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2/22/10: Visitors to P&E can now visit one of our sites by typing in http://pred-ed.com/. We hope that makes it easier for folks. Of course, you might want to update your links or favorites if you have any to P&E.
Thank you.
Other sites are welcome to copy the code for our donation button and place it on their pages with an appeal on behalf of P&E.
Maryland Attorney General's Question
If you're a writer or publisher, please ask the same questions on your web page. Writers and legitimate publishers are entitled to answers.
Better yet, they're entitled to action on the Maryland Attorney General's part. Now wouldn't that be a good present for them to receive in December from the Maryland Attorney General? (Editor's note: we were hoping for Christmas 2004.)
So, how about it, Maryland? Isn't it time to initiate a suit against PublishAmerica for deceptive trade practices?
P&E really wants to know. If you have a bookstore in your area, contact the manager and ask how many PublishAmerica books are available right now on that store's shelves based on efforts by PA. If you find a bookstore that does have their books in stock, email P&E so we can post it here because writers have a right to know how good a publisher is at placing their books where those can be purchased. Remember, physical bookstores still account for most book sales.
Also, PublishAmerica claims, "PublishAmerica books have the same chance of making it onto a bookstore shelf as do the books of any publisher." So, why haven't any sightings of PA books stocked on the shelves of other bookstores been reported yet? Do you think PA needs to learn more about how to market its wares?
By the way, Miranda, how come you don't know how many PublishAmerica authors have a trade presence in bookstores around the country? Is it more than none? Really, I expect a company executive to know that kind of information or have a good estimate at hand.
Be sure to try this. Go to Google or some other search engine and enter in the following phrases: "Miranda Prather" "book will quickly resonate with an audience". Be sure to include the quotes. When the search engine brings up the results, count up how many times Miranda Prather uses the same phrase to describe different PublishAmerica books she was promoting. Do you think PA needs to learn more about how to market its wares?
Lest PA think we haven't noticed, P&E wants to know where their bestsellers are? Publishers whose books sell to the general reading public and who generally have published more than a thousand books in their corporate history, and PA claims more than 10,000, can usually point to one or more books that broke into the bestseller lists. So, where's PA's bestseller and how many did it sell through retail stores? Do you think PA needs to learn more about how to market its wares?
Gosh, if a company like PA doesn't know how to market its wares, should writers trust their work to them?
It's time to look at one of PublishAmerica's deceitful claims that most book sales aren't made in bookstores. What they fail to mention is that most books aren't meant to be sold in bookstores because they're government or corporate reports, textbooks, or other such publications.
So, where do most sales occur for novelists? Why, in bookstores, of course. And how many bookstores carry PA books even if the author had to approach the retailer?
Number of bookstores known:
To carry PA books by ordering them: 1
To carry PA books on consignment: 1
To not carry PA books: 12*
The names of these stores are on file at P&E, but will not be released upon request. P&E does not want those willing to help authors who stepped in PA to suffer as a consequence.
* One store stated they won't accept special orders for PA books.
Want to help? Tell us about the bookstores in your area. Ask them if they carry PA books. Then email P&E to let us know the results of your questions.
By the way, how come PublishAmerica has yet to achieve a bestselling book despite having published almost 30,000 titles? Could it be that they're happy just making sales to their authors when real publishers target the reading market?
Gosh, gee willigers, how does she manage to stay in business then if she doesn't have any legitimate sales? Do you think that maybe she's charging her own clients? Gasp! Also a Top Twenty worst according to Writer Beware. Also believed a member of IILAA.
Aw, c'mon, Babs, it can't be that doggone difficult for you to post your sales on your site. You do have sales, don't you? Now don't take this wrong, but listing the publishers you claim you've worked with (you mean submitted to, right?) isn't the same as posting the book titles you've sold this year. After all, if you're really a good literary agent, you'll have plenty to brag about. Even Kristin Nelson posts her sales. By the way, she had 22 sales in 2007. Pretty good for a single-agent office. See, P&E doesn't even expect you to compete against big agencies. Just do as well as one far out in Colorado...if you can. Otherwise, people will think and believe that you're nothing more than a scam.
A writer has performed some research on the books you claimed to have helped publish. Um, Babs, you do mean sold, don't you? Let us know, please. "Helped publish" are weasel words. That could mean you looked at the manuscripts and then someone else sold them. Anyway, the writer came up with exactly two for 2007. All the rest are from years ago. Since those two could have earned only a few thousand at most for you, provided you actually sold them, what income did your agency survive upon for the rest of the year?
