The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

Re: That dead horse

This is why we shouldn't "review" PA author's work out of spite.

I have a book due out this May and a second book coming out next year from a traditional publisher. Posting a "review" as an attempt to hurt another writer is mean-spirited and leads to a path you'll regret later. It could also hurt a talented writer into not finding a traditional publisher once PA's honeymoon period is over.

Jenna, you want to know why PA authors feel you're against them? Just read over the last several pages of this thread, starting with the "review" of HB's work.

Your answers are there.

D James

Re: This is like watching the same...

Look D James the tune is sounding familiar. Nobody is attacking authors here and never has. If you're referring online reviews, that's ludicrous. If you put a book for sale online with amateur reviews allowed you're gonna get bad ones. Here's what big authors do about that: 0.

It's meaningless unless Kirkus and Library Journal does it, then I'd worry. Michael Crichton's latest has a pile of negative reviews. And should from the premise. When you climb on the stage you have to be willing to take the tomatoes with the cheers or get off.

As far as parting the hairs on a corpse about what constitutes an advocate over strong opinion they go hand in hand so this is more argumentative posturing you've conjured to sort those out that whipped you in the argument over PA.

No careers are going to be made or broken over vanity press books. Without getting out of that dungeon none will have one.

Re: Sick of this

"Who" not "that."

As to the copying of records, all of my federal jobs require this on the first day. I've never had a publisher ask though. The problem with PA (in this area) is there are no records that the writer can see save the generic undetailed statement they send out. Real vanity presses have online sales records that break it down to months and activity from where.

As has been said here, it will take a subpoena to get Ingram, LS to cough up these records on PA. Why do you think that is?

Re: Is there any policy on these boards...

Nice romp down memory lane in that thread. Here's the summary: D james was handed his hat on every publishing question in the mill, yet he fought on valiantly continuing to argue the merits of PA. What were they again? I never decoded that message.

"Still full of show not tell" is my favorite.

Anyone heard or have the inside skinny...

....on the upcoming Associated Press epistle about PA?

:eek

Re: The fact of it is...

You should get a 1099-Misc form. BUT, (and for some this is a big one) your publisher/agent is only required to send you one if you've made over $600 with them. SO, your best bet it to save those royalty check stubs. Since most of us work another job and write, you'll need the stubs to add to your regular W-2 form income.

Of course, I am not a CPA. My dad worked for the IRS for 30 years and I learned a little something about taxes.

Jim, I think you do quarterlies? Most writers here probably won't, unless they receive the majority of their income from writing. They'll have to add their writing income to their everyday one while filling out the annual Federal Income Tax Form.

I don't do H&R block - I do Turbo Tax. Wonderful little piece of software, especially when you have as many loans that can claim deductions for interest as I do, plus two employed people and a child. My taxes look like instructions on how to fly a B-52. Schedule this and that, plus form whatever. If you can't afford an accountant, then Turbo Tax is the way to go.

Re: Looking forward to that royalty check!

$600?

oh, I'm SO safe then...

:rollin

Re: Royalty statements

SimonSays, there's one significant problem with PA that's never been resolved adequately. That's the problem PA has with giving references backing up their statements to writers. They're constantly putting out claims without any attribution to exact sources that can support any of their statements.

And personally, I don't like the idea of anyone entrusting that kind of information to someone who is a foreign national and has already demonstrated a disregard for ethics and laws.

Re: Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

There's a big difference in being employed, unemployed and receiving royalties from a publisher.

For one thing, the writer is NOT an employee of that publishing company, but receive payment on goods sold by such company.

When an agreement is reached between publisher/agent and author, the author signs a W-9. What is a W-9? This form is used for the purposes of reporting royalties paid to that person by the publisher to the IRS (only if the monies received is more or at least $600.00) if the royalties are less than $600.00, then the publisher is not required by the IRS to send the author an 1099-M, but should publisher choose to send author the 1099-M on any amount of royalty the author received from sale of books, then the author is required by law to report that amount on their year end tax filing.

Authors are not even contract employees of the publisher. Contract employees are contracted with such a company for a specific job description. The emlpyer then makes a copy of the contracted employee's drivers lic, and SS card for their record. The contracted employee fills out the correct form and turns in to the company, which in turn the company furnishes a copy to the IRS at the end of the year showing the company is not responsible for paying taxes on the hours the contracted employee has earned money on from their work with the company.

