PA must be getting desperate.

I just got one of those, too.

Here's my response, verbatim: you gave me my rights back, you thieving bastards. so, fuck off and die!!!

I'll be sure to let you know if they answer, and if so, what exactly they say

I got one too! My rights were returned over two years ago and they are obviously still trying to sell my book.

Our names shouldn't even be in their data base.

I hate to be a Me Too! person, but they sent me one this morning. I guess they think I forgot that they could have had a good selling book and chose to wee-wee on our deal.

The world is a better place with spam filters.

awp

I got about five of them....deleted 'em all.

If I were a PA author who bought nine paperbacks PAperbacks to have the deal activated, only to find that a few days later I need only have bought two, I'd be a little ticked off.

Oh NO!!! PublishAnemia, "quality" publisher printer of hardback-only books, has now lowered itself to printing PAPERBACKS? I'm shocked...

Marie Pacha said:

I got one too! My rights were returned over two years ago and they are obviously still trying to sell my book.

Our names shouldn't even be in their data base.

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allenparker said:

I hate to be a Me Too! person, but they sent me one this morning. I guess they think I forgot that they could have had a good selling book and chose to wee-wee on our deal.

The world is a better place with spam filters.

awp

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I feel the need to point out the Can Spam Act passed by Congress a few years ago. It did absolutely nothing to stop the criminals that were already sending 99.999% of spam, but I recall some clause about a business being allowed to send emails to those with a "business relationship" but that only lasts for six months after the last transaction. Maybe someone could look into that instead of deleting everything from PA.

One of the biggest problems with reporting and stopping most spam has been locating the sender.

FWIW, years ago Washington State had a GOOD law against spam that was based on the junk fax law, but the Can Spam Act invalidated all State laws (I wonder how THAT works, must have to do with interstate commerce).

Oddly, I've not gotten that email today. I'm not upset, though. I expected them to link my AW persona to my name on their email list eventually.

Spam Act http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

I did not receive the e-mail and my book is still under contract with PA for five more years. Go figure!

The PAperback is a new print version of your book, with its own ISBN. It resembles in many ways a softcover (same size, same paper, same cover),

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If everything is the same, why do PA authors have to buy copies of the new PAperback when it's the same as the old softcover?

and it also has elements of a massmarket paperback (permanentlow price, designated as paperback, returnable by supermarkets).

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Permanent low price? I highly doubt it. PA has monkeyed around with prices many times in the past, why should we believe their latest lie? The book may be designated as paperback (or not, at PA's discretion), but why the designation of being returnable by supermarkets (rather than bookstores) AND that's assuming a supermarket actually purchases copies of books from PA, which they don't! Misleading much?

Almost without exception, all PublishAmerica PAperbacks will permanentlybe listed for only $9.95 so they can compete with any other paperback out there!

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Almost without exception? You might as well say, "At PA's discretion."

Considering PA's utter incompetence and inability to keep track of anything I'm not surprised that some are getting emails when they shouldn't and some who technically should aren't. When you have employees going through a revolving door like PA you can't expect any sort of consistancy. And the operation's too big for a few people to do it on their own. The Stooges must be fair actors though; the hardbacks sound like they were just some big orchestrated image to get their authors buying up paperbacks again.

benbradley said:

has now lowered itself to printing PAPERBACKS? I'm shocked...

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No silly, not paperbacks. PAperbacks!

Sheesh... calling them paperbacks! It's like trying to calla Taxi off as a Cab when the two are really nothing... alike... at... um... wait a minute....

Jean Marie said:

I just got one of those, too.

Here's my response, verbatim: you gave me my rights back, you thieving bastards. so, fuck off and die!!!

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You know that's only going to get Miranda all hot and bothered. She just loves her some nasty talk and a whip.

~brianm~

O.M.G.

I logged in because I was stuck on hold and the music was about to make me rip my eyes out.

This just keeps getting funnier.

On the 'only on TV' commercials, my husband and I have a comedy routine where we try and pick just the right time to say, "but wait". Whoever gets closest without going over wins.

So, I'm going to through in my vote on the latest and gratiest PA offer,

"but wait . . ."

Almost without exception, all PublishAmerica PAperbacks will permanentlybe listed for only $9.95 so they can compete with any other paperback out there!

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Really? Gosh, Dover must be quaking in their boots right about now.

But, wait! If you order in the next twenty seconds, we'll add one of the *following:

• PublishAmerica t-shirt (show your good sense of fashion while promoting your Published Author status, one size fits most).
• Lollipop tree - promote your book (whether it relates to lollipops or not) with this lollipop tree.
• We'll enter your name into a drawing to receive two free hardcover copies of your book (don't worry, we'll let you know when we've chosen the winner, it could be you!).
• 10% off your next order of books (subject to certain conditions which will be disclosed at PA's discretion at a later date).

