| Author |
Message |
    
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
12
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 10:49 am: |   |
If you are a PublishAmerica author and you have had problems with placing your PA books in bookstores, such as Barnes and Nobles, Borders, BooksAMillion or independent bookstores. Would you please email me a brief description of what happened.
And on the other hand if you are a PublishAmerica author and you do have your books in more than one bookstore and not on consignment I'd like to hear about it as well.
Please feel free to forward this message to others or to post on any discussion boards.
Please email the information to mailto:authors@brianhillanddeepower.com
I will not use your name unless you give me permission, but I would like your real name on the email so I can verify that you are a real person and not just a PA basher or PA shill.
Dee
http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com |
priceless1
Wandering Member
Post Number:
156
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 03:36 pm: | |
"I swear, if I hear one more thing about that authors convention. Sheesh. Like to put that up against the annual Boucheron Convention for Mystery Authors. (And they actually have food! LOL!)"
Good one, Nancy. There were quite a few falsehoods in that letter to Claudia. Since I attended that convention, my memories differ vastly from theirs. The seminars were not standing room only. No one had to bust open walls to accommodate attendees. The only reason a few may have had to stand was because there was an inadequate number of chairs. We had to go out ourselves to grab chairs. One would think that the goon squad could have at least helped.
They got one thing right. We had a fabulous time. In spite of them, that is. I say that knowing they were watching me like a hawk.
Lynn
Lynn
behlerpublications.com
lynnprice.net
|
Todd Hunter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1561
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 07:42 pm: | |
Claudia, did I miss this earlier?
"For now, your contract termination request is denied, and your contract
remains fully in effect. In order to give your book the proper chance to
recoup our investments in marketing, advertising, design, and book
production, we will keep your book under contract for a period of six
months from now.
We agree to terminate your contract at that point, on November 30, and we
will send you the requisite paperwork in October."
So, in other words, you get what you want, just have to wait until November...???
(This next part is for Dee)
My book has been in at least 5 or 6 stores at one point or another...
The latest was a Waldenbooks, whose manager was very author-friendly, and ordered 25 copies for signings...
Other stores include a Barnes and Noble (which picked up 4 copies that were present in a warehouse somewhere), another B&N (which has 2 copies left from copies they purchased from me after a signing...since I was already paid for them, technically they're not consignment), a Borders (which had copies left after a signing, same type of deal), another Borders (which ordered in 20 copies for a signing), an independent store (which ordered in around 10 copies for a signing), and a B.Dalton, who told me that a copy had been shipped automatically to their store from the distributor...
Oddly enough, that last store has since closed down...
(Message edited by tmhunter on May 26, 2004) |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1277
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 10:51 pm: | |
Todd,
Yes, I get what I want, to a point, they are making me pay for acting up, and let everyone else out without a bit of trouble. I am not going to wait 6 months, they are going to get a letter from an attorney fairly soon, and then the copyright division and the FTC. I am not going to wait 6 months for my rights back, they can stuff that up their collective butts. Their contract is so full of misrepresentation and performance issues that they don't ever come through on, that they are going to get a dose of the sorries soon. I WANT MY RIGHTS BACK NOW, and I WILL SCREAM UNTIL I GET THEM BACK, so, as long as they don't give them back to me, I am wronged and they will end up in court one way or the other. The only way they are going to stop me is to give those rights back on my book and cease publishing it immediately. So, the war is still going on. That 6 month crap is exactly that, crap!!!! Like I stated above, they already made money on their investment on my book, so what else is new? And why are they saying that to me, when they claim that they didn't use it on anyone else, except 2 or 3 people? And who do they think they can fool with that claim about it being within their right to invoke that 49 book purchase on me, when they say they haven't and aren't and never did use that for a release agreement? FULL OF CRAP!!!!! I AM STILL FIGHTING AND I WANT MY BOOK TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS OR STATEMENTS OR BELITTLEING OR THREATS OF INVOKING ANY "NON-EXISTANT" 49 BOOK BUYOUT CLAUSE!!!!!
