Your Michigan City guide


Publish Anything: The Saga of a PublishAmerica Author

My story is that an author who'd done onlinewritten with the omniscient viewpoint, which
writing for such dot gones as Themestream,I dislike, but it held my interest
Written By Me, and The Vines, someone tryingregardless. "I'd discovered through an upset
hard to have fiction, poetry and nonfictionPA author on the messageboards, which I read
in print for real, recommendedon occasion, that someone was complaining
PublishAmerica. She claimed it was aabout PublishAmerica. Discovering the
traditional book publisher. I was struck withAbsolute Write Background Check area I spent
their slogan, "We treat writers the oldseveral hours reading, at the time, more than
fashioned way - we pay them." Wasn't that40 pages of complaints about PublishAmerica.
what publishers were supposed to do?But sinceAuthors not receiving books in time for
my novel was just sitting on the DiskUsbooksignings that they set up themselves.
Publishing site and doing nothing butBookstore owners/managers refusing to stock
supplying me with enough money to buy a pairtheir shelves with unedited PublishAmerica
of skate laces every three months, I thoughttitles. Writers unable to get their books
maybe it would have a better chance over atreviewed.Doing a search on LexisNexis, the
PublishAmerica where it would be available asreputable online legal research system, for
a trade size paperback both on andall PublishAmerica books receiving newspaper
off-line.So this author, Ellen Du Bois, had areviews, I saw that from July 2002 to June
big thing on her Geocities site about books2004, only 24 books had been reviewed
being available in brick & mortar bookstoresnationally. Papers in Syracuse NY, Tulsa, OK,
& they'd have ISBN numbers and be online andFort Pierce, FL, Wilmington, NC and Lakeland,
all that stuff. Also had her full size bookFL were represented. Only Salt Lake City's
cover up so I sat there for 5 minutes waiting'Deseret Morning News', the 'Tulsa World',
for the damn thing to appear. Not impressive,'Pittsburgh Post-Gazette' and the suburban
but she liked it. Ellen was a cheerleader forpaper, the 'Chicago Daily Herald' were
her book and sent reviews from a weeklyactually major newspapers. Evidently, the
community rag and she bulk e-mailed several'New York Times' or the 'Los Angeles Times'
pieces of correspondence during those headywere not reviewing anything by
days when her book was in prerelease, thenPublishAmerica's authors. According to the
release stage in the summer of '03. I brokePublishAmerica site in the Facts and Figures
down and bought a copy from Amazon - tooksection, "Fact #3: Again, unparalleled among
almost 3 weeks to get. And I struggled toall traditional book publishing companies,
read all 176 pages. Tripe. Clichéseach day an average 15 times a PublishAmerica
abounded. Spelling/grammatical errors weren'tauthor appears in the news media, in
there at least. But the writing was thin. Thenewspapers, magazines, radio or TV." Yet even
story moved too quickly. The main charactermathematically challenged folks can determine
was the most realistic as it was most likelythat by using the LexisNexis search
based on the author. The dialogue was okay.statistics, we learn that the average is a
The descriptions were minimal. Had there beenpaltry once a month that a PublishAmerica
a real editor, the book could've been verybook gets mentioned in a newspaper somewhere
good. I wrote to Ellen and told her thein the United States.Editing - What's
positive things about the story, avoiding theThat?Here's a gem of a post on the
negativities. She'd been an onlinePublishAmerica message board: "When it came
correspondent for almost two years, yet afterout in book form a month ago, my friends
I didn't review her book on and Barnes &mentioned the editing problems in it, so a
Noble she didn't contact me. Almost a yearfriend of mine with a masters in education
later she sent me another e-mail - to promotewent through it for me. It had close to a
a book of her poetry. I was just someone tothousand editing errors in a 182-page book.
