| My story is that an author who'd done online | | | | written 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 trying | | | | regardless. "I'd discovered through an upset |
| hard to have fiction, poetry and nonfiction | | | | PA author on the messageboards, which I read |
| in print for real, recommended | | | | on occasion, that someone was complaining |
| PublishAmerica. She claimed it was a | | | | about PublishAmerica. Discovering the |
| traditional book publisher. I was struck with | | | | Absolute Write Background Check area I spent |
| their slogan, "We treat writers the old | | | | several hours reading, at the time, more than |
| fashioned way - we pay them." Wasn't that | | | | 40 pages of complaints about PublishAmerica. |
| what publishers were supposed to do?But since | | | | Authors not receiving books in time for |
| my novel was just sitting on the DiskUs | | | | booksignings that they set up themselves. |
| Publishing site and doing nothing but | | | | Bookstore owners/managers refusing to stock |
| supplying me with enough money to buy a pair | | | | their shelves with unedited PublishAmerica |
| of skate laces every three months, I thought | | | | titles. Writers unable to get their books |
| maybe it would have a better chance over at | | | | reviewed.Doing a search on LexisNexis, the |
| PublishAmerica where it would be available as | | | | reputable online legal research system, for |
| a trade size paperback both on and | | | | all PublishAmerica books receiving newspaper |
| off-line.So this author, Ellen Du Bois, had a | | | | reviews, I saw that from July 2002 to June |
| big thing on her Geocities site about books | | | | 2004, only 24 books had been reviewed |
| being available in brick & mortar bookstores | | | | nationally. Papers in Syracuse NY, Tulsa, OK, |
| & they'd have ISBN numbers and be online and | | | | Fort Pierce, FL, Wilmington, NC and Lakeland, |
| all that stuff. Also had her full size book | | | | FL 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 for | | | | paper, the 'Chicago Daily Herald' were |
| her book and sent reviews from a weekly | | | | actually 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 heady | | | | were not reviewing anything by |
| days when her book was in prerelease, then | | | | PublishAmerica's authors. According to the |
| release stage in the summer of '03. I broke | | | | PublishAmerica site in the Facts and Figures |
| down and bought a copy from Amazon - took | | | | section, "Fact #3: Again, unparalleled among |
| almost 3 weeks to get. And I struggled to | | | | all traditional book publishing companies, |
| read all 176 pages. Tripe. Clichés | | | | each day an average 15 times a PublishAmerica |
| abounded. Spelling/grammatical errors weren't | | | | author appears in the news media, in |
| there at least. But the writing was thin. The | | | | newspapers, magazines, radio or TV." Yet even |
| story moved too quickly. The main character | | | | mathematically challenged folks can determine |
| was the most realistic as it was most likely | | | | that 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 been | | | | paltry once a month that a PublishAmerica |
| a real editor, the book could've been very | | | | book gets mentioned in a newspaper somewhere |
| good. I wrote to Ellen and told her the | | | | in the United States.Editing - What's |
| positive things about the story, avoiding the | | | | That?Here's a gem of a post on the |
| negativities. She'd been an online | | | | PublishAmerica message board: "When it came |
| correspondent for almost two years, yet after | | | | out 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 year | | | | friend of mine with a masters in education |
| later she sent me another e-mail - to promote | | | | went through it for me. It had close to a |
| a book of her poetry. I was just someone to | | | | thousand editing errors in a 182-page book. |
| sell a book to and she was only interested in | | | | So, have some who actually knows what |
| the sale and hopefully a glowing write up.A | | | | literary content should be in a book, go |
| Future PublishAmerica AuthorSince I'd already | | | | through your book for you before you send the |
| signed the contract with PublishAmerica, I | | | | final 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 a | | | | when it comes out."I discovered that through |
| company that put out just about any piece of | | | | the misspellings, grammatical errors, and |
| writing that came its way. I wasn't expecting | | | | general bad writing that just about anyone |
| much what with my dealings with the extinct | | | | was publishable through the 'traditional' |
