She is demanding payment for her time, though she was the one dragging her feet. Format. But that would be a big mistake. I thought they were reputable but now I'm not very sure:(. If it's graphically complex, then you may want to consider hiring a formatter otherwise you can, if you want, use a free tool to format the book yourself. https://authoracademyelite.com/ourauthors. Creativity in branding 5. Theres never been any evidence of successful pitches, but these services will surely cost you a pretty penny. I believe that Gold Touch was mentioned in the Writer Beware post we linked to in this post. - they have a paid "beta reading" service, when beta readers are generally free; Does anyone have any information on Mascot Books, I believe we've mentioned Mascot in reply to another question in the comments here. See the Full Cast & Crew page for The Shawshank Redemption (1994) for examples. You can check a leaked website from these people Everyone takes pride in their work and always strives to deliver the highest level of excellency. I looked them up BBB and google complaints and havent seen anything negative and a a little positive. My husband is excited about being contacted by them, they say he only has to pay 30% which is about $2500, and they will cover the other 70%. I am not enough published with them. Hi Cy. Before We pay for their services. Writers.work claims that you can sign up and start earning right away. Their company is legit since they were able to publish my book: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Journey-Home-Julie-Chenevert/dp/1733701354/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=goldtouch+press&qid=1557963118&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull. With vanity presses, the big risk isn't them stealing your manuscript. This seems like an outright scam. Thank you for saving me my money & my sanity! https://folioavenuepublishing.wordpress.com/. Having similar facial features, Suneel feels, is a blessing in donning Veer Savarkar character, "It works to my advantage as I have a facial structure which . I believe this may be a scam artist. I just realized that I had been taken by cindyhill@bookthoughtspublishing. Who is Powerhouse Press Book? reasonable costs for self-publishing services, read more about our selection criteria here. What did they say? That is NOT a review. When you look inside the books, does it looks well-formatted? I am responsible for paying the air time It seems fishy to me. My first effort was with Westbow Press. If so, what was your experience? And that covers most of the publishing companies you want to steer clear of in your career as an author. Also, thanks for saving me from spending more than needed. They don't need my permission to do that. I must admit at the time I practically knew nothing about publishing. Title, bullets, description, A+ content, photos, Images We will be providing full training & access to our custom software and processes. Are you suspicious of a certain company? What are your thoughts on Mill City Press? dreambooks distributing contacted me directly , they want $3000.00 to promote my book which was published by archway, do you know this company, are they legit? DO NOT USE. These days, it isnt enough to simply learn the names of unreliable publishers. I'm taking the case to the attorney general. However, with editors and book coaches, whose work is invisible to the reader (if theyve done their job right), you have to do some research before signing a contract with them. Hi there and thankyou for the advice. They are con merchants of the worst kind. I have already talked to a representative and of course they want $5,000 and I told the man that I don't have that kind of money to spend right now. They don't call themselves a "publisher", they clearly identify as "assisted self-publishing", or "author services" companies, and they don't try to upsell you a bunch of marketing services afterwards (nor do they take any royalties on the book). Article topics may include prebuilt PC reviews, informational guides related to building computers, or PC brand reviews, among other related topics. Writing contests and awards no one has heard of Writing contests are a great way to reach an audience, solidify your writing credentials, and even make a little money in the form of prizes. Your thoughts? Writers who ask too many questions, or balk at spending yet more money, may simply be ghosted. Join a community of over 1 millionauthors. 1. What dangers do authors face from scammers and shady 'publishing companies'? Do NOT have any dealings with Capstone media Services. Have you heard anything about Dream Books Distribution. He states a book scout found my book and they would like to put me on CBS News Radio with Al Cole. writers branding complaints. Some of them have open reading period just for a limited period of time when some others are available to read your poetry for all year-round. I am already published with a registered copyright. I know these people working for Folio Avenue. That puts me on the fence about this company. Both are non-fiction. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. If they want me to send them a case, I will want money up frontso thanks for sharing this. However, I would not give out my credit card number for further verification.I gave my Name, Birthdate, home Address, Name of Book and phone number. It turns out it's all 'coaching' and I do all the work. About The Program. Or are they a scam? The Apricot Outlook of Katherine Koon Hung Wong. They are a company who is questionable in its ethics. I already self published with Balboa Press. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. After a little over a year, he was told it was ready. Are they legit, or am I being scammed? That said, I'd be grateful if you could forward that email to us: service[at]reedsy[dot]com so we can take a look. Sorry to hear that, Leanne :( In cases like this, the best way forward is to issue a rights reversion letter: https://www.authorsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20160920-Interactive-RR-Letter-Guide.pdf I feel if your book get accepted by a publisher, the company should pay you or get paid by royalties. The Filipinos I dealt with are based in Florida and I also was told this from day one. I am an author myself and will not help anyone who scams authors. They mention on their website (which looks pretty poor) that their co-operative publishing deal involves them covering 75% of the cost, while the author pays for the remainder. Shady as hell. They're more of a "self publishing services provider" than a publisher, meaning they help you do everything you need to get your book into the market, but make no guarantees of sales (nor do they keep any of your royalties or claim any rights to your book). And if that wasnt enough, he decided to send me an email and call me names. My personal experience. Has anyone had experience publishing a children's book with Outskirts Press? They probably won't: run digital ads, get your book promoted on BookBub, or market it to a captive mailing list. They said they pay her to place the books plus she gets part of the royalties. I'm trying to do my due diligence on publishing companies but I'm having a hard time deciphering between a traditional publisher and vanity press. I hope this is not how your company conducts business. There are whole books written about it. They took all of my profit from my book and I made next to nothing while they walked away with the lion's share. Writers' Branding, Cookstown, New Jersey. I was also contacted by the Dream Books Distribution. Ive used vanity publishers before and loved it. Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of the literary agencies (not all of them currently active*) about which Writer Beware has received the largest number of complaints over the years, or which, based on documentation we've collected, we consider to pose the most significant hazard for writers. I am currently working on a book, and I was found a publisher she seems nice but her contract is 3 years at a time it stats that she can republish etc. Do keep in mind that if you have to pay to receive the award, or enter the final round, or anything like that, your money is probably best invested somewhere else. More info in this Twitter thread between David Gaughran and Victoria Strauss: https://twitter.com/davidgaughran/status/1031495833135591426?lang=en. Id be grateful for a comment. I think they are a hybrid, but not sure. By the way, their solicitation for services is up to $7500.00 US, as of this comment-writing. I am interested to see what you find out. I vetted YOP before I jumped in and found nothing but Victoria said they were a fairly new company with only a handful of clients. Past Client. Thank you for sharing your experience about Author House, though, it corroborates the experience of many other writers we've heard of. I was contacted by a consultant from happy media consulting. Hi, I've been presented with a deal to re-publish my first book; and then to publish my 2nd book (manuscript completed). Is Parchment Global Publishing legit? Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. You're right to be skeptical. Miranda Duncan. Was so disappointed the review was nothing more than "it's been Not a scam. Sounds like a vanity press to me. If they're soliciting you directly, asking for upfront payments (on top of taking a massive chunk of your royalties), and insisting that you print 100 copies with them then they don't exactly pass the smell test. I am London-based, and a long time published/agented, but slightly lacking in techie expertise. Hello! Good to know. Anyone reading this who would like copies of any of this please feel free to contact me. I recently submitted to Beacon Publishing Group ( I actually confused them with Beacon Press). Cons Rude staff Makes promsies to customers writers can't keep. For example, if youre planning a wedding, you could do it yourself and buy silverwear from this company, buy plates from that wholesaler, order food from that restaurant, and freelance some waiters to help you out and pull together all the moving parts OR you could hire a wedding planning/catering agency that does it all and alleviates the headache. Because of this, we have decided to launch a full program with OverDrive and other library eBook platforms to sell