Claudia
(Message edited by Cltvcoyote on May 26, 2004) |
Jarocal
Awareness Member
Post Number:
8
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 28, 2004 - 10:33 pm: | |
Claudia,
Not trying to take PA's side in this (I really find very few people that actually get their publishing needs fufilled by that model)but depending on the wording of your contract they are in their legal rights to hold your book ransom. If they will release the rights to your book in November, that is probably about as soon if not sooner than you would get them back in a court battle or out of court agreement with a lawyer. The one benefit that you will get out of it is a judge will in most instances not make you sign a piece of paper that says you will not say or publish anything bad about PA, depending on what lawyer you have they may or may not counsel you to agree to that kind of clause in a settlement. Any route you take, I am sure there will be a gag order or some similar agreement presses for by PA. You may try contacting people who managed to get released from PA contracts early and ask what paperwork to expect. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1285
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 12:33 am: | |
Jarocal,
There have been extensive comments and conversations about this very thing on this and many other boards. I have absolutely no intention of signing any kind of gag order and that is WHY they are choosing to hold my book hostage. They know full well that I will not be shut up by them under any circumstances. Meiners and I have had conversations in the past about holding books hostage, and the way they do business, and he knows my positions about all of it. There are several authors who have gotten released and most have had to sign away on some sort of gag order, so that they could get their book back. Or had to pony up and buy the 49 copies of said book, so that PA makes it's MONEY. I will also not do that, and they know it. Have no fear, I already am talking to an attorney about this very thing and also the FTC is going to get called in shortly.
They are wrong for treating authors, myself included, the way they do and someone is going to come down on them very hard. If it is not (per chance) me, it will be someone else, because there are so many out there now that are so pissed about the way they have been treated and with such contempt and dishonest practices, someone will get to the ground running on this soon.
Being released in November is NOT GOOD enough for me, and shouldn't be good enough for anyone in the same circumstances. There are many reasons that I want my book back NOW, and since they have given books back to others without problems or hassles, why should they invoke those problems and hassles upon me. It is discrimination and malice. They operate by attempting to coerce and intimidate and I am not going to be coerced or intimidated by them. They are a scam outfit and I am now out to prove it so that the rest of the world can see them for what they really are. End of story. If they don't like what I am saying, then they better shut me up by taking away my right to speak, and in America, that is a guaranteed freedom, of which I will use to mine and everyone else's benefits. They wanted this to happen, otherwise they would have given my book back on the first request, because Meiners knows full well, that I will use my voice, especially since I am provoked by them to a point of having to do so. They want to shut me up, give me back my book, take away my complaints. It is that simple. If I have no complaint, then I have no problems with the company, and the only way that can happen is if I have no contract or need to deal with them. They should just give my book back to me pronto, and then I have no need or reason to keep clogging all the sites that I will be able to in the next 6 months with their own stupid rhetoric and contractural intimidation attempts. Believe me, I can do them more harm in those next 6 months than they can do me. And I will.
They are not seing the big picture, in other words, if they want to still recruit all these unknowing, naive authors that want to be published so much, they should get rid of the ones that already have found out that they are scam company and will scream it to the heavens. I am a bad apple, and I will infect every one that I can come across, so they should cut me loose, so I don't have anything to use as ammunition against them. The way they are sitting, they are ducks just there in the pond waiting for me to take a shotgun with pellets and blast. It doesn't matter if I hit one of them, the fallout will kill other prosepective clients/authors and that is what the company makes its money off of, certainly not selling any of those high-over priced books to friends and family. Anyone that asks me, I will show them the emails and the letters and I have everyone of them, going back three years, to prove my points. They are ready to be shown to anyone that wants to or needs to see them for whatever reason. My email address is available all over the place, and anyone who wants info on PublsihAmerica/AmErica House, just has to write to me and I will pony it up. I might only be one little person, but I can have a mighty big voice, especially when I feel the cause is a just one, and this is just.
