An Idea

Ah, the idealists. Where would the world be without hope? I have done all of the above except physically present myself to PA. The response has been board banning and tone letters. They have figured out how to profit; they know the downside and concluded the steady stream of new authors make up for the drop offs. I believe they are correct.

You can publish for free with Createspace and several other online products. The cost is covered with each book sold on Amazon. Several vanity publishers, one who also advertises as "traditional" like PA, do publish the book "for free" with the caveat that the author "share the risk" by guaranteeing the purchase of "X" number of books each month.

Varioius small presses have "author sharing" pieces from buying promo packages to pre-publication packages.

I think PA has found a formula to keep paying their owners and staff and to cut costs as these economic times provide challenges. Since their primary market is the authors themselves, the book prices and lack of Amazon buy buttons are little concern. No longer providing author copies guarantees a few books purchased.

The seven year contract is an eternity for older authors. I do know of some, however, who did get their rights back earlier and have reprinted with another small press and are quite happy. I think that is the best approach.

PA knows quite well what their business plan is about. They delete enough messageboard emails that clearly question their changing approach to show they know how the authors respond. They didn't honor their original contract with me for a new book because I asked questions about the changes. They told me to find another publisher "who more closely met my needs." I did. They banned me from the messageboard because I printed those questions on this board. Believe me, they are quite in tune with their market.

DK,

I do not see PA becoming richer, and there is evidence things are not going well. These are reflected in higher prices for books, the many offers for reduced books, their ads, and even their rickety porch. I do not believe they are doing well. I do not see a legitimate company growing. I agree with Alice that they grew too quickly, have published too many books. I read long ago that rapid growth was a danger to a business, and I think that has happened to PA, (and our economic system overall.)

I did send an email. I have no grand thoughts it will be taken into account or even answered. Idealist I am not, only believe in directing concerns where they should be directed.

I believe every author on this messageboard has written a very exceptional book. I have read many and found them as good as any from the more traditional publishers.

Carol

Cash flow is important to every business, especially in hard times. A company with inventories will reduce prices so they can move the products and create cash.
With "printing on demand," as with PA, they are not sitting on inventories. And, given that their customers are the authors, they offer large discounts to make the sale. They most likely assume that the author will sell the book for less than the established retail price.
According to my contract, there was a one time 50% discount. Normal discounts would be 40%, the same as given to their distributors. In my opinion, if they were to reduce the retail price and revert back to the 40% discount, they would have a happier author and a book more realistically priced.

Desperate times usually result in desperate measures. And these are desperate times.

I agree Abe.

Maybe they could give us authors of several years some choices, like reduce the price of our books in exchange for a not so great reduction for buying them ourselves. I don't intend to buy any more books, and it seems a sale price would be an advantage to both authors and PA.

Carol

I believe that the publishing industry along with many others is in a time of geometric change. Some will make it; some will not. Many are experimenting with their business model. It's up to me to find the ones that "suit my needs better" as a consumer during this changing time.

I have sent many emails to PA, and found them very responsive in some instances: email rights; returnability; publishing excerpts; back cover advertising. Their staff members were exceptional during my publishing process.

I made suggestions and recommendations too. Another auction has still been advertised, weekly discounts placate the authors, my book is still exhorbitantly priced and I am still messageboard banned.

I, too, believe many excellent books are published by PA; and Arirang: The Bamboo Connection is exceptional quality in cover and printing and received excellent reviews. I like to look at it! I enjoy signing it in bookstores and seeing it on the shelves.

There are also many books that are full of errors still and hardly pass the "draft" test (freely admitted by their authors after they see it published). Some of those authors learn and move forward because they had the chance provided by PA. I have learned plenty since my debut novel.

I do not in any way disparage the chance PA provides to many authors, including me. PA recently gave me good advice, however, to take my manuscripts elsewhere. They have too many new authors who know the new terms up front.

I do think that vulnerable new authors have expectations that are higher than PA can deliver, and their costs to meager budgets turn out high in spite of "free publishing." While PA should not be held totally accountable for an author's dreams, a little reality would go a long way.

As for their growth potential, these are difficult times in which to make judgments. Depending on the number of paid employees and the type of organization structure, growth might not be a goal at this time; cash flow may be their primary objective: keep the presses running.

Thank you, Carol,

I have a hunch you will receive a reasonable response from them.

Not to rain on the parade here, but I suspect her response will include how many thousands of books they print and sell each and every minute, and also all the famous people they have in their den. It will probably also include a 50% discount on books "to have on hand".

And Alice, I hope in this case I am wrong. But I have seen it too many times.

TIME WILL TELL--I AM NOT A PROPHETESS!

I used to say I was only a genius, not a psychic--am trying to be more humble now.

Alice wrote:

--am trying to be more humble now.

Failed again.

Mel,

I don't know if you know this, but Mr. Meiners called me on Christmas Eve to express concern for my health and well-being. I have not purchased thousands of books and my books are not best sellers by any means, and I'm certainly not famous.