*The special offers noted above are only available through this special offer. You must use coupon code IRAPUBLISHEDAUTHOR not one minute before midnight on July 6 and no later than 12:01am on July 7. PublishAmerica reserves the right to rescind this offer at their discretion at any time. By using the coupon code noted above, you agree that you are one of PublishAmerica's 50,000 "happy" authors and are willing to squash any toady bugs that dare say anything negative about PublishAmerica.

PublishAmerica, making your dreams nightmares come true, one book at a time.

I am amazed how this company finds newer and better ways to disgust me.

merrihiatt said:

But, wait! If you order in the next twenty seconds, we'll add one of the *following:

• PublishAmerica t-shirt (show your good sense of fashion while promoting your Published Author status, one size fits most).
• Lollipop tree - promote your book (whether it relates to lollipops or not) with this lollipop tree.
• We'll enter your name into a drawing to receive two free hardcover copies of your book (don't worry, we'll let you know when we've chosen the winner, it could be you!).
• 10% off your next order of books (subject to certain conditions which will be disclosed at PA's discretion at a later date).

*The special offers noted above are only available through this special offer. You must use coupon code IRAPUBLISHEDAUTHOR not one minute before midnight on July 6 and no later than 12:01am on July 7. PublishAmerica reserves the right to rescind this offer at their discretion at any time. By using the coupon code noted above, you agree that you are one of PublishAmerica's 50,000 "happy" authors and are willing to squash any toady bugs that dare say anything negative about PublishAmerica.

PublishAmerica, making your dreams nightmares come true, one book at a time.

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Quoted for truth! (and hilarity!)

If the softcover and the paperback are actually the same as determined by the ISBN, PA could be in real trouble for fraud. All that's needed is for one PA author to have bought some of each and then take the results to the FTC. If there isn't an ISBN, then PA could still be in real trouble for fraud since an ISBN is needed to get books into real bookstores and not just PA's homegrown and usually inoperative version of a bookstore. The fraud would be saying that those books would be available in other bookstores when they're not.

Hey VEC, you really should go to the authorities and turn state's evidence. You know PA is going to fall eventually and expose the truth. It might be too late for you when that happens.

DaveKuzminski said:

If the softcover and the paperback are actually the same as determined by the ISBN, PA could be in real trouble for fraud. All that's needed is for one PA author to have bought some of each and then take the results to the FTC. If there isn't an ISBN, then PA could still be in real trouble for fraud since an ISBN is needed to get books into real bookstores and not just PA's homegrown and usually inoperative version of a bookstore. The fraud would be saying that those books would be available in other bookstores when they're not.

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In the OP of this thread, the quoted letter says:

The PAperback is a new print version of your book, with its own ISBN.

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the same isbn that was issued in the beginning. they're not going to spend time/money to get a new one, Teri.

Point being, Dave's correct. Other point being, I still have contacts w/ he knows whom, so, if this is worth pursuing, Dave, let me know.

meanwhile, I've got a depth finder that needs tending to. I'll be back, later.

and it also has elements of a massmarket paperback (permanentlow price, designated as paperback, returnable by supermarkets).

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Idiots. Supermarkets don't return books. Supermarkets (or, more accurately, the Independent Distributors (ID) that service supermarkets) strip the books and return the covers for credit against their next order.

There is no way in hell that PA has broken into the ID market.

Even if it were true, which it isn't, PA's standard trim size won't even fit in supermarket wire-rack spinners.

It's entirely possible that PA's issued new ISBNs to their existing books. In the numbers they buy them, ISBNs are cheap. Perhaps they're trying to get away from the abysmal sales records that the earlier ISBNs garnered?

I don't understand how the state of Maryland lets PA continue to operate...

Is Maryland that desperate for the meager tax dollars PA generates?

PA actually has a pre-order page for the PAperback. I had to laugh when I read the last line. http://www.publishamerica.net/product93488.html This link was attached to the email I received yesterday about getting my no longer contracted book into PAperback.

In the Ordering Instructions box be sure to mention the title of your book!

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I forwarded the email to [email protected] and sent PA a cease and desist contact message.

But, the website doesn't say the same thing as the email!

The website:
"Use this discount coupon: PAper20. Minimum order volume is 12 copies.

For orders of 25 or more copies use this discount coupon, PAper30 and we'll include 5 free softcovers."

The letter:
"Great discount coupon: PAperback20. Minimum purchase is 9 copies.
Best discount coupon: PAperback30, and we'll include 5 free softcovers before we discontinue most softcovers. Minimum order volume is 15 copies."

Which minimum order is accurate?