I wrote a weekly newspaper for 4 years just so the people of my community could see the big picture and know what was going on, and I did it for a much smaller reason than the life of my book. I did it for the love of the truth, and now I have the love of the truth and the love of my book to fight for. Those two things are far stronger than any amount of money can bring in fight to those who are nothing but scammers. They don't have a righteous starting point to start from, I do.
Claudia |
Frances Blake
Awareness Member
Post Number:
6
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 08:54 am: | |
Claudia,
I agree with everything you've said, and I am in the same boat with you. If you look at your 2nd paragraph you'll see that you have given yourself away. They will read that as saying, you are threatening them with all kinds of things but you are REALLY waiting for someone else to do it. Why put everything out on the table for them to laugh at? They know they are making you more upset by the minute. I say, and I do what I say, don't give them the benefit of knowing your plans, let them simmer in their own juice for a while. I hope you are not offended by my "advice" but I am in this with you. I don't know your e-mail address, but if you post it, I will talk to you.
Fran |
Trina Green
Hunger Member
Post Number:
62
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 09:06 am: | |
Claudia if they have had your book for three years there has been more than enough time for them to recoup their monies. If they haven't by now, I think it's safe to say they never will. It is giving them satisfaction to upset you and not terminate your contract. A letter from a lawyer should get them motivated since PA doesn't want to give up any money unless it's absolutely necessary. That's the big picture for them how much would it cost! No scammer wants to give up money or go to court that is why they have the agreement in the contract about arbritration in Frederick's venue. What they have failed to realize is that most companies who have tried that have been ruled against since the motive is to deny the wronged party to seek justice. The point of where the business took place between you and them changed when it was known that you lived outside their state, so your business agreement took place in your state. Every business who leaves their state or local area is under the rules of the state wherein the party resides. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1286
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 09:43 am: | |
I know that Trina, THERE IS NO LONG ARM JUSTICE CLAUSE THAT IS EFFECTIVE WITH STATES NOT CONTIGIOUS TO THE BORDERS of said state doing business outside of its own area. I have stated that several times to PA, and in my email and certified letters. I have it on good authority from the State Bar Association of NEVADA that NEVADA IS NOT A RECIPROCAL STATE. Please look back at the several letters and email I have sent them stating just that to Meiners, etal., and read their replies to that particular item.
And I broke down a reference to that bit about them recouping their monies in the last email received from them posted to this thread on Tues, May 25 in my reply.
Frances,
I didn't tell them anything that they don't already know, concerning my plan of attack on them. I have written it several places in my correspondences to them, and they have had several others from different authors that amount to the same thing. I may not be the first to get them, they might be brought down before my chance comes up by someone a little further along the process than I am, but have no fear, I am pursuing this to the fullest extent that I am able in the times alloted me. Afterall, I may not get the full scope of the investigation going from here immediately, and someone else may be already getting the copyright division or the FTC involved, I don't really know.
Personally, I am an above board sort of person, I don't really care to be sneaky about the fact that I am going sic every power that I can on them, let them know it and let them sweat, they just won't know when to bar the door and close up shop, because they won't know when it will actually hit. In fact, I want them to know that I am after them, especially now that they have chosen to use me as their own personal lynching puppet. That was the most disrespectful thing any company can do to someone that they supposedly respected enough to do business with in the first place. And I want them to know that I fully understand what they are, who they are and what they are up to and will let the whole world know it. BAD PUBLICITY IS THE WORST KIND OF THING FOR A SCAMMER OUTFIT!!!! IT LET'S OTHERS OUT IN THE WORLD KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON AND BEING INVESTIGATED!!! I want all of the bad publicity I can heap down on their heads. People who hear of this bad publicity and investigation will not be so quick to say, "Oh, it sounds like they are great company to send my MS to, so I'll just pop it into the mail today" and maybe if I can get one person to stop and think a bit, then that is one less client for PA.
