| My story is that an author who'd done online writing | | | | my gender, the result might resemble Lisa. North of |
| for such dot gones as Themestream, Written By Me, | | | | Sunset is fun, about a Hollywood producer and his |
| and The Vines, someone trying hard to have fiction, | | | | temporary secretary, showing a good deal of what I |
| poetry and nonfiction in print for real, recommended | | | | presume is reality. It is written with the omniscient |
| PublishAmerica. She claimed it was a traditional book | | | | viewpoint, which I dislike, but it held my interest |
| publisher. I was struck with their slogan, "We treat | | | | regardless. " |
| writers the old fashioned way - we pay them." | | | | I'd discovered through an upset PA author on the |
| Wasn't that what publishers were supposed to do? | | | | messageboards, which I read on occasion, that |
| But since my novel was just sitting on the DiskUs | | | | someone was complaining about PublishAmerica. |
| Publishing site and doing nothing but supplying me | | | | Discovering the Absolute Write Background Check |
| with enough money to buy a pair of skate laces | | | | area I spent several hours reading, at the time, more |
| every three months, I thought maybe it would have | | | | than 40 pages of complaints about PublishAmerica. |
| a better chance over at PublishAmerica where it | | | | Authors not receiving books in time for booksignings |
| would be available as a trade size paperback both on | | | | that they set up themselves. Bookstore owners |
| and off-line. | | | | managers refusing to stock their shelves with |
| So this author, Ellen Du Bois, had a big thing on her | | | | unedited PublishAmerica titles. Writers unable to get |
| Geocities site about books being available in brick & | | | | their books reviewed. |
| mortar bookstores & they'd have ISBN numbers and | | | | Doing a search on LexisNexis, the reputable online |
| be online and all that stuff. Also had her full size book | | | | legal research system, for all PublishAmerica books |
| cover up so I sat there for 5 minutes waiting for the | | | | receiving newspaper reviews, I saw that from July |
| damn thing to appear. Not impressive, but she liked it. | | | | 2002 to June 2004, only 24 books had been |
| Ellen was a cheerleader for her book and sent | | | | reviewed nationally. Papers in Syracuse NY, Tulsa, |
| reviews from a weekly community rag and she bulk | | | | OK, Fort Pierce, FL, Wilmington, NC and Lakeland, FL |
| e-mailed several pieces of correspondence during | | | | were represented. Only Salt Lake City's 'Deseret |
| those heady days when her book was in prerelease, | | | | Morning News', the 'Tulsa World', 'Pittsburgh |
| then release stage in the summer of '03. I broke | | | | Post-Gazette' and the suburban paper, the 'Chicago |
| down and bought a copy from Amazon - took | | | | Daily Herald' were actually major newspapers. |
| almost 3 weeks to get. And I struggled to read all | | | | Evidently, the 'New York Times' or the 'Los Angeles |
| 176 pages. Tripe. Clichés abounded. Spelling | | | | Times' were not reviewing anything by |
| grammatical errors weren't there at least. But the | | | | PublishAmerica's authors. According to the |
| writing was thin. The story moved too quickly. The | | | | PublishAmerica site in the Facts and Figures section, |
| main character was the most realistic as it was most | | | | "Fact #3: Again, unparalleled among all traditional book |
| likely based on the author. The dialogue was okay. | | | | publishing companies, each day an average 15 times a |
| The descriptions were minimal. Had there been a real | | | | PublishAmerica author appears in the news media, in |
| editor, the book could've been very good. I wrote to | | | | newspapers, magazines, radio or TV." Yet even |
| Ellen and told her the positive things about the story, | | | | mathematically challenged folks can determine that |
| avoiding the negativities. She'd been an online | | | | by using the LexisNexis search statistics, we learn |
| correspondent for almost two years, yet after I | | | | that the average is a paltry once a month that a |
| didn't review her book on and Barnes & Noble she | | | | PublishAmerica book gets mentioned in a newspaper |
| didn't contact me. Almost a year later she sent me | | | | somewhere in the United States. |
| another e-mail - to promote a book of her poetry. I | | | | Editing - What's That? |
| was just someone to sell a book to and she was | | | | Here's a gem of a post on the PublishAmerica |
| only interested in the sale and hopefully a glowing | | | | message board: "When it came out in book form a |
| write up. | | | | month ago, my friends mentioned the editing |
| A Future PublishAmerica Author | | | | problems in it, so a friend of mine with a masters in |
| Since I'd already signed the contract with | | | | education went through it for me. It had close to a |
