Return of a Man Named PAMB and its Quotes

The bitter glow of enlightenment dawns on the "special deal" thread:

They need to come back with the buy 1 get 5 and pay shipping for the 1st one. This is the only way I will purchase books from now on now that I know what PA pays per book to have printed. Do the research, its out there.

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http://bb.publishamerica.com/viewtopic.php?t=33298

Another thread started by that author about shipping fees.

My last post got erased. We pay $3.99 per book for shipping,which is way too much. If we order 50 books it would cost close to $200 which is outlandish. I can ship 50 books to California from Pennsylvania for around $30. Our books are marked up 1200% so why the need to profit off the authors for shipping? We need more authors to let PA know how you feel about the shipping prices. They could ship to us via media mail which would benefit everyone. We as authors could then keep our prices at an affordable price to our consumers. I would appreciate it if PA would not erase this post this time and take into matter the problem. Just because you erase a post the problem doesn't go away.

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And someone responded with an even higher shipping cost.

My daughter just ordered a book...one book.... and the shipping was $4.99. It is outrageous, but honestly, I don't see it changing any time soon. So we either make a conscious decision to pay it or not to order any books. Or, like you said, wait for the better deals to come out from the bookstore.

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$4.99 shipping fee : A price only your family will pay.

a soon-to-be cluebie on the PAMB said:

My last post got erased. We pay $3.99 per book for shipping,which is way too much. ... I would appreciate it if PA would not erase this post this time and take into matter the problem. Just because you erase a post the problem doesn't go away.

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I'm hoping the atomic light-bulb will come on for this poster when InfoMonster inevitably erases this post, and that the poster won't waste any more time beating their head against a wall.

Giving PA suggestions on how to more effectively sell books to readers is like trying to give Al Capone pointers on how to stay out of jail by paying taxes on bootleg liquor. It might work, but it ain't gonna happen.

I've paid $3.99 for shipping something before... if it's heavy, or I'm ordering it from Amazon with next-day delivery.

I'm glad to see the PA newbies are catching on quickly these days.

*Poof* gone.

PA sometimes provides a cure for the Kool-ade themselves.

Dear PA writers, come on over to AW.

You won't be censored here for speaking the truth.

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Queen of Swords said:

. . . $4.99 shipping fee : A price only your family will pay.

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One-offs of anything are (typically) expensive, and shipping involves packaging as well as postage. It is when that sort of price is simply multiplied for a large order (same per unit, even in quantity, which I gather is now PA's practice) that it is a ripoff.

Gotta tell you, I am frequently appalled at Lulu's outrageous shipping charges (and it overpackaging, for that matter), and have cancelled many orders when I saw the shipping charge. Lots of variation in shipping charges on the Net, with some, like Amazon, offering free shipping for orders of over $25. (Not sure how they can afford that, but they apparently can.)

--Ken

I just visited Lulu, something I haven't done before. A friend recently released a book there. Twenty bucks for a paperback and you can't check out without creating an account, so I clicked out of it before I got to the shipping page. I can only imagine that won't be pleasant. I'll buy it, of course, since he's a friend, but I think I need a bracing cup of tea first.

kullervo said:

I just visited Lulu, something I haven't done before. A friend recently released a book there. Twenty bucks for a paperback and you can't check out without creating an account, so I clicked out of it before I got to the shipping page. I can only imagine that won't be pleasant. I'll buy it, of course, since he's a friend, but I think I need a bracing cup of tea first.

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Prices can be set much lower (though much depends on page count and on choice of trim size and paper, and the rest on the profit the author chooses). Unfortunately, Lulu's shipping charges are very high. (Yeah, griping about that again . . .)

--Ken

I actually think Amazon charges something like 3.99 for shipping on anything under $20, though, even a single book. I try to keep my orders higher just to avoid that, but I had something recently that left me shocked as I'd forgotten how much it was.

I also used to sell on Amazon, and the shipping credit I received was also about $3.99. It's the reason you can sell a book for a penny and still make a profit--it costs less than two dollars to actually ship it. It's been one of my longstanding complaints and I think many companies inflate shipping costs in the same way a restaurant might charge two dollars for a soda that costs them ten cents. I imagine that's one of the ways they're able to get away with offering free shipping on more expensive items.

Granted, Amazon obviously doesn't charge per book, but it's still rather expensive.

Well, I tried to order the book. I didn't get past the shipping address. Lulu told me my shipping address "did not match the FedEx address record" and nor did my zip code. I can't help it; that is my shipping address and zip code. I could not submit an email for help because I did not yet have an order number.

I shall re-try with my home address, although that is not my preference. Let's see, FedEx to Hawaii. That's not expensive, I'm sure...

About 330. I did manage to get the order through after one of the most lavishly poor customer experiences ever. At least they let me pay through PayPal after they proudly announced they would hold on to my credit card information for me otherwise. Grand total—$24 with USPS shipping. I did manage to find a way around paying for FedEx, which would have raised the price to $30 with the slowest possible shipping (book on boat to Hawaii).

I would advise anyone before they choose a vanity press to at least try placing an order with the company, because ouch.

kaitie said:

I actually think Amazon charges something like 3.99 for shipping on anything under $20, though, even a single book. I try to keep my orders higher just to avoid that, but I had something recently that left me shocked as I'd forgotten how much it was.

