Authors own the copyright to their works before and after they publish them. I'd be wary of any publisher who asks for a fee irrespective of sales. This week I was contacted by Atlantic Publishing Group and had a discussion with them. Website BoulevardBooks.org 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. Do you have any info on Folio Avenue Publishing Services LLC 2031 Union St. #6 San Fransisco CA 94123 ? Also what about Xlibris? Ok thank you. Thanks for this additional info. Do you have any input on Mango Publishing? Hi, I just found your article, thank you for the info. I appreciate you looking out for writers but this is biased nonsense. Does anyone have any experience with Covenant Books? I have lodged a complaint with the BBB of central Indiana and attempted to dispute some of the charges via VISA. I DID go with Balboa and it was a horrific mistake. Hello! Are they scammers? I did some research & drove a hard bargain. His claims don't seem to pan out. What is your opinion of Austin Macauley Chandler Bolt's Self-Publishing School is one of the many "self-publishing courses" out there that basically teach you how to self-publish a book. 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. But if you actually want to make a living out of writing, or have any chance of getting decent sales on the book, you'll want to keep control over the people you hire (making sure they're good and avoiding the huge hidden fees of vanity publishers), keep control over your distribution, and keep control over your metadata. We're looking to try out writers on a . My radar was on high alert. Thank you! However, recently, RUSHMORE PRESS has bombarded me with phone calls from a number that is 800 (Service) which is an instant "red flag" for me. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. Where I had finally had enough and requested to be refunded at first they were apologetic, then blamed me, by the end of the seven hour debate back and forth through email they were threatening me and terminated my contract while still never reimbursing me. 2023 Foreword Magazine, Inc.All rights reserved. I don't plan to click on the link because I never do that if I'm not certain of where it will take me. He couldn't even get through my email to send me the contracts. do you have any information about Author University LLC? Now get lots of calls to republish, etc. Be aware of Trafford Publishing. FYI- I self published two books. He said he could not help me with out it. Mr. Hannaham was just one of countless targets in a mysterious international phishing scam that has been tricking writers, editors, agents and anyone in their orbit into sharing unpublished book manuscripts. As I imagine she is reworking her scam under another name, I would avoid any publishing company with "thoughts" in their name, just to be safe. Newman springs and Dorrance have both accepted my manuscript. Know any good inexpensive and real self-publishing websites that also help with marketing for me to republish with? I got cold-called/emailed by them offering a hybrid publishing deal. 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. After getting scammed out of $4000 by Beth at Author Connections, who just sent me a packet of "how to market myself" rather than do the legwork herself, (which I was led to believe she would do), I am now very leery. 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. You should have rejected if straight away . They are con merchants of the worst kind. I am London-based, and a long time published/agented, but slightly lacking in techie expertise. I have now told them to back off and I will not go with them. They are non-profit organization, and a lot of donors and foundations are listed on their website including National Endowement for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts. So, I am asking for your help. They do offer a self-publishing track, where they provide all the usual publishing services for a fee instead of buying the book, but they're a legit publisher. I love it!But then the comment space slid up out from under my fingers and a pop-up jiggled at me. Their pitch of "we can get you on the NY Times top 100 bestseller list" sounds a bit too good to be true. I would like to know as well. My first effort was with Westbow Press. - they have a paid "beta reading" service, when beta readers are generally free; Do their cover designs look like they were made by professionals? But we are not looking to bring someone on that has zero idea about any of this They seem to meet most of the IBPA's criteria for hybrid publishers: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/hybridpublisher If youre willing to work, this is an astounding resource. I personally tend to think that they can be a really good option for authors and the digital marketing they do on behalf of their authors is pretty on point. Let me know if you have any questions :) Martin. Many of those companies will outsource the work to low-priced freelancers or get their interns to do it. Thank you! If they could also consider working with the ready InDesign file, that would be a plus. This is ****** ****** from Booktimes. That is NOT a review. Is this legit or a scam? I have reviewed their website and looks good. I would use them again. They appear to cover all services; however, I'm uncertain of their legitimacy. Do you have any information on AAXEL Author Services or ebookpbook ? Looks like a scam to me. In our opinion, Vanity Publishers are a bad choice in 99% of the cases *if you want your book to sell*. Stay away from them. They offer bundled packages with a lot of stuff you could get elsewhere for free plus they don't really offer anything editorially apart from "Content Evaluation". A day or so later a Lady sent me an email. My Bird Songs is available on Amazon. