How good is PublishAmerica?

Michael01

Michael01

Coven of the Worm
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I've checked out PublishAmerica and submitted a query. I have already received an e-mail requesting my manuscript. What interested me in PublishAmerica was their insistence that they are a "traditional" publisher that even pays advances.

However, I noticed that their editors do not edit for content; I also haven't really seen too many books from them (um . . . if any).

Does anyone know just what PublishAmerica's reputation is within the industry? Is it worth trying to publish with them or should I hold out for something else?
 
I have two friends who used PA. Amazon.com: Shine: Books: Charles J. Bishop,Michel S. Rogers

It is simply a vanity publisher... They have no marketing power whatsoever. My friends were very disappointed when they discovered what PA does. I won't call it a 'scam', per se... you can decide for yourself.

All PA does is to print your book for you with a Print-on-Demand structure. They do not ask for any of your $, so they are not as bad as some out there. But, they drastically overcharge for your book, knowing that your family/friends are going to buy it. So, they get a huge markup on the 25-30 or so books that your fam/friends will certainly buy to encourage you.

If you're going to bother with someone like that, you are better off doing a self-publishing deal... At least you'll make a tiny bit of $ for your trouble.
 
I published my first book through them and I agree with what's been said. It's not a scam - they do print your book for free and I have to say it is good quality. I had to pay for separate professional editing though as I was worried about using their rather basic editing functions. They also did little or no promotion, which I was expecting, so I had to do 100% of the marketing and promoting myself. Their books ARE overpriced - that is my biggest bugbear with them. That's how they make their money.

Over all, I think I'd agree that the best bet is if you have to go down one of these routes, it would be better to go down a reputable self publishing route - then you know what you're getting for your money.
 
I was on a panel about PublishAmerica at the World SF Convention a couple of years ago, with Robin Hobb and various others. Every pro in the room said they should be avoided like the plague. A number of writers had worked together to create the worst possible novel, which they submitted under a pseudonym to PublishAmerica - who immediately came back and said how good it was and how they definitely wanted to publish it...
 
All of which makes me incredibly wary. I'll keep looking for an agent. I've deleted PA's email from my inbox and I'm going to forget all about them.

I've got my fingers crossed for Ethan Ellenberg right now . . .

Thanks again, everyone! I really appreciate your input.
 
John Jarrold said:
I was on a panel about PublishAmerica at the World SF Convention a couple of years ago, with Robin Hobb and various others. Every pro in the room said they should be avoided like the plague. A number of writers had worked together to create the worst possible novel, which they submitted under a pseudonym to PublishAmerica - who immediately came back and said how good it was and how they definitely wanted to publish it...
Click to expand...

John, the book was called Atlanta Nights. The "author" has since had it printed on Lulu.com for charity. I have read sections on line, it is so bad it is good, if that makes sense.


Atlanta Nights by Travis Tea (Book) in Literature & Fiction
 
Laura Underwood was one of the authors who helped write that book. Quite gleeful she was about her contribution. Maybe we could coax her over here to tell us more about it.
 
Atlanta Nights came from our group--was spear-headed by James McDonald, and was a deliberate ploy to bait PA into a contract. Which they did. I appear in about the fifth (?) sting manuscript, Crack of Death--they went for that one hook line and sinker, too. No discrimination as far as subject matter, length, writing quality or other standards.

PA does not sell to the general reading public. Their target market is their authors. They have one of the lowest royalty percentages I've ever seen for a QTP. They don't edit, have a phony/non-competitive returns policy and discount, high cover prices, no marketing/promotion/publicity, and tie you into a seven-year contract. They've lost cases in arbitration and copyright infringement. PA wants "Stepford Scribes", people who will shout the mantra and enlist more writers into the company. If you ask legitimate questions on their forum, you're likely to find yourself heavily censored, shouted down, deleted, or ultimately banned for life.

Notwithstanding, their brand name is a laughing stock of the industry. Mentioning publication with PA in a bio/query can actually be detrimental.

Please seek out other small presses that don't profess to being something they are not. Stay far away from PA.

Tri
 
Atlanta Nights is what alerted me to PA in the first place. From there it was a short step to the AbsoluteWrite forums and an ongoing fascination with the daily soap opera that is the PA thread.
I drop in on the AW PublishAmerica thread from time to time, and like any long-running drama the plot's always the same even if the characters keep changing.
 
Hi, Simon. Yes, we've been running the PA saga for years at AW. It's what alerted me to the problems with this company. It's a train wreck and I must say that I'm on a life-long subscription to that thread. Impossible to stay away. We've made fantastic inroads, but it will be a long time until this company sobers up and straightens out their policies/practices

Tri
 
Someone should change the title of this thread to 'How BAD is Publish America?'

Adventure Books of Seattle came out heavily against PA on several forums, and then we dared PA to do something about it...they never did, of course. :)

They take advantage of hard-working authors. Bookstore managers won't touch their titles. Not just the high price, but also the lack of editing are the reasons given.

I could say so many more things about them, but you would be better served by reading the Absolute Write postings, or the more than 1,000 NEGATIVE entries about PA at the thread at Speculations...
 
Daniel Ionson said:
Anyone remember THE EYE OF ARGON?
.....It's so bad you have to keep reading!

Daniel
Click to expand...

I don't remember it at all, I don't think I've ever even heard it. But for some reason, I would love for people to say that last part about my book. How wierd am I?
 
dustinzgirl said:
I don't remember it at all, I don't think I've ever even heard it.
Click to expand...

It's popular at SFF conventions and other places where fans gather, since it's the kind of reading ... er, experience ... that's best shared.

Particularly if people take turns reading it aloud at a midnight gathering on the second day of a convention when everyone is a little giddy anyway.

It's every conceivable sword-and-sorcery cliché you can imagine, combined with tortured metaphors, overblown language, and misused words.
 
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