The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

Lois,
You can email Rebecca at: RebeccaEaston@Comcast.net
Please let her know if you are under a gag order or not. You can also reach her through the AW mail system.

Thank you for coming forward. Together WE WILL make a difference. Please pass the word!
~Kate

Lois, Rebecca is coordinating the petition.

Also, it's not my petition. It belongs to the authors who were mistreated and defrauded.

I do urge all unhappy PA authors to not only sign the petition, but to write an individual, hardcopy letter to the Maryland Attorney General's office, the IRS, and any other agencies that you think will be interested in what PA is doing.

If you create such a letter, I would be much obliged if you send me a carbon copy for my accumulated supporting file. Supporting documentation will only benefit the petition's effectiveness. Our numbers are staggering. Keep on telling everyone!

Thank you to everyone who is trying to help. Lois, you emailed me and I have your information. It's all-good!

:grin

Today: A single column (page 17) in the New York Times Book Review. They've dropped the ISBNs and the prices for the books from the ad.

<HR>
The $100,000 Scholarship : Middle School Prep
by Wayne Y. Fujita
ISBN: 1413730469
(October 11, 2004) per Amazon
(August 2004) per Barnes&Noble
List Price: $19.95
Availability: Usually ships within 8 to 11 days from Amazon.com
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 444,981
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 2
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Your Fledgling Athlete : A Handbook for Sideline Parents
by Kurt J. Mohney
ISBN: 1413720757
(August 2, 2004)
List Price: $17.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 9 to 12 days.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Isabel
by Donna Jones Koppelman
ISBN: 1413733158
(July 26, 2004)
List Price: $17.95
Availability: This item is currently not available.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Not listed
</blockquote>
<HR>

First American Pope: Pontifex Maximus
by Angelo Pagnotti, Sr.
ISBN: 1413727883
(September 7, 2004)
List Price: $24.95
Availability: Usually ships within 8 to 11 days from Amazon.com
Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Katie's Wish
by Susan Spierling Smith
ISBN: 1413732704
(July 26, 2004)
List Price: $12.95
Availability: Usually ships within 1 to 2 days from Amazon.com
Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 2
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Walk With Me : The Story of One Man's Life with Muscular Degeneration and His 1,700-Mile Walk Through California
by Martin McCorkle
ISBN: 1413730434
(August 9, 2004)
List Price: $19.95
Availability: Usually ships within 1 to 2 days from Amazon.com
Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: 550,102
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 1
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 1
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Paradise Prey : A Tess Titan Mystery
by Phillip R. Dolan
ISBN: 1413731368
(August 2, 2004)
List Price: $19.95
Availability: This title usually ships within 9 to 12 days.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 694,616
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: 162,440
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 1
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Swivel Hips, Pitiful, and Ugly Mug
by Bonnie Gibson
ISBN: 1413733255
(August 9, 2004)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 707,085
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: 563,137
List Price: $12.95
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours from Amazon.com
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 1
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Current River Redemption
by Carol J. Stover
ISBN: 1413732275
(August 30, 2004)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 854,231
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
List Price: $19.95
Availability: Usually ships within 8 to 11 days from Amazon.com
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>
<HR>

Hawala : Based on a True Story
by Leo Teohari
ISBN: 1413727239
(August 30, 2004)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 521,012
Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: None
List Price: $24.95
Availability: Usually ships within 8 to 11 days from Amazon.com
Ingram's Stock Information:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
On hand across all warehouses: 0
On order across all warehouses: 0
On backorder across all warehouses: 0
This week's unadjusted demand: 0
Last week's adjusted demand: 0
Total sales this year: 0
Total sales last year: 0
</blockquote>

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>They've dropped the ISBNs and the prices for the books from the ad.<hr></blockquote>
Huh? Don't they want to sell books? <img border=0 src="http://www.absolutewrite.com/images/emotewha.gif" /> If I had paid a small fortune to make this sham of a list, I'd certainly be screaming loud and long if my ISBN and $$ were noticeably AWOL. It's also interesting to note that these books are very recently published, thus reinforcing the notion that these are not reader sales, but author sales. My heart goes out to these authors who are a part of this wall of sham.

I haven't seen the advertisement.
Is it as large and obnoxious as the first one?
Does it list any of the authors on the first advertisement?

