PublishAmerica Management

Hi, Kirk, and welcome to Absolute Write! While I'm sorry to hear that PA is not being responsive to your calls and letters, it's not too surprising. They have a history of not communicating well with their authors, other than to send them emails urging authors to buy copies of their own books.

You might find it helpful to read these threads:

A breakdown of the PA contract, written by an expert in the publishing industry.

Some suggestions on how you can get them to release you from the contract if that is what you're looking for.

The variety of problems that PA authors have experienced with their publisher, and why it's recommended that authors choose a publisher other than PA.

Alternatives to publishing with PA, written by a very successful commercial author and industry insider.

I'm sorry, Kirk. It's never fun to find out that one's publisher isn't what they purport to be. And PA makes it very difficult for their authors to sell books, not only because of long shipping delays and poor communication, but also because of the outrageously high prices they charge for the books.

It's quite a challenge to get agent representation at the best of times, and even harder when you've only got reprint rights available. That's not to say it can't be done -- but you might want to think about making that a second priority, and focussing instead on writing a new, different, better book that you can shop around to agents or specialty publishers.

You can use the same facts, just arrange them in different ways and talk about them in new words.

Kirk--writing is one career where age doesn't mean a danged thing. You can be 10 or 200, so long as you're writing words that are worth money to a publisher you can sell them.

The key is practice. Most writers serious about improving their craft set aside writing time each day. It's like learning the piano--you only get better with practice, and you practice every day.

I recently read Stephen Cannell's last interview and he stated that two hours a day is doable for most people. He said to the effect that if you look at what you did yesterday you likely wasted two hours. (I know I sure did! ) But you set that time aside to WRITE and just DO it.

Mr. Cannell was dying at the time (long bout with cancer, which he kept to himself) and yet he continued to write. He was 50 in 1991 and sold novel after novel in the 19 years he had left.

I recall some years ago that Arthur C. Clarke was told by his doctors that he was dying and had perhaps a year left. Instead of giving up and retreating he quickly wrote FOUR books in that time. He then found out his doctor got it wrong, and continued on for many more years.

He was 50 in 1967 and produced at least 10 novels, including 2001, a Space Odyssey, never mind the short story collections, and TV series he hosted!

So don't let ageism be an excuse. You're only as old as your brain tells you, and mine is frozen at about 24 years. (So it's rather a shock when I look in the mirror in the morning!)

Get off the Net, hit that keyboard and make some WORDS.

That's what's going on in my day today.

Practice-practice-practice!

Another comment about writing— the odds of succeeding and earning enough money to even notice the difference are vanishingly long. You would be much more richly rewarded getting a part-time job at 7-11. Most novels never sell, and those that do usually return far less than minimum wage for the hours put in.

As an aside— Apophis? At least read the Wikipedia article. It is barely considered a threat any more. If you're going to write about a similar impact, study. There would be no nuclear fallout, and folks who like California (and the rest of the planet) wouldn't be laughing. Of course, I'm not a reader of the "ha, ha, ha, look at the suffering sinners! ouvre."

if I sold 1 copy of my first book, and 40 copies of my current book, then by number three or four I should be making a living.

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I am not understanding this calculation, so perhaps something's been left out.

If you sell 40 copies for a thousand bucks a pop, then in my depressed area of the country that's a pretty good living!

But if you're selling 40 copies with a standard 8% royalty, then, yes, you do have to have a day job. I've sold more than 20+ novels and better believe I keep the day job!

Even if you sell 40 e-copies at 2.99 each, keeping 70% as your royalty, that's still not enough to do much more than pay a water bill with some change left to rent a movie.

Of course, if that's 40 copies per day for a year, then that's a tasty 30 grand going into the bank. (The only catch is selling 40 a day---!)

Now J.A. Konrath is making a good chunk of change selling e-versions of his backlist, but new writers, lacking his platform of readers, won't have as profitable a time of things. He's got a lot of out-of-print titles and broke down his earnings on his blog.

It sounds great, but he had sales to publishers of print books FIRST that built an audience up to get to where he is now. He is also a tireless self-promoter.



And with all due respect, let's keep the discussion here on topic. AW has an excellent Religious and Spiritual Writing forum, where you'll likely enjoy chatting with members who have a greater interest in the genre.

The 8% royalty I cited is what their contract offers for hard copy books:


The Publisher shall pay to the Author the following royalties:
A royalty upon the regular edition sold in the United States and elsewhere of:
8 percent of the sales price thereof on the first 2,000 copies sold;
10 percent on the next 8,000 copies sold;
12.5 percent on all copies sold in excess of 10,000 .

Apparently a 29.95 book could earn 2.39 a copy for the writer, but it is unlikely an average reader will shell out that kind of cash for a 130-page softcover by an unknown. I know I sure wouldn't. (The book I picked at random was 134 pages for 29.95. Plus shipping. Ugh.)

PA's 50% royalty is 50% of zip if they're unable to sell books for their writers. What's that for, e-books?

I can make more than that self-pubbing through a POD service. No need to split with anyone and I keep the publication rights, no author-hostile contracts to tie things up for 7 years. No tone letters from Miranda, no late deliveries, and sales statements every 30 days, along with direct deposit to my bank. PA's bookkeeping is the stuff of nightmares.

