A quick search on Google will reveal well over a million results for the phrase, “Publish America scam.” Author Mark Levine lists Publish America (PA) as a “publisher to avoid” in his book, The Fine Print of Self Publishing. The topic is discussed at writing forums everywhere, and most agents and top literary critics have a few words to say about the issue. Ask any former client of PA and they will be happy to share their less-than-complimentary story. But what exactly is this scam that everyone is talking about?
It seems that the majority of the problem with PA would start with specific clauses listed in its contract. The Fine Print of Self-Publishing states, “The contract terms are so outrageous that except for not charging an up-front publishing fee, PublishAmerica and traditional publishers have nothing in common.” The book describes five specific clauses of the contract that are cause for concern, yet if you read the numerous statements from former clients you’ll see that very little of their discontent was caused by the contract itself.
A partial list of claims made against PA include the following alleged incidents:
- Failure of PA to publish the most recently edited version of a book, then telling the author they won’t republish because “all books have typos”
- PA charging authors $30 to copyright their work and making false claims about the use and value of copyright
- Censoring message boards to reveal statements only from happy customers
- Corresponding with authors in a rude and demeaning mannerThe disclosure of contact information for family and friends so PA can promote the author’s book (but not for that of businesses and organizations)
- Continued publishing of authors’ books after the contract termination
- Filing of false harassment and fraud suits on authors, harassing authors
A paragraph on the PA website is quite casually honest about the issue of getting a book to appear on bookstore shelves. They state, “Oftentimes, [larger chains] want to see some noise happening before they move.” Several critics claim your book won’t be found in brick and mortar bookstores due to PA’s unfavorable pricing, discounting, and return policies. They also state that many bookstores will not consider any books published through PA, period. More state that agents and publishers do not consider PA a legitimate publishing credit.
Those who have been open about their experiences with PA often state they are “embarrassed” and “waiting to ride out the seven years.” Often, when selecting a publisher to work with, an author must be as concerned about the reputation, ethics, and working relationship of a company as they the details of the contract. As with any contract you sign, do your research first. You may find that there are some issues you’re not willing to agree with.