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3545c85ed81996924e0e68383a9d488f86723352d6e727c4166f4174bdbb80b9.jpg. That said, if you prefer the handholding that goes with this type of program, then it might be a good option for you. They took the money and ran. Please tell what you know about Covenant Books. Senior Manager. Is Dream books Distribution in Hollywood a scam? More often than not, yours will be one of the countless books on a table in some unseen corner of the convention floor. There isn't a lot of info available on their website as to pricing, so I can't give a definite opinion. I'm a triple-accredited freelance content marketing writer from London, UK with two main niches: scuba diving travel and fragrance/perfume.<br><br>From luxury hotel reviews to budget hostel round-ups, sponsored city guides to continent-wide, SEO-driven editorials, branding for surf resorts or social media for super-yacht brands, I like to think I'm a travel writer who can cover a lot of . I am sceptical because I've received so many of these calls. It LOOKS good, but how am I to know? Writers Work claims that writers can make $20 to $65 an hour working on the platform. 1,095 likes. You have to sign a contract with them and you will have to pay whatever the contract ask for if you sign. never again. Have you heard anything about Authors4Authors Publishing? I'd advise you to run away. I googled BBB and Xlibris and saw an A+ rating but only one star and I didn't see Xlibris anywhere, but the name Authors House. The acronym may make it sound more complicated than it is, but getting an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is not like joining the Illuminati: you dont need a special introduction or to be someones important grandchild. Again, thank you for your attention. A year ago I tried extensively to get with a traditional publisher but to no avail, since I was doing my first book. On the other hand, you'll still have to ensure that your manuscript is properly edited before you send it to the printers. He even tried to give me a good deal by lowering the price to $3,000. But sometimes, winning authors will be obliged to pay an editing fee for that privilege which is not great. It was expensive and a huge mistake. I've been contacted by Pen It! This company cold called and offered to market my fictional book via pre-recorded radio interviews, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook "fan pages". I too have been solicited from Dreambooks Distributing. But I still find the blur very annoying. Thank you for that. I just want to put it out there. What could you tell me about them? Michael Roffman. Title, bullets, description, A+ content, photos, Images We will be providing full training & access to our custom software and processes. Their sales ranking, # of reviews, and cover art quality will give you a pretty good idea of their standing. Writers.work claims that you can sign up and start earning right away. Does anyone have any insight on 13th and Joan? Others will even get an anonymous screenwriter to adapt it into a Netflix pilot. The review, entirely favourable, was complete in 3 weeks. I've checked their website and it seems to pass the initial smell test. And sure, you'll have to learn all these things, but no one said that becoming a full-time author would be easy! I am a debut novelist trying to get my head around all this. I sent my information for them to send information on finding publishers. We've heard a lot of very bad things about Capstone Media Services. What do you know about HayHouse publishers and Balboa Press? (emphasis mine). I think they are a hybrid, but not sure. How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews. I was called by July Summers at Author's Press who want to market my self published book & send me to 2 book fairs where my book will be displayed , & I will have author interviews etc. To understand why publishing with a vanity press is a terrible idea, head on over to the next post in this guide, which discusses the dangers of paying to publish. I recently submitted my manuscript to a publisher I now think might be a scam. The work you will do will involve writing presentations, literature reviews, other sample papers such as dissertations, podcasts, posters et. about my book (which was priced too high by the publisher and is not selling!) This may be the main reason vanity pressr publishers thrive. These are all vanity publishers, with a really bad reputation. (609) 547-3746 Primary Fax Email Addresses Email this Business Primary Serving Area USA Service Type Menu Type Business Categories Publishers Book Contact Information Pemberton, NJ 08068 Visit. is this a genuine offer. They have the whiff of a lot of Author Solutions clones that have recently started to pop up. Of course! Thank you! 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. The website looks clear and legit, but I wondered if anyone here has had any experience with them or knowledge about them? Loves solving problems. Do you have any info or insights into EC? If you want to work with reliable publishers, browse our catalog of independent presses, all of which have been thoroughly vetted. