author

Molly's story

I had suffered a heart attack and was forced to stay home. I lived on a 45 acre farm where I raised and raced greyhounds. The doctor made my husband move me back to our house in town and I had nurses at home until he could retire.

I was in pain, depressed and couldn’t sleep. I started writing with no intentions of being published. It was an escape and therapy for me.

A friend who teaches creative writing just happened to drop by one day when I had printed several pages of my book. She loved it and insisted that I try to get it published. I knew nothing about publishing. The only writing I had ever done was 400 words of satire for the local newspaper.

I found a list of publishers. I read what they were looking for and PA said it wanted inspirational stories that changed lives, etc. I thought they were serious.

I submitted a few chapters to three publishers. PA replied immediately. In twelve days, my contract was in their hands already signed. When I heard back from another publisher, it was too late.

I did read PA’s web pages first. I believed the lies. I did read the contract and I was promised an editor via email and in the contract. I was even sent a copy of the contract via email to study before the snail mail contract arrived.

I did call the BBB and the Maryland AG about PA. They said: “No complaints.”

I asked all the right questions at PA, especially about editing since I knew my ms needed a professional editing job and I was, to be kind, inexperienced and not even seriously writing for publication. I was promised a professional editor.

The first set of so-called ‘edited’ proofs I received from PublishAmerica had more mistakes than the original ms. From the spelling errors alone, Spell Check had not even been run on the file.

As a result, I had to hire my own editor, who rewrote the entire ms.

In one of her emails, my so-called editor at PublishAmerica wrote, literally, “we all needs help sometimes.” She was very comforting when I told her that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was told not to worry because, “All our departments has professionals who works with first time authors”.

My book went on sale on PublishAmerica’s site in September 2003. I had a big book signing planned for October 24, 2003. It was a private party given by a casino in fine dining by invitation only. So I ordered 251 books in September.

The 251 books were printed with the WRONG SET OF PROOFS… AND the order was received AFTER October 24....the day of my big signing!

I remember counting over 1,100 mistakes, including my name being changed from Molly Marx Brent to Molly Marks Brent and my title being changed from There Ain’t Enough Front Porches to Ain’t Enough Front Porches.

It was so stressful, I had a stroke.

The stroke caused inner ear damage and three surgeries to restore my hearing. Thanks to PublishAmerica, I also had a kidney shut down and elevated blood pressure which required kidney surgery.

Under threat of a lawsuit, PublishAmerica did release me from my contract in May 2004 and returned all rights to publication and sale of my book to me.

Although no copies of my book should have been printed or sold by PublishAmerica after May 2004, Ingram Book Company reported stocking six more copies of my book after August 2004, and also reported selling three copies in September 2004. Ingram is a wholesale book distributor and purchases only from PublishAmerica.

After fighting to have my book taken off Amazon, finally it was ‘not in print’ and removed from all online book stores in January 2005. Then, in March 2005, Amazon reported 19 marketplace sellers – 11 new ‘direct from distributor’, and 8 used.

PublishAmerica claim they have instructed online booksellers to remove my book from their databases, yet the booksellers tell me they have received no such notification. When I attempt to contact Lightning Source directly to request that they print no further copies of my book, they refuse to talk to me.

In October 2005, they’re still selling my Print-on-Demand book. I only ever received one royalty check, in February 2004, and that was $35.

This continued printing and sale of my book is illegal, and PublishAmerica not only refuses to comply with my requests for this to cease, they are not even paying me any royalties for the books they sell.

I spent about $5,000 on books, ads and a PR firm, etc. But I was very successful... I was #22 on PA’s best seller list and stupid enough to be proud of that.

I am 66 years old and now totally disabled, largely as a result of stress brought on by my experience with PublishAmerica. I would never have contracted with them had it not been for the deliberate misrepresentations on their website and in their emails.