Claudia |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1288
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 10:04 am: | |
Frances,
My email addy is Cltvcoyote@aol.com and is posted about 8 times in this same thread (above) with all the other emails and letters that have gone between PA and I during this last fiasco.
Claudia |
Molly Brent
Awareness Member
Post Number:
27
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 02:13 pm: | |
Claudia, there should be more people like you.......I, however, will only say
this is about and to a publisher which will remain nameless.........
I did sign the agreement to get my contract back. However, I took the agreement to an attorney BEFORE I signed it so he has an unsigned copy and the time and date noted. I have fully complied with the terms after I signed it. I would not be posting this if I could get a response from the nameless publisher.
My book is being sold illegally and I can't get anyone to respond. I tried to do this privately but nobody from "support" replied....this is a breech of the agreement by the nameless publisher.
I have e mails from and to Amazon, Ingrams and others stating that they have not been advised to remove it and will continue to sell it.
I even had friends order my book to test it........
My e mails (severl of them)and the e mails from Ingrams etc have been forwarded to the namelss publisher.........Still no response of the old support team.
Now hear this from the sole owner of that book and the only one with the rights to it.........I want this book removed. There will be no more e
mails. NOT from me anyway..............I have proof by a charge on a credit card that this book was sold AFTER the contract was terminated. I have e mails from the online book stores saying the would continue to sell it, dated after the contract was terminated.
I have abided by everything and I expect you to do the same. IMMEDIATELY.
I regret the need to post this publically but the other way doesn't seem to be working.
Also, I am having serious medical problems and doctors to testify that stress from this is contributing.
Molly Marx Brent
There Ain't Enough Front Porches |
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
13
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 02:13 pm: | |
Why doesn't PublishAmerica want book orders from stores like a traditional publisher? Why has PA set up their discount and no return policies so that it discourages sales? Why doesn't PA offer a discount to amazon.com so those books are discounted by the expected 30%? Why does PublishAmerica focus its efforts on recruiting new authors and having those new authors sell 50 to 300 copies, rather than taking a few authors and selling 1,000 to 5,000 copies to retail outlets?
I believe I have the answer. And it is money, but probably not what you think.
Just as a little background I have a Master's in Business Administration and have worked in the finance department of a major corporation, as well as a consultant in business planning for my own consulting company. I am very familiar with budgets, forecasting, cash flow and income statements.
If PA sells say 100 copies of a $19.95 title, (and let's just round that up to $20.00 so I can do the math in my head) to the author, or from the PA website and they discount the title 20%, they have sales of $1800.00 and they probably pay Lightning Source (LS) their printer $3.00 per book, but let's be conservative and say they pay $5.00 per book. They earn $1800.00 and pay LS $500.00 so the PA net profit is $1300.00
If a bookstore would order 1000 copies and want a 50% discount (55% is standard but again we'll say 50% so I can figure out the math without a calculator) PA would receive $10,000 and have to pay LS $5,000 so they would have a net profit of $5,000.00
Would you rather have $1300.00 or $5,000? PublishAmerica would rather have the $1300.00 and here's why.
The $1300.00 is immediate cash (actually they get $1800.00 immediately) because PA doesn't tell LS to print the books until PA has been paid in full by credit card by the author (or a customer from the PA website). Credit cards settle within 48 hours.
If PA fills a bookstore order they have to pay LS $5,000.00 to print the 1000 copies now, when the copies are ordered. BUT they don't get the payment from the bookstore for 60 to 90 days. If the books are ordered by the bookstore through Ingram, and that's how most bookstores order, PublishAmerica has to wait 90 days to get paid by Ingram. That's Ingram's standard term. It's a double hit, they have to pay out-of-pocket expenses of $5,000.00 immediately and they don't receive the $10,000 for 90 days.
PA does not want to tie up $5,000 for 90 days and have to wait 90 days to receive their profit.