A contracted employee sets their own hours, works at their own pace, then turns in a worksheet to the company for payment of those hours and any other expenses agreeded to before hand to be reimbursed by said company. The contracted employee then is required by law to pay ALL income taxes on money earned. This means: Fed Taxes; State Taxes; FICA as well as HI. When paying the last two (FICA and HI Insurance) the contracted must pay the deductable amount, then match that deduction on both since he is self-employed via way of a contracted employee.

Not one person who has a book published through Publish America is an employee with PA, not even are they a contracted employee of that company, therefore they should NEVER send in a copy of the SS card nor a copy of their drivers lic.

If I were asked by PA to do this, I would demand they show me proof of the law that requires me to do so, since I am neither an employee of theirs nor am I a contracted employee of PA.

When I worked in the public field, this was my job, knowing the laws that governs employers/employees and keeping up with the laws that governs them. Many of those laws has be adjusted since then, but not this law.

Violet

Re: Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

Woo! Specific expertise, by the numbers and in detail! Violet, I am impressed. Thank you for nailing that down.

Re: Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

You're welcome. If asked I could even post the link to the Federal Guidelines on this subject.
Violet

Re: Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

If asked I could even post the link to the Federal Guidelines on this subject.

Pretty please?

Re: Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

For one thing, the writer is NOT an employee of that publishing company, but receive payment on goods sold by such company.

Click to expand...

Precisely!

PA has billed itself as one of the "largest employers" in the Frederick area. Hmmmm.

Re: Is there any policy on these boards...

My favorite is the selling of 500 books while standing on his head. I'm curious if he reached that goal, regardless of how.

A little bit of humor doesn't hurt every now and then.

Okay ya'll…I probably shouldn't do this, but I've just got to…

I know it’s a little late for Christmas songs. But I’d like to dedicate this tasty piece to all you PA “bashers” out there. To all of the well-known writers, editors, and scam-hunting masters that bash without it seeming like they’re bashing at all. To all of the well-known writers, editors, and scam-hunting masters that bash in such a way that they mysteriously cause some think they have no understanding of the definition of the word mercy (uh, we are talking about writers here). And heaven help us, I’ve learned something, too. They’re human beings of all things—complete with emotions. Imagine that.

I’d also like to dedicate this song to the newcomers that have finally seen the light, and are now venturing down that long, arduous road that leads to really being published. To you newcomers that bash modestly, and to you newcomers that bash in a way that might appear to some as though PA has finally gotten to you and you’re now teetering on the edge of insanity. Believe me when I say, “I know how you feel. I’m an X-PA author myself.” Anyhow, here’s a little song to cheer you up. I call it, Bashing Through the Snow.

Bashing through the snow—
In a one horse hope and sleigh—
Over the hills we go—
To PA all the way—
Bells on bobtails ring—
Making spirits bright—
O what fun it is to bash away on PA’s hide

Oh—

Bash away—
Bash away—
Bash on PA’s hide—
When they wake up in the morning PA’s gonna cry—

Oh—

Bash away—
Bash away—
Bash on PA’s hide—
When will they— ever learn that steal—ing is—n’t right—!

<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/roll.gif" />

Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

Okay, Uncle Jim, here is the link straight from the IRS Code book:

www.irs.gov/faqs/faq-kw54.html

Hope this works.

Violet

Re: Looking forward to that royalty check!

Never laugh at your own jokes Tim.

Employment/Unemployment SS card and Drivers Lic.

Sher, those people whom PA claims to employ will most likely fall into that section of 'contracted employee', meaning, they sat their own hours and determine for themselves how many ms they will run through the spell checker. They will then turn into PA the number of ms's they did and will be paid for the set amount agreeded with PA on those ms's.

At least I would think that would be how that works, this way it releaves PA from paying any kind of taxes on them by issuing a 1099-M at end if year.

Now, if PA sats the hours for those people to be in the building, sets the hours of when and how long those people works, then they ARE employees of PA.

However, for those people who are used as editors who are NOT located in the building but are connected through the Internet, those persons are considered as contracted employees.

Read through the posted IRS guidelines on this subject, the link I posted on the above post, it will explain the difference in the two.

Hope this helps to explain why no one should send in a copy of their drivers lic, nor a copy of their SS card to PA. They reall could be charged with breaking a Federal Law if pushed.