sell a book to and she was only interested inSo, have some who actually knows what
the sale and hopefully a glowing write up.Aliterary content should be in a book, go
Future PublishAmerica AuthorSince I'd alreadythrough your book for you before you send the
signed the contract with PublishAmerica, Ifinal draft back to PublishAmerica. Because
wanted to cancel it after reading that trash.the final draft, IS!, how the book will be
Now my book would be affiliated with awhen it comes out."I discovered that through
company that put out just about any piece ofthe misspellings, grammatical errors, and
writing that came its way. I wasn't expectinggeneral bad writing that just about anyone
much what with my dealings with the extinctwas publishable through the 'traditional'
eNovel and RJ's eBooks, along with a tinypublisher located in Frederick, Maryland.
eBook publisher named Crafts Across AmericaSuch postings as: "I too am not the best
where I wasn't paid monthly as promised. Andeditor LOL! I did get my finished books. And
my novel and short story collectionwhen I met with a lady that is huge in the
languished at DiskUs, home of the allegedmarketing field, she told me that my book at
Number One Best selling eBook author of allit's length of 132 pages needs to have
time, Leta Nolan Childers.PublishAmerica sentchapters." A couple of PublishAmerica authors
me an author's questionnaire where they askeddiscussed editing. "I felt like you did when
for basic biographical information; cover artI found errors, but then I realized, hey
suggestions, and a long list of people whopeople read it for the story, not looking for
might want to read my forthcomingmistakes in typo land! LOL Now I just keep on
novel."Please prepare a list (names, anda keepin on!"Sales FiguresQuestion: I'd
addresses,) of people who know you wellreally like to know how many copies I've
enough to be interested in your success as asold.Answer: Buy all of the books yourself
writer: personal friends, colleagues,and then count them.No matter how naïve
relatives, etc., to receive a bookPublishAmerica authors appeared, they will
announcement...Please limit your list andeventually come to the realization that
your labels to a maximum of 100 contacts.PublishAmerica isn't really a traditional
Also, please do not include businesses orpublisher, especially when those twice-yearly
organizations of any kind, includingroyalty checks arrived. Every few months or
bookstores, media contacts, or governmentso PublishAmerica sent them an e-mail
organizations. Include friends and associatesextolling their success, bragging about a big
only."The editing process of my manuscriptname author they're negotiating with, or,
took two weeks over the Christmas holidays. Imore recently, doing a deal with the New York
was able to ascertain that the first fewTimes. On August 17th, an e-mail bearing the
pages had been read as some minor alterationsproud subject heading 'Advertising Our
had been made, but no changes followed forTopsellers in the New York Times' appeared in
another 50 or so pages. One of the errorsauthor's online mailboxes.PublishAmerica was
that occurred was clearly the result of awell named in that they want to publish
spellchecker on the part of PublishAmerica asanyone in North America who has churned out a
a question mark appeared after the end of amanuscript, regardless of quality. They claim
statement. I'd read of real authors receivingto have anywhere from 9,000 to 12,000 "happy"
instructions to change chapters, alterauthors and they want more and more of them
endings, delete numerous pages, in otheras that obviously means more money for the
words, really struggle to rewrite a book. Whygreedy owners, namely Willem Meiner and Larry
so much effort? Names. Reputation. TheClopper.The PublishAmerica name and logo is
publisher wanted to put their name on theseen as a joke to those in the media,
best quality book that they had invested in.bookstores and libraries. Books can't be
The author wanted a book that was saleablereturned. All PublishAmerica titles lack the
but also well written and something they werenecessary CIP [Cataloging-in-Publication]
proud of. PublishAmerica's editing compriseddata, which is necessary for libraries to
neither ideal as all they did was put theorder titles, and who wants to read unedited
computer program's spelling/grammar checkerand overpriced tomes other than the author's
into action.My two free author's copiescronies? Oh yeah, and while PublishAmerica
arrived in early March and it was nice to seeclaims that they're a 'traditional publisher'