If PA was a traditional publisher as they claim, and had orders for 1000 copies of just say 50 titles out of the 3000+ titles they have already released, well they have to have some significant cash on hand to fund the orders.
And now they have 8000 authors, if 3,000 have already been published that means that 5000 will be published within the next 12 months per the PA contract. PublishAmerica not only doesn't want to sell to bookstores like a traditional publisher, it's my opinion they can't.
Dee
www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1291
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 03:04 pm: | |
All probably very true Dee. I would venture to guess that is exactly the reason that they do business the way they do. I have thought about that very same scenario, but didn't have the figures you have to genereate the whole story. I was figuring on a much smaller basis. But still came up with the same story. They don't want to and can't lay out that much first up cash to get the jobs done in a timely manner and keep the writer happy and they don't want to tie up any more money towards this venture than they already have, making more cash takehome and less outlay for the company and then it can be disguised as profit for them, and they can use it on a personal level. Someday, it may come to bite them in the butt, and force a close of the business, because they probably can't get any significant loans for the running of the business in any other form than they already have in place. They do have another venture partner, Larry Clomper or someone else, I forget his name, but he owns a web service (I think), but I don't know what his money situation is so, can't tell whether or not he can, did, or would infuse capital into this kind of business.
BTW, I used to have Licenses and Certificates of sales ability to trade Securities, Stocks, Mutuals, Insurance (all kinds, Life, health, P&C, business,) and Bonds (all kinds T & C Notes, Certificates,), Real Estate & Commodities. Let it go a long time ago, though. However, I have kept up on the business and would be able to reinstate my licenses at any time for any or all of the above products. I was licensed in all Western States for everything, which I might add, is rather a hard thing to do, and many tests have to be passed to get those Licenses. In many of the business, I just didn't like the cold sale approach used by the brokers of the industries in question. I had a brokers license pending in Real Estate. I have studied extensively many of the diffferent sorts of business models and found so many of them wanting in the overall modus operandi, that I got soured on business in its very nature, as most of it was "I want to screw you and will find the best way to do it and you won't get out of anything with anything" methods. I just don't believe in those things. If I am selling something, I want it to be of the best quality, best price and needed for the person or company, and have it an honorable choice for both parties.
Plus, I was a Cost Analyst for Hughes Aircraft back in the 70's and Budget, Manpower Analyst there also. And I built a Cable TV Company here in the valley I live in, that was destroyed during a divorce, (oh well) but it was worth about a $1,700,000 when it was sold by the Judge for one third of what it was worth, because of my stupid Ex.
All this to say, that I understand the business nature and ramifications of money and why things are run the way they are and for the profit to be the way the owners want it. When you have an accounting, you only need to provide certain things a certain way to look like a viable business and if you don't have any stockholders or other partners to contend with it is much simpler to make a business look like a loss for accounting and taxes. Numbers can be and are often juggled to make the bottom line what the operator wants it to be.
Claudia |
Harry Simenon
Wandering Member
Post Number:
145
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 03:34 pm: | |
Hey Claudia,
PA will not let you go while they let me go TWICE for the same book! I have signed and mailed the well known PA release paper months ago. Now yesterday I found another one in my mail with a different date. Now I’m wondering if I will receive this mail for the rest of my life? I first paniced when I heard that we had to go to the postoffice to collect registered mail from PA. The two copies that I didn’t want? I checked their website and Amazon. Never thought to feel so releived to find out that my book wasn’t there!
|
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1292
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 03:46 pm: | |
Harry,
I certainly do wish that I had your LUCK. Take it and run.....
