tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5652767750143748699..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: ShamefulJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38898219149189640732010-04-18T20:46:23.617-04:002010-04-18T20:46:23.617-04:00One other elephant in the room - if Random House a...One other elephant in the room - if Random House actually wanted the book, would you still be stuck with a seven year contract anyway, and be sent abusive letters if you asked to be released from it?Mad Scientist Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10944489511151772939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21800788342608218432010-03-30T07:09:21.614-04:002010-03-30T07:09:21.614-04:00Their most recent "deal" is buy 20 of yo...Their most recent "deal" is buy 20 of your books, we will send a copy (up to 5, guess that depends on if you buy up to 100?) to Random Houses "Bertelsmann" in Germany.<br />The scum bags never give tire of creating new and innovative ways to pick the pockets of their victims... uh, I mean, their Authors.<br />Random House SHOULD take action against PA. If not to save countless numbers of naive from being raped of thousands of dollars each, then to at least make clear RH is not affiliated nor do they support Publish America. As it stands, it could appear that RH is open to the submissions from PA.Christine Tripphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058419743726981987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-80948089389111625062010-03-18T22:39:36.540-04:002010-03-18T22:39:36.540-04:00I'm a Random House author; out of curiosity I ...I'm a Random House author; out of curiosity I e-mailed this to my editor. He (electronically) rolled his eyes. If these arrive at all, they'll go onto a slush pile, which means they MIGHT be read by some 23 year old assistant in her down time. Or else they might be tossed into the recycling bin. You'd have better luck submitting your own un-agented work. This sounds like an outrageous scam, and good for you, Janet, for drawing attention to it. Incidentally, I suspect their are scads of agents out there who will work with authors to hone/prune/perfect a book outline & pitch letter and even when a title is so specialist as to be ideal for POD, then it makes more sense to hire a good editor and take another POD route that isn't going to exploit you. This sounds like a recipe for frustration and false hopes. There are lots of ways to distribute POD books, and I've known one or two authors who have managed to get books into stores or generated enough buzz and readers to land agents and non-POD contracts on the strength of that. Concentrate on building buzz, not succumbing to name-brand envy...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07126482436426213023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87687466113866647232010-03-03T12:04:04.036-05:002010-03-03T12:04:04.036-05:00Wow...Just wow...Wow...Just wow...V.R. Leavitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695046154516205907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-42328016501511977062010-03-03T11:30:45.613-05:002010-03-03T11:30:45.613-05:00As Josin has already mentioned, the RH "submi...As Josin has already mentioned, the RH "submission" is only the latest of so many ridiculous come on's these creeps have issued in emails to their "authors". Buy 20 of your books this week and we will send 5 to (incert celeb name, presidents name, television networks name and now publishers name here)<br />What amazes me about this latest offer of theirs, as they insist they are a REAL publisher... why would one publisher send your(their) book to ANOTHER publisher? <br /><br />When you look in on the PA authors forum and read what is getting posted (and anyone can access their forum and read but not post) it's truly sad. They are really brainwashed by PA into believing ALL authors buy their own books, load them into the trunk of their cars and offer book signings at every B&N in their State. They are always so shocked to find they are turned away. After spending thousands of dollars in getting these very badly printed, they ask each other when to expect the first royalty cheques, when will be get rich?<br />Since the manuscripts are NEVER edited, they tell each other that spelling errors are normal in publishing and that, for a fee, you can send the corrections in to the "publisher" for the next batch of books. <br />It's a crime (but not technically) and glad to see someone with some clout reporting on their underhanded dealings with the naive and the misinformed.<br />Good for you Janet!!!Christine Tripphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058419743726981987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70266560544932543552010-03-03T08:48:22.304-05:002010-03-03T08:48:22.304-05:00Some people (some even agents) say that agents are...Some people (some even agents) say that agents are in the "dream crushing" business. I disagree with this, but last night I met someone whose dreams had <i>actually</i> been crushed ... by a company similar to PublishAmerica. This woman wanted to have her inspirational tale of overcoming adversity (a memoir) read by church groups and friends and neighbors. The company took her $10k (her life savings) and left her with a too-expensive hardcover the church groups couldn't afford, riddled with typos. She's back to starting over, on her own, and despairing.