Publish America's Carousel of Magically Rotating Email Offers

Chris P

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From PA's master database, where they keep all records, it would be super easy and fast to generate a list of authors with low or no sales, create a mail merge and generate a mass emailing.

This idea got my heart racing last night. What I wouldn't give to get my hands on that database! If it's already in Excel, within a day I could plot histograms of number of new authors per month, books sales per month, ratio of book sales to author versus non-author sales, time needed to get 95% of the money they're going to get on a book, all sorts of nerdy analysis stuff.
 

Chris P

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July 14: Buy 5, get 30 for free, buy 10, get 60 free, and so on. No shipping charges on the extra 30. Only applies to softcovers; bargain hardcovers, PAperbacks, and full-color books excluded. Minimum order of 5 copies.
 

AudioGenius

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July 14: Buy 5, get 30 for free, buy 10, get 60 free, and so on. No shipping charges on the extra 30. Only applies to softcovers; bargain hardcovers, PAperbacks, and full-color books excluded. Minimum order of 5 copies.

Honestly, looking at this strictly as a printing company, that's really pretty decent if they're not charging shipping on the free books. It breaks down to about $1.99 per PAperback, $2.71 per bargain hardcover, and $4.13 per softcover.

It'd be interesting to see if they follow through with that offer. Is this one of the ones where the extra books don't show anywhere on the receipts?
 

Chris P

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It's certainly the most generous offer I've seen them make. If I had use for 30 books I'd be tempted by this. I wonder what made them choose to sextuple all orders over five? Does it cost them less than $1.99 to print a PAperback? It's also a cinch that the author will not earn royalties (they rarely do on self-made orders), if that's what you mean by not showing on receipts.

They have to follow through. For all the wonky stuff PA does, I don't recall anyone complaining that they didn't get the books they were promised. Now, they might have come in late, fallen apart right out of the box, been covered in glue, had someone else's book between the covers, etc, but never "Haha! Fooled you! We're not really going to give you 30 books for the price of 5." That would be too blatant even for PA.
 

AudioGenius

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That would be too blatant even for PA.

I don't know. I still find it very odd that the free books don't show up in the order (There doesn't appear to be any formal record of them). But, yeah it would be pretty bold.

But as far as the offer goes, even without royalties it's really not a bad deal, for anyone who sells their own books (it's basically an 80+% discount from retail) ... which pretty well the model for a PAuthor.

Heck, if they

1) made this (or even something remotely close to it) normal pricing
2) dropped the "we're a real publisher shtick"
3) dropped the ridiculous contract
4) upped their customer service a ton
5) Whatever I've missed

They actually might be a halfway decent way to go for someone wanting to self-publish.

But, sadly I don't see that happening.
 

Chris P

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Some of you have asked how the "Your book to [celebrity X]" programs worked. These just added:

February 22, 2010: Your book goes to Tom Hanks. Order 12 or more books at 55% discount (45% if fewer than 12 are ordered) and PA will send two copies to Tom Hanks (of Concord, California) so "he can read it for optional movie adaptation just like other Hollywood actors have done with other PublishAmerica books" and "in case he wants to share one copy with a Hollywood production company or anyone else he chooses." Your local media will also be notified. Authors may request that the two books may be sent to the author instead of Mr. Hanks free of charge.

March 9: Your book goes to Sandra Bullock. Buy six books at 25% discount, PA sends one copy to Ms. Bullock. You may include a personal note to Sandra.

I'm sure she'll be thrilled!
 

Katrina S. Forest

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Heck, if they

1) made this (or even something remotely close to it) normal pricing
2) dropped the "we're a real publisher shtick"
3) dropped the ridiculous contract
4) upped their customer service a ton
5) Whatever I've missed.

You missed charging for error corrections that they themselves added into the manuscript. Or charging for error corrections in general. If I want to change something in my novel on Lulu, CreateSpace, or CafePress, I simply upload a new file. Sending someone a list of corrections to fix it for you makes no sense other than it's a way to a charge for a meaningless service.
 

B.L. Robinson

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I just received this one... and here I thought that my "softcover" was going to be discontinued, dang the luck.

Dear Author:

Is having your photo on the front cover vanity?