I wonder how the writers of the first advert. feel right now.:smack

This ad is considerably smaller than the first one. As to being obnoxious: it still has a large paragraph boosting PA.

What's missing is any attempt to sell the books. Not only are the prices and the ISBNs missing. There are no descriptions of the books, and the subtitles are missing, so strangers won't be able to figure out what genre the book is.

I notice that this ad appeared on the last possible day in October, so all the people who were going to buy books to be in the November ad will have already bought them without a chance to see how shabby this ad looks. Bet they thought it was going to be another half page!

I'm betting there isn't going to be a December ad.

"I'm betting there isn't going to be a December ad."

And considering this ad was smaller and held less information than the first one, perhaps the November ad is going to be a little one with only the titles and authors listed?

Oh well...

:hat
Big Daddy West

Huh? Don't they want to sell books?

As a matter of fact, no. "Selling books" to "the public" isn't part of their business plan.

<HR>

Is there any talk about the latest ad over on the PA message boards? Or have they forgotten all about it, since The Logo isn't boosting it any more?

(They could advertise their ad, y'know: in the month since the first one came out Phillip R. Dolan's A Handsome Guy saw its sales through Ingram go up by 400%.) (Results not typical.)

No, we'll see. What I'm more interested in seeing is what Spectacular New News will be announced in January, with a chance to buy Lots of Your Own Books in celebration.

haven't seen anything on the PA boards...

you'd think it would at least make their front page - oh, right...

:P

"What I'm more interested in seeing is what Spectacular New News will be announced in January, with a chance to buy Lots of Your Own Books in celebration."

Um, James, unless I'm mistaken, January 31 is the end of the royalty period...so unfortunately, it won't be Spectacular, nor will it be New, but it will definitely be a time to 'celebrate' the fact that authors can purchase copies themselves, and get royalties on all those 100s or 1000s of books purchased (as long as the credit card company doesn't run into a delay again)...

Sigh...

:hat
Big Daddy West

(as long as the credit card company doesn't run into a delay again)...

It would have to be the credit card companies fault, after all, it's not like PA would make a mistake or anything. They are careful with everything they do, even which books they select. :rofl

Kevin

You mean to tell me it wasn't a typographical mistake on PublishAmerica's part when they purchased four domains using the Preditors & Editors' trademark? Are you telling me that was deliberate?

Oh my, oh my. I'm so disappointed in them now.

it's sad, really... all that money and the authors will have nothing to show for it in the end.

You're too funny, Dave. LOL

I have posted this before, but time is running short.

If you have a book published by PublishAmerica and you feel that they don't live up to what they say they do, please contact me Dee Power authors@brianhillanddeepower.com

You can do something about it. This is separate from Rebecca's petition, if you haven't signed that petition please do so.

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Interesting. PublishAmerica's Better Business Bureau is being updated. Last time I checked the BBB reported no complaints.

"The Bureau's report on this company is being updated while the Bureau conducts further research or verifies important information. No report is available at this time.
Report as of: 11/2/2004 "

Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Dave, when did this happen? I had no idea!

Four years ago. I posted a copy of the extortion letter that Larry Clopper of PA sent me at URL anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubwarn4.htm telling me what they'd done.

It appears that PA has authors tracking the number of rip-off reports and leaving rebuttals in an attempt to convince folks that PA offers a wonder service with no upfront fees. Yet, they fail to mention, the balloon installment plan authors are coerced into later, receiving no royalties or inadequate royalties without an explanation.

Here's the web link. ripoffreport.com/results....archtype=0

I would suggest we counter this by filing more rip-off reports because the reports do tend to show up on Goggle's search engine every time someone researches the publisher's fictitious name, PublishAmerica or Publish America. The rip-off reports are also filed under both names, which is a good thing! :snoopy

I have suggested that both ways of writing PA's name be used in such sites. Then if only one is searched upon, all the results should come up.

I've also noticed lately that PA's trolls appear to be showing up at more forums than usual. In particular, one appeared at the Rumormill to comment how strange it seemed that a writer posted to the PA topic there after it sat unused for awhile. The obvious insinuation was that one of PA's critics posted that deliberately just to get the topic up higher on the chronilogically arranged list.