| PublishAmerica, I wanted to cancel it after reading | | | | thousand editing errors in a 182-page book. So, have |
| that trash. Now my book would be affiliated with a | | | | some who actually knows what literary content |
| company that put out just about any piece of writing | | | | should be in a book, go through your book for you |
| that came its way. I wasn't expecting much what | | | | before you send the final draft back to |
| with my dealings with the extinct eNovel and RJ's | | | | PublishAmerica. Because the final draft, IS!, how the |
| eBooks, along with a tiny eBook publisher named | | | | book will be when it comes out." |
| Crafts Across America where I wasn't paid monthly | | | | I discovered that through the misspellings, |
| as promised. And my novel and short story collection | | | | grammatical errors, and general bad writing that just |
| languished at DiskUs, home of the alleged Number | | | | about anyone was publishable through the 'traditional' |
| One Best selling eBook author of all time, Leta Nolan | | | | publisher located in Frederick, Maryland. Such postings |
| Childers. | | | | as: "I too am not the best editor LOL! I did get my |
| PublishAmerica sent me an author's questionnaire | | | | finished books. And when I met with a lady that is |
| where they asked for basic biographical information; | | | | huge in the marketing field, she told me that my |
| cover art suggestions, and a long list of people who | | | | book at it's length of 132 pages needs to have |
| might want to read my forthcoming novel. | | | | chapters." A couple of PublishAmerica authors |
| "Please prepare a list (names, and addresses,) of | | | | discussed editing. "I felt like you did when I found |
| people who know you well enough to be interested | | | | errors, but then I realized, hey people read it for the |
| in your success as a writer: personal friends, | | | | story, not looking for mistakes in typo land! LOL Now |
| colleagues, relatives, etc., to receive a book | | | | I just keep on a keepin on!" |
| announcement...Please limit your list and your labels to | | | | Sales Figures |
| a maximum of 100 contacts. Also, please do not | | | | Question: I'd really like to know how many copies I've |
| include businesses or organizations of any kind, | | | | sold. |
| including bookstores, media contacts, or government | | | | Answer: Buy all of the books yourself and then count |
| organizations. Include friends and associates only." | | | | them. |
| The editing process of my manuscript took two | | | | No matter how naïve PublishAmerica authors |
| weeks over the Christmas holidays. I was able to | | | | appeared, they will eventually come to the realization |
| ascertain that the first few pages had been read as | | | | that PublishAmerica isn't really a traditional publisher, |
| some minor alterations had been made, but no | | | | especially when those twice-yearly royalty checks |
| changes followed for another 50 or so pages. One of | | | | arrived. Every few months or so PublishAmerica sent |
| the errors that occurred was clearly the result of a | | | | them an e-mail extolling their success, bragging about |
| spellchecker on the part of PublishAmerica as a | | | | a big name author they're negotiating with, or, more |
| question mark appeared after the end of a | | | | recently, doing a deal with the New York Times. On |
| statement. I'd read of real authors receiving | | | | August 17th, an e-mail bearing the proud subject |
| instructions to change chapters, alter endings, delete | | | | heading 'Advertising Our Topsellers in the New York |
| numerous pages, in other words, really struggle to | | | | Times' appeared in author's online mailboxes. |
| rewrite a book. Why so much effort? Names. | | | | PublishAmerica was well named in that they want to |
| Reputation. The publisher wanted to put their name | | | | publish anyone in North America who has churned out |
| on the best quality book that they had invested in. | | | | a manuscript, regardless of quality. They claim to |
| The author wanted a book that was saleable but | | | | have anywhere from 9,000 to 12,000 "happy" |
| also well written and something they were proud of. | | | | authors and they want more and more of them as |
| PublishAmerica's editing comprised neither ideal as all | | | | that obviously means more money for the greedy |
| they did was put the computer program's spelling | | | | owners, namely Willem Meiner and Larry Clopper. |
| grammar checker into action. | | | | The PublishAmerica name and logo is seen as a joke |
| My two free author's copies arrived in early March | | | | to those in the media, bookstores and libraries. Books |
| and it was nice to see my trade paperback book in | | | | can't be returned. All PublishAmerica titles lack the |
| print sans a cheesy cover and stapled spine. 'North of | | | | necessary CIP [Cataloging-in-Publication] data, which is |
| Sunset' actually had decent looking stock cover art | | | | necessary for libraries to order titles, and who wants |
