Nov 28 2008
Publish America - in a class of its own
Publish America deserves a post all its own because it’s a strange fish. It calls itself a “traditional publisher”, but that is their own made-up term - it means nothing in the industry. In fact that’s my main complaint about them – they use the term “traditional” deliberately in the hope you think it means the same as “mainstream” - the term used to describe the big publishing houses like Penguin or Random House. It doesn’t, and I don’t like companies that are deliberately misleading.
The main problems with PA are their onerous contract (you’re signed up exclusively for 7 years ) and their poor marketing – similar to the self-publishing houses. The Washington Post explains the reality of Publish America much better than I can.
It’s fair to say that some writers are perfectly happy with their publishing experience with PA, but it all comes down to those expectations I was talking about earlier. You will be able to hold the book in your hand, you will see it in a bookstore occasionally and you will make a handful of sales – and for some people, that’s enough. Only you can say whether it’s enough for you.
