Tonya:

You don't really have any experience in publishing. I do, I have 2 books currently out with John Wiley & Sons. I have a third under contract with Dearborn Trade. I received five figure advances for each book. The first two published in 2001 and 2002 are still selling well. The third will be published in 2005. These books are nonfiction.

PublishAmerica is not how publishing works. PA is just a self publishing company like 1st books, or Ilibris. PublishAmerica misrepresents itself as a traditional publisher.

Dave:

Thank you for your advice I have filed a complaint with the Maryland Attorney General.

Dee Power

_________________
Co-author of "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Agents, Editors and Booksellers Behind Them,"
http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Deepower,
I know that every company is diffrent and in my opinion I think Pa is doing a great job with my book. Yes I do have publishing experience, ever since i was 15 years old I have been having my poems published and also have a book of poems that is still selling well. Pa is publishing my first novel.

TonyaR, who published your poetry? Publisher(s), book titles, ISBNs, please?

Dave, why are you so interested in everything about TonyaR. I really would like to know.

Let's see. Melodie Rogers was given a signing at WaldenBooks, even though her book is unreturnable and doesn't come with a standard discount. In spite of the trouble most PA authors have getting copies in any quantity, on the occasion of her signing she had more than a hundred copies in hand. Over on Amazon, her book has no rating and no reviews -- that is, it's made no sales at all there -- but in only two hours of signing copies at some little WaldenBooks, she's supposed to have sold 108 of the things, for an average of nine books every ten minutes.

Unless there's something she's not telling us about her book-signing techniques, I find this whole story difficult to believe.

Excuse me for speaking for Dave, but I think the reason he's asking the questions he's asking is because PA has a reputation for publishing anything and everything that crosses their threshold without regard for quality. Being "published" by PA may save you some rejection from the traditional publishing industry but PA's reputation is so bad, just having their name on your finished book assures you will be rejected by plenty of others. PA may use a different model than what most of us have seen in the past, but they are still a vanity publisher. Their products and tactics show they are far more interested in quantity than quality.

If Tonya is truly published in the traditional sense, proving it would lend PA (and her own writing skills) a bit of credibility. If PA (and Tonya's writing skills) are truly that great, why not vouch for them?

Beth

_________________
Beth Amos
www.bethamos.com

Following up on my previous post --

A specimen of Melanie Rogers' writing can be found here: http://home.twcny.rr.com/melrogers/ex.html. It's the opening section of her book, Followed by Death. You could call it spectacular.

In kindness, I'm only quoting the first two paragraphs, which are the least spectacular portion of the excerpt. Note: I have no idea who the "she" is who's doing all this thinking, because right after the first two paragraphs, Rogers shifts to a tight-closeup third-person extremely omniscient flashback to an episode where the only woman present was a corpse.



Betcha Marcus did it.

Anyway, Melodie Rogers is an unknown writer. Her book was published by PA, so it effectively got no promotion. Logically, any readers who bought her book at that signing would have to have done so after browsing its contents. But those contents? No way. Not believing it.

Before you argue with me, follow that link and read the rest of the excerpt.

Cera, I'd be interested in hearing more about Tonya's publishing history because one so rarely sees poetry collections, even by major poets, that can accurately be described as "selling well."

Tonya, if someone has a copy of your manuscript, all they have is a stack of paper. It doesn't mean they own your book. And by the way, if you're going to be a writer, you need to learn how to abbreviate "manuscript." "Manu" just looks weird. The standard abbreviation is "ms." If you're talking about more than one manuscript, it's "mss."

Cera_k, she made claims without offering any proof. When asked, she has refused to show any substantiation. Now, should she be believed? In the meantime, she's badmouthing two publishers by implying that they did something she's either unable or unwilling to prove. I, for one, would like to know because if her allegations are true, then I want documentation so I can back up any recommendations that P&E makes regarding those publishers because many writers rely upon P&E for facts and integrity. If I don't have any facts, then nothing can be done to warn other writers.

If, on the other hand, her allegations are not true, then she is doing harm to those publishers and many writers who might believe her allegations and avoid those publishers for the wrong reasons. As well, if her allegations are false, then those are also wrongly supporting her choice of a publisher as better when it may not be.

In other words, if you make allegations, there is a responsibility to back those up. I have called upon her to simply back up those allegations.

Hapisoft:

I have seen your postings on this and other boards, always courteous, helpful, and positive.

Would you consider reviewing our new book, "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents and Booksellers Behind Them," Dearborn Trade Publishing March 2005?

Please contact me at
authors@brianhillanddeepower.com

Dee
http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

_________________
Co-author of "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Agents, Editors and Booksellers Behind Them,"
http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

"For some reason, I thought that they would do everything for me. I thought that if the company published my book I could just sit at home and receive cheques through the mail box every day."

Um...actually that's exactly what I do. (Well the royalties only come in twice a year, not every day, obviously!) My publisher doesn't expect me to buy back my own books and wander round with a big bag on my back, trying to flog them to innocent passers-by.

Sorry,
aq

_________________
Rejection is Nature's way of telling you to write better.

I don't find it hard to believe at all -- mom bought fifty, dad bought sixty. But because PublishAmerica hadn't come through with the whole two hundred she'd ordered months before, she still owes dad two copies whenever they're delivered.

Let's shake hands and move forward,



Many of us are observing this exchange, and personally, some of the comments are just not nice. Can we please remember, this is a public venue and the topic was about Publish America - not questioning people's integrity.

We're all here to keep abreast of the market and avoid pitfalls. Let's support and motivate towards a common goal.

Thanks and have a great day!

_________________
Cynthia Borris, author of NO MORE BOBS
Sexy, Satisfying and Complex!
"...a must-read for people who enjoy fun, quirky mysteries." - Writer's Digest
http://www.cynthiaborris.com

Her integrity becomes questioned only because of a lack of substantiation. It becomes unquestioned when she produces proof of her allegations. This is not a game where you get to irresponsibly throw dirt at two publishers without any consequences.

Okay, she has explained it before, Now I will. She said she was not bad mouthing them she used her experince as an example of someones question. Now Dave for ever you write for, if she doesnt want to give you those personal lettes or emails then face it bud, um whats the words, Oh yeay, Your #### out of luck! Quit bullying her. This is a forum, you wont get what you want by being a bully. And since this is public information, if I have an email on some publishers and it maybe dirt on them. I wouldn't give it to anyone. Because basically what business goes on between a writer and a publisher is non of anyones business unles they share something. And if they do like in Tonya's case. if that is all the info she is giving out, and she told you that. Leave her alone. When the Lady says no, its NO. NO NO NO NO! end of story!!!!