The Old Neverending PublishAmerica Thread (Publish America)

[keltora]

We'll have to start calling him Long Nose Larry...

Laura J. Underwood (A Little Bit of Travis Tea--My ATLANTA NIGHTS can poke out your EYE OF ARGON any day!)

DRAGON'S TONGUE forthcoming from Meisha Merlin in the Summer of 2006. Preview a copy at http://www.embiid.net.

[Sher2]

Originally Posted by keltora

That's an interesting image.

It's the Pinocchio Principle, you know, and as many lies as he's told, that sucker's got to be WAY out there.

[Kevin Yarbrough]

"It's the Pinocchio Principle, you know, and as many lies as he's told, that sucker's got to be WAY out there."

If it is that big, do you think his wife can tell the difference....I shouldn't finsih that sentence.

As for my sig?

"Your horse sounds terrible."

"It was cold last night and he's just a little horse."

What movie is that from?

[Sher2]

Originally Posted by Kevin Yarbrough

If it is that big, do you think his wife can tell the difference....I shouldn't finsih that sentence.

Hmmmm. I hadn't let my thoughts go there, Kevin. Ick! Where's a hurlie smilie when you need one?

[Kevin Yarbrough]

"So where are the books? (Two points to anyone who identifies the movie that line is from...)"

Matrix 2

[Jaws]

I sent a couple of corrections to SFWire. I suggest that those of you who have specific factual corrections to make, if you have documentation, join in.

[T42]

What is the reputation Points? What does it mean because I already have 13 Is that a good or bad reputation?

[James D. Macdonald]

Originally Posted by T42

What is the reputation Points? What does it mean because I already have 13 Is that a good or bad reputation?

You see those little Scales of Justice to the left of the posts? If someone thinks you made a good, on-topic point, they click those and add some reputation to you.

If not ... well, folks can take reputation away, too.

===================

Lessee ... that admission of Larry's that there are a thousand people (out of the 8,000+ that are technically in print) who haven't bought any of their own books....

Well, first, I think that we now know how many folks are in my Category One (from way upstream). Those are the folks who only wanted one copy to put on their mantle.

Another way to look at it: 7,000 out of 8,000 of their authors do buy their own books. Sounds like a vanity press to me....

[priceless1]

Clopper said many mainstream publishers similarly do not read the entire manuscript before making an offer of publication.

I do not believe that. Not for one stinkin' minute.

[reph]

MacDonald previously told SCI FI Wire that other hoaxes are being perpetrated against PublishAmerica. Writer Kevin Yarbrough sent a 300-page manuscript consisting of 30 pages repeated 10 times. Clopper said he recognized such a hoax, although he did not know who was the author.

Oh? Then who sent the police officer, or the faux police officer, to Mr. Yarbrough's home?

Uh, okay, maybe Clopper remembers the incident but not the author's name, or something like that. Maybe he hasn't kept up with this thread, which would remind him of the name because Yarbrough's posting in it again.

[Ed Williams]

...re the thread where PA authors are speculating about PA buying or creating their own warehouse so that sufficient copies of their books could be stocked. One PA author responded as follows...

PA would have to have a warehouse, do inventory at the end of a physical year on all books not sold, pay taxes on those books and maintain property they don't need. Then there are utilities, wages for those persons hired for services and bookoos of other things. It would force our books to listed at an exorbitant price.

And those books now are listed at.........normal prices?

P.S. Sherry, for you, your smilie (for future use when appropriate):

[akaa1a]

From PA Boards:

A lot of your idea has merit, but there should not be any limit on how many books an author must have on hand. In fact why not just set up something like a drop shipping place where anything that is ordered is sent out to the author. The author in turn keeps his own stock of books and sends them out and handles his own overhead and shipping.
See idea's do come together with a meeting of minds, lets keep it going.

Ray

**This sounds a bit like what they are doing at Authors Den. I guess PA authors are hoping the brass will bite.:Smack:

[Sher2]

Originally Posted by Ed Williams

...re the thread where PA authors are speculating about PA buying or creating their own warehouse so that sufficient copies of their books could be stocked. One PA author responded as follows...

And those books now are listed at.........normal prices?

P.S. Sherry, for you, your smilie (for future use when appropriate):

I'm pretty sure PA can't squeeze any warehouse space into their current quarters, and they're darn sure not going to pay money to rent one, so that idea is out. Plus which, it would offend their sensibilities since it might come too close to what a legitimate business might do.

Ed, that is SO gross -- thank you!

[T42]

Thanks James
See you all tomorrow...have a great night!

[PixelFish]

Quote:
Clopper said many mainstream publishers similarly do not read the entire manuscript before making an offer of publication.

I do not believe that. Not for one stinkin' minute.


....