Claudia |
Harry Simenon
Wandering Member
Post Number:
149
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 03:51 pm: | |
I'll wait until I have enough for all of us... |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1294
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 04:00 pm: | |
Send one to me, please...... |
Nancy Mehl
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1789
Registered: 08-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 04:07 pm: | |
Dee,
Well, that's very interesting. I had an opening to place my book throughout grocery stores in Kansas. They would have ordered it like a bookstore. I contacted PA twice about it - asking them to allow me to make a few corrections before the deal was put together. Then, I asked about the Independence label before I worked on the deal. I couldn't get a response from them. (Except a form reply about their review process re: Independence Books) Now mind you, I've sold over 1300 books for PA.
SUDDENLY out of the blue, I get a letter from PA telling me that they were releasing Graven Images for lack of sales!! (Para. 24) I was stunned. Perhaps you hit the nail on the head. Maybe they didn't want to put the money up front to cover the orders!!!
Sheesh. Graven Images has a new publisher with returnable books - and a decent price! I'll make this publisher the money that PA could have made!!
And, I have no "gag" order, so I'll say whatever the heck I want about them in public!
Nancy
www.nancymehlbooks.com
www.myshelf.com |
priceless1
Wandering Member
Post Number:
164
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 05:47 pm: | |
Nancy, it's apparent that your success ended up being your ticket out of your contract. If only it were than easy for us all. They would go broke if all of us received offers to sell our books in the bookstores. It would bankrupt them because they don't have the cash flow to keep afloat.
Hmmm...
Lynn
Lynn
behlerpublications.com
lynnprice.net
|
Mary Gibbs
Wandering Member
Post Number:
110
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 07:39 pm: | |
As someone who was with you in the beginning, Claudia, & someone who got out of her contract simply by making a few comments on a message board, all I can say is that I'm SO sorry that this is happening to you! If I could wave the magic wand that somehow got me out of that contract, I'd do the same for you.
Good vibes to you...& I hope you are released sooner rather than later! |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1296
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 07:51 pm: | |
Thanks Mary.
I certainly wish that things would have ended better for my book, but such is life, I guess. Maybe it is my turn to harrass the living shit out of PA and make up for everyone who just sort of sits by hoping things will get better, like I did for so long. I now know that they have absolutely no regard for honesty or fair play or decency and IF I can get that across to some other person who might be thinking of going into a contract with them and they stop because of the nastieness that PA is putting me through, then it is all for a worthwhile cause. I wish that someone would have been able to warn me as much as I can warn others, but at the time, as we all know, there wasn't the info or ability out there to do it right. Now there is, and I am sure that in 6 months time, I can reach a whole lot of people, all I have to do is keep getting mad all over agin and posting on places that writers might frequent. Too bad for PA, they should have just let me go when I first asked to be released and this all started. I would have had a much kinder attitude towards them if that would have happened, but as it stands now, I will try everything in my power to make their lives miserable. And the more people that read this board, the better I like it right now.
Claudia |
Mary Gibbs
Wandering Member
Post Number:
111
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 10:26 pm: | |
In all things, tell the truth. Good will come of it.
I fully believe in people making educated, well thought decisions. If people who are new to the publishing world (or particular publishers) read this board & gain something from it, then all is well. Why PA is holding onto you so tightly now is beyond me. It simply must be out of spite if you aren't selling. Sad way to do business.
Carry on, Claudia. Keep your chin up!
(As a side note, congrats to all who have successfully "moved on." I wish I could say the same. However, my writing has fallen by the wayside as stage combat has taken up a good portion of my life. Eventually, though, I hope to start writing scripts for our shows...& maybe get PAID to do so!) |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1300
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 10:51 pm: | |
BTW, how's that little tyke of yours? Glad that you are doing something that you love and is good in the medieval combat stuff. There used to be a family here that had a group together, and they did shows and stuff, and everytime I would see anything from them, I would think of you. I love that part of history and am going to a Renaissance Faire in a few weeks that is being held for the first time up at Tahoe this year. I used to go to the one that was over at Novato, CA for a few years and a very long time ago (back in the late 60's- early to mid 70's), went every year to the one that was the start of all of them and was done at the old Paramount Ranch down in Los Angeles.
