional. I was considering doing another book with PA (just weeks after my first was printed and before reality dawned), but fortunately I found Preditors and Editors and then AW. My next books will have a better chance and I talked my dad out of doing his second with PA (although, for what he wants, except for the price PA might have worked).
 

Marian Perera

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Still a few loyalists around, with the usual problems.

Hey this is so cool now I have two books on Barnes and Nobles and Books a Million. However. I got an authors copy of <title 2>. I got a copy of <title 1> but I havent got my copy of <title 2> yet. I am concern. because I dont have the money yet to buy my own copies and I have nothing to use to promote <title 2> but word of mouth. I had a huge cry for this book and yet I dont have the copy to promote it. It was to my understanding that we got a free copy for each book we released. Now was it even sent or does it go by how many books you sold. I have not lost faith in Publish America but I can't sell a product if I don't have it in hand. And I can't order a book because at the time my budget is limited to such things now. I am currently writing the screen play for <title 2> and Books 2 and 3 (which will also be snet to Publish America.) this year.

I wonder if he'll still continue to send his manuscripts to PA even if he doesn't get an author copy or any response.

I will be home tomorrow and friday to recieve calls for Publish America. But not today.

I'm sure PA can assure him that they called today.
 

Gillhoughly

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I know that guy. He's all over FaceBook with his rah-rah for PA, all his books, and has far too much invested in them to make a break.

He's happy for now, let's leave him alone.

If he ever wakes up, we'll make him welcome, same as all the others who've smelled the coffee.
 

Marian Perera

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Two authors (one a newbie and one who should be used to it by now) express concern over the prices.

It is great that they give us the author these deals, but for my friends and family that live across the country it is embarrassing for me to tell them the cost of my book. I personally can't afford to buy the $7.77, $8.88, $9.99 etc. etc.... if I buy 5 copies, or ten or however many PA says I need to buy to get the deal. It would be nice if they took some of that $ that we could "save" to get our copies and just applied it to the sales of our books online. More people would buy the book guaranteed! We could actually get a royalty check (I have never recieved one, and I don't really care if I do,

I could never understand this. Why don't people care about getting the royalties that are rightfully due to them?

Sure, it's not the most money I've ever made, but it's money that I earned from my writing, and that makes it special to me.

I just want to see my book out there for people to enjoy) and PA would profit alot more
icon_smile.gif
We would all win!

P.S. My sister in-law wrote a children's book with full color and it is listed on here for $24.95!! Who in their right mind would buy that? It is a great book, don't get me wrong, but seeing that price most people will never even give it a second look!

One of the few remaining cheerleaders gave the usual advice - get people to pay upfront (good luck with that if the people don't already know you) and use the money for the special offers.

Take orders from the people who are expressing interest in your book but were dismayed about the price and use the $7.77 to get the books to them. Have them prepay you for the books. That would be the best thing to do. Ask for the $7.77 plus shipping cost whatever that may be in your area for and postage.

That means you'll be losing money, since PA will charge you an inflated price for shipping. And you won't be getting any royalties out of it either.
 

Unimportant

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You know how when you copy and paste from one program to another, things like hyphens and smart quotes can get garbled? I'm betting that's what happened when a PA author's book title got pasted into Amazon: the punctuation mark in her book title got garbled into the characters ….

The author noticed, and asked PA:
How come on Amazon.com the title of my book is all deformed?

PA's reply isn't "Oh, goodness gracious, we'll get that fixed right away" (which you'd expect from a normal publisher), or even their usual "Oh, it must be AMAZON's fault, you'll have to complain to THEM." No, they say:
Must be the bogeyman..

Leaves me speechless, it does.
 

cryaegm

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This is probably off topic, and I hate to admit it, but I sent an email to PA when I was 13/14. They said I was too young to get published.

Two years later, I actually do the research, and found out it was a bad, bad place.

Thank god they let me dodge a bullet.
 

PVish

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Uh-oh. Still up this morning but ain't gonna last long. PA won't appreciate the author's responses:
Nice, thanks for the serious response...... I appriciate your professionalism!!!
and
BTW you spelled "boogyman" wrong.

ETA: I just noticed someone upstream had already quoted this, but I'll leave it up. My bet is that whoever "edits" the PAMB is either running late or doesn't get to work until 9 AM.
 
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JulieB

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I could never understand this. Why don't people care about getting the royalties that are rightfully due to them?

Because some people just want their books "out there." It's not always a case of Author: The Role Playing Game. Some people feel like they have a mission or calling to share particular information and they're just happy to have it published. If that's what they want, that's fine. I would prefer to send those folks to Lulu or CreateSpace so they could manage their books themselves. I think they'd have a better shot at getting their message out.