Released on = January 1, 2006, 11:58 am

Press Release Author = Timothy N. Stelly, Sr.

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = PublishAmerica, one of the most prolific publishing houses
in the country is being targeted for a class acrion suit by an unhappy author and
several others.

Press Release Body = Timothy N. Stelly, Sr., author of the books "Tempest In the
Stone" and "The Malice of Cain," is organizing PublishAmerica authors to file suit
against the company. Stelly says the company misrepresents itself and accuses the
publisher of breach of contract. Furthermore, the company is accused of poor record
keeping and an inability to accurately track author sales. Stelly says, "It should
not be up to the author to track his own sales, which is impossible. You trust that
your publisher will live up to their claims and pay you what you have earned and do
it on time, per the contract you signed with them."

He cites Anne Crispin, co-founder of "Writer Beware," who says that "We would have
no complaint if they\'d just be honest about what they were.\" Various websites have
posted comments critical of PublishAmerica's contracts, calling them not only
misleading, but one of the most unfair in the business. Internet sites such as Linda
Roberts' "PublishAmerica Sucks," Preditors and Editors, AbsoluteWrite.com,
Writer's.net and Writing.com have posted hundreds of tales of woe in regards to
PublishAmerica authors. If the word "PublishAmerica" is typed into the Google search
engine, one will find a slew of horror stories from authors voicing their
displeasure.

"Authors need to do more than complain about PA, we need to organize," Stelly said.
"I know duplicity when I see it and I want to save hard working, unsuspecting
authors time and heartache. No one has the right to degrade your dream."

Stelly says when authors confront the company about their shoddy editing, promotion
and unwillingness to pay authors on time, PublishAmerica takes on an adversarial
tone. "They offer to help the author only if they change the tenor of their
complaint," he said. "They expect you to kowtow, figuring that the unhappy authors
can't organize."

PA calls itself a "traditional publisher," but is actually a POD (Print On Demand)
company. Their books are seldom found in the bricks and mortar stores as insinuated
in their contract. Furthermore, orders for PA books are difficult to fill and the
customer must often wait several weeks before receiving their book. Most stores will
not allow PA authors to host an author's signing unless he or she purchases a set
amount of their own books in advance.

The company promised to issue press releases to local papers and Stelly says they
never did. They also promised to make the books available for review, but the only
reviews he found were on Amazon.com and Forbes.com, that had been submitted by
friends and relatives.. When Stelly requested five copies of his book to send to
black reviewers (he is a hip-hop author), the company declined. Instead, Stelly sent
out more than 1400 e-mails and flyers to black college bookstores and student
organizations, book clubs, writer's groups and afrocentric newspapers and bookstores
around the country. He also mailed out 300 letters through the USPS. Stelly says he
has received e-mails from as far away as Montreal, Canada and the UK from people who
have purchased "Tempest In The Stone."

Other PA authors were surprised to find that the company's reputation is so tainted
that they cannot join the Writer's Guild of America for two years. Stelly contends
unhappy authors should be given the rights to their work and be paid damages for
inaccurate accounting and breach of contract. Stelly sums up, "Once upon a time I
was proud to be a published author. Now I feel as if I've never been published, at
least, not in the traditional sense; or by a publisher with credibility."

To join this suit, contact Timothy Stelly at: stellbread@yahoo.com, or
stellysr7@aol.com. For more information about Stelly's experience with PA please
read his article at www.publishamericasucks.com.


Web Site = http://

Contact Details = Timothy Stelly Sr
317 West 11th Street
Pittsburg CA 94565
(925) 473-0741