PAMB and its quotes

Maddog · Jan 26, 2007

This poor author...

...will receive a terrible shock when the royalty check arrives. So sad!

Bolding mine:

I have the same issues when out promoting my book, particularly with Barnes and Noble, but with other stores as well. When I tell the managers that PA will buy back unsold copies, (which is what I was led to believe) the store managers seem skeptical. You really have to shmooze these people to get them to carry your book. Sometimes I feel like PA leaves me twisting in the wind but what else can I do? I suppose that the big publishing houses have publicity machines in place, but they won't even accept a manuscript unless you have a body of published work and an agent.

Catch 22!!

Promoting my book has become a full time job for me, difficult since I also have a business to run AND I'm trying to finish the second book in the trilogy. (I don't sleep much) Thank goodness for my hubby and daughter who will mind the store so I can get out there. My approach has been to fill my calender with appearances- readings, discussions, writer's groups, TV, radio, ANYTHING!! Then I go to the bookstores and present my book as a way to get publicity for their store. It works.

A full time job? Oh no! :e2hammer:

zizban · Jan 26, 2007

She got a reply from Dick Stodgill...I wonder if PA's new minion?

BL - The large mainstream publishers promote books by the superstars of the business, but do little or nothing for the newcomers. One of the first question many of them ask is, "How do you plan to promote your book?"

Christine N. · Jan 26, 2007

Blah, blah, blah.

Will someone PLEASE help that man! He's driving me crazy with his misinformation. And he keeps spreading it around, the PA authors eat it up like gospel!

Ugh. He has no idea what marketing real publishers do - just because it's not an endcap, table space or one of those cardboard display things, he thinks they do nothing.

Catalogs, ARC's, reviews in trade pieces, a marketing dept... yeah, real publishers have those for all their books, Mr. Stodghill.

You need to get your information correct.

Gravity · Jan 26, 2007

Christine N. said:
Will someone PLEASE help that man! He's driving me crazy with his misinformation. And he keeps spreading it around, the PA authors eat it up like gospel!

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." Thus spake Zarathustra, or Plato, or somebody...

zizban · Jan 26, 2007

I posted a little spiel on his blog but got this:

Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval.

Wanna bet it'll never show up?

zizban · Jan 26, 2007

I guess I'm on the right track, then; slogging away at the brick and mortar stores. The Internet exposure sounds like a great thing, but it almost seems like you might get lost among the masses.

As far as the question of 'returnability', I would just like to think that my publisher and I are on the same page.

On another point, I still have pros in the business turn their noses up at my work as being 'self-published'. What's up with that???

It means you are on the right track to figuring out how screwed you are.

Gravity · Jan 26, 2007

Was the above quote from the Newspaper Guy?

zizban · Jan 26, 2007

It was from BL somebody.

Saundra Julian · Jan 26, 2007

Seems like some are getting the message...we can only hope and keep a chair ready for them at AW!

Arkie · Jan 26, 2007

I am watching Mr. Stodgill on the History Channel. He is one of the narrators describing the Normandy Invasion. Appears to be about 85, as would be the approximate age of many WWII vets, and he is doing a credible job.

zizban · Jan 26, 2007

He's 81 and no one is debating his historical knowledge; he is a vetern of Normandy.

Christine N. · Jan 26, 2007

I'm not even debating his experience with publishing. He was in the newspaper, magazine and short story game for a long time.

He knows next to nothing about the business of book publishing in the 21st century, is what I'm saying.

James D. Macdonald · Jan 26, 2007

I suppose that the big publishing houses have publicity machines in place, but they won't even accept a manuscript unless you have a body of published work and an agent.

It isn't quite that bad. All you have to do to interest a major publisher and/or a major agent is write a book that someone besides your mother wants to read. (Not is willing to read. Wants to read.)

The publicity and marketing that every real publisher gives every one of their authors (even the first-time newbies) is:

a) Review copies well in advance of publication to major reviewers (Library Journal, Booklist, et al.).
b) Listed in the pubisher's catalog, sent well in advance of publication to every bookstore and library in the country.
c) Promoted by the flesh-and-blood salesforce that visits bookstore buyers.
d) Advertisements in trade publications.

None of these things are things that individual authors can do on their own ... it's prohibitively costly for an individual, and individuals just don't have the time or the contacts.

Nor are those the only things that publishers can and will do for their books, even the small books by first-timers. That's just the minimum.

