| Author |
Message |
    
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
5
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 03:43 pm: |   |
So everyone knows, I have been banned from the PA boards as of Wednesday. I am also not pleased with them as 'publishers' and I use the term loosely.
They sent my co-author, a rude email demanding that we only use support@publishamerica.com to communicate with them and that any other mail, even sent through the United States Post Office will be discarded by them, unopened.
When Brian responded saying he is not going to correspond with an anonymous email address, he was told:
"Do not address us in that tone. If you have a question,
be courteous and we will be happy to help you. Otherwise
we will not.
"Yes, as you and all our authors agreed to do, you will be
using email to communicate and we require that you use support@publishamerica.com as your sole point of command.
Does anyone here who is - was - a PA author (I hate that term by the way) remember agreeing to use only email to communicate?
Dee
Dee Power
I'm not a newly minted naive author. I have two other books published by John Wiley & Sons, and a contract for a book for Dearborn Trade. |
Trina Green
Awareness Member
Post Number:
42
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:19 pm: | |
Dee I've never received any such message from PA, but I've heard of another author, who was able to get the rights back to her book receiving such a message. It would appear that you're getting the best of them and it's not pleasing when people figure out their game. As long as you were happy and stuffing their pockets with money, you could communicate anyway you wanted. It would seem that there is an ever expanding populace of unhappy authors with PA. I am one of those authors. I say congrats for getting their dander up. I personally refuse to have any communication with them since in my book they do not exist. |
Steven Shrewsbury
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
762
Registered: 04-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:24 pm: | |
I was a writer before I met PA and still am. I am NOT a PA AUTHOR, but they pubbed a book of my short tales, NOCTURNAL VACATIONS.
I have been pubbed by so many presses I cannot name them in the 325 + tales I have had pubbed.
Move on and forget it. Learn from your errors and find greener pastures.
www.stevenshrewsbury.com |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1190
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:33 pm: | |
Dee,
Well take a gander at this set of correspondence that I have had going on since April 14. I am requesting that my book be releasead from my 70 year contract that was started on November 28, 2000. Here is the first email/letter that I wrote the them on 14 April, and got NO reply to:
<< April 14, 2004
Publish America/AmErica House Publishers
PO Box 151
Frederick, MD. 21705
Mr. Meiners and PublishAmerica/AmErica House Publishers, ETAL,
Dear Mr. Meiners,
It has come to my attention that your Mr. Lynn Comer has sent a letter to Ms. Nancy Mehl telling her that because of her poor sales for the book Graven Images, that you and the company are invoking Paragraph 24 and releasing her from her PublishAmerica contract.
I would like to seek release from my contract with you, using that very same reasoning and Paragraph 24. As of this last royalty period in February, I only had one listed sale for the whole year coming forward from the prior February royalty statement. I got absolutely no royalty statement from PA in September 2003, and only had the 1 listed book for a total royalty of $.75 cents for a year. I would think that is very poor sales and that you would sooner release me and have my book be reverted back to me, than you would Ms. Mehl who has sold approximately 1,500 books. Her book came out shortly after mine did and I have only 1/15th of the sales for a total of approximately 100 copies in the time since it was released to the public.
I will be awaiting your signed letter giving my rights back to me for Notes from Nobody in the return mails, as pursuant to that Paragraph 24 in our contract that was negotiated by you in Dec, 2001.
y ISBN# 1588518612,
Title is Notes from Nobody
and my name is Claudia Turner VanLydegraf.
Mailing address: 17890 Fantail Circle
Cold Springs, NV. 89506
EMail address: Cltvcoyote@aol.com
I will also be awaiting my disk, original MS (3 of them) my picture samples and cover art that I sent in to PA as well as the back page blurb, and any other materials that are connected to the publication of my book to be sent to me forthwith.
It has been a pleasure doing business with you these past three years, however, I sincerely would like to move on and not be tied to the contract with PublishAmerica/AmEricaHouse any longer.