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If you're an Amazon Prime member, two-day shipping is free for every order Amazon themselves fulfill, period. If you want next-day delivery, it's $3.99/item for Prime users, or $4.99/item for same-day delivery, if it's in a warehouse local to you and you order before about 1pm (at which point they take it out of the warehouse and drive it over to you in a car). Which is actually fairly reasonable... I've yet to see any other company that'll do overnight shipping for less than like $15. And generally, you don't need things Right Now, so the free two-day shipping is more than sufficient.

Admittedly, I don't know if Prime shipping costs apply to Alaska or Hawaii. Overnight to Hawaii from the mainland would probably be a Lot More Expensive on the backend.

So I guess if PublishAmerica was charging $4.99/item for shipping /and/ was shipping it next-day priority so the folks got their books right away, then I'd see the shipping charges as pretty generous. But they don't. People pay that and then never see the books at all, or see them six months later.

A newbie's first question:

Hello All,

I just received my author's copy, and I am very happy to finally join the ranks of being a published author.

Could someone please clarify for me what the deal is with the "price edition" announcement? I got am e mail last week saying that that my book will be available for $12.95 (down from $24.95) if I activate the price edition release. This is a much more reasonable price for a children's book, so hopefully it will be more appealing to potential buyers.

But, doesn't there have to be some big difference between the two, if they are side by side on the online store, and the quality is the same? What reason would anyone have to pay twice as much?

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I wonder how long the new price will stay on the online store. . . .

kullervo said:

. . . before they choose a vanity . . . .

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I'd categorize Lulu as a subsidy press (or simply as a front-end to book printing, depending on how one uses it, who owns the ISBN, whether the book has an ISBN). But yes, good advice to test performance.

The trouble with real, no-holds-barred vanity presses is that they persuade the author that the publisher has chosen the author, not the other way around. ("They wanted my book!" Exploitation of vanity + gullibility.) PA is in that camp, along with others that have different operating models (Vantage and its ilk). POD has its uses and sometimes its advantages, but low cost of books is not one of them.

--Ken

This is likely off topic, but the shipping price was a factor in my not placing an order today.

I found a used copy of a book I'd like. No, the author doesn't make anything from the sale, but I'm on a budget. New books are a luxury so long as I have a mortgage to feed. (Nope, the library doesn't have it yet.)

With 3.99 shipping, the total price was 9.87 and I'd get delivery in a few days. (I'd also get the packing materials to recycle.)

The Kindle edition was 9.84. Instant delivery. No recycling needed.

So until the used hard copy price + S&H drops lower than the digital price, it looks like I'll download this one and read it from my computer. It's the kind of book I'll only read once. I have 100s of them taking up space in my library.

When I get the time, I'll cull my collection, but for the present, for this one title, I will have spared myself that future necessity.

And the author will get a bit of a royalty.

Just a thought.

We now return to our regular wankage of the slimebags who run PA.

James D. Macdonald said:

The base price for a 330 page book at Lulu is $13.75.

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I just bought him dinner.

Gillhoughly said:

. . .So until the used hard copy price + S&H drops lower than the digital price, it looks like I'll download this one and read it from my computer. . . . .

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I favor downloads to my Kindle when I can, even if it costs a bit more than a used copy. No room for more books and thousands to find new homes for already. Yeah, off topic . . . but not totally. I am reminded again of my writer friend who has been hoodwinked into believing that her PA memoir is in an ebook version and widely, easily available. No, it is not. PA lied and she believed the lie. The book is not without merit for a niche audience, and she deserved better. Any real publisher would have put it out in an ebook edition as a low-cost opportunity to reach more of that niche -- and would not have fooled her into paying for the privilege.

--Ken

A newbie asks:

Hello PA, how long does it take to get ordered copy of your book? Because I ordered my book, [title redacted] about 6 weeks ago and I haven't yet received it. I need some answers please!

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and another answers:

I am not sure if I can help. I am just another Author like you; check out my web-site if you wish [URL redacted]. When my book first came out it did take awhile. Eight weeks I believe or maybe a little longer? I have been told sometimes it can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks for your books to come in. ( I read on one of the message board entries that sometimes bigger orders take longer too?) But again I am not sure if everyone has had this experience. But don’t worry when it comes – it is worth the wait. You could also call them about your order. I have in the past and they were very helpful.

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Hope springs eternal, etc.

This guy won't give up. Better grab it before it's poofed:

Why does PA erase any negative comments or qestions from the message board? PA needs to be a little more open-minded of suggestions and comments. We are the authors that purchase books from PA and make the company what it it is. Sometimes we get frustrated with the process and need to vent or get some answers. WHen PA just deletes the comment, it solves nothing. I am still awaiting a reply from PA on the crazy shipping prices of $3.99 per book. There is no reason to charge us authors this much $ for shipping accept to make $ on the shipping. Media mail works just as good and could save us authors $ which would keep our costs down so we could keep our costs down for our consumers. Whats the deal PA? By the way, i copied this message so I can just repost if erased. Looking for some answers.

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And on the above thread, he added this:

With the prices they charge for shipping they should send over night via helicopter.

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Wow. Grabbed it just in time. It's gone now.

They are open minded so long as your wallet is open.

They're trying to buy another helicopter. The first one crashed.