I've been to the Writer's Beware site, and they warn against ANY agency or agent that demands money upfront, or money for editing services. Miss Snark over at misssnark.blogspot.com also had a few posts about scamalicious agencies.

And the people over at Writer's Beware get death threats!

How about PublishAmerica? The latest edition of LMP (Literary Market Place) came out last week. They have the SAME listing as in the 2004 edition, saying they are a regular, non-vanity publisher yada,yada.

From the post, I would say she counts as six or seven . . .

I doubt we'll have the gratification of seeing her get the maximum sentence -- but we can hope.

"Six months
Ain't no sentence
And one year
Ain't no time
I was born in Angola
serving 14 to 99."

(Anyone know if that's a Clash original? It doesn't sound like it, but I don't have the album here.)

If this keeps up I shall lose faith in the Internet.

The lyric Jim shows is, as far as I know, from a song called Delia. The version I know is done by Cordelia's Dad, and I was mighty pleased to find, having been reminded of them, that their backlist is now available through the ever wonderful CD Baby. (The version I'm familiar with has the lyric as "nine hundred ninety-nine.")

There are many verses, some of which describe Delia's violent end in graphic detail. I expect some of the folks Martha Ivery conned would really enjoy it.

I haven't, and I'd like to. Google Images no help. Do you know of any on the Internet?

From Ripoff Reports:

I think you better take that lie off of your site

From: Presstige9@aol.com

Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 19:08:00 EDT
Subject: (no subject)
To: info@ripoffreport.com
CC: Presstige9@aol.com

I think you better take that lie off of your site, as that is exactly what it is, a lie. I know people on the Internet can say what they want, but if they don't have the hard facts, and insert stories, then you need to be wary.

I'd be happy to supply you with any information you need about my company, and I'd be happy to satisfy any complaints you have on this company. Thank you.

Press-TIGE Publishing Inc. 291 Main St. Catskill, NY 12414 We have been at this address for 5 years, and we haven't moved since 1995. Go figure why that one woman said we had different addresses on our letterhead.

Regards,

M. Ivery
Publisher

And...

I have made a copy of her complaint and I am giving it to my attorney.

From: Presstige9@aol.com

Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 19:02:46 EDT
Subject: Rebuttal
To: info@ripoffreport.com
CC: Presstige9@aol.com

WOW! What a complaint! If this woman would leave her address and name, and the title of her book I'd be happy to accomdate her with her complaints.

I don't know who she is, or what the title of her book is. Many authors who are released from their contracts through my attorney, are usually satisfied after they sign the release, which states they are satisfied, and the like.

If you would please be so kind to tell me who this person is, so that I can try to help her with her complaint, I'd be a happy camper. My first concern though is seeing that this woman is satisfied. Thank you.

Warmest Regards,

Martha Ivery
Publisher

I have made a copy of her complaint and I am giving it to my attorney. Any additional information you can supply me with, so that I can satisfy this woman's or man's complaint with this company would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The point is that, despite the threats from Martha Ivery and her angry denunciations of the "lie," the complaints against her were true.

I'm also trying to keep things from vanishing into the memory-hole of web rot. So many links to newspaper stories about the Great Scammers now return Error 404.

That's part of the reason scammers get away with it: No one can easily see how many times before the exact same game has been played.