<br /><br />Very sad.Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77244990551780900432010-03-02T19:27:58.320-05:002010-03-02T19:27:58.320-05:00I did a rant on my blog last month about their rid...I did a rant on my blog last month about their ridiculous celebrity promotions.<br /><br />What set me off what their claim they would donate a dollar per book ordered to the Red Cross for Haitian relief. <br /><br />I crunched numbers, working out that for every 144 bucks to the Red Cross, PA could make over 3400.00 in profit.<br /><br />Exploiting that horror to squeeze more cash from their writers is beyond sickening.<br /><br />http://p-n-elrod.livejournal.com/75118.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68184891460142974742010-03-02T17:36:26.861-05:002010-03-02T17:36:26.861-05:00Yay Janet for helping spread the news on the lates...Yay Janet for helping spread the news on the latest PA scam!<br /><br />I'm one of the PA message board watchers on AW and I think Jim's Making Light post rocks!<br /><br />Self-Publishing is perfect for what it is perfect for - niche projects that wouldn't be right for a regular publisher. I am working on a project right now that I will do through CreateSpace. It is directed at a very narrow genre and intended for marketing to members of our fan club.<br /><br />CreateSpace demands some upfront work for layout, they print what you send them, no assistance. However, their per-copy price is the lowest around. <br /><br />Long live the independents and death to PublishAmerica.<br /><br />BTW - PA is now embroiled in a lawsuit with Lightning Source. Stay tuned for the outcome of this smackdown!Terri Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07461583056862465783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52269064213160652392010-03-01T23:24:51.928-05:002010-03-01T23:24:51.928-05:00They're gonna spam Random House? Say huh?They're gonna spam Random House? Say huh?Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17779576142896860206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87095326268598027472010-03-01T15:53:11.530-05:002010-03-01T15:53:11.530-05:00In addition to the CreateSpace forums, as Levi rec...In addition to the CreateSpace forums, as Levi recommends, there are also forums at Lulu where people offer copyediting/layout/production services. And the boards at AbsoluteWrite.com are another place to look for help of that kind.<br /><br />There are hardworking, talented people out there who have the skills and experience to help people self-publish their work and end up with a quality product they're proud of. And then there are people looking to rip off the untutored.JShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13974691019739092440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29006198008173656552010-03-01T12:56:41.268-05:002010-03-01T12:56:41.268-05:00Shakespeare, I love true ghost stories and SE Kans...Shakespeare, I love true ghost stories and SE Kansas isn't that far from me. Is your book still available anywhere?Loretta Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253542701930736398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-53292116807413717232010-03-01T11:34:05.345-05:002010-03-01T11:34:05.345-05:00Thanks for posting this. I used lulu.com to publi...Thanks for posting this. I used lulu.com to publish my first book because I was sure it was not for mass consumption, and lulu has a good reputation. I've talked with many first time writers about the publishing process, and I'm sure some of them are naive enough to buy into something like this. I'm going to link back to your blog because this is very good information.Niki Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07714553293178580659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32079329930453847742010-03-01T10:37:20.682-05:002010-03-01T10:37:20.682-05:00Despicable.
I know several authors who have used...Despicable. <br /><br />I know several authors who have used POD, and I did so with a regional ghost book (SE Kansas is not a mecca for regional publishers, so I had no choice), but I shopped and shopped for a POD publisher that charged me fairly and didn't through a bunch of hoopla into the deal. <br /><br />PublishAmerica was already off the list before I'd even started. Now I'm even more glad I stayed clear of them.Dr. Cheryl Carvajalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15323455180953109460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24625573487925480582010-02-28T23:20:50.347-05:002010-02-28T23:20:50.347-05:00Oh, I do hope RH decides to sue. Someone needs to...Oh, I do hope RH decides to sue. Someone needs to take these scumbags *down*.Kate Halleronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-64922972889597561742010-02-28T20:29:45.083-05:002010-02-28T20:29:45.083-05:00Two words: Atlanta Nights.
