Re: PA Review and check out that cover
A thousand copies of their own book?
Is that what you're saying?
Let's see ... typically $19.95.
If they get the 30% discount, that's $13,965 plus $502.50 in shipping, for $14,467.50 on the credit card.
If they're new authors and get a 50% discount, that's $9,975 plus the same $502.50 for $10,477.50.
If they've got a deal with a 55% discount (the biggest discount I've ever heard PA giving), then it's $8,977.50 plus $502.50 for $9,480 out of pocket.
Let's see what kind of ads they could buy themselves for the same money (and not have to fill the basement with cartons of books)....
For just $12,840, 3/10 of a page (darned-near that half page, all for you, and no competition -- you know it's going in!) Or for $8,860, 1/5 of a page. What a saving! What a deal!
But, actually, we know the advertising isn't worth a darn to PA authors. The purpose of print advertising for books is this: To tell people who are waiting for a certain book (for example, the next John Grisham novel), "Hey, you know that book you were planning to buy the minute it came out? It's out!"
But no one's waiting for these books. And if a cover catches some random reader's eye, and he considers looking for it next time he's in a bookstore, the author is still out of luck because that book isn't going to be in a bookstore.
So -- no increase in sales for the PA authors. Big increase in sales for PA, though -- selling books to their own authors, and bringing in wannabee authors who see the PA logo in the NYT Book Review. (Several standard vanity presses run monthy or even weekly ads there, for just that reason. To hook new suckers.)
