PA will publish my next book, if I buy 75 copies of my last book

MordechaiGoodbuds · Jan 4, 2009

I published my first novel, Talk Radio, with Publish America a few years ago. I realized it was kind of like self-publishing, so I wasn't freaked out like so many naive writers are when they discover PA's complete lack of marketing.

I wanted to publish a collection of short stories entitled Tales of Augusta and Thereabouts with them. I planned on marketing it locally but most of the copies I was going to buy were to give away as Christmas gifts to friends and relatives.

They told me they'd publish my next book, if I agreed to buy 75 more copies of the first book I published with them.

I didn't even respond. I self-published with Lulu and then promoted my book on PA's message board.

They completely and immediately banned me from their message board.

Actually, I didn't really have a problem with PA until they imposed conditions when I wanted to use them again.

Rolling Thunder · Jan 4, 2009

What was the total cost difference between buying 75 copies from PA versus buying from LuLu?

scarletpeaches · Jan 4, 2009

Oh dear.

Christine N. · Jan 4, 2009

Well, from the looks of things, your email from them plus them no longer giving 2 author copies to anyone, PA seems to be coming out of the shadows and just behaving like what they are - a vanity press in reverse. And if they're completely up front about it on their website and with their customers, this bit of the forum will cease to exist.

I see them getting closer - which isn't a bad thing.

Actually, do Xlibris, etc...actually call themselves a vanity press? Do they use the term? I can't remember, only that they don't call themselves a 'traditional, royalty-paying publisher'.

CaoPaux · Jan 4, 2009

Xlibris: "Whatever your book is, Xlibris will help you self publish it."

iUniverse: "[We] ... make it simple for writers just like you to quickly and affordably publish professional-looking books."

LuLu: "Self-publishing for print-on-demand books, ebooks, music, images and custom calendars."

Infinity: "With Infinity Publishing, you get all of the services you need to self publish your book and get it into the marketplace with our affordable, one-time setup fee...."

AuthorHouse: "Self publishing success is now FASTER AND MORE AFFORDABLE"

Et cetera, et cetera. They never call themselves vanity, but they're far more open than they used to be about being pay-to-play. :hat:

Marie Pacha · Jan 4, 2009

I'm presuming this is the correct book.

http://www.publishamerica.com/SHOPPING/shopdisplayproducts.asp?Search=Yes
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Talk-Radio/Mark-Gelbart/e/9781413772937/?itm=1

At PA's price of $19.95 75 copies will cost $1496.25. Even with a 50% discount which wasn't mentioned in the above post, that's a total of $748.13. That does not include shipping and handling or any taxes.

PA's website says this, "PublishAmerica adheres to the traditional publishing concept: we assume all financial risks and all expenses, we earn our income by selling books, and books only.

The author pays no fees of any kind, at any time. We want your book, not your money"

http://www.publishamerica.com/benefits.htm

MordechaiGoodbuds · Jan 4, 2009

As an author I got/get a discount so it would've only cost me about $750-$800 to order 75 more copies of my book with PA.

Lulu costs about the same, but I only wanted 30 copies of my own book. Plus, I avoided hassles with PA by self-publishing with them.

It turned out to be a good thing PA didn't publish my short story collection because I sold one of those stories later to a literary magazine. If I would've signed a contract with PA, I might not have been allowed to sell the story.

Danger Jane · Jan 4, 2009

MordechaiGoodbuds said:
As an author I got/get a discount so it would've only cost me about $750-$800 to order 75 more copies of my book with PA.

Lulu costs about the same, but I only wanted 30 copies of my own book. Plus, I avoided hassles with PA by self-publishing with them.

It turned out to be a good thing PA didn't publish my short story collection because I sold one of those stories later to a literary magazine. If I would've signed a contract with PA, I might not have been allowed to sell the story.

Great point. Money flows TO the author, not away from--spending $800 on 75 copies of YOUR OWN BOOK definitely bucks this principle.

Marie Pacha · Jan 4, 2009

When did that occur Mordechai?

MordechaiGoodbuds · Jan 5, 2009

I think it was sometime last spring.

I sent a copy of PA's email to preditors and editors. I don't know if they ever put it up on their website.

kristin724 · Jan 5, 2009

I am so amazed that people still consider PA as a viable publishing option. I get so excited when I see a new local author in the newspaper being touted as a big deal or even the next big thing. I look down for the book infor and its Publish America! Why?