all of the current SELF-e Select collections and other curated titles under our Indie Author Project (IAP) brand. The catch here is that the author will be expected to pay for the cost of the physical prize. Buy Steelwriter Metal Marking Paint Pen - Green - Removable Industrial Marker For Writing & Drawing on Steel and other Metals, Wet Erase Removable, Best for Construction Workers, Fabrication, Welders, Pipefitter, Framers at Amazon. Reviews have been splendid, sales tepid. Still I would like to sell some books. In general, they break a few of our golden rules: 1) they contacted YOU, which is never a good sign; 2) they have no testimonials from other authors of proof of their track record; 3) their prestigious address in Midtown Manhattan is a virtual office. In the next post, well take a deeper dive into vanity presses, since they can be quite tricky to spot. In the US, registering that copyright simply provides a few statutory rights when it comes to claiming damages and it should only cost you $45 to apply for it online (as of February 2022). Writers Work claims that writers can make $20 to $65 an hour working on the platform. Now, thats entirely false, but youd be surprised how many people believe it. Turn a negative review into a positive experience Request a demo PissedConsumer Review Management Services MONITOR REVIEWS AND MANAGE YOUR ONLINE BRAND REPUTATION Monitor what your customers think about your brand online. Thank you, The small presses listed on Poets & Writers should generally be legit though I always recommend doing a double check by googling them and making sure they don't appear on Writer Beware's "Thumbs Down Publishers List" or on David Gaughran's blog. Again, thank you for your attention. Has anyone published a childrens book with Storybook Genius Publishing? To their credit, they seem pretty transparent about their costs. Thank you! It's much more reasonably priced and I can personally vouch for Mark If that's the kind of company you're referring to, then I agree with you, but they're not called "vanity publishers". Other than that, they don't raise any red flags. Any advice about working with Dudley Court Press, advertised as a hybrid publisher? Can you tell me anything about Adelaide Books? I have received my book back though thank God but still out the 500 dollars!!! approved for publishing." For another, once they own that intellectual property (IP) it becomes a valuable asset on their spreadsheet. Is Trilogy publishing Reparable? Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience. Branding Brand is full of amazing people who are just absolutely brilliant. He signed an Author Ownership release to get the manuscript. This is an Indian publishing house . Their pitch of "we can get you on the NY Times top 100 bestseller list" sounds a bit too good to be true. Do you have any thoughts or reviews of New Harbor Press? What does anyone know about Newman Springs Publishing or Dorrance Publishing? Sincerely, The tendency with package deals (where you pay a fixed price for all the things you listed) is that the author has no idea who is doing all of that work. Independent publishing Company President of Company is Avi Gvili. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. Customer Reviews | I was seeking a full-service agency to represent me. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the Chat GPT tool and its various applications, including chatbots, conversational agents, and language translation. Good luck to you! He hung up. Minnie Elkins. I appreciate you looking out for writers but this is biased nonsense. They appear to cover all services; however, I'm uncertain of their legitimacy. I would be very cautious of any company that contacts you unsolicited there are plenty of bad-faith presses out there who are looking to snatch up author's old books and hold on to them. It involves your personality, every word you write, the fonts and colors you use, the way you make people feel when they read your book or visit your online platforms and website. Thank you. I'd be very careful before I sign with any organization like this. Yes, they have done everything they said they would do, except put my book in bookstores. The CEO is incompetent, as is the rest of her appointed staff. Need to file a complaint? Try to get editing done before submission. Predatory companies will offer to display your book at one of these fairs for a fee. Needless to say, it's a messy situation, but one writers can learn from, has anyone heard anything about easton-books? I had to resend all of the info multiple times! One last thing: when a company like that says they'll do your marketing, it tends to mean very little. How much would that cost ! Building out the listing 1. Self-Publishing vs. There is a comment below about Author Academy, which I'd encourage you to read. Using your ISBN ************* to do a search is the simplest way to locate your book title at these sellers. Has anyone heard of Sydney Dewitt of House of Literary in Palmville, California? There, I started my LLC, Windy Peach Comedy, teaching humor writing, producing live comedy shows, and supporting other creatives with my production and project management