Publishers Place, Inc.

[PVish]

A member of my writers group shared a letter from an editor at Publishers Place, Inc.. He would charge her $1,800 printing costs. We discouraged her from accepting his, uh, offer. From their submission page (bolding mine):

We operate a unique hybrid model that allows authors to share their stories with the world, stories the larger commercial publishers would have neither the time nor budget for.

Uh-oh. Another "unique hybrid model."

We are not a vanity press; we’re a small, not-for-profit operation that believes in partnering with the author on book production costs. We strive for New York-quality works and expect the same commitment from our authors.

But—if you have to send them money, it sure sounds like a vanity press. And their bookstore page has links to Amazon, but a couple of their books aren't available from Amazon. Their website is from Wordpress; their contact info is from gmail. No info about who works there or what experience.

Enough red flags?

 

[Torgo]

Uh-oh. Another "unique hybrid model."

A unique hybrid not-for-profit partnership publisher. I certainly have never heard of such a thing; if it violates Yog's Law, it doesn't strike me as a very alluring publishing model, but then I may be old-fashioned.

The company appears to be run by a guy called John Patrick Grace, an ex-AP journalist who writes a column for a Huntington newspaper and teaches a writing class. It's been around for at least a couple of years.

 

[AphraB]

John Patrick Grace has run Publishers Place since about 1999 or 2000 ( I used to live in Huntington West Virginia )He is a nice guy, a poet, and a poetry supporter but I am pretty sure that books do not get published without the author paying soemthing. I am pretty sure that he won't take on absolutely anything that has words in it so in that respect you could say he is not vanity publisher, and that might be his standard.

He isn't
Tate or PA, and most of the available books in his bookstore seem to have a local to Huntington theme. If you live there and want to publish something with him because your writing is a hobby then it might be good enough.

 

[PVish]

I noticed that his book was published by Publishers Place in 2002, and I figured the press meets a small niche (those who have taken his class, perhaps?). Does he have a distributor and do books get into bookstores?

 

[gingerwoman]

A member of my writers group shared a letter from an editor at Publishers Place, Inc.. He would charge her $1,800 printing costs. We discouraged her from accepting his, uh, offer. From their submission page (bolding mine):

Uh-oh. Another "unique hybrid model."



But—if you have to send them money, it sure sounds like a vanity press. And their bookstore page has links to Amazon, but a couple of their books aren't available from Amazon. Their website is from Wordpress; their contact info is from gmail. No info about who works there or what experience.

Enough red flags?

I could tell just from the name of the company it was going to be a vanity press scam.

 

[AphraB]

Back in 2000-02, he published some very nice calendars and a poetry anthology, Wild Sweet Notes. Those were available in book stores. The anthology had the work of some decent writers.

There's a regional slant to the books currently available in the bookstore . Some of them look pretty bad.

I don't think Publishers Place is evil a la Tate, but they do want money up front. And we followers of Yog understand that this is not in our best interest.

 

[CaoPaux]

Just a note that most books (especially the most recent) are listed on Amazon under the imprint name, Mid-Atlantic Highlands.

 

[Writer 123]

Comments on Publishers Place, Inc.

I am one of the writers who have used Publishers Place, Inc. to publish my second novel Breakdown at Clear River. I was extremely pleased with the editing and quality-control, along with book production and marketing of my novel. My novel is available on direct distribution to Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Tamarack (West Virginia artists and artisans gallery), West Virginia Book Company, and a host of other places.
In addition, my book has been featured at the Lewisburg Literary Festival, the Ohio River Festival of Books, and other festivals. Thanks to Publishers Place, Inc. my novel was a finalist for the Weatherford Award for Outstanding Appalachian Fiction and has been submitted to the Southeastern Library Association Awards for best cover and interior design. Several Publishers Place books have also been recognized for awards, including Fathers Troubles, which was a finalist for best Historical Fiction in 2003 by ForeWord Magazine (among 260 entries). Dwight Harshbarger’s Witness at Hawks Nest novel won the West Virginia Library Association Book of the Year Award in 2011.
One of the main advantages to working with Publishers Place, Inc. is that I could reach John Patrick Grace, the director, anytime if I had questions or concerns about anything related to the book. You do not get that level of customer service with all publishers. My book has sold well, garnered respect, and helped me make a connection with Sunstone Press, a traditional publisher in New Mexico, who published by third novel, Making Arrangements in 2014.
I have been commissioned by Armstrong Cable to conduct interviews with authors and others in publishing. The title of the show is called “Chapters.” I got a chance to interview John Patrick Grace for the show. I have included a link to the interview, where he discusses his publishing program and the state of publishing today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTBtP-Km7M&index=12&list=PLkptoHBsAOENvLbjRJuWB8wb9j3_awk9D

 

[robjvargas]

My novel is available on direct distribution to Barnes and Noble, Baker and Taylor, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Tamarack (West Virginia artists and artisans gallery), West Virginia Book Company, and a host of other places.

Direct distribution. Meaning not on any shelves.

I'm glad that you're happy with what they've done. I hope you were able to afford the charges for them doing it.

Speaking for myself, this doesn't sound very attractive at all.

 

[Writer 123]

Direct Distribution of Novels

Actually, my novel Breakdown at Clear River is currently on the bookshelves of Books-A-Million stores in West Virginia as well as at Barnes and Noble Stores in the state and in Ohio and Kentucky. They order the book quite frequently and my book is stocked at several state park gift shops and gift shops at resorts around West Virginia, like the Greenbrier.

If you are looking to start a career as a writer, you live in the Mid-Atlantic region and you write memoirs and true-to-life fiction, I would highly suggest giving Publishers Place, Inc. consideration. I was treated like a real author throughout the process and the quality (in both interior and exterior design) and quality of the editing work, I think, makes my book as competitive as a book published by one of the "big houses" in New York.

 

[Cassie Knight]

Actually, my novel Breakdown at Clear River is currently on the bookshelves of Books-A-Million stores in West Virginia as well as at Barnes and Noble Stores in the state and in Ohio and Kentucky. They order the book quite frequently and my book is stocked at several state park gift shops and gift shops at resorts around West Virginia, like the Greenbrier.

If you are looking to start a career as a writer, you live in the Mid-Atlantic region and you write memoirs and true-to-life fiction, I would highly suggest giving Publishers Place, Inc. consideration. I was treated like a real author throughout the process and the quality (in both interior and exterior design) and quality of the editing work, I think, makes my book as competitive as a book published by one of the "big houses" in New York.

Great! How much did you pay and have you recouped those costs?

I've been on the boards for years and I just don't get publishing companies that pop up, charge authors, and cry "we're not vanity!" Boggles the mind.

 

[victoriastrauss]

My book has sold well, garnered respect, and helped me make a connection with Sunstone Press, a traditional publisher in New Mexico, who published by third novel, Making Arrangements in 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTBtP-Km7M&index=12&list=PLkptoHBsAOENvLbjRJuWB8wb9j3_awk9D

Did Sunstone require an investment? I ask because I've gotten a number of documented reports from writers who were asked by Sunstone to pay around $5,000.

- Victoria

 

[Writer 123]

Sunstone Press

No Sunstone didn't charge me anything to publish Making Arrangements.