| eNovel and RJ's eBooks, along with a tiny | | | | publisher located in Frederick, Maryland. |
| eBook publisher named Crafts Across America | | | | Such postings as: "I too am not the best |
| where I wasn't paid monthly as promised. And | | | | editor LOL! I did get my finished books. And |
| my novel and short story collection | | | | when I met with a lady that is huge in the |
| languished at DiskUs, home of the alleged | | | | marketing field, she told me that my book at |
| Number One Best selling eBook author of all | | | | it's length of 132 pages needs to have |
| time, Leta Nolan Childers.PublishAmerica sent | | | | chapters." A couple of PublishAmerica authors |
| me an author's questionnaire where they asked | | | | discussed editing. "I felt like you did when |
| for basic biographical information; cover art | | | | I found errors, but then I realized, hey |
| suggestions, and a long list of people who | | | | people read it for the story, not looking for |
| might want to read my forthcoming | | | | mistakes in typo land! LOL Now I just keep on |
| novel."Please prepare a list (names, and | | | | a keepin on!"Sales FiguresQuestion: I'd |
| addresses,) of people who know you well | | | | really like to know how many copies I've |
| enough to be interested in your success as a | | | | sold.Answer: Buy all of the books yourself |
| writer: personal friends, colleagues, | | | | and then count them.No matter how naïve |
| relatives, etc., to receive a book | | | | PublishAmerica authors appeared, they will |
| announcement...Please limit your list and | | | | eventually 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 or | | | | publisher, especially when those twice-yearly |
| organizations of any kind, including | | | | royalty checks arrived. Every few months or |
| bookstores, media contacts, or government | | | | so PublishAmerica sent them an e-mail |
| organizations. Include friends and associates | | | | extolling their success, bragging about a big |
| only."The editing process of my manuscript | | | | name author they're negotiating with, or, |
| took two weeks over the Christmas holidays. I | | | | more recently, doing a deal with the New York |
| was able to ascertain that the first few | | | | Times. On August 17th, an e-mail bearing the |
| pages had been read as some minor alterations | | | | proud subject heading 'Advertising Our |
| had been made, but no changes followed for | | | | Topsellers in the New York Times' appeared in |
| another 50 or so pages. One of the errors | | | | author's online mailboxes.PublishAmerica was |
| that occurred was clearly the result of a | | | | well named in that they want to publish |
| spellchecker on the part of PublishAmerica as | | | | anyone in North America who has churned out a |
| a question mark appeared after the end of a | | | | manuscript, regardless of quality. They claim |
| statement. I'd read of real authors receiving | | | | to have anywhere from 9,000 to 12,000 "happy" |
| instructions to change chapters, alter | | | | authors and they want more and more of them |
| endings, delete numerous pages, in other | | | | as that obviously means more money for the |
| words, really struggle to rewrite a book. Why | | | | greedy owners, namely Willem Meiner and Larry |
| so much effort? Names. Reputation. The | | | | Clopper.The PublishAmerica name and logo is |
| publisher wanted to put their name on the | | | | seen 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 saleable | | | | returned. All PublishAmerica titles lack the |
| but also well written and something they were | | | | necessary CIP [Cataloging-in-Publication] |
| proud of. PublishAmerica's editing comprised | | | | data, which is necessary for libraries to |
| neither ideal as all they did was put the | | | | order titles, and who wants to read unedited |
| computer program's spelling/grammar checker | | | | and overpriced tomes other than the author's |
| into action.My two free author's copies | | | | cronies? Oh yeah, and while PublishAmerica |
| arrived in early March and it was nice to see | | | | claims that they're a 'traditional publisher' |
| my trade paperback book in print sans a | | | | why on earth do they have in their main page |
| cheesy cover and stapled spine. 'North of | | | | keywords list the term 'self publishing' |
| Sunset' actually had decent looking stock | | | | three times? And in their site's description, |
| cover art of a few silhouetted palm trees, a | | | | they brag: "PublishAmerica, Inc., a |
| noticeable font, and a spine where the book | | | | traditional publisher, accepting and |