| of a few silhouetted palm trees, a noticeable font, | | | | to read unedited and overpriced tomes other than |
| and a spine where the book title, publisher and | | | | the author's cronies? Oh yeah, and while |
| author's name was apparent. It would look good on | | | | PublishAmerica claims that they're a 'traditional |
| bookstore shelves, I imagined. | | | | publisher' why on earth do they have in their main |
| Reviews - What Reviews? | | | | page keywords list the term 'self publishing' three |
| What was Publish America doing to make sure my | | | | times? And in their site's description, they brag: |
| book was reviewed? Nothing. I decided to contact | | | | "PublishAmerica, Inc., a traditional publisher, accepting |
| local daily and weekly newspapers by e-mailing a | | | | and publishing manuscripts and books at NO CHARGE |
| press release. The only responses I got were two | | | | to the author. Royalties paid to writers, books sold in |
| e-mail autoresponders announcing the editors were | | | | stores. Manuscript submissions by mail and online" |
| on vacation. | | | | In the beginning of September I received a royalty |
| I spent $40 on copies of my book's galley and mailed | | | | check. To my surprise, I was not only able to afford |
| them to three national newspapers and the Library | | | | to buy a pair of laces for my skates, I shelled out |
| Journal magazine. Then I phoned a book reviewer at | | | | the $12 it cost to sharpen my blades. Who knew |
| the 'San Diego Union-Tribune' and asked if he'd be | | | | that this company would provide extra income |
| interested in reviewing my book but before I could | | | | enabling me to continue participating in my |
| even describe what it was about, he asked who my | | | | recreational skating hobby? But it cost me more than |
| publisher was. I told him. "We don't review books by | | | | the $160 in author-bought books, the $40 for galleys, |
| that publisher," he stated. | | | | which were probably plunged into a recycling bin, the |
| I called all the local bookstores and spoke to the | | | | $87 color business cards, $20 press release -- and the |
| managers and/ or community relations people about | | | | countless hours building and rebuilding my website so |
| my book, including a couple of stores who were | | | | people would happen across it and buy a book that |
| physically located on the street I'd written about. An | | | | was only available online--like any other eBook. |
| independent bookstore owner told me that since PA | | | | PublishAmerica allows the myth of being a 'traditional' |
| didn't have a return policy she was unable to stock | | | | publisher, a term not used before the advent of the |
| my novel. Another said that I could sell my book on | | | | Internet, to fester. The lie is perpetrated in those |
| consignment. The chain stores of Borders and Barnes | | | | HTML source codes that search engine spider robots |
| & Noble said my book would be available through | | | | deliver; the future authors led to the promised realm |
| Ingram if anyone chose to order it. | | | | of publishing, an internet web of woven myths |
| Tried getting PublishAmerica to send review copies | | | | fanning across cyberspace. PublishAmerica resembles |
| out and it took them weeks to do so. Had to call and | | | | most other ePublishing companies promising tales of |
| make sure on two occasions that the books had | | | | bestselling books and authors. PublishAmerica is just |
| been mailed. Maybe quoting one of their enthusiastic | | | | another scam, just another future dot gone. |
| promoters on the message board, a guy with a | | | | If you are a PublishAmerica author, or know of one, |
| natural genius for marketing and the budget to back | | | | who is unhappily published and will tell your story, |
| it up, got three books sent to reviewers. | | | | please contact: |
| Then I sent my book to Piers Anthony, noted sci-fi | | | | Federal Trade Commissionattn: CRC - 240 |
| and fantasy author of more than 100 books. I'd been | | | | Washington, DC 20580 |
| in touch with him since 2000 when I alerted him to | | | | FTC Consumer Complaint Form |
| the fact that eNovel was a rip-off. Although the | | | | Frederick County Board of County Commissioners |
| action in his books usually took place in alternate time | | | | Winchester Hall |
| periods/universes, he didn't mind reading a | | | | 12 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 |
| mainstream Hollywood novel. He did so. "North of | | | | Telephone: 301-694-1100 |
| Sunset by Lisa Maliga. She's the one listed in my | | | | Fax: 301-694-1849 |
| Survey as I'm a Published Novelist Ha Ha! Ha!, a | | | | John L. Thompson, Jr., President |
| pertinent warning for starry-eyed aspiring writers. Her | | | | Winchester Hall |
| web site is worth checking similarly; she tells it as it is. | | | | 12 E. |
| If you took a few decades off my age and changed | | | | |