Arkie · Jan 5, 2009

kristin724 said:
I am so amazed that people still consider PA as a viable publishing option. I get so excited when I see a new local author in the newspaper being touted as a big deal or even the next big thing. I look down for the book infor and its Publish America! Why?

Publish America is made to order for new writers in love with the thought of being a published author, and not so much in love with writing, and possess little knowledge of the publishing business. They make the process easy, with little expense, to get a book out there. It's only after the book comes out that they realize they've been had.

MordechaiGoodbuds · Jan 6, 2009

Arkie,

What you say isn't true at all. Can you read the minds of the many writers who have published with PA.?

I love writing more than the thought of becoming a published author.

Claudia Gray · Jan 6, 2009

MordechaiGoodbuds said:
Arkie,

What you say isn't true at all. Can you read the minds of the many writers who have published with PA.?

I love writing more than the thought of becoming a published author.

Then why are you paying to print your own books? Why not just write, or simply post your work online?

kristin724 · Jan 6, 2009

I understand someone's need to publish, see their name nice and big, write for the love, or write for the money. But do these people live in a vacuum? Do they not know of PA's tawdry history? I don't think being associated with PA is worth the risk. And if you want to be a big deal, people in the know will see red flags at the PA connection. You can serialize yourself on your own blog and become famous instead of getting screwed by PA.

Merricat · Jan 6, 2009

ClaudiaGray said:
Then why are you paying to print your own books? Why not just write, or simply post your work online?

Because sometimes it's easier to distribute (especially to older people who are uncomfortable with the internet) when it's a solid, tangible, bound and printed object. My parents and grandparents can't read anything long on the computer screen, and my father and grandparents can barely check their email, so if I wanted to, say, do a family history, I would DEFINITELY get it printed and bound and give them copies.

And a lot of the PA authors very clearly do love writing; they just aren't well informed about the publishing industry, so they have no idea how badly they're being had.

IceCreamEmpress · Jan 6, 2009

MordechaiGoodbuds said:
What you say isn't true at all. Can you read the minds of the many writers who have published with PA.?

What Arkie says is a good representation of what several people who post here have said about their own PA experience.

James D. Macdonald · Jan 7, 2009

MordechaiGoodbuds said:
Lulu costs about the same...

Per Lulu's pricing calculator, 75 copies of a 202 page, trade-size perfect bound book would cost $490.50. ($6.54 each.)

MordechaiGoodbuds · Jan 7, 2009

The short story collection I published with Lulu cost me about $10.50 per book. Tales of Augusta and Thereabouts is 324 pages. PA does pay for the ISBN number which would cost me $100. That's an advantage for publishing with them.

ClaudiaGray,

Far more people have read Talk Radio because it was published by PA, than if I had merely posted the book online.

My book is in at least 4 libraries. I live in Georgia, but for some reason a library in Oklahoma bought a copy. I get fan mail from library readers.

At least 60 people have read my book whereas if I didn't publish with PA, the number would be close to zero.

60 readers > 0 readers

I love writing, but I want people to read what I write.

wwhitman · Jan 7, 2009

You dont need to buy an ISBN unless you are going to be a publisher, since they are sold in blocks and tied to whatever publishing house prints the books.

Old Hack · Jan 7, 2009

Wwhitman, if you are self-publishing your book then you ARE a publisher, aren't you? in that case you'd need your own ISBN as not all printing services supply ISBNs, and you'd have to get yours from the ISBN agency of what ever country you're in.

If your book is published by a publisher, then that publisher will supply your ISBN--it's part of the publishing process.

And it's worth remembering that if your book doesn't have an ISBN it's not going to appear on Amazon or any of the online sites, and bookshops are likely to have trouble ordering it if it comes to that.

PA will publish my next book, if I buy 75 copies of my last book

MordechaiGoodbuds

Rolling Thunder

scarletpeaches

Christine N.

haz a shiny new book cover

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless

Marie Pacha

Still a work in progress

MordechaiGoodbuds

Danger Jane

Marie Pacha

Still a work in progress

MordechaiGoodbuds

kristin724

Arkie

a reader's ear and a writer's heart

MordechaiGoodbuds

Claudia Gray

kristin724

Merricat

Writing Workshop Junkie

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

MordechaiGoodbuds

wwhitman

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman