The Never Ending Published Authors Thread (NEPAT)

Like I said -they're providing a service. Which many find useful. Whether the AW PAMB likes it or not.

Even if the bashers had succeeded in signing with a better publisher, they would still complain; it's in their nature.

Shelagh,

You are so right!

Publishing gives us lots to complain about. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. PublishAmerica and its similar counterparts do prey on first time authors who have stars in their eyes clouding their vision of reality. While they get what their contact promised; they generally have higher expectations.

As my sophistication grew, my respect for PA diminished. They really have nothing unique to offer anymore. Any author with half a book can get a small press to publish it at no cost to the author. Some small presses are hungrier than others; some favor books of a specific genre. It still pays to check out the contract with an author; but many small presses are very open with their contract elements.

If they can't get a small press, there's always Smashwords, Createspace, Kindle and more at no cost to the author. It's no wonder PA came up with weekly schemes to get income. The competition is heating up. Amazon.com is the front runner.

Quote :

If they can't get a small press, there's always Smashwords, Createspace, Kindle and more at no cost to the author.

Sure, but this happens after they acquire the skillset needed to do that. Don't assume everyone has it, wants to learn it, or even knows what Smashwords, etc., is. This is why PA stays in business.

It is, LC. Thousands of would-be writers have low level computing skills when they first seek publication. PublishAmerica allows authors to have a book in hand with very little effort on the author's part. From then on, the learning process begins. Isn't that the reason for going to college? To learn skllls you can apply later on.

LC wrote:

Quote :

If they can't get a small press, there's always Smashwords, Createspace, Kindle and more at no cost to the author.

Sure, but this happens after they acquire the skillset needed to do that. Don't assume everyone has it, wants to learn it, or even knows what Smashwords, etc., is. This is why PA stays in business.

An amazon search in the books section on "self publish" returns over 2300 hits. For Kindle there are 270 hits. The information is out there for anyone who wants to learn.

If an author doesn't want to learn that skillset, she might want to enlist the aid of her geeky nephew. (Everybody has a geeky nephew.)

The more important skillset that most authors do not have, cannot acquire quickly and that publishers provide includes professional editing, layout and cover design.

Quote :

I f an author doesn't want to learn that skillset, she might want to enlist the aid of her geeky nephew. (Everybody has a
geeky nephew.)

Al -what people "might" want is neither here nor there. Not everyone wants to search Amazon for instructions on self-publishing and then try to follow those instructions. That's the point. They feel their writing and editing is already good enough. What they want is a book in their hands. End of story. When they don't have the skillset or a geeky (and willing) neighbor, a business that will do it for them free and throw in cover art is very attractive. The inability for the small handful at AW PAMB to grasp that (as evidenced in their confused and repetitious comments) is what keeps it going year after year.

If they really want to "save" everyone from PA they could offer that service themselves. Now THAT would be useful. If it's just so easy to format and upload, what's the problem? Maybe that could be a subsection of the PA board there. Contact James MacDonald for easy upload to Smashwords! He'll do it for ya!

Nah, it's easier to just blow words.

LC, It gives them a reason to exist.

LC wrote:

Quote :

I f an author doesn't want to learn that skillset, she might want to enlist the aid of her geeky nephew. (Everybody has a
geeky nephew.)

Al -what people "might" want is neither here nor there. Not everyone wants to search Amazon for instructions on self-publishing and then try to follow those instructions. That's the point.

More and more of them want sales and 100% royalties. But, as you say, they aren't willing to do what is necessary to achieve that. If publishers such as PA would also do some real marketing and try to sell to consumers rather than authors, they would compare more favorably to self-publishing POD services such as CreateSpace, Lulu, and Lightning Source.

I don't know how good PA is with editing and layout, and that might be to their advantage. Most authors need that and cover design, and those things can be expensive.

I wouldn't get too bummed out by the PA bashers at AW. They are a small but vocal minority. They don't reflect the general tone of the forum. But it is heavily populated by editors and agents and a few small press publishers, folks whose interests aren't well-served by nontraditional competition, so consequently their biases are predictable.

I'm more interested in the kind of help a writer can get at AW and here with aspects of the craft, and such forums have been valuable resources for me. It isn't easy making the paradigm shift from computer programming books, with which I did well, to fiction, about which I knew doodly squat. Lots of assistance with that from AW, including posts by members of the PA bashers society. Get them off their soapboxes, and they are congenial and helpful. Like here. (Except we don't have soapboxes. )

LC & Al, I think you both have valid points.
I have decided not to voice my opinion about PA unless asked, and then only by a pm or email to the person concerned - not on a public forum.

Based on past posts concerning PA, anyone voicing dissent is considered a basher. How can an honest answer be considered bashing?

I'm sick of political correctness just as I am sick of labels. It's just not worth my time to get involved in an exercise of futility. If someone wants my honest opinion, I shall comply. How I comply is my choice.

I'm not defending PA, nor am I bummed about the bashers. I'm giving my take on why PA is so successful and the efforts of the AW PAMB so unsuccessful.

Re PA marketing their books to consumers. They know they can't do that. Most of their books are not commercially viable. That includes the books submitted by the AW PAMB posters. Also, I don't see how doing so would make it more competitive with Createspace and Smashwords, since those outfits don't market books, either.

Oh look -PA broke 6,000 "likes" on Facebook since yesterday. 6,075 to be exact. lol

I call the practice bashing, Abe, because they've made doing it their raison d'etre.

There are a lot of things I don't like, disapprove of, don't respect, but I don't make my criticisms my main justification for breathing and taking up space. In that respect, you and I agree.

The thing that troubles me about the bashing isn't so much that they express disapproval of a company that probably deserves it. It's that a segment of them brandish their superior airs based on their own professional associations over first-time authors who used PA's services. Some of the authors, in order to secure a place among the pros, fall in line and become converted bashers.

If their sole purpose was to protect novices from making the same mistake, and for some of them, that seems to be true, I'd say go for it. But with others it has become an obsession.

And they forget that first-time authors have more and better choices today than they did back in the old days.

I agree, Al. Some are possessed with obsession.

Knocking the bashers makes a basher out of the knocker.

LC wrote:

I'm not defending PA, nor am I bummed about the bashers. I'm giving my take on why PA is so successful and the efforts of the AW PAMB so unsuccessful.

Oh, but those efforts are extremely well rewarded. Telling someone not to do something is a sure fire way of getting them to do it.

Bashing knockers? Sounds like one of my hobbies. Or is that mashing?

I am glad for Al. He is published by commercial publishers and doesn't lord it over us.
Refreshing!