Keep in mind, folks, the names may change, but the smell of dead and dying manuscripts still lingers in the air around their agency.
2/28/07: Let's add some more names to the mix and welcome the Writers' Literary Agency & Marketing Company which will house the brand new Writers Literary Childrens Agency, the Writers Literary Poet's Agency, and the Writers Literary Screenplay Agency et al, ad infinitum et nauseum. Still a Top Twenty worst agency according to Writer Beware.
5/3/08: Yep, they're changing names again. It's now Writers Book Publishing Agency and includes Children's Book Publishing Agency.
1/4/09: More new names include: Strategic Publishing Group, Strategic Book Publishing, Strategic Book Marketing, AEG Publishing Group, My Editor Is A Saint, Global Book Agency, Eloquent Books, and Author's Edge.
2/8/09: AEG Publishing Group loses libel suit against author James Macdonald.
3/26/09: In 2008, Robert Fletcher and his company, the Literary Agency Group, alleged defamation, loss of business and emotional distress against Writer Beware. That suit was dismissed with prejudice March 18, 2009, by the Massachusetts Superior Court. Fletcher and his companies are currently under investigation by the Florida Attorney General.
8/11/09: Judge declares Robert Fletcher's operation (AEG Publishing Group, Writers Literary Agency, and all its many tentacles) a fraud and awards attorney and court fees to Crispin and Strauss. More information at Writer Beware's Blog.
8/29/09: Robert Fletcher exposed by his own local news as a fraud in Broward Palm Beach.
9/3/09: Florida Attorney General files suit against Robert Fletcher. Read the press release at the link or the newspaper article.
The Florida Attorney General recommends that any writers with complaints about any of the businesses comprising the AEG Publishing Group formerly the Writers Book Publishing Agency, formerly the Writers' Literary Agency & Marketing Company, formerly known as the Literary Agency Group, (be sure you mention their former names) should be reported to:
Office of the Attorney General
PL 01, The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050 (850) 414-3990
Office of the Attorney General, New York
Department of Law
The Capitol, 2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12224 (518) 474-7330
Randi Shapiro, Financial Investigator
Economic Crimes Division
Email: randi.shapiro@myfloridalegal.com
Phone: 954-712-4600
Federal Trade Commission (877) 382-4357
www.ftc.gov
BBB of Southeast Florida (516) 712-1918
www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org
(Be aware that reports to any BBB are unlikely to result in any significant action)
County Consumer Protection Offices
Palm Beach County, FL (561) 712-6600
www.pbcgov.com/pubsafety/comsumer/html/home.asp
Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act does provide individuals with a private remedy to bring an action for damages, attorney's fees and court costs. The Florida Bar offers a Lawyer Referral Service: 1-800-342-8060
Evidently, P&E's information is not viewed favorably by Writers Literary Agency per this recent email conversation. One last note: If you believe you have been scammed by WLA, please contact Ann Crispin at beware@sfwa.org.
and the recipient of its Author's/Composer's/Artist's Site of Excellence:
Our visitors can view the nominated sites for the next award period and are welcome to email P&E with their opinions regarding those sites.
Preditors & Editors features thousands of listings within its pages. Some of our listings and information come from the following sources to whom we express our gratitude:
If your business or resource site isn't listed yet, just send P&E an email with the business or site name, address (mailing or URL), and a description of what you offer.
The following are our newest listings we've discovered or had reported to us. You can find these and other listings at the topic links:
| For uniformity, P&E lists agents by first name just like businesses because businesses don't have last names.
$ - Indicates verified sales to legitimate royalty-paying publishers on record. |
Is the agent/agency you're interested in listed here? Click here to see more of the hundreds of agents we list.
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Grand Prize Winner: The Crown's Blade by Jay MiMeo First Place Winner: Trapped in Time by Juliet Cardin Second Place Winner: The Robber Wife by Elizabeth Walker Third Place Winner: Learning Styles by Leigh Sleigh Honorable Mentions Caribbean Tango by Holli Winters Cave of Desire by Juliet Cardin Congratulations to all our winners!
| Publishers must have more than one book out by more than one author to be eligible for listing in P&E unless we spot other reasons warranting their inclusion. |
| P&E would like to hear from you if you know of a local bookstore in your area. Send us their name and address (or the URL if they have a web site) and we'll list them on P&E. |
| P&E does not recommend any contests with entry fees. |
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| If you have any work published and are scheduled to do signings or readings, please let us know the date, time, place, and who you are. We'll list it here so readers in that area can find you. |