My farewell to the PA board

I don't see anyone's blood boiling. Do you, Ann?

I truly do not care about PA. If someone chooses to publish with PA, that's his/her business. I simply hate when someone labels someone else as a 'basher' who has an 'agenda' when they say anything negative about PA.

Discussions about different publishers are very informative and interesting. If we listen, we can learn a lot.

For instance, I learned about Vanilla Heart Publishing. While they're not the big boys in NY, they offer some great things, and I'm very happy with them.
If anyone's interested, I'll post on another thread what I've learned about them.

Brenda,

I think that Ann stated the problem is insulting people's choices. I don't mind differing opinions or disagreements on publishers. When we stick to the publisher there is no problem. I believe almost everything in life has good points and bad. Same with PA. When the discussion goes to authors, then I have felt it was bashing, and I admit I have had hurt feelings and sometimes "boiling blood."

I have never understood why a group of people would go on and on about bad things about PA. I don't believe most are trying to save anyone. They give false expectations also, but that is my impression. I have sent out my materials to many, many publishers. I've had some "almosts" but no contract besides PA. According to some of those speaking badly about PA, that would mean I'm not a good writer, but in the rejections have been comments that my book was a "fine work." I just haven't hit the right publisher, or I haven't written what the public wants.

And congratulations Brenda on finding another publisher. Information would be great.

Carol

Like Dick said in another thread, not everyone wants to be published by the big publishers. We each have unique goals: to continue to improve as a writer, to find a reputable publisher if not a big publisher, to learn. Tonight I read through some of my quotes on writing. They are filled with depth and meaning, most of which I have yet to achieve.

My mother loved my books. She told everyone at the nursing home she was proud of me. Her books are dog eared and I have kept them.

I saw my books in print, bound between front and back covers. They got reviews and my grandchildren thought it was great that their grandma had a book published. If not for PA I would have none of that. My writing would still be on the closet shelf.

And I made friends, most of them here.

We each have different goals, some that change over time.

Carol

Carol, Vanilla Heart has been great. In a short time, they've sent press releases about my new book, Beyond the Quiet, created a pre-release video, and sent the manuscript out for early reviews.

They're also going to re-release Ten Times Guilty next summer, and I'm thrilled about that. As an indie press, they obtain the LOC number that libraries need to order books. And, whenever I have a question or concern, they're right there with an answer.

Fantastic.

Plus, I love their covers.

It sounds great Brenda! Just what should happen.

Congratulations.

Carol

Very interesting comments pro and con about PA.
It has been my experience on several boards that a “guest” will make a
post that leads to confrontation. Good or bad, it is a choice we make to respond.
As long as there is no censorship, we should be free to discuss pros and cons about anything. If we were all of like minds there wouldn’t be anything to discuss. I don’t know of a perfect company or person. If someone wants to share their bad experience with PA to get it of their chest, so be it. Who else can they share that with except friends? If someone wishes to share his or her good experiences about PA or any other publisher, that’s also good. Putting someone down for expressing an opinion is not debating a subject. It is often an attempt to protect the choice they made.
As with Don and others, thanking PA for being their launch pad is appropriate. For one to say that PA would never again be their publisher can have positive reasons. Moving on is simply good business. In reality, PA was not the first choice for many but simply a backdrop to get published. I think it can safely be said that if PA did such a great job in all areas there would be no reason to move on. Can it be that PA has not progressed but regressed? Can it be that those who move on wish to progress?
Why have people left one forum to move to another? If they were completely satisfied would they have moved on?

Brenda, I don't think an apology is needed. You stated your view/opinion. Your experience as a writer and editor has value. That is simply my view.

Thank you, Abe. I appreciate it.

I missed the farewell post by you Dick. As I've told you on other occasions, I followed your posts. If others don't want to listen to your advise, it is their loss. I personally have learned a lot from you and from everyone else on this board. I do stop by once in a while, but don't post. I know at least where to find you all.

Life has been busy for me this last year and I haven't posted as much on the PA board or here. I think PA has their good points, and I too knew what I was getting into when I signed my contract.

I too got tired of the censorship of the PA board. I remember last year for Christmas I started a thread on What Christmas means to you. It was deleted by innocenter.

Shelagh, thanks for starting this board. I like the thought of coming here and not reading a bunch of bashing. I like how people can post their opinions without fear of repercussions.

Carol, I've been praying for you.

Vickie

Abe Said: Very interesting comments pro and con about PA.
It has been my experience on several boards that a “guest” will make a
post that leads to confrontation. Good or bad, it is a choice we make to respond.


Merry Christmas Abe, I hope you are enjoying the season. The posts this “guest” made were only my opinions. I am entitled to my opinions the same as you and free to express them. They were never intended to spark confrontation. When going with a publisher that is entirely the authors decision to find the one right for them. I do not care who you or anyone else on these boards chooses to publish with. Publishers were a secondary element to my original post. What I was more interested in conveying was the following message. Authors regardless of their experience or fame should not berate new authors struggling to have their works published. I do not believe I can say it any clearer. If this creates confrontation then perhaps one needs to look inside one’s self and ask the question why?

A. W. Nutter

Vickie, it is good to see you here. I hope you come here often. And the prayers have been making a difference. I am doing amazingly well. The blood marker for cancer has gone down from 1300 to 713. 38 is normal, but since they are only trying to get this down to a chronic controllable condition, it probably won't get that low. I am walking much better than I ever expected, feeling much better, and don't have an medical appointments for two weeks!

A.W. Nutter, I hope you join us as a member. This has been a very good discussion on PA. Experiences on other messageboards have gotten in the way.

Carol

Carol, I really like this message board, but work has kept me very busy. I hope this year I can actually begin to write again. I mean seriously. I'm glad you are doing better and you can be sure the prayers will continue.

