Don't do it Sister! It's a scam. They claim they don't want your money, but "Hello" wake up and smell the coffee, they most certaintly do.
They make everything out to be soooo good, in fact, too good, which they are masters at, then "ZAP!" Money gone and book not handled as promised. They got what they wanted and now they're on the run.
Read what some authors have said:
PublishAmerica tries to lure thousands of authors into their scam. So far, approximately 14,000 writers have been duped. But many haven't, due to the simple fact that they went over to Google, Yahoo, AOL, Ask, MSN, Netscape, and other search engines and put in those two words "Publish America" or "PublishAmerica" only to find out that PublishAmerica is run by a group of con artists. Read some quotes about writers who were scammed and of those who successfully kept their books safe from the clutches of PublishAmerica.
Those Who Got Away...
"I had sent my manuscript to PublishAmerica but I have not signed the contract. What on earth is a $1 advance? That's not money. I am not going to sign the contract after reading your article. They sound like crooks." D.B., USA
"I have read your compilation of complaints about Publish America and I am left with the question, where should a first time author publish his book? By getting writers to sign a seven year contract I think Publish America seeks to make indentured servants out of creative people. In contrast some other on-line publishers allow the writer to retain all rights to the book, so it could be placed with another publisher at any time...I don't savor the thought of being lured in the beginning only to get the shaft later. That business model sounds like a free hooker, only you end up with an STD." T.F., USA
"I actually sent them my manuscript - but had second thoughts - voice of intuition I guess. They are sending me their 'contract' - and I guess I should just let it sit in the drawer when I get it and not sign or mail it back to them. I am a little puzzled about their business. I guess I was misled by the 'patriotic' website. I think somewhere on the website they state they DO sell their books through stores and I thought there was a reference to Random House? Puzzling." M.H., Canada
"I had hoped to publish my manuscript with PublishAmerica. It is not quite finished so in the meantime I emailed my nephew who lives in the States to check out the company for me. I was horrified to read some of the information he sent me." G. S., United Kingdom
Here are some other links to verify their unruly and unscrupluous conduct in scamming thousands of dollars out of trusting and unaware people. Don't be a statistic!
en.wikipedia.org
www.lisamaliga.com
www.sfwa.org/beware/general.html
www.steelypips.org
www.authorslawyer.com
leegoldberg.typepad.com
www.writersremember
sarashay.tripod.com
P.S. And there are tons more out there, just like them. Shameful! "Writer Beware" is my motto!