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. That publisher is based in NY. That's actually why they're called "vanity publishers" in the first place :) But, one wants $3400 and the other almost $5000, I used x-libris cost me a few thousand and didnt sell much. See if there are any reviews and check out the quality of the covers they design that tends to be a dead giveaway. The Apricot Outlook of Katherine Koon Hung Wong. What dangers do authors face from scammers and shady 'publishing companies'? I didn't happen to see anything about iUniverse. sandiw947@gmail.com. For example, they might only pay their editor $600 and then mark up the "editing costs" to $3,000 so you could pay more than 100% of the actual costs without knowing it. Any feedback? HELP! Thanks. Have you heard anything about Dream Books Distribution. If they want me to send them a case, I will want money up frontso thanks for sharing this. The company retains a A+ Better Business Bureau rating. Basic level of copywriting 4. Because THEY handle editing, THEY handle typesetting, THEY handle developmental editing, THEY handle cover design, and THEY handle distribution and online listings. Thank you. Nope. But that would be a big mistake. If anyone has had experience using this publisher, Hello! Have you heard of Covenant Publishing? Having a quick look at their website, it's hard to tell what their business model is. She is demanding payment for her time, though she was the one dragging her feet. Samantha, I sent my resume to only two potential employers. Mulberry Books is offering to lower the price of my book and give me 80% of the royalties. Nolan Branding is the first class. The book came out great but it was made only in paperback and I couldn't set my own price and I don't have 100% royalty. I went to their tweet account and not alot of activity. If you want to do further research, look up the books listed on their website and see where they rank in their Amazon categories I suspect most of them will not even be in the top 5,000 in their specific niches. I found it at WRITERS' BRANDING! Your information has been helpful in me moving forward. The big ones are in London and Frankfurt (and Bologna for childrens books), and almost anyone can book a table at these events. Everything you read above about scammers is true with this group. Hi, I've been presented with a deal to re-publish my first book; and then to publish my 2nd book (manuscript completed). Scams in Action. The worst thing is that they may even quote reasonable costs for self-publishing services, leaving you unsuspecting at first, and then end up delivering low-quality work. Just curious as to what their standing is, in the self-publishing community. The publisher kept stalling my historical fiction with accuracy checks, never mind that I has already done extensive research on it. info@writersbranding.com +1-800-608-6550 7 Wrightstown Cookstown Road, Unit 8, Cookstown, NJ 08511 Mon - Fri: 11:00 A.M. - 08:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) Mon - Fri: 11:00 A.M. - 08:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) Name * First Last Phone * Email * Message * Submit 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. Their website sounds good, but I can't find any independent reviews. The Apricot Outlook of Katherine Koon Hung Wong. So what is the difference with me just using google to research. Global Marketing leads for all products and services for Unified Infotech, a saas company. I was able to find the previous inquiries into this company once you called them to my attention and will find another route. Roles and responsibilities include: 1. I just saw a list of scammers and they were on it. Do you know anything about Gold Touch Press in NYC? They seem to be a copycat of Author Solutions (the most famous scam company in the publishing industry) based out of the Philippines. I didn't agreed to anything and had several red flags in our phone conversations. Dimensions: 7.5 x . The IP valuation (how much could the IP POTENTIALLY earn during the life of the author plus 70 years?) Any place that asks you for $5,000 to publish your book is going to be a scam. I don't know why but I don't like their sales team. Hi there, I submitted my novel to Breaking Rules Publishers, based in Florida. Yes, the long-running Children of the Corn franchise is back yet again with another installment. To get paid around $60 per hour writing you need a lot of experience which you probably don't have. I haven't heard of them but they seem like an outright scam. Take this quick quiz to see if you're dealing with a legit publishing company. What is your opinion on Trilogy/TBN. There is a fee. If you're looking to distribute your book, we have a good post comparing the different ebook distributors out there: https://blog.reedsy.com/ebook-distribution/. Just got accepted to Page Publishing? The size of the book was odd and the editing weak. Unqualified staff. One supporting member of my web site gets vertigo, and sometimes nausea. Only in business a year. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Cast & Crew submission guide. Reviews have been splendid, sales tepid. I think itll mean reverting to my original MS, which is fine, but what if I added something on my own during that process? can you tell me if new reader magazine is legit? That is NOT a review. We offer suggestions and resources for taking legal action, along with a variety of options for filing complaints. Why? Do you have any updated information about TBN and their Trilogy publishing arm? Let me know how you do. - they don't ask you to buy copies of your own manuscript at launch (watch for a clause like that in the contract)