The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

Re: Another news story from a couple days ago

Publish America told Local 2 that the author's friends and family make up a small percentage of the sales. Officials said they market with news releases and review copies.

Okay. Let's see if this is true:

18 per book to friends and family. (Actually, that would be 18/book responding to PA's friends-and-family mailing -- they wouldn't know how many F&F buy at the special order desk at bookstores.)

15 per book via brick-n-mortar bookstores.

75 sold per book (on average).

So, yes! PA's statement is true!

24% of PA books are sold to Friends and Family. That's a small percentage.

20% are sold through bookstores.

That leaves 56% unaccounted for. Larry says that less than half the books are sold to the authors themselves, and I wouldn't want to accuse Larry of fibbing, so let's say the authors buy 49% directly from PublishAmerica.

The other 7% comes from strangers (or from the author, the author's family, and the author's friends) buying through amazon.com, bn.com, other on-line retailers, or directly from the PA website. By a weird coincidence 7% is close to the internet's share of total bookbuying.

Of the (20!) books that are sold retail, 25% are on-line and 75% are through bookstores. Therefore, "most" books that are "sold retail" are sold "in" brick-and-mortar bookstores, just like PA says.

(Copies sold to the author and copies sold via the special family-and-friends promotion aren't sold "retail.")

This contains a bunch of assumptions. I'm looking forward to the information that subpoenas will bring to see how close my guesses were to the truth.

Uncle Jim, I think you are hittin'...

...pretty close to the target there re those PA book sales figures. And I still can't believe that LA Times article about "Atlanta Nights," surely that will move a few copies of this wondrous epistle.

The New Three Stooges, Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem have got to be wondering when this media onslaught is going to end...

Re: Uncle Jim, I think you are hittin'...

The New Three Stooges, Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem have got to be wondering when this media onslaught is going to end...

Click to expand...

Moe-randa and Curlem -- I love it. When will the onslaught end? Shoot, I think it's just now building up momentum. It ain't over by a longshot. Do you suppose the Moronic 3 are busy getting their traveling papers in order?

Sherry

Re:walking papers

God, lets hope so!

t

Re: article

So, 80% to self and family and friends. I have a small family, lol.
I can't believe Atlanta Nights, I honestly thought they formatted the manuscript before they printed it! I am so stupid! Re, page 44, ha 57, there is more, didn't you all think that they AT LEAST formatted the pages? Why do they tell you that if you add too many words you will mess up the format then? This is crazy. :rollin

Postings?

If you're posting somewhere that they delete posts that tell the truth, you might want to consider disguising the topics with Moe-ronic titles or post in existing topics. You might even post one or two messages first before springing the real meat into the new topic. You might even start off the actual post with something that's sweet or totally in synch with the topic before changing gears to what you want to say.

Also, use cut and paste to your advantage. Have what you want to say ready to paste so that you can reach numerous topics with ease. Then when you do, hit as many topics as possible before they catch up to you with a banishment. Then when they do, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you might have reached at least one other writer who doesn't know or suspect the truth yet.

Re: CalendarLive

That's right, the faster you can put the messages everywhere, the better off you are, that's what I did right before I was banned, I could watch them deleting as I was posting, but a couple stayed long enough hidden. They can't read everything. I used the copy and paste, just pasted it everywhere.If you min. your screens so that two can go side by side, you can post in the public and private... I still can't post...I'm just shocked about it, aren't you?
Chris

Chris, it is throwing me no end...

...that PA would do that to you. What a bunch of wax sandwiches...

:x

Re: PA New Releases...

I just hope that some of those employees that PA has hired are aware that some of the actions they're told to do may be illegal. By following through with those, they may be placing themselves in legal jeopardy.

As well, it should be apparent to them already that PA's house is crumbling. How many more major news stories do they think PA can weather before the authorities act now that the media is focusing attention on PA? Are they that eager to meet Mike Wallace or later share a room at Camp Cupcake with Moe-randa?

If they're smart, they'll also "accidentally-on-purpose" miss some posts so that they can later swear how they helped expose the ongoing fraud to more writers. Remember, Moe-randa can only read so much before her eyes glaze over.

Re: PA New Releases...

Full text of the article's been posted <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/pegruda/11955.html" target="_new">here</a>.

Re: The Stooges

If they're smart, they'll also "accidentally-on-purpose" miss some posts so that they can later swear how they helped expose the ongoing fraud to more writers. Remember, Moe-randa can only read so much before her eyes glaze over.

Click to expand...

This is a great idea, they could even take screen shots. You can bet that if I worked with them right now, I'd be doing something to cover myself, maybe even get in touch with you Dave, or someone for sound advice. I can't imagine how tough it would be to be there looking at it all.