If you want to know more on the inside workings of PA, check the thread here on Ex-employees Speak out. It is most instructive.

Mr. Fraser, the top selling author EVER with PA sold some 5,200 copies, most of which he bought himself.

A Destiny Foretold by Neo Franco Cantu

He was subsequently banned from PA for refusing to buy any more of his own books.
As you no doubt know, you do not receive royalties for books you purchase yourself.

Gillhoughly said:

8 percent of the sales price thereof on the first 2,000 copies sold;

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I believe that by "sales price" they mean Net.

Kirk Fraser said:

I doubt even the OP providing PA management contacts would lead to fixing their sales model much.

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"Fix their sales model"? They won't. From their point of view their sales model works just fine: Maximum income (for them) with minimum work (for them).

Kirk Fraser said:

Last week I sold two via my website http://congressionalbiblestudy.org PA's royalty on that should be $1.99 so maybe I'll make $103.48 a year before ad and website expenses? Let alone my purchases. Woopie!

At that rate I'd have to come up with 365 books that sell to make a living. Let's see if I was writing at top speed, a book every two weeks that would take over 14 years. The previous calculation of 1st book selling 1, 2nd 40, 3rd 40 x 40 was unrealistic.

I doubt even the OP providing PA mangement contacts would lead to fixing their sales model much. But at least they offer affordable printing to newbies. Printing alone costs $2000 for 500 copies. I'd bet the refusal rate by agents and small specialty publishers is much higher.

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The unfortunate fact is that you (like many MANY before you) have been scammed into vanity publishing. Because that's what PA is....a vanity publisher whose fees are on the back-end instead of the front-end. It's worth knowing that the average number of volumes sold of a self-published book is 75. Some do better; a tiny handful do much better; a LOT do much much worse. Seventy-five is average.

Another fact is that the vast majority of published authors have day jobs or another means of support (such as a spouse whose day job is sufficient to live on). The last 'salary' survey done in the UK (the last one I heard of, anyway) showed that the average annual income for a published author is around £5,000 a year. I'm not sure, but I think it's even less in the US.

You will never make a living off a PA book. You will unlikely make a living off commercially published books; it might happen and there's nothing wrong with working toward that goal, but it's not something you can bank on happening.

Your very best bet is to write another book and market it to legitimate agents and/or commercial publishers. Forget your PA book for now, but remember to send in notice that you do not wish to renew the contract when it expires at the end of the seven years; if you don't notifiy them, the contract renews automatically (unless your contract is one of the older ones...check it).

Kirk Fraser said:

Last week I sold two via my website http://congressionalbiblestudy.org PA's royalty on that should be $1.99 so maybe I'll make $103.48 a year before ad and website expenses?

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Don't count on making additional sales. Be writing a new and better book.

You can try selling the new book to a real publisher and get a 4-figure advance and a contract to write more books. The books would be in stores, meaning you'd be selling a few thousand copies, not just a few hundred.

Or you can self-publish with Lulu or CreateSpace and get a better "royalty" rate on fewer sales.

Your base price at Lulu for a 233-page book would be 9.16. Sell it for 15.00 and make a 5.84 "royalty."

Your base price at CreateSpace for a 233-page book is 6.18 each or 3.65 if you pick their "Pro" package. Sell for 12.00 and you make 5.82 or 8.35 per copy.

Providing you sell copies. You have to promote like mad to make up for not being in bookstores.

Remember, just because you have a book to sell and are convinced that everyone should have a copy, doesn't mean people will buy it.

They certainly won't be buying from PA with that price tag.

And brace for a bucket of cold reality--few writers ever make enough money to support themselves.

They KEEP THE DAY JOB. Or they have an understanding partner to support their writing habit.

Day jobs have nice benefits like health insurance and dental plans. Full time writers have to pay for that or go without.

I thought I read someplace that the average income for a mid-list writer is about 10 grand a year. There were some years I made ZERO.

Check out how much some mid-list writers make in a sure-fire money-earning genre: http://www.brendahiatt.com/id2.html

Only look at the smaller of two numbers. The high earners have been at the job for years and years.

I used to think that all I had to do was sell one book and then I could retire.

Well, I learned that doesn't always happen.

The vast majority of new writers get 4, maybe even low 5-figure advances. And that's it. The ones pulling in the megabucks are like lottery winners. We all hope for that, but in the meantime we keep writing.

AND WE ALL AVOID PA!

Kirk Fraser said:

James D. Macdonald Good advice. Hard to use different words about facts though.

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Are you trying to say that there's only one possible biography of George Washington?

A $10K advance would be great but not sure they'd give one to me.

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To paraphrase Sharyn McCrumb in her Edgar Winning, Bimbos of the Death Sun:

Writing is like sex. Make sure you're good at it before you start charging money for it.

Kirk Fraser said:

But at least they offer affordable printing to newbies. Printing alone costs $2000 for 500 copies.

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There are other options that are much less expensive than PA (CreateSpace and Lulu come to mind). I even learned how to make my own books for about $4.00 a book (that doesn't include the initial cost for the printer and heavy duty stapler).

And there's always real publication. You know, where the publisher pays the writer. That has long been my favorite.