Two more words: Travis...Two words: Atlanta Nights.<br /><br />Two more words: Travis Tea.<br /><br />I don't get how it'd ever be legitimate for one "publishing company" to submit your stuff to another._*rachel*_https://www.blogger.com/profile/03293167107180931700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59609149321239467002010-02-28T19:16:50.899-05:002010-02-28T19:16:50.899-05:00Scumbags.Scumbags.David Edgerley Gateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18248415840123920669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81095328500158087502010-02-28T19:10:53.590-05:002010-02-28T19:10:53.590-05:00Oh, ick.Oh, ick.Margaret Yanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464624057491288244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82432445264758016522010-02-28T18:59:29.300-05:002010-02-28T18:59:29.300-05:00Natasha,
(And anyone else who is looking for the ...Natasha,<br /><br />(And anyone else who is looking for the same thing): There is a very strong forum of committed independent authors at the CreateSpace forums, and more can be found under any nearby bush or rock. Most of us know someone who will do covers or editing for a small "Grandma's memoir" type of project for free or next to it. <i>And</i> we won't try to retain any rights.<br /><br />LeviLevi Montgomeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13498975427402417860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26454802575690628132010-02-28T18:52:47.050-05:002010-02-28T18:52:47.050-05:00Thank you so so so so much for mentioning this. I...Thank you so so so so much for mentioning this. I follow the PA boards on AW (Please, if anyone is thinking of using them go there first!), and it's just heartbreaking to watch these things play out. This one was particularly disgusting (though not as bad as the one offering to donate money to earthquake victims...hell, even the sending books to soldiers as Christmas presents was worse in some ways because it would have been literally impossible for them to have done it, not that they mentioned this in the ad.)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02561948924798355275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-71949261652374541022010-02-28T18:46:28.803-05:002010-02-28T18:46:28.803-05:00Ach, this isn't the half of it. They also cont...Ach, this isn't the half of it. They also continue to sell books that they no longer have the rights to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23762327481262015052010-02-28T18:42:44.905-05:002010-02-28T18:42:44.905-05:00This is an excellent post. Thank you.
I feel badl...This is an excellent post. Thank you.<br /><br />I feel badly for all the writers who take this at face value. I doubt Random House had any advance warning that PublishAmerica would be doing this to them.<br /><br />@Deep River - the problem is, even if most writers know RH is not accepting unsolicited mss, this latest endeavor is preying on those who understand the least about publishing. But you make a valid point because it means this entire scheme is doomed to fail.<br /><br />*declaration, one of my publishers is Random House New Zealand.Ebony McKenna.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02724727996270658767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18564426653143597272010-02-28T18:20:33.626-05:002010-02-28T18:20:33.626-05:00Thank you for posting this!!Thank you for posting this!!Emily Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01707967073095394090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-18075147628585295442010-02-28T18:17:34.591-05:002010-02-28T18:17:34.591-05:00I get asked about this almost every time someone f...I get asked about this almost every time someone finds out I'm a writer. I usually send them to Lulu, which doesn't ask for up-front money. Oddly, just yesterday I talked to someone who wanted their grandmother's memoir put in a book before she died. I almost sent her to Publish America, because she wants a proofreader and a cover done, too. Glad I didn't.<br /><br />Anyone know of a relatively cheap Lulu-like place that will do the cover and proofreading for a reasonable fee?Spy Scribblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299551957327543491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83090394862419242682010-02-28T17:43:49.495-05:002010-02-28T17:43:49.495-05:00They've run other "offers" like this...They've run other "offers" like this with "Wal Mart, Target, Oprah, Tom Hanks, Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, Barnes and Noble, local hospital, local airport, generic military personnel overseas, etc. subbed in fr Random House.<br /><br />Aside from the idiocy of it - seriously, how well do you think unsolicited boxes delivered to an airport are going to go over - they never bother to mention that the venues they choose have very specific guidelines in place for submissions of material.<br /><br />Most don't take submissions like that, and if they did, they wouldn't need 5 copies. Actors and producers have people to filter this stuff before they ever see it - and they won't see it. Oprah's book club is kaput. You can't send packages to generic military personnel over seas; you have to have a specific person and destination.<br /><br />The ONE person who's been able to confirm that B&N got her books only knows because the manager called and told her to pick them up because they would not be shelving them... she threw a fit.<br /><br />I can only hope the offer to donate money to the Haitian charities (in return for purchase, of course) was legit.Josin L. McQueinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05751043333147850336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88684377014855594642010-02-28T17:42:33.956-05:002010-02-28T17:42:33.956-05:00What a scam...
Way to give authors the heads up :...What a scam...<br /><br />Way to give authors the heads up :)Judehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587172836433015426noreply@blogger.com