Okay…it’s taken awhile to get to this primarily because my wife and I started our vacation last week and we’ve been rather quite busy since then. Nevertheless, I wanted to post this just in case there might be that aspiring writer out there looking for the perfect publisher to come along and sweep them off their feet—beware of this one, however…PublishAmerica.

If I don’t respond to anyone ASAP, it isn’t because I’m rude, it’s because I’ve returned to my vacationing…but there’s always the chance that I will.

By the way, my name’s Tim Johnson. It’s been great to see everyone taking the time to help people make sound decisions. All of you have been wonderfully informative and compassionate.

Anyhow, I just wanted to pitch in on giving some info. Here’s where being associated with a so-called “traditional” publisher has gotten me thus far—it’s been about two years now, I believe.<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_cry.gif" />

My most recent e-mail to a PA employee:
<hr />
<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_sharpteeth.gif" />To Whom It May Concern:

If all rights to my novel, Twisted Oak: Eyes of Discernment, are not returned to me within two weeks, I will submit complaints against PublishAmerica to the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI, the BBB, the Maryland AG’s office, and any other organization or site on the World Wide Web that I can possibly find.

In short: I want you to stop publishing my book, and I want you to give it back to me—no strings attached.

As of now, you have a choice. Both completely return the rights to my book over to me and remove it from all databases and catalogs so that it doesn’t show up as being a PA book. Either do this, or I will make good on the promise above and be just one more voice among the vast many that have filed complaints that PA is a scam and has deceived many.

If you try and threaten me in any way concerning my book, I will aggressively follow through with my promise.

Sincerely,
Tim Johnson
<hr />
<img border=0 src="http://www.absolutewrite.com/images/EmoteShrug.gif" />The PA employee’s response:
<hr />
<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_bigsmile.gif" />Dear Mr. Johnson,

Do not address us in such a tone. For now, in the absence of any reasons,
your contract termination request must be denied, and your contract remains
fully in place.

Also, there are not now, nor have there ever been any "vast many"
complaints of any kind. There is no problem, nor has there ever been. While
the Internet can present you with a vast wealth of information, it has also
been littered with misconceptions and myths by less than honest individuals.

Normally we don't even respond to occasional preposterous bits of comedy
that may show up on the web. To refute them implies that they are credible,
which they are not. Negativity on the web may be found concerning all
publishers.

Various industry pundits, literally dozens of lawyers, and 9000 very happy
authors disagree with the information you have chosen as fact. We have not
heard such issues from any credible source. Our name is probably "up in
lights" in the press somewhere each and every day, and all of it is positive.

Our reputation in the industry is, and always has been, stellar, and we
cherish our authors, as their number steadily grows. We have had,
throughout our history, very few problems of any kind. In our hundreds of
thousands of business transactions, we have had an extraordinarily small
number of complaints, and to our knowledge, all have been resolved. We are
growing rapidly, with upwards of a million books sold, in physical brick
and mortar bookstores and elsewhere.

We would, however, be interested in coherent reasons for your making such
an unusual request. Depending on your reasoning, and your level of
politeness, we may reconsider your request at our next review meeting, to
be held at our leisure. Please email your polite query to
support@publishamerica.com
<hr />
<img border=0 src="http://www.absolutewrite.com/images/emoteHammer.gif" />I’ve heard all of this before, and it’s getting old. I also wanted to add that I’m one of the many that signed the petition, and I’ll be forming some other letters to send to the appropriate authorities very soon.

Well folks, I’ve got to be going for now. Take care everyone.

Sincerely,
Tim<img border=0 src="http://www.absolutewrite.com/images/EmoteHeadbang.gif" />

Another example of the "Don't take that tone with us" letter. Sorry you had to go through that, Tim. At least you can feel a little better knowing that you are in good company.

Good luck in getting your rights back.

I love the tone of PA letters:

'Don't you speak to me like that, young man! Of course there's a Tooth Fairy - and if I hear any more nonsense to the contrary, I'm going to smack your bottom!'

Very professional.

Ack. That's all there is to say about that.

Can you get some kind of "cease and desist" letter sent to them by your attorney?
Somebody needs to sepina their asses in a civil suit. Pain and suffering, anything! I'd like to see them ignore a sepina. Actually, I would like it, b/c then they'd have to go to jail.

Sigh.