If so, then almost all celebrity authors are guilty. Publishers love author photos on front covers, especially if the author is well-known. From star athletes to the Pope, from presidents to movie stars: if they wrote a book, their face is on the front cover. Do your own search on Amazon.com and you'll see that it's true.


We encourage you to do what the celebrity authors do. Let's change your book's cover and put YOU on it!

It will make the book look even better, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. And your readers will recognize at a glance that you're that book's author. A book with the author's picture on the front also makes for a very personal gift.

Imagine your book in a bookstore, and you walk around, and suddenly people start whispering to each other, "There's the author.."

We'll make the change for totally free, if you do the following. Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your softcover or hardcover, add to cart, use this deep discount coupon: MyPhoto50. Minimum order volume is only 5 copies. For orders of 9 or more books, use coupon MyPhoto60. You may only use the coupon on softcovers or hardcovers in our shopping cart, other uses will not be processed. If your book has more than one print version (such as PAperbacks or Bargain Hardbacks), simply tell us to change those covers too, and we'll get it done. Upon receipt of your order, we will contact you for your photo. The books you purchase today will have the new front cover with your photo!

Offer expires this weekend.

--PublishAmerica Author Support
 

kaitie

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Good lord. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not so sure I'd want all my readers in a bookstore to suddenly say "there's the author." Particularly if my book was a PA book lol.

But really? Put your picture on the front? The reason it works with celebrities is because they're CELEBRITIES. The entire reason people are buying it is for that face on the cover. This just appalls me. I don't understand how anyone could think it's a good thing.

"Rather than give you an appealing book cover related to the contents that will give the reader an impression of what to expect and stand out in a crowd, we'll put YOU on the cover."

Not to mention the whole thing smacks of preying on egotism.
 

CatSlave

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Dear Author: Is having your photo on the front cover vanity?

Imagine your book in a bookstore, and you walk around, and suddenly people start whispering to each other, "There's the author.."

We'll make the change for totally free... Minimum order volume is only 5 copies.
Guess the stock covers just aren't cutting it anymore.
Or PolecatAroma, I mean PA, is attempting to enroll itself in the Witness Protection Program.
No more shitty covers to identify the book as a PA creation.

PA, you can run but you can't hide.

Dear Author: Imagine your book in a bookstore. That's as close as it will ever get.
 
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Miss Plum

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We'll make the change for totally free... Minimum order volume is only 5 copies.
Reminds me of a friend of mine who used to sell cosmetics. "It's free for a dollar," she'd say. The difference between her and PA is that she was joking.
 

Elisabeth Bruce

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After your 'author' photo what's next? Personally Authored Perfume?

Have your books authentically perfumed with your own special choice of fragrance. Have your books draw the customer from across the aisles!

"Activate coupon: 'smell...' Only 5 minimum purchase, closing soon.... ad nauseum...
 

Chris P

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Let's change your book's cover and put YOU on it!

If your book has more than one print version (such as PAperbacks or Bargain Hardbacks), simply tell us to change those covers too, and we'll get it done.

The books you purchase today will have the new front cover with your photo!

Do we need to buy five or more PAperbacks or bargain hardbacks? Email hints at "no," and "other uses will not be processed." Also, it seems that this is a one-time printing of the author photo covers: "books you purchase today."
 
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PVish

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After your 'author' photo what's next? Personally Authored Perfume?

Have your books authentically perfumed with your own special choice of fragrance. Have your books draw the customer from across the aisles!

"Activate coupon: 'smell...' Only 5 minimum purchase, closing soon.... ad nauseum...

Maybe a "Scratch and Sniff" cover?
 

Chris P

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Now it looks like PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks are going bye-bye:

July 16: Final weekend for activation of PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks. No minimum purchases are noted in the email.

The old hardcovers were discontinued on July 9, and if the bargain hardbacks were not activated "your work will never see the light of day as a hardbound book." Now, this is the final weekend to activate the bargain hardbacks. There is no mention if the old hardcovers will come back. It's assumed that selected titles were excluded from compulsory hardcover termination. There is no indication for how much longer the bargain hardbacks will remain available for those titles that have been activated.