Violet

Re: That dead horse

This is why we shouldn't "review" PA author's work out of spite.

James, you recall my reaction to that post.

See also my comments at the bottom of <a href="http://p197.ezboard.com/fabsolutewritefrm32.showMessageRange?topicID=4.topic&start=421&stop=440" target="_new">this page</a>, same thread.

BTW, I'm sorry that Canada decided to remove his posts in that thread -- I found them interesting and engaging. (What I do with posts/posters who aren't interesting and engaging -- I don't reply to them, and eventually stop reading them.)

Thank you for reminding me of that thread. It dates back to before this one, and, while lengthy, is nowhere near so long.

Re: old threads and such

actually, reading that old page reminded me of what first set off warning bells for me as a PA author... unfortunately, not fast enough to avoid having my book put out, obvoiusly.

I read over and over again about how *I* was supposed to do my own promoting - which at first glance sounded sensible and logical, until it started to describe how to harass and bother store managers and reps.

silly me - here I am, walking into stores and asking politely if they would order some copies of my book, handing them an info flyer and letting it be - while on the PA forum other authors are describing such tricks as ordering your own book and then never picking it up, forcing the bookstore to put it on the shelves due to the no-return policy. Add to that just calling and harassing them over and over again, as HB has mentioned among others, and the tiny bells finally began to go off in me wee brain.

NO author should be resorting to dirty tricks to get their book into bookstores - NO author should have to cajole, harass and nearly threaten bookstore managers and reps to order copies - NO author should have to lay out hundreds of dollars to order copies of his/her own book for a bookstore signing!

(and we've already seen how PublishAmerica is unable or unwilling to supply books promptly for those signings that ARE arranged though a kind-hearted manager!)

Yes, as an author you have to promote your book - but PublishAmerica encourages the lowest of tricks to get your book into stores - who can honestly say with a straight face that this is the best and only way to get your book onto the shelves?

peas, out.

Re: Looking forward to that royalty check!

Jbridger, if I had a dry sense of humor, then I most likely wouldn't. However, I don't. And of the many people that I've met in my life that didn't have a dry sense of humor…well, they laughed plenty.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
KJV

Re: Looking forward to that royalty check!

All right, I have nightshift coming up in just 7 hours—all 12 hours plus of it.

Just thought I try and dish out a little humor.

P.S. I removed my friends' names out of respect. I don't want them getting dragged into anything.

Goodnight everyone.

PA asking for ID

Publish America asking for proof of identity...I'm betting this is a belated effort to prevent authors from stinging them with bogus manuscripts.

ROFLMAO!

Miranda, Larry, Willem...just a helpful suggestion. Maybe instead of making authors send you 40-11 types of ID, your editors could actually READ the manuscripts before accepting them? I mean...that's what TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS do. Honest! I know it's a radical notion, but they really do! They READ them!

(snickering evilly)

Oh, this is RICH!

-Ann C. Crispin

Re: Royalty statements

I'm confused about the employment debate. As I understand it, W-9's are merely a tool for the IRS to confirm SS or TIN numbers. The form does not imply employment. Its used to make sure people are not subject to backup withholding. Royalty payments are subject to backup withholding if you don't certify your SS or TIN.

Re: Royalty statements

Publishorperish, the W-9 must be on file in order for the company to issue a 1099-Misc, the W-9 is where the author/contract employee's SS# is turned into the company to have a paper trail to issue the 1099-Misc.

Since this person is NOT an employee of, say Publish America, then an alternate record keeping must be in place for the purpose of reporting to the Federal Government of earned income, reportable income for income tax purpose reporting.

The ONLY time a photocopying of an SS card is on an EMPLOYEE, not on paying of royalties or on a contract employee. This is explained in one of the IRS codes in the link I posted above.

PA does not have the right, nor should any of their authors submit a copy of their SS card and drivers lic to PA simply because these people are NOT employees of PA.

The W-9 is filled out for people who are NOT employees who fills out a W-2 form that is used in processing the earnings and withholdings from the employees check each payperiod and reported quarterly by the employee. The W-9 earnings are issued via way of the 1099-Misc after the end of the year and a copy of the 1099-Misc is also issued to the Federal Gov at the time the company submits their end of year income and payments to said persons, there considered as an expense to the company.

If you click on the link I posted above, click on the forms they have in there it will lead you to information that explains the difference. I hope this helps.

Violet