As a naive new author I signed a contract with Publish America in 2008. It took me only a year to realize they did not fulfill the promises in their contract. With much going on in my life, I did not request a contract termination until 2011. At that time they refused to terminate my contract without a ransom (purchasing 50 books) which they said were their unsold copies (they are a print on demand company so a lie) or an extortion fee of $299.
I refused to either and told them quite plainly to keep the book until the contract expired in 2015. I do not want it renewed and cannot wait until it is done.
Their contract states that they can automatically renew said contract unless you notify them AT LEAST (key words) three months in advance. When I again notifed them, I was told the same, they had renewed me in January. I told them that the notification they received three years ago more than met their required at least 3 months in advance and STILL they refuse to terminate the illegally renewed contract.
I just want my rights back and that is all. I already waited out the initial 7 years and did give them 3 years notice, which they are saying do not count.
This is probaly the fifth ripoff review I've written against publishamerica, and so far I haven't gotten any sort of response from anyone regarding how this company is continuously being allowed to destroy peoples dreams and aspirations, of trying to become a established author. My first novel Sworn not to betray was published on January3rd 2011, the royalty period is supposedly every six months I've only recieved two statements from publishamerica since the date of release. Since that time I haven't heard anything from publishamerica regarding sales of either my first novel or my second novel A silent killer within my second novel which was published and released on November 12th of same year as first novel. Their phone has been unavailable for over a year! The only which happened since that time is they've appeared to have stopped sending me all those solicitations. Otherwise I haven't heard nothing from them concerning the sale of either of my two books. And the sad thing noone seems to care that these people are have been ripping many aspiring off for years and getting away with it and nothing is being done about it! I'm going to keep plugging away until someone responds. What they are getting away with is an absolute injustice and total breech of contract.
Publish America, which is now known as American Star Books has published my work incorrectly (despite the claim at the front of the book claiming they did not change a word of what I submitted), then asked me to pay to have them fix it.
They have not helped me at all in the sales of my books, send misleading emails claiming to help with the promotions should I pay excessive amounts for their time to do so, and continually tell me that I cannot own my own work once the contract expires though it is my work and not theirs.
I have found many places online where my book has been made available via PDF, which is a contract breach. Publish America will do nothing about it. I find many book sellers that claim they have my books in stock, which means they are physically at their store, and I have not been paid royalties for those books.
Upon trying to contact Publish America, I got nothing but immature, non-professional all-caps emails telling me to basically go to hell and I am the immature individual who needs to "grow up" and let them do whatever they want. I have kept all email communication with the said company and anyone who reads it will understand that it is they not me who have behaved inexcusably.
Publish America continues as America Star Books, completely removing all contact information from their site, making it impossible to contact them except through a format link that provides only the ability to send communication without a guarantee it will get there, and if by some miracle it does, does not indicate you will have the ability to receive anything back.
Publish America is a scam which all writers must avoid. Most authors have used them because publishing companies are so hard to get into without an agent, and it is near to impossible to get an agent unless you are either rich or famous. I used Publish America because I essentially wanted my books on the shelf and out of the way. Still, having them listed as my publishing company does ruin any potential for a future career as a writer, as their name which has been reported all over the internet is associated with a rip-off company that does nothing but overcharge authors for books that can barely last one reading without falling apart.
America Star Books, Inc. Reviews
As a naive new author I signed a contract with Publish America in 2008. It took me only a year to realize they did not fulfill the promises in their contract. With much going on in my life, I did not request a contract termination until 2011. At that time they refused to terminate my contract without a ransom (purchasing 50 books) which they said were their unsold copies (they are a print on demand company so a lie) or an extortion fee of $299.
I refused to either and told them quite plainly to keep the book until the contract expired in 2015. I do not want it renewed and cannot wait until it is done.
Their contract states that they can automatically renew said contract unless you notify them AT LEAST (key words) three months in advance. When I again notifed them, I was told the same, they had renewed me in January. I told them that the notification they received three years ago more than met their required at least 3 months in advance and STILL they refuse to terminate the illegally renewed contract.
I just want my rights back and that is all. I already waited out the initial 7 years and did give them 3 years notice, which they are saying do not count.
This is probaly the fifth ripoff review I've written against publishamerica, and so far I haven't gotten any sort of response from anyone regarding how this company is continuously being allowed to destroy peoples dreams and aspirations, of trying to become a established author. My first novel Sworn not to betray was published on January3rd 2011, the royalty period is supposedly every six months I've only recieved two statements from publishamerica since the date of release. Since that time I haven't heard anything from publishamerica regarding sales of either my first novel or my second novel A silent killer within my second novel which was published and released on November 12th of same year as first novel. Their phone has been unavailable for over a year! The only which happened since that time is they've appeared to have stopped sending me all those solicitations. Otherwise I haven't heard nothing from them concerning the sale of either of my two books. And the sad thing noone seems to care that these people are have been ripping many aspiring off for years and getting away with it and nothing is being done about it! I'm going to keep plugging away until someone responds. What they are getting away with is an absolute injustice and total breech of contract.
Publish America, which is now known as American Star Books has published my work incorrectly (despite the claim at the front of the book claiming they did not change a word of what I submitted), then asked me to pay to have them fix it.
They have not helped me at all in the sales of my books, send misleading emails claiming to help with the promotions should I pay excessive amounts for their time to do so, and continually tell me that I cannot own my own work once the contract expires though it is my work and not theirs.
I have found many places online where my book has been made available via PDF, which is a contract breach. Publish America will do nothing about it. I find many book sellers that claim they have my books in stock, which means they are physically at their store, and I have not been paid royalties for those books.
Upon trying to contact Publish America, I got nothing but immature, non-professional all-caps emails telling me to basically go to hell and I am the immature individual who needs to "grow up" and let them do whatever they want. I have kept all email communication with the said company and anyone who reads it will understand that it is they not me who have behaved inexcusably.
Publish America continues as America Star Books, completely removing all contact information from their site, making it impossible to contact them except through a format link that provides only the ability to send communication without a guarantee it will get there, and if by some miracle it does, does not indicate you will have the ability to receive anything back.
Publish America is a scam which all writers must avoid. Most authors have used them because publishing companies are so hard to get into without an agent, and it is near to impossible to get an agent unless you are either rich or famous. I used Publish America because I essentially wanted my books on the shelf and out of the way. Still, having them listed as my publishing company does ruin any potential for a future career as a writer, as their name which has been reported all over the internet is associated with a rip-off company that does nothing but overcharge authors for books that can barely last one reading without falling apart.