Christine N. · Jan 27, 2007

Yeah, I mean, think about it. If they didn't market the newbies, the newbies books wouldn't sell. If the book doesn't sell, the publisher doesn't make money.

Oh, my , gosh. Yes, real publishers want to make money! Who would publish a book without the expectation of selling it to the public??

Just. PA.

Newbies books are accepted every single day, there, my friend. You need to start reading Publisher's Lunch.

stormie · Jan 27, 2007

There's a guy over there on PA (Joe B.--can't remember the spelling of his last name) who started his own writer's forum on his web site. He posted a link to it on PAMB. I haven't checked within the last few days to see if PA pulled it. From his email to me, it seems he's a little upset up with PA; they turned down two of his mss. He wants to go (his words) the "legitimate" route. Several PA "authors" have signed up for his forum. Interesting.

ETA: Found the link here. He seems to have added that he's trying to keep out PA bashers, yet in his email to me, he's getting away from PA. Maybe he's saying that on PAMB so the powers-that-be won't ban him.

James D. Macdonald · Jan 27, 2007

Oh, wow:

State of the Union
1/24/2007, 2:41:47 PM
Last night, President Bush alluded to Cyrus Emerson's novella "Lost Angel" in his annual State of the Union address. The development of technology to incorporate environmental values into a capitalistic system is the underlining message of "Lost Angel." President Bush has made it clear that he now agrees, and that national security will be improved as America kicks its oil addiction.

http://www.publishamerica.net/authornews/

Y'know, I listened to the SOTU and I didn't hear any allusions to this book.

CatSlave · Jan 27, 2007

James D. Macdonald said:
Oh, wow:

http://www.publishamerica.net/authornews/

Y'know, I listened to the SOTU and I didn't hear any allusions to this book.

Text of the SOTU:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/31/AR2006013101468.html

Bush said:
By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum- based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

That's quite a stretch. Of course the PAvidians will gobble it up.
How many books are out there that address environmental issues, that PA can lay claim Bush is "alluding to" this one in particular?

This book claims to be short stories and poetry set in apocalyptic times. Presidential reading, to be sure.

triceretops · Jan 28, 2007

From the PAMB:

"I have done a bunch of newspaper and radio interviews over the past couple of weeks. Basically, they are going to ask you some basic questions about your book and about yourself. Why you wrote the book, your motivations, why did you choose PA, what is PA about"

Now wait just a dang minute here. I've had three major TV appearances and 40 radio interviews, and not once was I ever asked about who my publisher was or what they were like. Never. I was asked what the process of publishing was like in general, but no specifics of who printed my book.

I'm getting the heebee jeebees, here. Does it state somewhere in PA propoganda file that authors will be quizzed on their publisher? Could it be that PA has, somewhere, told their authors that they should be mentioned in an interview in a favorable light, and also as a legitmate commercial publisher?

If this is so, then PA is using its shills as free advertizing beacons, aswell as all the other venues they exploit.

Why oh why would this nice lady mention MENTIONING PA in an interview?
Where did she get this bit of advice.

Tri

Sean D. Schaffer · Jan 28, 2007

triceretops said:
From the PAMB:

"I have done a bunch of newspaper and radio interviews over the past couple of weeks. Basically, they are going to ask you some basic questions about your book and about yourself. Why you wrote the book, your motivations, why did you choose PA, what is PA about"

Now wait just a dang minute here. I've had three major TV appearances and 40 radio interviews, and not once was I ever asked about who my publisher was or what they were like. Never. I was asked what the process of publishing was like in general, but no specifics of who printed my book.

I'm getting the heebee jeebees, here. Does it state somewhere in PA propoganda file that authors will be quizzed on their publisher? Could it be that PA has, somewhere, told their authors that they should be mentioned in an interview in a favorable light, and also as a legitmate commercial publisher?

If this is so, then PA is using its shills as free advertizing beacons, aswell as all the other venues they exploit.

Why oh why would this nice lady mention MENTIONING PA in an interview?
Where did she get this bit of advice.

Tri

If I remember correctly, mentioning PA and how they changed our lives was one of PA's little pieces of advice when I signed with them. I forget exactly where this was mentioned, but I do seem to remember that little piece of information being included in PA's suggestions for making oneself known in the business.

