Friday, June 10, 2011

PUBLISH AMERICA STRIKES AGAIN AND AGAIN AND...

To date Publish America has converted 1,275 PA books to E-books for a gross income to PA of $23,000. Does that sound like a lot? Well, that has been accomplished over a period of several months and they claim to have 40,000 happy authors. It doesn't seem like much to me.


Their latest, greatest boon to their authors is "Agent Emily." Give PA $200 and one can be represented by an agent. An Agent is what every author wants. It gives prestige and status to an author.


"MY agent says..." "I'll have to call MY agent..." "I have to go now MY agent is calling me..."


Who has the greater status an author or an author with an agent?


Now any and all PA authors can retain an agent. And it only costs $200! OH HAPPY DAY!


What does PA employee "Agent Emily" do for the $200 PA authors send PA? It looks like nothing but she claims that her duties are to present PA published books to real publishers. Anyone can do that it is just that publishers have zero interest in PA published books.


Does Emily have any credibility? Is she a real agent? PA lists no information as to Emily's qualifications.


I know a PA author who submitted to several smaller publishers and some of them asked for the manuscript. He got tired of waiting for responses and sent the manuscript to PA. He also notified the best of the small presses of going with PA after one press called to discuss a deal.

After he saw the disaster that PA presented as his book he recontacted the interested press to ask if he bought his rights back would they still be interested. Instead of sending him on his way they told him to send them a copy of the PA book. Not the manuscript, the actual book. In a few months the publisher notified him that the book was a good story but would require more editing than they wanted to do. The PA edited book was gibberish. This is what Agent Emily is up against but no author will ever know if she actually will contact any publishers.

I have to go now my agent is calling...

1 comment:

From The Word said...

If PA had worked as hard promoting my book to the public as they have trying to sell it to me, success would have been more probable.