Publish America

Jeani Rector

Registered
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hello, my name is Jeani Rector, and I am the editor of The Horror Zine. Part of what I do is to help others by warning writers of publishers and/or people that I receive complaints about.

I have created a "Beware" Page just for this purpose here:
http://www.thehorrorzine.com/BewarePage.html

One of the publishers that I receive a lot of negative emails about is Publish America. Please, before you sign any contracts with Publish America, please see this page here:

http://www.thehorrorzine.com/Beware/PublishAmerica/PublishAmerica.html

I am not here to tell you not to use Publish America, nor am I here to tell you what to do in any aspect of your life.

What I want to do is to make you aware of the complaints I have received about Publish America. I will tell you that my email is overwhelmed with complaints about the over-pricing of books, the lack of promotion, and the constant requests for writers to spend more money with Publish America.

If you have complaints (or even positive experiences, which frankly would surprise me) about Publish America, please email me at [email protected] and I thank you for reading my post.

As always, please arm yourself with information before you sign a contract with Publish America. If you want to self-publish (which I believe Publish America is indeed self publishing), in my opinion, Lulu or CreateSpace is a much better option for you than is Publish America.

Thank you for reading my post.

Jeani Rector, Editor
The Horror Zine
http://www.thehorrorzine.com
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
I'll move this to the PublishAmerica room so that everything's nice and tidy. Just give me a moment.
 

mercs

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
217
Reaction score
8
Location
Peterborough
Scary to think how many people are out there ready to be scammed. Best business model ever if you have no morals. I would probably remove poor Jeani's email address, the poor girl will be receiving a hell of a lot more if the ones on here complained too!
 

shakeysix

blue eyed floozy
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
10,839
Reaction score
2,426
Location
St. John, Kansas
Website
shakey6wordsmith.webs.com
Crazy thing though--many many moons ago I saw an ad from Publish America. I didn't have any $ at the time but a few months later I was a little better off and decided to submit to PA. Only i couldn't find the exact web address. I googled it and up came AW. After reading posts on AW about PA for fifteen minutes I realized the mistake I was about to make. I was a widow with 3 kids in college and the last thing I could afford was to throw $ out the window! --s6
 
Last edited:

mirandashell

Banned
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
16,197
Reaction score
1,889
Location
England
I can't believe Publish America are still going! Surely there's more than enough complaints on the Internet about them?
 

JulieB

I grow my own catnip
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
2,403
Reaction score
213
Location
Deep in the heart o' Texas
There are still plenty of people out there who don't know how the publishing industry works.

Some people will just do a web search for publishers and blow off the complaints. Doesn't apply to them, sour grapes, and so on.
 

Haggis

Evil, undead Chihuahua
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 14, 2005
Messages
56,216
Reaction score
18,302
Location
A dark, evil place.
People still fall for the Nigerian email scam. All we can do is keep getting the message out as best as we can.
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,577
Reaction score
7,220
Location
Wash., D.C. area
For $99.95 PA might even send your book to the nice Nigerian prince.
 

gingerwoman

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
2,548
Reaction score
228
I don't know why there is so much here about Publish America but not as much on Xlibris and Author Solutions which are every bit as bad if not worse.
 

Pyekett

I need no hot / Words.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
1,290
Reaction score
202
Location
Translated.
For $99.95 PA might even send your book to the nice Nigerian prince.

If you don't get it in front of his eyes, he can't read it. This is the opportunity of a lifetime! Tell him what you think, and when our delegation is in his hometown of Niamey, we will ask him to read your book and tell us what he thinks.

What? You do not wish to pay for this delicious opportunity? Not only is your response replete with factual errors, but it is built upon a false premise. We are not asking you to pay for an "poorly specified promise," as it is a near-completely unspecified offer in which we promise absolutely nothing of real value.

Don't take that tone with us, young author.
 
Last edited:

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle
Absolute Sage
VPX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
25,582
Reaction score
3,785
Location
New Hampshire
Website
madhousemanor.wordpress.com
I don't know why there is so much here about Publish America but not as much on Xlibris and Author Solutions which are every bit as bad if not worse.

We do have threads about both Xlibris and its (current) parent, Author Solutions: Vanity presses. Avoid them!

But with any of the overpriced, underperforming imprints of Author Solutions, it would take a very unsophisticated author indeed not to notice he was writing a check for several thousand dollars. PublishAmerica is the one with the false, misleading, deceptive "we don't want your money" slogan.
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,577
Reaction score
7,220
Location
Wash., D.C. area
Don't take that tone with us, young author.

I shall, at my sole discretion, indeed take that tone with you whereuponas an obfuscatory legal vehicle executable and executed upon the parties so mentioned in said legal vehicle commences upon a circuitous circuit of the English language insomuchas it precludes the customer (known for the purposes of this legal vehicle as the "author") from seeking justly due relief and recompense for services rendered in good faith.

So there, toney pants.
 

Pyekett

I need no hot / Words.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
1,290
Reaction score
202
Location
Translated.
I shall, at my sole discretion, indeed take that tone with you whereuponas an obfuscatory legal vehicle executable and executed upon the parties so mentioned in said legal vehicle commences upon a circuitous circuit of the English language insomuchas it precludes the customer (known for the purposes of this legal vehicle as the "author") from seeking justly due relief and recompense for services rendered in good faith.

So there, toney pants.

tl;dr

For the low, low price of $129.95, I will read your post. Purchase two reads of your post for only $149.95. That's a savings of $109.95! Limited time offer--don't miss it!
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,577
Reaction score
7,220
Location
Wash., D.C. area
tl;dr

For the low, low price of $129.95, I will read your post. Purchase two reads of your post for only $149.95. That's a savings of $109.95! Limited time offer--don't miss it!

Offer not valid on hardcovers, PAperbacks, ebooks, picture books, children's books, or to customers except and including the author. Enter code SUCKERPUNCH at check out.
 

Pyekett

I need no hot / Words.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
1,290
Reaction score
202
Location
Translated.
Compulsory conversion of posts into hard wax tablet format JUST FOR YOU, AUTHORS, at the low low price of $599.95. Tablets have no-hassle money-back guarantee with selected titles* exempt, mandatory purchase of thin bendy plastic stylus at $39.95 each.

For an extra $3000, your tablet will be mail-delivered to Manford Mann's third ex-girlfriend's childhood grocery store with a HANDWRITTEN NOTE to the manager on duty. Don't miss out on this special deal. (Offer subject to changes and substitutions without notice.)

*"post"
 

Pyekett

I need no hot / Words.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
1,290
Reaction score
202
Location
Translated.
Springsteen wrote that song and released it in '73. I didn't realize that until this week when I looked up the lyrics. I really, really wanted to know why someone's fundament was getting a "curly whirly."
 

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
8,142
Reaction score
2,668
Location
In cahoots with the other boo-birds
Website
www.staciakane.com
Wrapped up like a deuce, another roller in the night.


(By bizarre circumstances beyond my control, I actually know all the words to that song by heart. I may remember one or two of them wrong at this point, but I bet I could sing it pretty well even now.)
 

Pyekett

I need no hot / Words.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Messages
1,290
Reaction score
202
Location
Translated.
Oddly compelling song. I can't figure out quite what makes it work, but it has to be the combo of lyrics and music. Neither on its own would make such a lasting impact.

We're all going to make iiiiiit through the night. Hope we're well out of the way of the calliope.