I never really thought of it before, but it does sound kind of fishy. I guess the old idea of PA being like a cult really does have some merit. It's almost like the authors are to go out and preach about PublishAmerica like some people preach about whatever god they serve.

Interesting.

rihannsu · Jan 28, 2007

triceretops said:
From the PAMB:

"I have done a bunch of newspaper and radio interviews over the past couple of weeks. Basically, they are going to ask you some basic questions about your book and about yourself. Why you wrote the book, your motivations, why did you choose PA, what is PA about"

Now wait just a dang minute here. I've had three major TV appearances and 40 radio interviews, and not once was I ever asked about who my publisher was or what they were like. Never. I was asked what the process of publishing was like in general, but no specifics of who printed my book.

I read that on PAMB and I immediately thought:

1. The interviewer doesn't know about PA and just wants the author to "tell the folks out there" what it's like to be published. Not out of line for a human interest story.
OR
2. The interviewer has Googled PA and will ask the author at some point about PA. Okay, this was my first thought. I'm paranoid.

K1P1 · Jan 29, 2007

Ian D. Mecantie said:
If I remember correctly, mentioning PA and how they changed our lives was one of PA's little pieces of advice when I signed with them.

Well, they did change your life, didn't they? Not for the better, but...

PVish · Jan 29, 2007

triceretops said:
From the PAMB:
. . . Why oh why would this nice lady mention MENTIONING PA in an interview?
Where did she get this bit of advice.
Tri

Last Friday, in the largest paper in my region, a short article appeared about a local woman doing a signing. The third paragraph--and one fifth of the column space--of the article consisted of this:
Printed by PublishAmerica, a royalty-paying publisher known for accepting new writers, the book was released Dec. 11.

Next paragraph:Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other national booksellers, (name redacted) is still reeling from the excitement of getting published. What the book is actually about is saved for last.
(The author is available? Gotta watch those participial phrases. . . .)

So, a third of the article mentions the "printer" and the excitement of "getting published." Is that enough to sucker in some more unsuspecting writers, or what?

spike · Jan 29, 2007

triceretops said:
From the PAMB:

"I have done a bunch of newspaper and radio interviews over the past couple of weeks. Basically, they are going to ask you some basic questions about your book and about yourself. Why you wrote the book, your motivations, why did you choose PA, what is PA about"

Now wait just a dang minute here. I've had three major TV appearances and 40 radio interviews, and not once was I ever asked about who my publisher was or what they were like. Never. I was asked what the process of publishing was like in general, but no specifics of who printed my book.

I'm getting the heebee jeebees, here. Does it state somewhere in PA propoganda file that authors will be quizzed on their publisher? Could it be that PA has, somewhere, told their authors that they should be mentioned in an interview in a favorable light, and also as a legitmate commercial publisher?

If this is so, then PA is using its shills as free advertizing beacons, aswell as all the other venues they exploit.

Why oh why would this nice lady mention MENTIONING PA in an interview?
Where did she get this bit of advice.

Tri

But you see this all the time on the PAMB. I'm not sure if it comes from PA or just the PA faithful.

"If you promote PA, it will (fill in your favorite: Get us into bookstores, help sell all of our books, stop the bashers, make the publishing industry pay attention, align the planets, or create world peace)."

triceretops · Jan 29, 2007

Printed by PublishAmerica, a royalty-paying publisher known for accepting new writers, the book was released Dec. 11.

It just never ceases to amaze me how low PA will go to get the word out and suck in more marks. On the backs of their author's review articles no less. I do agree that the authors are probably pushing their company for the sake of legitimacy, but the effect is far more reaching. It's free national advertizing, just the ticket PA covets and exploits. I just love that phrase, "known for accepting new writers." As though it's kind of a well kept secret--a little insider tip.

I swear they have it coming in from all angles and compass directions.

Tri

Saundra Julian · Jan 29, 2007

When we did our "one and only" TV appearance, we had already decided to try to get our rights back from PA. It was too late to cancel the show so we went on with it but asked the host not to ask us about our publisher.

PAMB and its quotes

haz a shiny new book cover

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

A work in progress

a reader's ear and a writer's heart

haz a shiny new book cover

Your Genial Uncle

haz a shiny new book cover

storm central

Your Genial Uncle

Mah tale iz draggin.

Mrs. Bruce Wayne

Procrastination is its own reward

Cat hair collector

Mostly Ignored

A work in progress