You should check out John Scalzi's thread on the subject:


http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003418.html

To quote:

1. Clopper's contention that publishers make offers on completely unknown first-time fiction authors before reading an entire manuscript is appallingly wrong; either Clopper knows this, and is lying through his teeth, or he doesn't know this, and he's a monumental incompetent. It is true that publishers of fiction will ask that initial submissions consist of, say, three chapters rather than an entire manuscript. But the point of that is that if they like the three chapters, they will ask for the rest of the manuscript. You know, to read. Then and only then will they take a chance on a completely unknown first-time fiction writer.

[Kate StAmour]

Originally Posted by Jaws

I sent a couple of corrections to SFWire. I suggest that those of you who have specific factual corrections to make, if you have documentation, join in.

May the PTB give this issue the attention it deserves.

[cwgranny]

I also am enchanted at the idea that PA is counting those 1000+ authors with no sales, not one single sale, as among their HAPPY author count. Um, exactly what do you suppose they're happy about?

"Phew, I surely am happy that although we were suckered into signing with these guys, we didn't give 'em none of our money."

"Readers? We don't need no stinkin' readers...we're just happy to be accepted into the same ranks as Travis Tea...well, okay, he's got readers...but we got accepted just like him."

gran

[Gratian Gasparri]

Originally Posted by ByGrace

One author is published with Saint Martin's Press. His book is in hardcover. He told me they gave him a number of free copies. But if he wanted more he got a 40% discount.

Grace, here's my experience:

1) Our Sunday Visitor -- 40 free author copies to do whatever I want with. After this, I can purchase under 100 copies for personal or retail use at 50% off the cover price. The discount rises after 100 copies and plateaus at something like 68% per 1000.

2) Saint Anthony Messenger Press -- 28 free author copies to do whatever I want with. (Plus another 25 books from their catalogue that I found interesting). Any additional copies of my book are sold to me at a 50% discount, unless I purchase them in case-lots (in the case of my book, 80 copies), in which case the publisher gives me a 60% discount. Like with OSV, it does not matter whether I am purchasing them for personal or for retail usage.

None of the above included review copies, which each publisher sends out at no charge to myself.

[Ed Williams]

And of course, that's possibly part of PublishAmerica's plan as well: To create a stratum of authors whose only publishing option is to go through PublishAmerica because they're not competent to be published anywhere else. The company doesn't see them as authors; it sees them purely as a revenue stream, and it's content to keep them hobbled as writers to do it. And if that's the case, PublishAmerica isn't simply a vanity press, it's also unspeakably cruel.

If that's true, someone should take Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem out back and give 'em what we would call a country azzwhuppin.' How cruel, and the sad thing is, I pretty much believe it is the case...

[Ed Williams]

...information to use when someone over at PA hits you with the spiel of, "I support them because they took a chance on me."

The thing that makes me sad is when so many of PA's writers defend PA because PA "took a chance on them". PA didn't take a chance on them. Taking a chance in publishing means assuming a financial risk and investing in editing, marketing, placement....Actually making it tenable to place returnable books in bookstores.

Pretty well says it all, I think...

[Gratian Gasparri]

Originally Posted by Ed Williams

If that's true, someone should take Moe-randa, Larry, and Curlem out back and give 'em what we would call a country azzwhuppin.' How cruel, and the sad thing is, I pretty much believe it is the case...

Wouldn't surprise me. Seven year contracts, plus PA inserts a clause stating all future manuscripts must first be submitted to them. As long as you don't question the system, they will try and keep you locked into the system. In my experience, this is typical cult behavior.

[realitychuck]

There's also Clopper's contention that "The hoax failed."

The purpose of the hoax was to be offered a contract from PA. The book was offered a contract by PA. So it achieved its goal. Withdrawing the contract doesn't change that fact.

And if Clopper's way of acquiring manuscripts (i.e., buying them without reading them all) were standard, it would mean publishers would have signed contracts and paid advances before realizing the book wasn't good enough to be published. That's a pretty poor way of doing business, and would only work if you didn't depend on the reading public (i.e., nonauthors) for sales.

[Savannah Blue]

Originally Posted by Ed Williams

..<snip>
Re the Clopper response, PA should seriously look into hiring a professional spokesperson for themselves, Larry is not helping the cause at all...

No, no, no. Let the man speak. Let him speak loud and often. The more he speaks, the more stupid he and his vanity publishing company look.

[Gratian Gasparri]

Originally Posted by Savannah Blue

No, no, no. Let the man speak. Let him speak loud and often. The more he speaks, the more stupid he and his vanity publishing company look.

I must agree with Savannah. An old Roman adage comes to mind, namely, Never interfere with an enemy when he's self-destructing.

[mdin]

From PA's testimonials page:

http://www.publishamerica.com/testimonials/pg73.htm

"WaldenBooks in Norfolk, VA has agreed to host a book signing in April and they are also going to stock my book. From what I can tell, the no-return policy wall is coming down. Let's keep knocking on doors, we are almost there."
David A. Lewis, "Forever Moments"

And in case you missed it from earlier: http://www.publishamerica.com/cgi-bi...main/11692.htm

I'm anxiously awaiting the retraction.