What An Agent Wants

The debate was a hoot. Nothing proved, nothing gained, but a good time was had by all.
It amazes me that people get all worked up over a publisher they have never used and do not intend to use. So much time spent, so little accomplished.

Sue, you shouldn't hesitate to post and I hope you won't. You have much to offer. If someone criticizes you for a misspelled word that person is a nitpicker not worthy of your attention. Anyone who doesn't occasionally misspell a word on a messageboard is a saint and there are not many of those around. Please post away.

Dick,

You are so right! No one should care.

cc

Here is another great rule-if you want to make money--become a plumber--not a writer of books.

Ya better duck after that post, Domenic!

Quote :

Here is the truth about Publish America:

If you want to make money, don't use PA.
If you want to have your book in the window of B & N, don't use PA.
If you want to see your book in print, and get just a few for family and friends...go with PA.

Some very good writers have used PA just to get a few books printed cheap

And some of us who used PA have done quite well, selling online and in small bookstores, without buying them ourselves. Several people have posted right here, saying that it's a mistake to lump everyone into such groups.

Ann

Dear Sue,

I think you will find that none of the members was attacked. This is an example of a banned member of a forum being " attacked" and unable to answer back:

"While I have complete confidence in Jim's ability to handle this,
another part of me thinks of it as a complete waste of time. Shelagh
has repeatedly demonstrated herself to be dishonest and manipulative."

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26568&page=151#3751

Whatever our differences, we do not "attack" members here. When forums run as smoothly as this one, slight altercations are magnified out of all proportion. This is really a quiet place compared to many forums on the 'net.

cc

Ok, that post wasn't so bad. Guess now that Dick has given you the nod about your writing, Domenic, the mob wouldn't dare attack you.

The mob actually agree with Domenic.

Really?

Personally, I don't care who publishes with what company, but surely it hasn't escaped your notice that anyone who dares to say anything negative about PA gets slammed pretty hard.

I'd always thought a writers' forum should be a place where writers can go to learn opinions as well as facts about publishers, agents, queries, proposals, etc. Not everyone can afford to travel to conferences to learn from the experts, and forums should be the next best thing.

At least that's what I thought in the beginning.

domenic Pappalardo wrote:

alj

I guess the only question is, "What is well?"

Ann does not need to answer that question, Domenic. She did well enough for herself and no one else matters.

If you and I went fishing for the day and you caught three times as many fish as me, you would throw back all the fish you didn't need as would I. We would both take home the amount of fish we needed and it would not matter who had caught the most fish. Being in each other's company and spending the day together would mean more than a few fish.

We don't want to attack Domenic.

Dick likes Domenic's writing and Lane liked it too.

Domenic leads the way.

Shelagh wrote:

domenic Pappalardo wrote:

alj

I guess the only question is, "What is well?"

Ann does not need to answer that question, Domenic. She did well enough for herself and no one else matters.

If you and I went fishing for the day and you caught three times as many fish as me, you would throw back all the fish you didn't need as would I. We would both take home the amount of fish we needed and it would not matter who had caught the most fish. Being in each other's company and spending the day together would mean more than a few fish.

Great analogy!

Brenda Hill wrote:

Really?

Personally, I don't care who publishes with what company, but surely it hasn't escaped your notice that anyone who dares to say anything negative about PA gets slammed pretty hard.

I'd always thought a writers' forum should be a place where writers can go to learn opinions as well as facts about publishers, agents, queries, proposals, etc. Not everyone can afford to travel to conferences to learn from the experts, and forums should be the next best thing.

At least that's what I thought in the beginning.

You'll have to post an example of "being slammed pretty hard" and then I can compare it with being called "repeatedly dishonest".

"If you and I went fishing for the day and you caught three times as many fish as me, you would throw back all the fish you didn't need as would I. We would both take home the amount of fish we needed and it would not matter who had caught the most fish. Being in each other's company and spending the day together would mean more than a few fish."

At least you'd be near the water where the fish were located. SOME PUBLISHERS do not put their author's books near a bookstore.

A few authors managed to get their books into a local store, but that's an exception rather than the norm.

People have dared to say negative things about PA nonstop.

Brenda

Are you books in bookstores now?

Other than locally, no, Alice, and that's a big reason I'm striving for a major publisher.

cc

Maybe one day we can do a duel signing because I intend to be there as well.

Good luck to both of us!

Brenda Hill wrote:

"If you and I went fishing for the day and you caught three times as many fish as me, you would throw back all the fish you didn't need as would I. We would both take home the amount of fish we needed and it would not matter who had caught the most fish. Being in each other's company and spending the day together would mean more than a few fish."

At least you'd be near the water where the fish were located. SOME PUBLISHERS do not put their author's books near a bookstore.

A few authors managed to get their books into a local store, but that's an exception rather than the norm.

SOME PUBLISHERS pay to have their authors' books displayed at the front of the store. However, it does not state on their websites that they pay bookstores to display authors' books because not all books are promoted this way -- only the few selected by the publisher. The rest have to fight their own corner. Not everything needs to be spelled out on a website.

Yes, but Shelagh, even when a major publisher doesn't pay the extra fee to promote at the front of the store, their authors are at least IN the store.

I don't have the information at my fingertips -- have Google, will search. I'll be back!

I don't often frequent bookstores.

I think bookstores are becoming obsolete.