Sincerely yours,
Claudia VanLydegraf>>
******and then I got no reply to that one and sent this letter to Meiners Certified on May 5, 2004:
<< May 5, 2004
Dear Mr. Meiners,
I wrote you an email on April 14, with the request that I be released from my contract with AmErica House Publishers/PublishAmerica. To this date, I have not received any kind of answer at all. I would sincerely like to end the dealings that we have had since Dec. 2000 on a friendly note, but IF you and the company don't even want to honor my request with an answer, I will be forced to seek legal counsel on this matter. We both know that the ways the contract is written will not stand up to close scrutiny and that it would be far better for your company to release me with no further problem, than it would be to engage in a fight with a writer who was mislead by the company and misrepresented by the agent that you were doing business with in the acquisition of my book. The way your contract was worded is so fraught with misleading clauses and verbiage that leads someone to believe things that should happen when indeed they would absolutely not happen, that I am positively certain any court might find for my case and add insult and injuries into any settlement.
I will not be buying any 49 copies of Notes from Nobody from you, I will not be promoting my book in any form if you should chose not to release me, and I will not be a willing participant in any of the charades that this company relies upon to make authors stay "happy." I have a voice and I will use it and I know how to get legal representation for the possibility of a case. Please respond with an affirmative to release my contract and all of this can be settled quickly without any further harm done. By return mail, I would like to have the following things, A) a LETTER or FORM returning all rights to my book promptly and taking it out of stock on your website and any and all other websites that are selling is as new, B) my 3 copies of the original MS, C) my Bio and back page blurbs, D) the photos for the cover, both front design and back head shots E) and the disk or electronic version of the MS that it is printed from.
With all the above said, I am trying to maintain a friendly relationship with PublishAmerica and not have any ill feelings, more than are already fostered. I sincerely do wish the company and you well. I understand and fully realize the need for existence of companies like PublishAmerica. It is just not the right company for my book. You knew of that probability when you and I corresponded back in May-June of 2001 and you should have stated as much, to allow me to get a grip on what was going to become of my book then. I would have respected it if you would have told me then that my book was not going to get the personal attention that I was under the impression it should have gotten. Please release this book with no further ado. I will hold the respect that I have for you, if you do me this favor and release my book back to me at this time.
Claudia VanLydegraf
ISBN 1588518612>>
******ANd then here is what I received from them concerning the Certified letter:
<< Subj: Claudia Vanlydegraf: contacting PublishAmerica
Date: 5/12/04 11:05:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: support@publishamerica.com
To: Cltvcoyote@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Ms. Vanlydegraf,
Please email all queries to support@publishamerica.com, and consider that
your sole point of contact. If warranted, the Author Support Team will
forward your email message to the appropriate department.
Messages sent to all other addresses and through the mail are discarded unread.
Thank You,
Author Support Team
support@publishamerica.com>>
******AND THIS IS WHAT I SENT BACK TO THEM:
<<Subj: Re: Claudia Vanlydegraf: contacting PublishAmerica
Date: 5/12/04
To: support@publishamerica.com
I SENT AN EMAIL TO YOU PREVIOUSLY WITH FOR THE FIRST LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO MR. MEINERS. I DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER, BUT HOW IS THAT SURPRISING? THAT IS WHY I SENT A DIRECT ONE TO MR. MEINERS CERTIFIED. CERTIFIED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE RECEIVED IT. NOW I REALLY AM GETTING TO THE POINT OF DEMANDING THAT I GET RELEASED FROM MY CONTRACT, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF YOUR SNOTTY ATTITUDE!!!! This from you just a few minutes ago.......
Subj: Claudia Vanlydegraf: contacting PublishAmerica
Date: 5/12/04 11:05:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: support@publishamerica.com
To: Cltvcoyote@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Ms. Vanlydegraf,
Please email all queries to support@publishamerica.com, and consider that
your sole point of contact. If warranted, the Author Support Team will
forward your email message to the appropriate department.
Messages sent to all other addresses and through the mail are discarded unread.
Thank You,
Author Support Team
support@publishamerica.com
This is a copy of the Last letter sent via Certified Mail to Mr. Meiners:
May 5, 2004
Dear Mr. Meiners,
I wrote you an email on April 14, with the request that I be released from my contract with AmErica House Publishers/PublishAmerica. To this date, I have not received any kind of answer at all. I would sincerely like to end the dealings that we have had since Dec. 2000 on a friendly note, but IF you and the company don't even want to honor my request with an answer, I will be forced to seek legal counsel on this matter. We both know that the ways the contract is written will not stand up to close scrutiny and that it would be far better for your company to release me with no further problem, than it would be to engage in a fight with a writer who was mislead by the company and misrepresented by the agent that you were doing business with in the acquisition of my book. The way your contract was worded is so fraught with misleading clauses and verbiage that leads someone to believe things that should happen when indeed they would absolutely not happen, that I am positively certain any court might find for my case and add insult and injuries into any settlement.
