Publish America

Recently on a writer's message board, the topic of self-publishing with Publish America came up. Why, some asked, would anyone with any knowledge of publishing actually choose this company to work with?
I had heard a lot about PA, most of it negative. To refresh my memory about specific complaints, I went to Google Search. I searched for "scam Publish America". Oh my, what a lot of complaints there seem to be!

With such titles as:

Condensed: Here are The Reasons We Don't Recommend PublishAmerica ...

Publish America Scam or Not? To Trust or Not To Trust? « Speak ...

The PublishAmerica Scam - A Writer's Life

 

Hmm...there were many, many such links. But to be fair, I had put the word "scam" in my search. Maybe I should just search for "Publish America legitimate?" 

I did, and again many people had adverse opinions--but hold on a sec, here's a lady who answered in the affirmative, and I quote:

PublishAmerica: Legitimate, or a hoax? - Yahoo! Answers

"I must say I'm sum what biased when it comes to this subject. I'm a writer and author and can tell you from experience Publish America is a legitimate Publisher. I did extensive research on the subject before submitting my novellas, "Behind the Red Door" and "Thorns of an Innocent Soul." And, I haven't quit my day job but I've paid several utility bills with my earnings."

 

 I think I would have taken her more seriously if she hadn't spelled "somewhat" as "sum what". Especially after warning authors that they should proofread their books a thousand times.

Another fellow over at:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178658

also defends Publish America. He says, in part:

PublishAmerica is not a scam

---

Publish America has a particular business model that does not include providing for the most expensive part of selling something, marketing. This does not make them a scam. I published with them 5 and 1/2 years ago and I've just sent them another book which they've accepted. They made a few minor errors in the text even after I corrected it but this hardly makes them a scam. I'm reading Carver and there are typos there as well. I didn't sell any books but how is that their fault?

Another poster answers that question:

Indeed. It is not marketing but called distribution--which is what gets books into stores across the US an Canada. Without distribution to brick and mortar stores there are no significant book sales for the writer.

The stores want the right to return unsold books, which is significant money to any publisher. PA is unwilling to provide that to its writers, therefore, no sales.

 

More on Publish America and other POD publishers in my next blog.