| title, publisher and author's name was | | | | publishing manuscripts and books at NO CHARGE |
| apparent. It would look good on bookstore | | | | to the author. Royalties paid to writers, |
| shelves, I imagined.Reviews - What | | | | books sold in stores. Manuscript submissions |
| Reviews?What was Publish America doing to | | | | by mail and online"In the beginning of |
| make sure my book was reviewed? Nothing. I | | | | September I received a royalty check. To my |
| decided to contact local daily and weekly | | | | surprise, I was not only able to afford to |
| newspapers by e-mailing a press release. The | | | | buy a pair of laces for my skates, I shelled |
| only responses I got were two e-mail | | | | out the $12 it cost to sharpen my blades. Who |
| autoresponders announcing the editors were on | | | | knew that this company would provide extra |
| vacation.I spent $40 on copies of my book's | | | | income enabling me to continue participating |
| galley and mailed them to three national | | | | in 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 'San | | | | the $40 for galleys, which were probably |
| Diego Union-Tribune' and asked if he'd be | | | | plunged into a recycling bin, the $87 color |
| interested in reviewing my book but before I | | | | business cards, $20 press release -- and the |
| could even describe what it was about, he | | | | countless hours building and rebuilding my |
| asked who my publisher was. I told him. "We | | | | website so people would happen across it and |
| don't review books by that publisher," he | | | | buy a book that was only available |
| stated.I called all the local bookstores and | | | | online--like any other eBook.PublishAmerica |
| spoke to the managers and/ or community | | | | allows the myth of being a 'traditional' |
| relations people about my book, including a | | | | publisher, a term not used before the advent |
| couple of stores who were physically located | | | | of the Internet, to fester. The lie is |
| on the street I'd written about. An | | | | perpetrated in those HTML source codes that |
| independent bookstore owner told me that | | | | search engine spider robots deliver; the |
| since PA didn't have a return policy she was | | | | future authors led to the promised realm of |
| unable to stock my novel. Another said that I | | | | publishing, an internet web of woven myths |
| could sell my book on consignment. The chain | | | | fanning across cyberspace. PublishAmerica |
| stores of Borders and Barnes & Noble said my | | | | resembles most other ePublishing companies |
| book would be available through Ingram if | | | | promising tales of bestselling books and |
| anyone chose to order it.Tried getting | | | | authors. PublishAmerica is just another scam, |
| PublishAmerica to send review copies out and | | | | just another future dot gone.If you are a |
| it took them weeks to do so. Had to call and | | | | PublishAmerica author, or know of one, who is |
| make sure on two occasions that the books had | | | | unhappily published and will tell your story, |
| been mailed. Maybe quoting one of their | | | | please contact:Federal Trade Commission |
| enthusiastic promoters on the message board, | | | | |
| a guy with a natural genius for marketing and | | | | attn: CRC - 240 |
| the budget to back it up, got three books | | | | |
| sent to reviewers.Then I sent my book to | | | | Washington, DC 20580 |
| Piers Anthony, noted sci-fi and fantasy | | | | |
| author of more than 100 books. I'd been in | | | | FTC Consumer Complaint FormFrederick County |
| touch with him since 2000 when I alerted him | | | | Board of County Commissioners |
| to the fact that eNovel was a rip-off. | | | | |
| Although the action in his books usually took | | | | Winchester Hall |
| place in alternate time periods/universes, he | | | | |
| didn't mind reading a mainstream Hollywood | | | | 12 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 |
| novel. He did so. "North of Sunset by Lisa | | | | |
| Maliga. She's the one listed in my Survey as | | | | Telephone: 301-694-1100 |
| I'm a Published Novelist Ha Ha! Ha!, a | | | | |
| pertinent warning for starry-eyed aspiring | | | | Fax: 301-694-1849 |
| writers. Her web site is worth checking | | | | |
| similarly; she tells it as it is. If you took | | | | L. Thompson, Jr., President |
| a few decades off my age and changed my | | | | |
| gender, the result might resemble Lisa. North | | | | Winchester Hall |
| of Sunset is fun, about a Hollywood producer | | | | |
| and his temporary secretary, showing a good | | | | 12 E. |
| deal of what I presume is reality. It is | | | | |