I will not be buying any 49 copies of Notes from Nobody from you, I will not be promoting my book in any form if you should chose not to release me, and I will not be a willing participant in any of the charades that this company relies upon to make authors stay "happy." I have a voice and I will use it and I know how to get legal representation for the possibility of a case. Please respond with an affirmative to release my contract and all of this can be settled quickly without any further harm done. By return mail, I would like to have the following things, A) a LETTER or FORM returning all rights to my book promptly and taking it out of stock on your website and any and all other websites that are selling is as new, B) my 3 copies of the original MS, C) my Bio and back page blurbs, D) the photos for the cover, both front design and back head shots E) and the disk or electronic version of the MS that it is printed from.
With all the above said, I am trying to maintain a friendly relationship with PublishAmerica and not have any ill feelings, more than are already fostered. I sincerely do wish the company and you well. I understand and fully realize the need for existence of companies like PublishAmerica. It is just not the right company for my book. You knew of that probability when you and I corresponded back in May-June of 2001 and you should have stated as much, to allow me to get a grip on what was going to become of my book then. I would have respected it if you would have told me then that my book was not going to get the personal attention that I was under the impression it should have gotten. Please release this book with no further ado. I will hold the respect that I have for you, if you do me this favor and release my book back to me at this time.
Claudia VanLydegraf
ISBN 1588518612>>
*****AND THIS IS WHAT I JUST RECEIVED TODAY FROM THAT STINKING COMPANY!!!!!
<<Subj: Re: Claudia Vanlydegraf: contacting PublishAmerica
Date: 5/14/04 1:02:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: support@publishamerica.com
To: Cltvcoyote@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Ms. VanLydegraf,
Do not address us in such a tone. Your message seems to constitute a
confused medley of bizarre and non-specific accusations, so non-specific in
fact, that we are not sure how to even address them. With our current
number of 8000 very happy authors growing rapidly and steadily, your tone
is really quite unusual, and very out of place. We would appreciate an
apology.
Your contract remains in fully in effect, and your comments about it are
just plain false. Various industry pundits (see below), literally dozens of
lawyers, and 8000 very happy authors comprise PublishAmerica. We have not
heard such issues from any credible source. You seem to be under a wide
variety of misconceptions about the publishing industry and about
PublishAmerica.
>>IF you and the company don't even want to honor my request with an
answer, I will be forced to seek legal counsel on this matter. We both know that
the ways the contract is written will not stand up to close scrutiny
Actually, no, we know exactly the opposite. Over the years many lawyers
have put our contract under "close scrutiny," and have proclaimed that it
would "stand up" without problem. Then, they signed it themselves!
>>writer who was mislead by the company
No, you were not mislead at all, in any way. It would be interesting,
though, for us to hear what your perception is of this issue.
>>The way your contract was worded is so fraught with misleading clauses
and verbiage.
No, there are no vague terms at all. Again, literally dozens of our authors
are attorneys themselves, who have scrutinized the contract before they
signed it.
A year or so ago, Writer's Digest did a detailed study of a publishing
contract that was almost identical to ours, and gave it a clean bill of
health. Our contract terms are very much standard for the publishing
industry. PublishAmerica is operating under the watchful eyes of highly
credible industry authorities such as the National Writers Union, an
AFL/CIO affiliate who states that ours "is not at all a bad contract", and
Christian author advocate Sally Stuart who recently told a writer, "you
should be OK working with this company." Such verdicts, plus the sheer
numbers of our results, speak for themselves.
>>I will not be buying any 49 copies of Notes from Nobody from you...
Buying 49 copies? Not sure to what you're referring here.
>>charades that this company relies upon to make authors stay "happy."
If you know of anything that we do or don't do that is not made very very
plain in our contract, correspondence, or on our website, please let us
know what it is.
>>...legal representation for the possibility of a case.
Your lawyer will probably have the same opinion as the many lawyers who
have looked over our contract prior to signing it. We have never had any
sort of case, or problem with the contract, throughout our history, and it
has never been even questioned credibly before. In addition to authors who
are lawyers, various industry insiders have looked it over, and also many
authors have their own attorneys look it over before they sign it. There
have never, ever, been any questions of it having problems or being a
viable contract. In fact, it is mostly quite standard.
>>Please respond with an affirmative to release my contract and all
>>of this can be settled quickly without any further harm done.
