Comments on: PublishAmerica Responds To Rowling Lawyer: You Can’t Keep Us From Her House

By: Selynn Schnell

Selynn Schnell — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:43:52 +0000

Dear Sheila, I understand where you are coming from. I published my first children’s book with PublishAmerica and the exact same thing happened to me. I have also been stupid enough to buy quite a few of their packages so I can get my book out there and seen. If they are just a scam it is really depressing because I desperatly want my books to get attention. I am almost done with my second book which is a sequel and I really don’t know what to do with. I feel if I stay with PublishAmerica at least it is published, but I don’t want to be stuck for 7 years on a book that I really feel is so much better and stronger than the first. I just wish I knew what to do!

By: Sheila Rowell

Sheila Rowell — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 03:24:13 +0000

I published one of my first poetry books with PA, and the only advance I received was for one dollar, and never once got the publicity they claimed would, even after I submitted a few bookstore names in my area, and the only response they could give me was that they never got a response. I have decided to never use them again, for i only received one copy of my book, but i do see it listed on amazon.com; the title is my inner most visions of my soul, by s.s. rowell, and many of my friends and family tried to purchase this book from publish america’s site, but was unsuccessful.

By: Mehreen Ahmed

Mehreen Ahmed — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:29:32 +0000

I published recently with PublishAmerica, “Jacaranda Blues” but it is impossible to find my title unless you have typed it in and not many people know about my title so how the hell is my book going to sell? Besides not a single copy of my book is in any Australian bookstores. PublishAmerica has stopped responding to my emails and did not send complimentary copies to my reviewers as per contract.

By: Robert Devillier

Robert Devillier — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:50:57 +0000

It is free…YEP! I was sucker by PublishAmerica to publish my book. My hope one day these thieves be put out of business and all rights give back to the authors. I get at lease 5 emails a day wanting me to buy some type plan to sell my book. Hope authors who been sucker like myself are not giving their money to these scammers. Where are the State and USA district attorneys when the people need them?

By: Antonio Angelo

Antonio Angelo — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:59:35 +0000

i wish they would publish a book with all the notes to jk rowling, ill bet there is some awesome stuff in there. oh but I hope they don’t print my letter. damn it.

By: PAULA COMMERFORD

PAULA COMMERFORD — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:31:31 +0000

This just came out from Publish America
can’t believe PA posted this!

PA posted this big lie on their facebook page. It is the real story of what happened in Scotland.

“That mission was accomplished, just as the earlier mission of making Harry Potter author JK Rowling aware of a number of PublishAmerica books, fan mail and all, was also accomplished, yesterday.”

So Rowling’s people were lying, they did make her aware of PA books and got the author’s little massages to her as well.

The Library, Book Festival and Rowling all lied about PA…lol Bet they would like to know that.

So help spread the true story.

[name redacted]: We noticed your post about that story from Scotland.
It includes a line that says that “No-one from PublishAmerica[...] could be contacted for comment.” That’s funny because PublishAmerica was open for business all day, and has been for the past twelve years. It’s a known phenomenon. A reporter believes he has a juicy story, and he doesn’t want the truth to get in the way of that.
It’s even funnier in light of the fact that a PublishAmerica delegation visited the National Library of Scotland at around 3:30 PM local time today to deliver on our promise to make the Library aware of our books. That mission was accomplished, just as the earlier mission of making Harry Potter author JK Rowling aware of a number of PublishAmerica books, fan mail and all, was also accomplished, yesterday.
If you re-read our special promotion offers from the past few weeks with care, you will see that none of the claims that this story alleges were actually made by PublishAmerica. Our delegation spent a full week in Scotland, roamed the Festival grounds extensively, promoted our authors, and delivered on every single promise that was made to participating authors. No one at the Festival ever mentioned any problem, the Library official was very kind and helpful, and our delegation enjoyed spending time in the Elephant House across the street from the Library, where JK Rowling wrote most of her first Harry Potter book.
Finally, while in Edinburgh we also surprised our three Scottish PublishAmerica authors with complimentary special Festival editions of their book.
Any other questions? If not, please help spread the real story.

By: Patricia

Patricia — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:00:30 +0000

Despite the disgusting circumstances (I do feel sorry for the people who fell for this) I find the letter itself highly entertaining.

By: Ctripp

Ctripp — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:42:29 +0000

>website was ordered to pay over $50,000 after he defamed one of PA’s representatives<

Does PA’s silly lawyer really think a lawyer for JK Rowling would blink twice at that pathetically tiny amount of money? To threaten someone of that stature there would need to be a few more zero’s there:)

Paula, you did REAL good! I remember reading about all of this on your blog (and the “tone” letter you were sent personally) keep up the fight!

By: Steve Weddle

Steve Weddle — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:35:07 +0000

I am confused by the photograph running alongside the left edge of this article. Has Publish America put Ms Rowling in some Alice In Wonderland/Willy Wonka room? Why is she only allowed a nightgown? Is that a radiant heater? I’ve had one of those, and would like to suggest that Ms Rowling be provided a pair of socks, at the very least.

So these people are holding Ms Rowling in this room until she reads all of these manuscripts? The publishing world astounds me. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Asshats.

By: Felice Howden

Felice Howden — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:56:59 +0000

A letter from a lawyer that uses triple exclamation marks? They are serious indeed. Isn’t this the same crew that the Edinburgh International Book Fair asked to cease and desist? I thought they just had a bad publicity intern writing copy for them, but turns out they’re actually semi-sinister.