skills. My radar was on high alert. Hi, I just found your article, thank you for the info. I found it at WRITERS' BRANDING! http://easton-books.com/store. Thanks. Was that deleted? Is Mulberry Books a reputable company? recently concluded a 6 month contract with YOP. Ty so much! Here's a good litmus test look up the books they've published on Amazon. I could not find much info about HDB, but the fee is rather steep for just registration. If you're in the world of business, maybe your brand is pristine suits, important meetings, and networking with the right people. Has that been rated? Obnoxious pop-up moved to inoffensive sidebar. Having had a quick look at Mascot, they seem like a fairly okay hybrid publisher. I used them to publish my novel the Judas Goat. With a bit of elbow grease and a willingness to learn about self-publishing, you could probably do a better job putting the book out yourself with the help of a few freelance editors and designers. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. ), what their contracts look like, and how strong a sales team they have to actually get your book into book stores. New Reader is a scam. This will subscribe you to all of our newsletters, announcements, and promotional content. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. They are not in the United States. If they are a scam, then they aren't a particularly prolific one but I would still suggest you avoid them. However she do have other authors that she have published under her and they seem happy. What is the best way to reach and get accepted by a traditional publisher? He said he could not help me with out it. Denver, Colorado, United States. For one, their website misspells "Hollywood" more than a few times. AuthorHouse is extremely unethicalstay far far away. She has passion for excellence.Dreams big. They seem to have published only a single book a year in the past few years, all of which have, frankly, terrible covers and very few user reviews on Amazon. As I tried to trace her down, the websites and youtube sites for bookthoughtspublishing were abandoned and then taken down. and I googled them, As an academic writer, you will be providing sample papers to aid tutors in their teaching. Is Go To Publish.com reputable? No, but after a brief look at their website they seem like one of the numerous Author Solutions copycats that have sprouted in the Philippines in recent years. I submitted my rsum only 2 days ago. When it comes to cover designers and illustrators, it can be easier to tell whos actually a pro since their artwork is clearly visible. She did a fine job following up when needed. hi guys..how about rightpublications https://rightpublication.com i dont know if they're scam or not.. Great info. He said that tomorrow will be late. Have you heard anything about Authors4Authors Publishing? They met every clause in my contract & I am satisfied with their work. I'd advise you to run away. Before you recommend that I could do this myself, please know I a fairly computer illiterate and it will probably not get done. Be very careful with them. They are a wonderful company to work with. I just saw a list of scammers and they were on it. Anyone ever heard of The Mulberry BooksPublishing House? Launch your book successfully with our tried-and-true strategies. Someone contacted my sisters and me about his appreciation for 1950s science fiction, and wanted to know if we would let him be the literary agent for my father's novels. I am trying to find out if Self Publishing School would be a good fit for me? "His voice does not limit how far his talent can reach, be that in country, pop, rock, alternative. I have retained all rights to Non-English speaking editions. I don't know the price of his program, though. . Can you offer any information about the company?Are there any legitimate vanity publishers. 2. info@writersbranding.com Give us a free call +1 (877) 608-6550 2022 PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW AWARDEES Three of our outstanding Writers' Branding authors get a resounding recognition in the recently concluded Pacific Book Awards 2022. This doesn't sound like a legitimate operation to me. Getting it on the shelves is up to you. So nine out of ten times, if a publisher asks you to pay to be published, it is a vanity press. Even though I have a ready InDesign file of the book, he mentioned that they would usually make a design on their own. They're a "boutique" house (everything outside the Big Five is, really) and I enjoyed a lot of support and personal attention from the EIC and the Publisher. Do you know anything about Aladdin publishing? Samantha, I sent my resume to only two potential employers. I would very much like to work with them. Does this sound legitimate? Once you've created a brand, be sure to include some action items in your business plan for promoting and strengthening it in your target market. I am a debut novelist trying to get my head around all this. There are, however, competitions that are little more than money-spinning enterprises. Mulberry Books is offering to lower the price of my book and give me 80% of the royalties. Unfortunately, like many other big traditional