my trade paperback book in print sans awhy on earth do they have in their main page
cheesy cover and stapled spine. 'North ofkeywords list the term 'self publishing'
Sunset' actually had decent looking stockthree times? And in their site's description,
cover art of a few silhouetted palm trees, athey brag: "PublishAmerica, Inc., a
noticeable font, and a spine where the booktraditional publisher, accepting and
title, publisher and author's name waspublishing manuscripts and books at NO CHARGE
apparent. It would look good on bookstoreto the author. Royalties paid to writers,
shelves, I imagined.Reviews - Whatbooks sold in stores. Manuscript submissions
Reviews?What was Publish America doing toby mail and online"In the beginning of
make sure my book was reviewed? Nothing. ISeptember I received a royalty check. To my
decided to contact local daily and weeklysurprise, I was not only able to afford to
newspapers by e-mailing a press release. Thebuy a pair of laces for my skates, I shelled
only responses I got were two e-mailout the $12 it cost to sharpen my blades. Who
autoresponders announcing the editors were onknew that this company would provide extra
vacation.I spent $40 on copies of my book'sincome enabling me to continue participating
galley and mailed them to three nationalin my recreational skating hobby? But it cost
newspapers and the Library Journal magazine.me more than the $160 in author-bought books,
Then I phoned a book reviewer at the 'Santhe $40 for galleys, which were probably
Diego Union-Tribune' and asked if he'd beplunged into a recycling bin, the $87 color
interested in reviewing my book but before Ibusiness cards, $20 press release -- and the
could even describe what it was about, hecountless hours building and rebuilding my
asked who my publisher was. I told him. "Wewebsite so people would happen across it and
don't review books by that publisher," hebuy a book that was only available
stated.I called all the local bookstores andonline--like any other eBook.PublishAmerica
spoke to the managers and/ or communityallows the myth of being a 'traditional'
relations people about my book, including apublisher, a term not used before the advent
couple of stores who were physically locatedof the Internet, to fester. The lie is
on the street I'd written about. Anperpetrated in those HTML source codes that
independent bookstore owner told me thatsearch engine spider robots deliver; the
since PA didn't have a return policy she wasfuture authors led to the promised realm of
unable to stock my novel. Another said that Ipublishing, an internet web of woven myths
could sell my book on consignment. The chainfanning across cyberspace. PublishAmerica
stores of Borders and Barnes & Noble said myresembles most other ePublishing companies
book would be available through Ingram ifpromising tales of bestselling books and
anyone chose to order it.Tried gettingauthors. PublishAmerica is just another scam,
PublishAmerica to send review copies out andjust another future dot gone.If you are a
it took them weeks to do so. Had to call andPublishAmerica author, or know of one, who is
make sure on two occasions that the books hadunhappily published and will tell your story,
been mailed. Maybe quoting one of theirplease  contact:Federal  Trade  Commission
enthusiastic promoters on the message board,
a guy with a natural genius for marketing andattn:  CRC  -  240
the budget to back it up, got three books
sent to reviewers.Then I sent my book toWashington,  DC  20580
Piers Anthony, noted sci-fi and fantasy
author of more than 100 books. I'd been inFTC Consumer Complaint FormFrederick County
touch with him since 2000 when I alerted himBoard  of  County  Commissioners
to the fact that eNovel was a rip-off.
Although the action in his books usually tookWinchester  Hall
place in alternate time periods/universes, he
didn't mind reading a mainstream Hollywood12  E.  Church  Street,  Frederick, MD 21701
novel. He did so. "North of Sunset by Lisa
Maliga. She's the one listed in my Survey asTelephone:  301-694-1100
I'm a Published Novelist Ha Ha! Ha!, a
pertinent warning for starry-eyed aspiringFax:  301-694-1849
writers. Her web site is worth checking
similarly; she tells it as it is. If you tookL.  Thompson,  Jr.,  President
a few decades off my age and changed my
gender, the result might resemble Lisa. NorthWinchester  Hall
of Sunset is fun, about a Hollywood producer
and his temporary secretary, showing a good12 E.
deal of what I presume is reality. It is



1 A B C 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89