Experience with Publish America?

[srussell]

Hi,

I actually saw this on a "Ads by Google" link on the CW site:

http://www.publishamerica.com/

Does anybody have experience with Publish America?

Thanks

Sam

[Ransom v. Unman]

NO! DO NOT DO THEM! BAD, BAD, BAD! EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!

http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pebp.htm

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/general.html#PA

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/02/happy-valentines-day-from-writer-beware.html

You should do some reading up at these aforementioned sites as well and snoop around for the voluminous amount of complaints lodged against Publish America.

Publish America is no one's friend. Do not go with them...

[lynnmosher]

There also have been numerous discussions on this site in the last four weeks. You might want to search them out.

[srussell]

Thanks! I think my book will be ready to start looking for a publisher sometime in 2008, so I'm at the beginning of the investigation process, especially for publishers that take on first time authors.

But as the old maxim goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Sigh.

Sam

[lynnmosher]

If your book is fiction, you definitely need to search for a commercial publisher. POD or other for fiction, as I have heard, is a death sentence. Remember, publishers are supposed to pay you!

[M. Lawrence]

If you're up for it, you could try posting sections of your book in the workshop section of our site, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. That way, you could get some honest feedback on your work, and those here who are experienced with what it takes to get published could better help you.

I completely agree with what others here have said about PublishAmerica. In my opinion, there are potentially some situations you might want to use POD, but if your writing is of good quality, and especially if it's fiction, you should look for a commercial publisher.

Remember: money flows toward the author, not away.

[Gravity]

Run. Fast and hard.

[tlm]

Run. Fast and hard.

LOL
Gravity,
I was looking forward to reading your post on this topic!

BTW is PA EVER going to update its web site?

[Merry]

Hide. Put on military armor, set land mines and lay in supplies...It should be noted that when it comes to the Google ads you see run through here...CW doesn't have any say about which ones run,( and that is the case on any site where you see Google advertisements.) So yes, occasionally that could lend itself to a wrong impression, but I think most people understand that aspect of Google ads.

[sdent1]

Yes, I love google ads. I can target a site and have my ad run on it. I did that once when someone charged way more than I culd pay for advertising. I ran for free right across the top of their page with a nice banner ad I made. I felt vindicated. No, it didn't cost me anything unless you count pennies a day a price. :D

[srussell]

I perceive a common theme developing here. I kind of guessed that CW didn't have a lot of choice about what Google ads show. At least they all seem to be writing related, and not advertising mortgages or life insurance :rolleyes:

sam

[love2write]

Websites about Publish America

Consumer Affairs: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/publish.html

Publishing Parasites: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/publish.html

Do Your Homework: http://www.geocities.com/complexitypoet/

Stung Again: http://oddgoose.blogspot.com/2007/01/publish-america-gets-stung-again.html

Publish America’s Author Support: http://www.geocities.com/complexitypoet/Nasty__Unprofessional_Behavior_by_Publish_America. htm

Atlanta Nights: http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/news/2005/01/atlanta-nights.html

Rip Off Report: http://badbusinessbureau.com/reports/0/272/ripoff0272344.htm

5 Reasons to Avoid Publish America: http://www.contentmart.com/articles/31979/1/5-Reasons-To-Avoid-PublishAmerica/Page1.html

Miss Snark / Literary Agent: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2006/02/more-on-publish-america.html
__________________________________________________ _______

Preditors & Editors is a great resource for checking out publishers and agents. There are good and there are bad. Publish America is one of the bad ones.

[dancingpsalmist]

These are good warnings. Thanks for sharing. I plan to self-publish my poetry book one of these days but plan to use a reputable local Christian publisher, whose owner I have attended workshops with and trust.

Otherwise, do you have to have an agent? How do you find an agent if you write for both the Christian and secular markets? I want to use several pen names as some material I don't want to have embarrass my family but when it comes time to write it, I will know it is the right thing to do. Yet, I fear that people can find out who all these pen names belong to. I don't want to write a good secular piece and publish it and then have a Christan publisher judge me unfairly. How do I avoid that?

[M. Lawrence]

How much you need an agent really depends on what you're trying to do. If you're primarily publishing short pieces, I don't really think you need an agent. If you're trying to shop around a longer piece, like a novel, you probably do, since they're more skilled at finding a publishing home for your manuscript. If you're concerned about what people think about certain pieces you write, using a pen name is a good way to go. You'll probably do well to choose an agent who understands this and respects your desire for privacy with some of your works. The question is: is a "secular" agent or a Christian one better for this? If you can find a Christian agent you feel you can trust not to judge you, then that's the route to go. I'd personally lean towards selecting a "secular" agent who's open to works of a religious nature, not one whose world is completely bound up just in CBA oriented publishing. That's the best of both worlds, IMO.

[dancingpsalmist]

M. Lawrence
thanks for the advice. A secular agent open to religious works would probably be best as a lot of the stuff I want to write could be marketed in the secular arena. I already have a hilarious santa claus spoof that just needs tweaking and will be ready to shop around. It's a satire and for the 12 and up set.

I was just worried that so many times people can find out your pen name. It seems there's so many ways people can get into information that is supposedly private or protected confidentially.

I am sure when the time to market is right, praying for the right agent as well as searching will be the way to go.

[M. Lawrence]

I was just worried that so many times people can find out your pen name. It seems there's so many ways people can get into information that is supposedly private or protected confidentially.


I think this all depends on high profile you get. It is true that in this world, people can get access to nearly any kind of information. However, people don't generally do it unless it's worth their while. Unless you become famous and/or very high profile, you probably won't be worth the trouble to uncover.

[sdent1]

An agent is a middle man. This is your first work and agent will be as hard to get as a publisher. If you have poetry, you might as well consider self-publishing. There are many good self-publishers out there and a nice list at absolute write.com or maybe that's at writersbeware.com Either way, for poems or things you just want to see in print, self-publishing is the way to go. Lulu seems to be one of the more respected places for self-publishers. They'll even provide you with your own ISBN if you'd like one. Just one ISBN which belongs to you and not Lulu. Very nice addition to their package. You could go POD but you will pay. You could go vanity press but you'll pay there as well. If you self-publish, you'll pay but only for what you ask for.

If what you've written above is representative of what you want to do, you don't need an agent AND you won't find one anytime soon.

I had a novel. I found my CHRISTIAN publisher through writersmarket.com another valuable source of publishers and agents. They're separated by genre and secular or Christian. Most publishers who're listed as Christian will judge you just as fairly as the secular market. The Christian Evangelical Publishers(CBA) are the ony publishers with restrictions that tend to judge works more harshly.

Hope this was helpful.

Oh, and if it sounds like I know what I'm talking about . . . I don't! LOL Just speaking from my limited (very limited) experience!