Finally!! My first book is out!!

[David Middleton Edelen II]

Hello all,
My first book, MORE GHOSTS AND EERIE TALES OF ALABAMA; True Tales of the Supernatural and the Unexplained!, has been published! I am so excited! The official release date was set at May 2nd but I see that on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Books a Million it is already available. For some time now my publishing company, Publish America has been having a pre-release sale, at like four dollars off, directly through them at www.publishamerica.com/books/8363 . I am also working on Vol II and a couple of other works in other genres.
Well, I just had to tell someone. I feel like hollering at the world!! Someone wish me luck!
Take care,
David Middleton Edelen II
MIllbrook, Alabama
k98@bellsouth.net

[Keith Postler]

David,

I doubt if anyone here will offer congratulations, and for good reason. It has nothing to do with you. I'm sure some folks will offer their sympathies out of concern for your well being. Your "publishing company," PublishAmerica, really leaves much to be desired and is known far and wide as ... not at all what it promotes to aspiring writers.

Do yourself a favor. Do some serious research. You can start with the link below or search this site. Good luck.

--Keith

<http://www.sfwa.org/beware/general.html#PA>

[Mya Bell]

I am happy that you are excited, David. I wish you and the other circa 4,999 writers who are published annually by PA, a company that does not have traditional distribution or returns policies and whose authors sell an average of 75 books each.

To help you along, look up some of the old threads in the archives here about self-promotion and self publishing. The information is helpful in terms of getting as many sales as possible for your books.

Also look up some of the threads on PA (using the blue Search link not the search window, especially in the Other Ways Into Print thread) so you know what to expect and what to avoid. The more knowledge you have of your situation the better you can handle any problems that might arise.

--- Mya Bell

[Mya Bell]

Oops, dropped some words there. Correction:

"I wish luck to you and the other circa..."

[Carol O]

Good luck, David. I hope your book succeeds despite PA's efforts to keep it from selling.

[Donna Pudick]

Dave, if your're happy, I guess I'm happy. I hope you read your contract carefully. You are stuck for life. There are POD publishers that don't take your rights away from you, but PA isn't one of them. I do hope your book sells well.

[Vanessa Canevaro]

Congrads. David,
You should be proud of what you have accomplished and you stuck with it to get YOUR book published. I think instead of bashing the company that published your work, we should feel glad that at least YOU are published! I have also researched PA and yes, there are good and not so good stories about their practices, but David is the person who took the first step to get his work published and didn't waste his valuable time crying that his book isn't being read! This forum was set up for encouragement and support of our fellow writers, not to make anyone feel like and inadequate writer.

[Eric George]

David,

You got a book finished and ready for the press - well done. I guess you will probably be disappointed with the sales but don't let that colour everything. Your first book is a stepping stone, it will not be your best work, and now you need to get on with another project (and another publisher).

[Bobby Polo]

Just be sure when you approach other real publishers and agents, you don't mention this book with PA.

[Mya Bell]

Vanessa said: "This forum was set up for encouragement and support of our fellow writers, not to make anyone feel like and inadequate writer"

Nobody bashed David. Some uncomplimentary things were said about PA, but the comments were based on facts and information from PA authors.

Bobby gave David some very good advice. It is very unwise to mention in a query letter that you had a book published by PA. Most agents will immediately shred the query.

--- Mya Bell