PublishAmerica is soliciting its authors to submit their books for publication in a promotional catalog for Christian retail stores. Authors will pay a fee for placement in the catalog, which Christian stores should receive ahead of CBA’s Christian Store Week, Oct. 1-10.

While the Frederick, Md.-based company claims no affiliation with CBA, the Christian retail association has published a warning in its CBA Industry Brief e-newsletter, stating that it “has been informed that Christian authors are being targeted by an organization called PublishAmerica that’s soliciting for authors to submit their books (for a fee) to a sales/marketing catalog that they claim will be going to CBA. Please be aware that CBA has no knowledge of PublishAmerica; that PublishAmerica is not connected to Christian Store Week; and that CBA has no agreement of any kind with PublishAmerica, nor is CBA affiliated in any way, shape or form with that organization.”

A call to PublishAmerica (PA) by Christian Retailing confirmed the promotion was in effect, but “office support” did not know whether there was any direct contact with CBA representatives. Further queries are being made.

To secure a spot in the full-color catalog, PublishAmerica is charging participating authors $49-$99, depending on how many books are submitted and the space dedicated to them. PA also indicated that it would contact individual Christian retail stores and notify them of the authors and the city and state in which they live.

After CBA received “a very concerned call from an author,” the association passed the information to various author groups,” said Eric Grimm, business development manager.

After being contacted by CBA, Cynthia Ruchti, professional relations liaison for the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), also sent a warning to its members on behalf of the ACFW operating board and advisors. The warning reads, in part: “PublishAmerica is ‘contacting Christian authors and telling them that they have a contract with CBA that will go public next week. According to a CBA contact, PublishAmerica demands $49 to get on a list and in a catalogue that Publish America is giving to CBA, and CBA will submit this list of authors/catalogue to all CBA members and because of this alleged contract, the CBA member stores will buy from the authors listed.’ ”

For more information on the catalog, click here to go to PA’s Web site. 

The site also says the company does not charge authors a fee to publish, but earns its income “by selling books.” Claiming to have published more than 50,000 authors, PA “specializes in books about, for or by people who confront a challenge in life and who are determined to overcome it, real or imagined, fiction or nonfiction.”

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