The ribs, the turkey legs, the Shakepeare, the jousting, the fun...... the pasties, and of course the grog. And the costumes, we all wore them, I even had a really neat one, as a serving wench. But the corslett killed me, even then, and I was lots slimmer and stronger (old age hadn't gotten me yet) built then. I loved the hats though. Anyway, I think about you every time I hear about those faires. I have a friend who flies falcons for the shows. You may know him, Brian Cherry. IF you do, and see him, tell him I said hullo.
Thanks Mary, for commenting about my stupid ordeal. Sometimes I think that I am the only one that is miserable about this, and then you show up and offer consoling. It helps. You're a sweetie.
Claudia |
Mary Gibbs
Wandering Member
Post Number:
112
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 08:26 am: | |
Eh...it's my thing. I know how awful it's been for some of "us." Thankfully, I was spared a lot of the grief.
The little one isn't so little anymore. She's 2...going on 16. We're doomed! Her older brother will be 7 in August. Hardly seems possible.
I think the falconry show will be at a different festival that we're planning on attending this year, so I'll have to look Brian up. As for the show I'll be in, plenty of pictures will be taken!
All will be well, Claudia. At the very least, you've learned a LOT from this, & you've made a lot of new friends. Two silver linings in one very dark cloud.
Mary |
Teena Haywood
Awareness Member
Post Number:
49
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 31, 2004 - 02:22 am: | |
I am well aware that PA uses Lightning Source to print their authors' book. Pasted below is an interesting thread I found about Lightning Souce fees on www.absolutewrite.com under "Background Check."
Now, I've begun to wonder just how much they pay to put the bookcover design on the online bookstores websites  ?
Teena
********************************************************************************
Actually, Deejay is very close to correct. I consulted with an editor whose publishing house uses Lightning Source. There is a $100 setup fee and print cost is per page. A 300-page book will cost right at $5.00 to print.
Now let's do a little math. If a book is priced at $20.00, then the publisher will have to sell 8 copies to reach the breakeven point. In fact, that point occurs within the eighth copy so there's actually a $13 net to the publisher if the publisher is paying $1 in royalties for each copy sold. After this point is reached, the publisher is making $14 per copy sold. If the publisher reaches what many have touted to be an average of 75 sales, then the net to the publisher will be $1,019. This, of course, does not take into account salaries for the people working at the publisher. That would presumably reduce the net figure before the actual profit can be determined. However, without knowing precisely how many people work for the publisher and what they're paid, we really can't determine what the true profit is since it's bound to be lower.
Of course, since some publishers are charging more than the average price for books produced by Lightning Source, that means that their profit margin is clearly higher than those of other publishers while their costs remain the same. This also means that a certain publisher is making a killing on books that are less than 300 pages in length because that reduces the printing expense and increases the net.
Edited to note that dollars are US based.
Edited by: DaveKuzminski at: 5/30/04 12:41 pm
|
priceless1
Wandering Member
Post Number:
169
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 31, 2004 - 08:06 am: | |
As one who used LSI ONCE, we can attest that one pays a premium. Their claim to fame is that they do all the 'legwork' to get your book into the online stores and Ingrams. For smaller publishers who don't have a marketing dept., this is a very attractive offer. However, you can get the same service for the online stores by doing it yourself. The hitch is, until you have 10 titles out, you can't open up a personal relationship with Ingrams. If you print with LSI, you can.
The huge downside is that the cover price has to be higher because they charge more for their services. After they took us to the cleaner with our first title, saying our files were all screwed up (after we had been told they were perfect), they proceeded to charge us a fee for 'fixing' our files. We demanded they give us the backup as to what was wrong. To this day, they have never contacted us.
We found two other wonderful printers, who do a much better, cleaner job, offer great prices and warehousing. This gives us the opportunity to make print runs. This is especially nice because there isn't the print one book at a time bit, and our customers get their book immediately.