June 25 email stated that softcovers will be discontinued (selected titles excluded), but today's states "Your book has always been available as a softcover, and that's not going to change." Now, with PAperbacks no longer able to be activated after this weekend, it seems we're back to where we were a month ago: softcover books at $24.95.
 

kaitie

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Now it looks like PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks are going bye-bye:

July 16: Final weekend for activation of PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks. No minimum purchases are noted in the email.

The old hardcovers were discontinued on July 9, and if the bargain hardbacks were not activated "your work will never see the light of day as a hardbound book." Now, this is the final weekend to activate the bargain hardbacks. There is no mention if the old hardcovers will come back. It's assumed that selected titles were excluded from compulsory hardcover termination. There is no indication for how much longer the bargain hardbacks will remain available for those titles that have been activated.

June 25 email stated that softcovers will be discontinued (selected titles excluded), but today's states "Your book has always been available as a softcover, and that's not going to change." Now, with PAperbacks no longer able to be activated after this weekend, it seems we're back to where we were a month ago: softcover books at $24.95.

These guys are stupid. That's all there is to it. They think they're pulling one over on people, and maybe if these messages weren't all coming within a couple of weeks they would be, but people ARE seeing through this.
 

AudioGenius

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It will make the book look even better, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. And your readers will recognize at a glance that you're that book's author. A book with the author's picture on the front also makes for a very personal gift.

I somehow doubt that they will look even better, and off the top of my head I can't recall a single fiction title that puts the author's picture on the front. A personal gift ... riiight.

Imagine your book in a bookstore, and you walk around, and suddenly people start whispering to each other, "There's the author.."

This just sounds weird and creepy, but the "Imagine your book in a bookstore" makes it kind of funny.

Now it looks like PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks are going bye-bye:

July 16: Final weekend for activation of PAperbacks and bargain hardbacks. No minimum purchases are noted in the email.

The old hardcovers were discontinued on July 9, and if the bargain hardbacks were not activated "your work will never see the light of day as a hardbound book." Now, this is the final weekend to activate the bargain hardbacks. There is no mention if the old hardcovers will come back. It's assumed that selected titles were excluded from compulsory hardcover termination. There is no indication for how much longer the bargain hardbacks will remain available for those titles that have been activated.

June 25 email stated that softcovers will be discontinued (selected titles excluded), but today's states "Your book has always been available as a softcover, and that's not going to change." Now, with PAperbacks no longer able to be activated after this weekend, it seems we're back to where we were a month ago: softcover books at $24.95.

Honestly, that just sounds like a standard "take away". It's a sales tool used to create a sense of urgency to customers. They've done it many times to their customers PAuthors. Several times they've outright lied, remember how they were only going to sell hardbacks a short while back? They had that "Buy up your softcovers now! Last chance!" sort of sale then too.
 

Chris P

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Maybe a "Scratch and Sniff" cover?

I can see the email offer: "PA stinks, but that's good for you!"

When you posted that, all I could think of were the men's armpits on the covers of romance novels. I'll pass, thanks.

These guys are stupid. That's all there is to it. They think they're pulling one over on people, and maybe if these messages weren't all coming within a couple of weeks they would be, but people ARE seeing through this.

Based on the internal logic of a business plan in which the authors (not the readers) are the cash cows, it makes sense. My fishing analogy holds: it doesn't matter what bait you used yesterday if the fish are biting today. But even fish get bait shy after a few attempts.
 

merrihiatt

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Now, with PAperbacks no longer able to be activated after this weekend, it seems we're back to where we were a month ago: softcover books at $24.95.

And PA has more money in their coffers. Let me clarify, more of their authors' money in their coffers.
 

Chris P

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July 19: 65% lifetime author discount on softcovers announced, provided author purchases five or more softcovers by Wednesday.

Latest email lists several big names: JK Rowling, Stephen King, and the number of times "we're told" they were rejected. As a "published author,"
The same bookstore that sells these celebrity books has also direct access to yours, at their fingertips. In their database, their ordering system, your book sits side by side with Gone With The Wind (refused 38 times), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (18 times), The Princess Diaries (17 times), and all of today's national best-sellers.