There has been no "harm" done whatsoever. As for "quickly," no, we will
consider your request at our next review meeting, to be held at our
pleasure, probably within the next month or so. In the meantime, making
bizarre and emotional accusations that hold no merit would tend more to
decrease the chance of your request being approved than having any sort of
positive effect. We will inform you of our decision.
>>With all the above said, I am trying to maintain a friendly relationship
with PublishAmerica and not have any ill feelings, more than are already
fostered. I sincerely do wish the company and you well.
Thank you for your kind words. No "ill feelings" have been fostered.
Thank You,
Author Support Team
Support@publishamerica.com>>>
BOY!!... ILL FEELINGS HAVE SURE BEEN FOSTERED ON MY PART OF THIS WHOLE DEAL!!!!
That is how PA treats its writers all the time. Dee, you and your partner are absolutely no exception. I have been with them for 3 years, and they have given me nothing but shit all that 3 years.
Claudia
|
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2985
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:33 pm: | |
My contract does not state anything about corresponding only via email so I have no idea what that means.
My concern is that if I do need to correspond with anyone at PublishAmerica, I sometimes get no response.
Like Steven Shrewsbury, I have another publisher for my second book - a publisher who answers my email questions or concerns promptly and shows me the utmost respect.
I have never been a PA basher, but must admit the reports I've heard lately leave me with a sick feeling. |
Molly Brent
Awareness Member
Post Number:
20
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:54 pm: | |
I received an e mail from them saying I must know that I am out of line and they have 7,000 happy authors. They said they would consider giving my contract back at their next meeting which would probably be in April. The e mail was not signed. I asked them to take me off their mailing list and unless they wanted to advise me about the contract, do not e mail me again.
I waited to hear but nothing. MY intentions were to hire an attorney but Tuesday I had a stroke. I was already a class 5 heart patient. I have 100% loss of hearing in my left ear and today started feeling the other things associated with the stroke that the docs thought should have happened earlier.
My tests were completed today. I will be in a wheelchair with some other unpleasant things, dizzy, sick etc for a long time. The stroke was in my inner ear. (SSHL)
At this time I can't handle the additional stress of a fight with PA. There will never be another book for me to "move on" with my writing and I would welcome a class action suit where I would not have to be so involved.
Molly Brent
There Ain't Enough Front Porches
|
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2986
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 05:41 pm: | |
Oh Molly I am so sorry to hear of your health problems. No you certainly don't need any more stress in your world. There comes a time in our lives that we can nolonger fight the battles we could when we were younger.
I pray you can rest and get well. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1192
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 05:59 pm: | |
Molly,
I also am very sorry about your health problems. I want to say this to you, and to Dee and any others who might be out there wanting to get released from their contracts with PA, IF I FIND A WAY TO DO IT, I WILL PASS ON THE INFORMATION TO YOU ALL, IMMEDIATELY!! IF I can gather up any help or enough help to get this done, you will benefit from it also. Because, I am not just a disgruntled author now, I am a PISSED AUTHOR, and I will NOT BE TALKED DOWN TO BY ANY STINKING COMPANY TWIT for sending an email them that they never had the courtesy to answer and then telling me that the only way to get any response from them is for me to be NICE and APOLOGISE TO THEM!!!! The NERVE OF THEM!!!!
Anyway, IF I can get this going from my end, they will not have me under contract very long and then I will pass on the info to any who are interested in getting released from this scam operation. I am going public now, and IF they don't like it, they can release my book. The faster they release my book, the sooner I will shut up, but not until I secure said release. What goes around comes back, they have banned me and shut me up for 3 years now out of fear for my book and the contract, well, from now on I am going to spout like a water well that is on steroids. Cause I don't give a shit anymore and since they won't play fair, neither am I!!! Not anymore.
Again, I am sorry to hear about your health issues Molly, but if there is a way I can help you, I will.
Claudia |
Dee Power
Awareness Member
Post Number:
6
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 06:13 pm: | |
Wow, that was a nasty email from PA. I suppose that's why they want to communicate anonymously so their words can't be attributed to a person. You can't sue an email address for libel and slander.
I'd say this is unbelievable from PA, but I don't think it is.
We have demanded to be released from our contract because of nonperformance on their part. They tout they are a traditional publisher and they simply are not, for various reasons which I won't go into here. I know they read a variety of bulletin boards.