Something important is being missed

Whether it means anything to you or not, I've been a writers' advocate for nine years now with the Preditors & Editors (tm) site. I've learned a few things over the years. One of the most shocking points didn't hit me until almost after a year of examining scams. What was it?

Almost every scammer (agent, publisher, or editing service) avoids signing minors. The few I've heard of that were signed were generally by accident and the scammers almost invariably rushed to return any money and terminate the contract with the minor upon learning that their client wasn't of age. Why?

Because the scammers knew that the courts would look very unfavorably upon such a contract as grossly unfair, not to mention taking advantage. Furthermore, the scammers knew that such cases could reach the court quicker than anything else because those would grab the attention of prosecutors who would want to prove to their communities that they protect their children.

Now compare PA to other publishers, many of whom have published books written by children. How many child authors has PA signed?

Shouldn't that tell you something? Shouldn't that tell you something serious and significant?

If anyone wants to post this in PA's forum as a quote from me, feel welcome to do so.

Creativity at it's best

"The New Three Stooges, Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem ...."

....classic....

"Do you suppose the Moronic 3 are busy getting their traveling papers in order?"

Hardly,........like most scam artists, they probably already have an escape plan laid out and can apply it at the last minute....

Re: PA has got to be hurting...

Good info Dave, I'm going to go watch the PA boards for awhile, it's been kinda dead over there if you've noticed.

Edited to fix mistakes, I've been reading Atlanta Nights

Re: CalendarLive

and some of them STILL don't know I'm a woman. I could go to the camp out and no one would know who I was"! :rollin
they won't post but the emails are pouring in...lol good grief. wonder if your email can crash your computer?

www.publishamerica.com/cg...e/7651.htm

Re: PA

:lol You're going to get the poor girl banned, and she won't know why.

Re: And the beat goes on......

Yes she will know why, we are emialing back and forth...she just told me to go pray because we are in hot water...I'm bad but it's been so quiet:rollin

but guess what! I'm getting more unhappy author emails by the second...lol I'm telling them all to come join me over here!

Re: PA

That poses an interesting dilemma for PA.

What if hundreds of PA writers asked on the PA forum the same question or posted the same link to a site critical of PA?

Just think of the overall impact after PA bans them all. The PA board would screech to a near halt with only HB, Joyce, Marti, Kas, and a few others left to post.

Personally, I think it would be worth recommending to many of those writers. It would surely be a wakeup call for some that are only at the questioning stage if they saw that many writers suddenly banned at the same time for only asking a question.

Re: And the beat goes on......

You are a genuis!
And the logo woke up, but HA! I have more people now...maybe it will pop up somewhere else...you never know what those crazy authors over there will do.

Re: A blast from the recent past...

I see you all fell off your chairs again...you have to watch that.
www.publishamerica.com/cg...s/2894.htm
Well, not the way I would have put it, but I'm not there...maybe she won't get banned...
Message:
This is another slam for our publisher if anyone is keeping up with it and wants to read it. www.livejournal.com/users...11955.html

Re: chairs

I think I hurt myself on that last fall


*rubs heiney*


t

Re: Smokes

WEll, that one didn't last as long as the first one..and missy just posted on the camp out thread so she's not banned yet,
they won't ban them, but they will never again let me in I dont' think. Well, gotta go watch a movie. I really wish they all could see that article about the book...I asked one other to post on the writing discussion board, maybe she will.
Anyway, nite all...see you tomorrow.
Chris

Re: from the HB interview...

bikrpreacher-I didn't try to get mine in a bookstore either.
I sold MaryKay a long time ago and had way more luck with that! When I did that, I knew what the deal was at the beginning. However, there was a lot of people to turn to for advice and the name was well known. I can't find any advantages now. My book was printed and that's pretty much the long and short of it.


Wanted to add that years ago, I worked in a small bookstore. We would order any book the customer wanted, if we could. The rub was that the customer paid the price and the shipping as well. I know that was years ago, and the customer usually just wanted something they couldn't find in stores, but was still in print.

I can't imagine a customer going into a bookstore and asking for my book. Could they find it? Would they even order a copy for someone and add the shipping? I don't even think it would be as easy as it was for us years ago.

Selling Briskly

Lulu Sales Rank: 58
Hits: 20,875
Sales: 144
Royalties: $162.50

Mentioned on 402 web pages.
Discussed in 85 blogs and LiveJournals.

"Your story-fu is strong, young Jedi."

<a href="http://www.lulu.com/commerce/addreg.php?fBuyContent=102550">
<img src="http://www.lulu.com/themes/common/images/icons/buynow_hw_orange.gif" border="0" alt="Buy Atlanta Nights at Lulu!">
</a>

Uncle Jim, at the very least...

...you have a cult hit on your hands, maybe more. I imagine Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem are not real happy campers about it all right now.

Shemp: "I'm as pretty as a picture."

Moe: "Yeah. Of an ape." *WHAP*

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk...