Help! New PA author--is it too late for me?

Hi--
I'm new to the forum, and I, unfortunately, signed a contract with PA. However, my book has not yet been released, nor have I received my proofs yet. That's supposed to be the next step. I have, though, received the $1 advance. I requested yesterday and then again today to have my contract terminated due to issues I specified to PA. I don't want to divulge them on the forum publicly.

I haven't pre-ordered any books, so PA doesn't have my credit card information. But PA does have my contact information.

Ironically, I did search for a long, long time before I signed the contract. I had a lawyer check the contract, then I checked Snopes.com, then I Googled scams and nothing came up. Then I had other people knowlegable in contracts, publishing, and scams search as well. I even talked to an author who is published by Standard Publishing
--a Christian commerical publisher. All the people who searched for me and all the the things I searched never raised red flags until approximately two days ago, but, of course, I'm finding out after the fact; I've already sent in my contract and my manuscript. I just feel stupid and taken advantaged of. I really tried to make certain I was not being scammed before I signed the contract.

But on the bright side, though, I haven't pre-ordered any books and my book has not been printed yet. I'm still waiting for proofs.

Suggestions? Is there hope for me to still get out of my contract? I don't want to scam my friends and family or myself. I've sent PA two polite e-mails requesting termination and told PA that I would send the company a statement via US mail that requests termination of my contract as well so that it would be on the record. I also asked PA to send me an e-mail confirming the termination of my contract and to also send me a written statement via US mail that my contract has, indeed, been terminated. I'm even sort of afraid PA will find out I posted here. I just need out of the contract, if at all possible. Thanks for your help.

Oh, and in your advice, could any of you supply to me how long it takes for PA to respond to e-mail or US mail termination requests?

Again, thank you for your help.

Unfortunately, I am not under 18.Thank you to those who have responded so far. I will try anything anyone offers on this thread. Actually, because of the nature of my book, my story could have potential legal issues assoicated with it if someone does not agree to let me have permission to quote what I've published--it's a memoir, so I'm trying to point that out as well. But I have changed names. That is, except for one person. Meanwhile, while all of you keep advising, I'll keep e-mailing and writing publishAmerica!

Again, thank you to all. I am using your suggestions for my letters and e-mails.

Oh, and everyone--do I send the letter via certified mail? Or just regular US mail?

Thanks again.

First, I typed in publisher scams, publishing scams, and then I typed in PublishAmerica. Then I went to Snopes.com and typed in PublishAmerica scam and then just PublishAmerica and then I tried other things.

I didn't, though, think of just typing in PublishAmerica scam (i.e., the two words together on Google). I used other search engines, too, but I don't remember what they were. They were But I also had other people searching for me, too. And others just looking at the contract--including a lawyer.
I guess none of us knew the correct way to Search for PublishAmerica as a scam, and apparently, my lawyer was duped, too. *sigh*

But what should I do if PA send me the proofs? Not open them?

All the sites that tell the truth about PA showed up after I typed in "publishamerica scam," which, unfortunately, I didn't think to type that in until after I sent in everything. Basically, like everyone else, I got suspicious. That's not what anyone did who helped me search, which stinks. I wish I had done that. We did EVERYTHING but that. The first search I did on my computer (with just typing PA alone)--just showed glowing reports and then when I used other ways of searching, typing in publishing scams I didn't see PublishAmerica. Perhaps I and the ones who helped me search just didn't see it. But--the keywords that everyone needs to know to type in together are the following: PublishAmerica scam. I know that now. I just wish I'd known sooner, and I wish sites like Snopes.com and other sites would have "blown the whistle," but they didn't when I searched. Perhaps they do; perhaps it was just me and my search party who didn't know what to type in to see the truth about PA.

And the funny thing is my lawyer thought he'd really analyzed the contract. Now, though, the lawyer and I are "talking."

I'm beginning to wish I'd just stayed with writing articles for newspapers. . . .

And Elisabeth--I'm going to find and install the thing called Web of Trust on my computer. I didn't know that existed!