Don't tell them what parts of their website are misleading, that gives them a chance to change it and unless you've printed off dated copies of those particular pages you don't have any proof.
Molly, you are in my prayers. I can only imagine that the stress with PA aggravated your illness.
You know, here's a thought. Our new book under contract with a major house is about the publishing industry. I think the (not just ours) PublishAmerica experiences would make an interesting additional chapter.
Dee |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1194
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 06:17 pm: | |
Dee,
I can write it!!!! Cltvcoyote@aol.com
Claudia |
priceless1
Wandering Member
Post Number:
132
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 06:33 pm: | |
Um, actually, I heard that a book is coming out that details some of what you're talking about, Dee. I don't really anything about it, but it sounds like a sort of 'bewares' book.
Molly, I'm absolutely sick to hear that you had a stroke. I hope you start feeling better soon, my dear friend. You're too great a person to be this sick. Take good care and consider yourself hugged.
Lynn
Lynn
behlerpublications.com
lynnprice.net
|
Bill Nelson
Wandering Member
Post Number:
143
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 07:14 pm: | |
Molly,
You have more important issues than PA.
Take care of yourself. Your health is much more important than
fighting with those people.
You're in my thoughts and getting good vibrations sent your way.
Bill Nelson |
Molly Brent
Awareness Member
Post Number:
21
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 09:07 pm: | |
Thanks to all for the prayers, hugs and thoughts. I really appreciate having ya'll on my side. (Health and Book)
If anybody needs amunition for a book about PA, I have a great chapter of e mails from their so called editor. None of the subjects and verbs matched while she assured me that they all was professionals. My favorite is the one where she told me I didn't know how to use commas and added "we all needs help sometimes."
AFter her editing, it had to be rewritten. Joyce spent 2 weeks trying to do the best she could within the time limit. Then when they refused to do the corrections, I read them the contract about the editing part and refused to let them publish it.
Joyce ended up having to do it all over. Then PA sent the wrong set of proofs to the printers. My name was even spelled wrong.
I, also, am talking openly and publically about PA and getting a great deal of pleasure when people turn away in disbelief. I also write satire for a newspaper.
Thanks again for your concerns. I hope we can all get together and stop these people.
Molly Brent |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1199
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 09:23 pm: | |
Molly, email me, and lets talk...... Cltvcoyote@aol.com
Claudia |
Nancy Mehl
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1730
Registered: 08-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 10:13 pm: | |
Molly,
You're in my prayers. I agree with several other here - you need to take care of yourself. That comes first.
I have to admit that I am thrilled to be free from PA. And, I am the kind of person who believes that moving past negative things promotes a more healthy frame of mind. But...when I hear from someone like you, who has one special book that is in PA's grasp, it makes me think that something needs to happen.
I sold a lot of books for PA - but they had no loyalty toward me at all. I had a chance to enter into a situation in my home state that might have garnered me a lot more sales, but their stingy discounts to bookstores and their complete lack of being responsive to my requests for assistance in the venture made me hold off. I'm certainly glad I did. I truly believe that they would have ruined the opportunity.
Graven Images is being re-released by another publisher. I'm more than happy to make the new publisher some money. I made enough for PA.
Through the years, I tried to support some aspects of PA. In fact, I recommended a few authors to them. But not anymore. Perhaps I will never be able to warn everyone away from them, but I can guarantee you that I've certainly saved several authors from making the mistake of signing with them. I will continue to speak out whenever it is appropriate.
I know that PA reads this board - and I hope that someone with a heart will stand up for you and your situation - and go to bat for your release.
There must be someone at PA who doesn't buy into all this nastiness and "revenge-minded" idiocy.
Nancy |
Teena Haywood
Awareness Member
Post Number:
32
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 04:32 am: | |
TO MOLLY:
I'm so sorry to hear about your health problem. Right now, you don't need PA in your life. Force them out of your mind and concentrate on getting better. Of course, my prayers are with you.
TO DEE:
I do not remember agreeing to use email (only) to communicate with PA. As a matter of fact, I've never seen any such clause since I've been published by PA. I think they're spouting that now because they're being backed in a corner by several authors.
TO CLAUDIA:
I wish you the best on voiding your PA contract. You have forwarded them very professional letters (email and certified)which is the business way of approaching any company. Apparently, they have chosen to reply, as usual, by doing so in a very autocratic manner. Now the ball is their park.