An added bonus is that we're able to sell our books at retail for about $5 cheaper than had we stayed with LSI. True, we have to do the legwork of getting into the online stores ourselves, but it's not a tough thing. We felt it was much better for the author to have a less expensive book than it was to make our life easier.
Now, this is strictly our experience. I know others have used them and found them to be great.
Lynn
Lynn
behlerpublications.com
lynnprice.net
|
Perry Comer
Unity Member
Post Number:
1385
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 31, 2004 - 08:14 am: | |
Lynn have you looked at Paw Prints?
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
17
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 03:17 pm: | |
If you have received a rude email from PublishAMerica or feel you have been
damaged by them. Rebecca Easton is collecting information. She has posted at www.writers.net and several other boards.
Go look at
http://p197.ezboard.com/fabsolutewritefrm32.showMessage?topicID=90.topic
Contact her at
RebeccaEaston@Comcast.net
Dee |
Sandra Crough
Awareness Member
Post Number:
1
Registered: 06-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 07:44 pm: | |
Hello: I am new to mindsightseries and was referred by someone from Writers.Net. I was published with PA in 2002 and regretted it from the moment I saw the book itself. The errors were too numerous to note here despite my making corrections and their stating, "Our staff proofs your mnuscript for errors in grammar, spelling, mechanics, typos, and the like..." HA! That was a joke. But what got to me was when I could not get it IN stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. They state, "The production values of the book are no compeetitive with other books in the marketplace in this category..." Furthermore, I could not get the book reviewed by major papers for the same reasons. Boy, did I make a mistake. But we live and learn. Then on top of that, they copped an attitude. I received an email that I was not to take "that tone" with them, but they do not know who they are fooling with. I get interviewed on radio all over the U.S. and I will mention to anyone listening that they should NOT, under any circumstances publish with this POD company. That in itself should be sufficient to break my contract. Although they say they are not, they are nothing but POD and they state that clearly which is misrepresentation. I have a relative who is an attorney who tell me they are bluffing, but just to hedge my bet, I sent a letter to the City Attorney's Office in Frederick, MD. Will keep you posted as to what transpired.
|
John Laurence Robinson
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
596
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 08:46 pm: | |
Welcome, Sandra. The battle is ongoing for many of us, but I'm proof positive there's life after PA...ask anybody here! *G*
John |
Jennifer Lynn
Unity Member
Post Number:
1288
Registered: 03-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 10:38 pm: | |
Welcome Sandra.
I know how you feel. It's very frustrating when you've been treated unfairly. I thought I had researched and knew what I was getting into, but I had no idea either.
Just remember, you're not alone. Now write something else and submit it to a better publisher!
Jenn
Jennifer Lynn
www.jenniferlynn.ca |
Teena Haywood
Awareness Member
Post Number:
1
Registered: 06-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 10:56 am: | |
Hi  Sandra:
You'll love the wonderful feedback you'll receive here. Welcome aboard.
Teena |
Nancy Mehl
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1820
Registered: 08-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 11:12 am: | |
Welcome, Sandra!
Nancy
www.nancymehlbooks.com
www.myshelf.com |
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
3117
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 11:18 am: | |
Hi Sandra. It's good to meet you. |
Bill Nelson
Wandering Member
Post Number:
217
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 10:12 pm: | |
Hello, Sandra
I'm Bill, write as Richard Alan Nelson, another PA expatriate.
Welcome.
bn
|
Joyce Scarbrough
Wandering Member
Post Number:
143
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 08:11 am: | |
Add my welcome to all the others, Sandra. I'm also one of the PA-banned.
Toyce
True Blue Forever
Read the first chapter at http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
See the hunk at http://www.southernbelleauthor.com/joycepersonalpage
|
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
29
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 02:41 pm: | |
Go to http://www.publishamerica.com/shopping/index.htm
Put in the title Overtime in the search box and then when it comes up. Click on read reviews. Really.
Dee Power
http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com |
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page