I wish for you and everyone else here to have a nice Christmas Eve and a wonderful Christmas.

Hugs,
Vickie

Merry Christmas to you Vickie!

Love, Carol

A.W. Nut wrote:

Abe Said: Very interesting comments pro and con about PA.
It has been my experience on several boards that a “guest” will make a
post that leads to confrontation. Good or bad, it is a choice we make to respond.


Merry Christmas Abe, I hope you are enjoying the season. The posts this “guest” made were only my opinions. I am entitled to my opinions the same as you and free to express them. They were never intended to spark confrontation. When going with a publisher that is entirely the authors decision to find the one right for them. I do not care who you or anyone else on these boards chooses to publish with. Publishers were a secondary element to my original post. What I was more interested in conveying was the following message. Authors regardless of their experience or fame should not berate new authors struggling to have their works published. I do not believe I can say it any clearer. If this creates confrontation then perhaps one needs to look inside one’s self and ask the question why?

A. W. Nutter

A.W.

Abe was referring to guests on another foum (author society, I think) not here. I received your email and I am about to set up a username and account for you. I will send an email as soon as it is set up.

~Shelagh

My apologies, I do not listen well either. Thanks for setting up the account for me.

A.W.

You are most welcome!

Tory Lynn wrote:

Carol, I really like this message board, but work has kept me very busy. I hope this year I can actually begin to write again. I mean seriously. I'm glad you are doing better and you can be sure the prayers will continue.

I wish for you and everyone else here to have a nice Christmas Eve and a wonderful Christmas.

Hugs,
Vickie

Thanks Vickie! It's always a pleasure to see you. Have a great Christmas!

E. Don Harpe wrote:

I have said here that I'd like to get my rights back from PA. I would like to do so, but not because I am unhappy with PA, rather it is because I'd like to pursue other avenues with the two books. If I get the rights back, that will be fine, but if not, then I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, and I'm not going to immediately turn my coat and join forces with those I have been so opposed to for the past couple of years.

Good luck with this, Don! I hope it works out for you ... and Merry Christmas!

Since no one else seems willing to say it, Merry Christmas to me!

Dick you get a special Merry Christmas and a big hug from me. I hope you have a very good Christmas.

Hugs, and more hugs,
Vickie :rendeer:

I had an unexpected phone call today!!

My husband answered the phone and brought it to me and said it was someone from PublishAmerica. And it was Mr. Meiners, head of PublishAmerica!! There is a thread on the PA messageboard that was started after I was diagnosed with cancer, and I had given them an update today that I was doing well. Mr. Meiners said he had read the thread and my response and said he was calling to wish me well, that he liked my upbeat attitude, that he thought a lot of the authors!!

He was quite nice. He has a little foreign accent, and was very friendly.

And that's what happens when you have never been banned!!! You get a phone call from the owner!! But maybe he was calling many authors today, even those who had been banned. It was quite a nice call.

Carol

Carol,
I’m sure it was a surprise to get that call from the President of PA. Seems adversity causes people to start doing the things that they should have done long ago. Often when a company is flying high they forget the people
responsible for their success. Sometimes it comes too late.

The excitement of new authors needs support for that motivation to continue and bring results for themselves and the company. In the case of PA, they were not equipped for the sale of books to the marketplace. That is not just my imagination but also a fact.

Case in point: My sales were good and I sought distribution within the Middle East where I had contacts. The Director of the main library in Lebanon wanted the rights for distribution of my book throughout the Middle East. He said he would place an initial order of five to six hundred
books to start. He would arrange for a book signing in Beirut and expected many sales. He predicted thousands of books to be sold with his connections in the M.E. marketplace. I sent an email to Author Support giving them the email and telephone number of the man. They didn’t respond. I sent several more emails and they responded saying that the man could give them his credit card number and they would send books as with any customer. I tried to explain that he should be treated as a distributor – not an end user. He was looking for a deal as a distributor and with volume purchasing, the normal shipping costs would need to be handled as bulk shipments. With no response, I sent a letter to the President explaining the situation. I then got an email from Author Support
telling me that the President didn’t accept or respond to letters from authors, and that I would have to deal directly with them. I placed a phone call to the President but the call was directed to Author Support. In the meanwhile, two months had already gone by and the man in Lebanon began to lose interest. He inferred that PA was unprofessional and didn’t appear to be interested in doing business. He was right. When Author Support finally said they would be willing to accept a letter from him there was no longer any interest to continue on the part of the distributor.

Having had that experience, was I supposed to love PA? Was I expected to rally to their support? My motivation to promote my book simply died and it has experienced a slow death in sales especially when the prices were
increased.

That’s my story. Does telling the truth mean one is bashing?
So, if the President has come out of hiding and is starting to take notice to the authors, it is a good sign but may be too little too late.

I have to agree with Abe that PA never had any interest in selling quantities of books either to stores or to distributers. Their business model is to sell to the authors, and that is really all they are interested in.

I'm glad you got a call from PA's owner, Carol, but I suspect that only the persons who have purchased a substantial number of their own books was on his "to call" list. There's not much of a chance that he was on the phone with folks who had only purchased a couple of copies. Of course, that's good business when you are trying to sell more books to the authors, so I'm sure he knew what he was doing.

Telling the truth is never bashing Abe. I am not surprised at PA's attitude, as Don says PA wants the Authors to purchase and distribute. What I have never understood is why PA flatly refuses to allow themselves to enter into money making oppurtunities.

Carol I am glad the president of PA gave you a call and expressed his well wishes. I have a sister going through the same battle as you and I know what a tough road it is to walk. As always you are in our thoughts and prayers.

I forgot one thing, I didn't wish Dick a Merry Christmas I thought you were out distributing presents. Merry Christmas Dick.