TO TRINA:
"As long as you were happy and stuffing their pockets with money, you could communicate anyway you wanted. It would seem that there is an ever expanding populace of unhappy authors with PA."
I totally agree with your statement. PA's method of dealing with their authors remind me of the old adage: "A child should be seen and not heard." As long as you don't debate an issue, stroke PA in a positive manner and don't rock the boat, everything is just dandy. However, if you stand your ground as an adult, you're banned. As a rule, I choose my battles...and this happens to be one of them. If telling the truth about PA is labeled 'bashing', then so be it. I am aware the minute one of PA's board monitors sees anything negative posted about PA (not just on PA's message boards but any board), the said PA author's name is mud. As far as I'm concerned, PA would never be "old news" until they get their act together.
Trina you also stated: "It would seem that there is an ever expanding populace of unhappy authors with PA."
PA states that they have 8,000 happy authors. Well, I tend to disagree. They can leave me out of the loop and make that 7,999. I also refuse to line their pockets by promoting my book(s) any longer. Come on, each of us only has a limited amount of family, friends and coworkers that's going to purchase our book. After the well runs dry and you promote outside that circle, there's absolutely nothing left but to hope your book stands on its own merit with the online bookstores. There's one more course I could take if I were stupid enough...I could order tons of my books when PA runs those special discount offers. I did not write my book so that I could purchase it in gross and sell it out the back of my car. If I had wanted to do that, I could have self-published.
Since I have NEVER received a royalty check for over $25 and my last one was a whopping $3.69, purchasing my own book is throwing good money after bad. Let's face it, the idea of becoming a published author is to sell your book to the public, not purchase copies upon copies of your books just because you can get them a small discount price. If you're not receiving a decent royalty check, the only avenue that remains is to purchase your books with your own personal monies and I refuse to do that anymore. What I can't understand is why PA would want to hold an author to his/her contract if their book isn't selling. It's rather oxymoron, since Nancy sold 1500 books and they voided her contract for "low sales", PA's reasoning doesn't quite compute.
On a more positive note, I've moved on . As I stated in another Mindsight forum, my latest novel, "Beyond Plantation Road" has been picked up by a great agent. However,I will continue to warn people about PA. If I can save one author from falling into the same trap as I did...then my work is done.
Teena
|
Sheryl Nantus
Awareness Member
Post Number:
32
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 07:59 am: | |
Molly - you're in my prayers...
|
Perry Comer
Unity Member
Post Number:
1352
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 08:59 am: | |
God's Blesssings Molly
If you count all the ex and current PA authors who are members of Mindsight, I think it is clear there are quite a few "unhappy" authors. PA has worked very hard to shut down Preditors and Editors and MINDSIGHT for the simple reason that they want everyone to think they are not a "Vanity" (as defined by Victoria). PA does not want the world to know that they are making money off the authors and not the book-buying public.
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
Stacy Anderson
Awareness Member
Post Number:
32
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 05:00 pm: | |
I never dealt with PA but I have heard from a lot of authors who have, a lot of ANGRY authors and they all said the same thing you all have. I feel sorry for anyone who's had a bad experience with a publisher. It's frustrating when you trust that you made the right decision and it turns out you may have made the biggest mistake of your life. I have never heard of a business telling their authors they can't mail them through the mail. What kind of BS is that? Most publishers talk to you on the phone! What in the world? I once read about a shady business man who duped so many people out of money. He would never open or recognize postal mail. People do this because they know if they don't open the mail they can say they never got it. There is some sort of postal rule ( can't remember what it is exactly ) where if someone doesn't open a letter or something they can easily deny it. So that is probably why so-called respectable places don't open mail.
Claudia, do what you have to do. It's obvious you tried to be polite and I applaud you for that. But sometimes ( even in our business lives ) you just got to get nasty. Anyway, I think you already win hands down. Keep the faith, all of you. |
priceless1
Wandering Member
Post Number:
135
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 12:59 pm: | |
"They sent my co-author, a rude email demanding that we only use support@publishamerica.com to communicate with them and that any other mail, even sent through the United States Post Office will be discarded by them, unopened."
Something just occurred to me. If Meiners is going to summarily trash any mail that comes to his office, then how will he receive signed contracts? How will he receive book orders from customers via the mail? How will he receive book orders from authors?
This whole scenario strikes me as a man who is afraid of receiving more than merely a letter from an unhappy author.
Lynn
Lynn
behlerpublications.com
lynnprice.net
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