publishing houses, they chose to partner up with Author Solutions, which has been operating that imprint ever since. Horrible. If you do it yourself, it might cost the same or a little more but you'll know who's working on the book. What is your opinion of inkitt.com as a publishing option? If anyone has had experience using this publisher, Hello! As you put it, the "demands" not "inquiry" or "question" is why we parted ways with you. The work you will do will involve writing presentations, literature reviews, other sample papers such as dissertations, podcasts, posters et. You have to sign a contract with them and you will have to pay whatever the contract ask for if you sign. However, there are plenty of companies who will make a big song and dance about securing you an ISBN, charging you hundreds of dollars on top of the actual cost when you could just spend 10 minutes on Bowker and do it yourself. After listening to him and telling him numerous times I was not interested in putting money into my book, I told him I was not interested, do not contact me, and to place me on the do not call list. We wish you the best with your book. Publishing is a people business. I just got a solicitation from New Reader Magazine is this a scam company? They use fighting stigma activism to conceal narcissistic maneuvering. No editing was done..at all. There are countless scams out there offering "book fair display" services. You wrote "But with the traditional business model, publishers are incentivized to release quality books and foster long, healthy relationships with authors." I have not received anything and that is unacceptable . Do you have any info on this company? Do you have information on Greenleaf? And I've found their customer service team to be pretty knowledgeable whenever I had to call or e-mail. That said, if you prefer the handholding that goes with this type of program, then it might be a good option for you. Stay miles away from this company. . They had told me that ALL publishing houses require authors to purchase copies of their own books. Reedsy is more than just a blog. Nolan Branding is the first class. It just didn't add up, and something seemed fishy to me, in spite of links to their website and current magazine issue. Or is the company more of a vanity press? Scam companies will sell you on the idea that the New York Times, Good Morning America, and Newsweek can pick up on your story but the chances of that actually happening are very slim. However, I'm leery of putting my credit card info into their site, even if it does have the https in their URL. I was lulled in by AuthorHouse and fell victim to their scams. However I am troubled that I have not found any reviews for Brandylane/Belle Isle anywhere! 'Literary agents' promising book deals, 3. The market for online learning has grown steadily in the last few years. I signed a contract and paid them 475 Nov 27,2018 a of July 1,2019 my book still had not been published despite the contract starting it would be published in no longer than 3 months. I am glad I found this website. They look like a vanity press to me. What kind of small press is legit at this point? The result was a beautifully printed and formatted book, complete with illustrations and innovative layouts. I have Book avenue publishing helping with material for book, do you know of them and Nivra press their mother company. #1 - Passive Author Branding Everybody has a brand Not everybody realizes they have a brand. I think itll mean reverting to my original MS, which is fine, but what if I added something on my own during that process? They weren't best sellers, definitely dated so they may be "period pieces." High-profile authors like Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan have been targeted, along with Their staff is quite knowledgable, and I do so appreciate the updates. Can you recommend Mulberry Books Publishing House? Let me know how you do. I didn't happen to see anything about iUniverse. Do not give them any money. With only a quick look, they seem like a company that's to be avoided. Either way, it's not an amazing royalty for an author who's footing the cost of production. What kind of small press is legit at this point? My publicist is with Gold Touch Press. I hope you get your money back and they cease preying on writers who are sincere about bringing the plight of mental illness to readers. Then a web page, short video and distribution to all the different book companies. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. I even asked her if this was a scam and she gave me the name and phone number of another Lady .I then told her because she did that I was impressed and trusted her. At Reedsy, we vet each professional by verifying their professional experience, ensuring that every freelancer on our platform either has a wealth of traditional publishing experience, or is a seasoned and well-reviewed collaborator on indie books. 6-months paid internship program that will take place between 18th April and 18th October 2023; 11 interns will join us and experience the life of an Ingram Micro associate; Flexible schedule allowing you to study and gain practical experience at the same time