PA HAS RAISED BOOK PRICES HUGE INCREASE

Shelagh,

I like that too.

... from bad-mouthing PA for what, five years now, and I still try to do so. This is just a "me too" post.

I ordered two of my books just to get the $9.95 price and to see the books... if they were the same quality as the softcover. It is identical! And yes, the softcover price is (I think) $29.95.

My contract ends in Dec. 2012. By that time I plan on having Keechie re-written into 3rd person POV, clean up a few things and re-publish.

Glad I was finally able to get back in here. Thanks, Shelagh!

What bugs me is all of their deals make us purchase the softcover book.

Who is the 9.95 deal for?

Good to see you back, Phil.

8/8/2010

Alice..

I'm asking them for my e book rights to my
other two books published this year, let's see how
nasty they get with me ? I have ammunition and I'm
ready for battle....

Cheers.. Joe

Phil Whitley wrote:

Glad I was finally able to get back in here. Thanks, Shelagh!

Great to see you back on the forum, Phil.

The $9.95 was a gimmick. I couldn't imagine any difference, but thought they might use cheaper paper...and make it smaller than a trade paperback.

Thanks, Alice and Shelagh. I'm still not sure how I got here and am afraid to log out... LOL I have two different sets of user names and passwords to get this far.

I am sure glad I had Granny Boo published by a different publisher, R.J. Buckley Publishing. I'm on Amazon, B&N and others, and working on getting on the shelves in the Georgia Library system. Seems I know less about all this than I did when I started...

Phil,

Stay logged in--that way it will be easier for you.

Phil, I think RJBuckley is a good choice also. Did you have a story in The World Outside the Window? It is a nice anthology of some rather dark stories, but quality writing for the most part, published by Rebecca. I never heard much about whether it sold many copies as with 19 authors, it would have been pennies in royalties anyway.

Good thoughts. I don't even read the emails they send out unless I am bored.

I'm sorry, but this one is just too much. We all know that book reviews are FREE. Sometimes you might pay for a quick review or a package of some sort; but the objective review is FREE.

First, PA invited its authors to VOLUNTEER as peer reviewers. Now, they send out this:

Dear author:

We can now tap into the world's largest reservoir of expert book reviewers!

Many hundreds of PublishAmerica authors are volunteering to review a book written by their peers. In fact, this morning we counted over a thousand. All are enthusiastic authors such as yourself. They know what obstacles you faced and overcame when you wrote your book. They know how much it takes to write and complete a book. They are
positive and constructive.

Have your book reviewed next week!

We will send copies of your book not to one, but to two reviewers. We will post their
reviews.

Here's how you secure your two or more reviews:
Go to www.publishamerica.net, find your softcover, use this discount coupon: Review50. Minimum order volume is 4 copies, your discount is 50 pct; we pay half. Use the coupon on your softcover only. All non-softcover orders under the Review50 coupon will not be processed, so you'll be losing your money if you try.

We will select two reviewers and ship a copy to each of them, and the remainder of your order to yourself. You will be promptly notified as soon as we receive the reviews. Our peer reviewers are committed to submitting their review within seven days. Double your order to double the number of reviews. In the Ordering Instructions box say "Double reviews".

Thank you,
--PublishAmerica Author Support Team

My experience with PA was 99% positive. The 1% was within the contract so I have no issues. When I posted their contract online, I was banned from their forum; no issue there either.

I just find this particular piece too much....


Let's see: The PA authors volunteer their time to review the books. They are given a deadline of 7 days to complete their review. Then PA charges the PA authors whose books are reviewed. Since many PA authors are not respected, their reviews won't be held in the higest esteem either; and the PA author has to pay for them by buying over priced books? Hopefully, this scheme, as clever as it is, does not receive a following. This one is going too far....

Where would this review even be posted?

DK,
I feel as you do.
Is Alice still planning to post all these offers?

I forgot to add that publishers NORMALLY send FREE review copies for review by a select few known and trusted reviewers. Some send the author a dozen or so copies FREE to send out for reviews.

The LEAST PA could do would be to solicit reviewers willing to read the ebook or pdf copy if they were too cheap to send out a print review copy themselves. This is just beyond the pale...

Alice, I think this is your lead off ad for your book - although sending copies to the White House was pretty good, too.

Just got an email from PA Acquisitions that they want me to write and they will publish my autobiography. To get more details I would have to respond.

This is a new twist to their promotion schemes.

Alas, I didn't get that one...

Abe F. March wrote:

Just got an email from PA Acquisitions that they want me to write and they will publish my autobiography. To get more details I would have to respond.

So have you responded? lol

Actually, if I had a book that I had no desire to sell to the public, and I would only need a few copies for myself, I would still consider publishing with PA. I would be sure I kept the ebook rights, the audio rights and attempt to reduce the contract from seven to three years.I would have a lawyer look carefully at the contract. I would be sure that my book was "camera ready" with no errors and perfect in format. I would have some sound ideas and preferably some copy to contribute to the book cover (so they didn't just pull stock used for someone else). I would make sure my book was no more than the cutoff number of pages to keep it priced at about $19.95. Pages equal price. I think that's around 200 pages max.

My PA books are high quality and my experience in 2006 with PA staff was excellent. I found the PA Message Board a regular online school from all the posting about marketing, web sites, social networking, book signing, etc., all new experiences for me at the time.

Even the recent selling schemes are no worse than the infomercials on television, in fact they may be borrowing some ideas...they have pushed the envelope a bit with the recent reviewer piece becaue that involves current authors giving PA a service free that PA turns around and sells. I don't like that. I'm sure the Eat, Pray, Love phenomenon has sparked autobiography mania. However, autobiographies of unknown people usually don't sell unless they hit a nerve in the market, which obviouisly this book did. Therefore, an autobiography as a matter of recording one's life might be a good use of PA unless they start requiring authors to buy a certain number of books. However, if they do that, they will lose their cover as a "traditional" publisher.

Quote :

preferably some copy to contribute to the book cover (so they didn't just pull stock used for someone else).

Actually, I don't know what the problem with this even is. The markets for two PA books are so unlikely to overlap, what does it matter?

I would agree that it would still be a viable outlet if it weren't for the awful customer service they seem to have. There are still plenty of people who don't know how to make a book cover, make a book camera-ready, or upload to a website (such as what's needed for Lulu). And despite Lin insisting how easy it is, the point is that they're not interested in spending their time that way.

A unique cover is preferable, but likely not critical with a PA publication.

8/11/2010

DK..

I have news for you , I found out my books
are cheaper on amazon then PA by almost half !
Check Amazon out..

Cheers..Joe

Abe F. March wrote:

DK,
I feel as you do.
Is Alice still planning to post all these offers?

Abe,

I gave up and deleted them from my account--there were too many.

Too many authors too! Apparently, there are over 50,000! When our books appeared on the New Releases page, the list was quite long and new releases included books published during the previous month. With so many authors, the New Releases have been reduced to weekly additions. More authors, more books, more staff, more emails ... the list goes on...

joefrank wrote:

8/11/2010

DK..

I have news for you , I found out my books
are cheaper on amazon then PA by almost half !
Check Amazon out..

Cheers..Joe

I suggest we dredge up these last remaining low priced editions and keep them for posterity .

There's just one last prized copy of my book still available in the Amazon left overs!! At $214.92 - lol.. it's not for the faint hearted?

http://www.amazon.com/First-Ark-Alpha-Centauri-Ahad/dp/141379324X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281803897&sr=1-1

Ah...but, the follow-up novel is available for $19!

http://www.amazon.com/First-Ark-Alpha-Centauri-Immortality/dp/1424138337/ref=pd_sim_b_1