He did not mention any bargains, or that I needed to purchase my books. And I never even get the emails from PA anymore. Alice sends them on to me so I don't feel left out.

But you know what, that was a human being I spoke with. He was kind and caring.

I am not a ra ra PA person. I am a smart woman and know the good and bad of this publisher.

But this man spoke to me with kindness and concern.

Carol

I will have to add that I can see where they got into deep financial trouble.

As you see by the link I posted Meiners and
Clopper wrote books. No commercial publisher would touch them
so they started their own company.

They expected gratitude and a measure of cooperation. Since they received neither from some folks--they turned against their authors and their ideas.

I am not saying this is the way to do business, but they are desperate.

I am a prime exampe of an ingrate.

They asked to see my manuscript--waited nearly two years then asked again.

They gave me author of the week award and sent me flowers in the hospital.They gave me 5 free copies of my book
I showed my gratitude by fighting tooth and nail with Pier and James and Rudy.

There ya go!

Marie,

Carol can tell you all you need to know.

Looking back on it all---why did I bother?
Nothing was gained.

Alice,

Maybe nothing was gained, but your battles with Pier, Rudy and James were very entertaining for those of us who popped in now and again. Someone needed to do it, and you stepped right up to the plate.

After everyone was banned, the boards were so boring with only the 3 Musketeers left talking among themselves as usual!

Helen,

Thanks!

At least we took down their everlasting, worthless threads on our way out.

Lane torpedoed Pier's.

Ann mopped up James ' I guess it was well worth it.

Alice wrote:

TIME WILL TELL--I AM NOT A PROPHETESS!

I used to say I was only a genius, not a psychic--am trying to be more humble now.

Alice,
there was a priest who worked hard to be humble. After many years he succeeded, and then he became proud of his accomplishment.

James and I did not get along at all. He would make me so angry. One day I was so mad at him, I even got mad at Shelagh, of all people.

See, I'm not always a peacemaker. Watch out when I get angry.

I don't think I ever got the best of James, however.

Carol

Abe F. March wrote:

Alice wrote:

TIME WILL TELL--I AM NOT A PROPHETESS!

I used to say I was only a genius, not a psychic--am trying to be more humble now.

Alice,
there was a priest who worked hard to be humble. After many years he succeeded, and then he became proud of his accomplishment.

I like him!

Carol

You got the best of James on every occasion, everyone did--he won no battles and gave no concesson speeches.

Talk about credentials! He claimed credentials a mile long.

I could do that too, I suppose, but won't.

Carol

I don't believe such a person as James Elders even exists.

Has anyone met him?

Alice wrote:

I don't believe such a person as James Elders even exists.

Has anyone met him?

Never heard of him.

Carol Troestler wrote:

James and I did not get along at all. He would make me so angry. One day I was so mad at him, I even got mad at Shelagh, of all people.

See, I'm not always a peacemaker. Watch out when I get angry.

I don't think I ever got the best of James, however.

Carol

People get mad at me all the time. Anger I can understand and there is no harm in letting off steam every once in a while. Rudeness I find unacceptable and even when you have disagreed with me, Carol, you have never been rude.

Thanks Shelagh.

Carol

Carol, if you say Mr Meiners was kind to you, then he was. I don't know of him personally. All I'm saying is his business model sucks. Well, not for him, but for the authors. He makes a great penny off of you and I.

Mr. Meiners may not be the biggest problem. I think Miranda Prather is the one who gives the attitude over there. You can find detailed information on her at Wiklepedia. (Did I spell that right?)

Mel,

I agree about the business model. I owned a business that was successful. We even published a few books. (My books, and we did sell quite a few to schools, more than I sold with PA.) I think a better business model could have sold more of our books and made money for both PA and the authors. Publishers aren't social service agencies. They need to make money off our books some how some way. There are many PA books that could have made more money with better marketing and relationship building. There are those that are not so good, and there is no good way to tell the difference.

However, the writers on this messageboard are excellent. I have read many of their books and these people can write. Whether our books could have found another publisher is the part I question. I've tried to publish for too many years.

What gets me in the knots on NEPAT is those posts that say if someone is a good writer they will be published by a good publisher, and if not then they should give up and try something else.

A publisher years ago accepted a book of mine, but then didn't publish it. I knew nothing about contracts at that time. Another wanted to publish a book I had co-written, but my co-writers felt publication would weaken the group program this book was a part of.

And after many more rejections, I gave up, until PA. They said yes, and my books are beautiful.

Now it is onward, looking to the next step, the next publisher, even when those at NEPAT would consider me not being published as not good enough to be published. They just make it harder for me to believe in myself.

And the excitement of holding those PA books in my hands, reading reviews by friends and strangers, is priceless. It is more than ever occurred with all the books on my closet shelves.

AW just overwhelms me and NEPAT makes me want to go and do something else I don't want to do.

Carol