Is PublishAmerica for Real?
PublishAmerica defines itself by what it is not. It is not, states co-founder Larry Clopper, a vanity publisher. Because the company offers editing and marketing services and does not charge writers a fee, it considers itself a traditional publisher with, shall we say, democratic view. However, their books are rarely found in bookstores and sales are made through publish-on-demand technology. The Author's Guild, among others, says the company is not a real publisher and is doing writers a disservice. One writer who used PublishAmerica said her manuscript received no editing and only minimal marketing support. She said she had to sell copies of her book herself. She has started a petition, signed by 100 of the company's current and former authors demanding "honest disclosure about the services" PublishAmerica provides.