Wish this 1st time author had known all this before being r***d by a vanity publisher who over-price my book's retail by 3x!!! I'm glad I investigated first. My gut says its not Legit. I have lodged a complaint with the BBB of central Indiana and attempted to dispute some of the charges via VISA. Kill ALL pop-ups. They want me to pay them--need some information ASAP. Upfront things when smooth but after publishing just fizzled out with little or no contact or royalties so now I am more careful about signing on with another company. 25% of employees would recommend working at Writer's Relief to a friend and 16% have a positive outlook for the business. They tend to cater to 'hands-off' self-publishing authors, so you may find that there are more affordable options you can find with a quick Google search (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Reedsy). They have the whiff of a lot of Author Solutions clones that have recently started to pop up. Plus, 99% of the time, folks that pioneer their book on amazon or Ingram themselves have a crappy product, front matter that is not industry standard, low res files, weird spacing, and janky metadata. Atlantic publishing/ Dorrance publishing either of these legitimate? They probably won't: run digital ads, get your book promoted on BookBub, or market it to a captive mailing list. I almost signed a contract with one of your WATCHDOG publishers. How to Create a Brand Branding is a large topic. If you require any further information, feel free to contact us at ***************. You just saved me from making a horrible decision. I would personally avoid them. I just received an email from Indie Author Project stating that "Last summer, we launched a pilot project with OverDrive where we took 50 curated indie titles from our program and put them into an indie author collection that libraries could opt into for free. Another kind of scam you might be dealing with is an agent scam. Don't fall for it. That said, you don't really need a course to self-publish. Hi I am searching for a publisher/illustrator for a children's book. Minnie Elkins. I was also co reacted by EC Publishing, LLC I. Loves solving problems. In short, if a publisher makes more money directly from an author than readers, they're definitely a vanity press. DO NOT USE. If you're in the world of business, maybe your brand is pristine suits, important meetings, and networking with the right people. I received an email from Gold Touch Press offering services to republish my book. What did they say? Does anyone have any experience with Covenant Books? Earlier today I approached Ugly Duckling Presse about publishing my father's bilingual poetry book. However, the main problem is that they are (or at least used to be) quite aggressive in their marketing to attract authors (direct tweets and emails to random authors), and hyperbolic in their marketing language (as you point out above). Take this short quiz, which will help you sniff out a predatory business. There isn't a lot of info available on their website as to pricing, so I can't give a definite opinion. They said they will start open readings period in December which means they're selective and it's good, right? They invited me to be on a radio interview for my book. I have been contacted by Authors Press wanting me to attend a book fair in Arizona and they want to put my novel on the shelf at their bookstore. There is no specific language regarding refunds, but they have sent him a flurry of emails promising to work on the manuscript or to pay him back in installments. In short, read the fine print. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. thanks, Hi. They do do good job for their authors, and if you know nothing about book marketing they could be the right option for you. After a little over a year, he was told it was ready. Have a great day. Someone read Thunder in Her Heart and wanted to display it, blah blah. In the 2000s, writers saw the rise of the bogus POD publisher. If they ask you to pay for anything/co-finance the book, then you should start looking deeper, but they seem like they could be legit. Writers branding as a company have a great team of experts who have been helpful in creating a new and improved version of my book to catch the attention of the buyers and also making the book . 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. We're hearing a lot of 'book fair' offers but if you've been contacted out of the blue, then chances are they're looking to make money off of you. 100% free, always. I think this is VERY bad to pay an employer then ask their salary back. If their editors contact YOU, then that's a red flag. Taking too long? Plus from my understanding of the entertainment business, producers aren't commonly trawling a database looking for spec scripts. I've been contacted by Pen It! Different people react to pop-ups and jiggling in different ways. Balboa Press was set up in 2013 by Hay House, as its "self-publishing arm". It's tough to know which company you're talking about, as there seem to be a lot of publishing companies with "Mulberry" in their name. 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. Some contests will publish winning entries in a magazine or an anthology which is great. However, if you dont have your guard up, it is easy to fall for predators who simply want to overcharge for their services many of which are tasks you could accomplish on your own. However, we don't know if these are representative of all the books the publish. They do a trailer and press release & radio interview the effectiveness of which I am yet to experience. Be aware of Trafford Publishing. Thank you in advance for your response. It's current status is DTI-Registered. You can even get it in England and Australia, but when you walk into a brick and mortar bookstore, you have to ask them to order it for you. I am glad I found this website. We have spent a considerable amount of money for the printing (paperback US $5 - $7 per book) and distribution through Ingram of our book over the past couple of years with not a lot of return. Looks like they are a member of the IPG and partner member of ALLi, which vouches for them. I can't see what they're charging, but I suspect they're not cheap. My 15 year old daughter wrote a book and writers Republic wants to publish it. What kind of companies are Author House and Christian Faith Publishing? But I still find the blur very annoying. No editing was done..at all. When a writer gets scammed, it's going to fall under one of the following three scams nine times out of ten: The writer is scammed into willingly doing unpaid work for nothing of value in return. As always, read the fine print! We made every attempt to make it accessible to over ****** online book retailers worldwide. I wouldn't be able to recommend similar publishers to you as we don't keep a list on Reedsy, however I'd suggest you take a look at Poets & Writers and Authors Publish as resources. You are the customer and they don't care if you sell one copy. Also, is Submittable reputable? Specialties: Looking to better reach your audience with relevant marketing, better email campaigns, and smart design and branding? What do you know about HayHouse publishers and Balboa Press? With vanity presses, the big risk isn't them stealing your manuscript. Thanks! Covenant Books we've mentioned a few times here (be careful) but Shadow Mountain looks pretty legit. Because theyve NEVER done it before. Here are four tips on branding for nonfiction writers and authors. I want to publish an inspirational/spiritual book. Thankfully I bolted before handing over funds. 2. How that remains possible is astounding and frustrating to me! So what is Author Academy? Never heard of them. Still a scam? 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. Try again or cancel this request. Please see letter below: thank you for saving me. Export for ebook and print. They appear to cover all services; however, I'm uncertain of their legitimacy. can you tell me if new reader magazine is legit? A quick look at their website should've sent up some red flags: their homepage image is a picture of Neil Gaiman at a book signing. Are you suspicious of a certain company? I am definitely thinking the same. She is demanding payment for her time, though she was the one dragging her feet. I did a reverse search on the phone number and it's legit as is the website. They claim to be a hybrid, and they certainly dont publish anyone and everyone, but I have my doubts. - they don't solicit you in the first place Do you know who the cheif executive is? I feel if your book get accepted by a publisher, the company should pay you or get paid by royalties. Again, thank you for your attention. From what I gather, Book Baby is pretty good. From fonts to page layouts, cover design and ISBN number. His claims don't seem to pan out. . If you do it yourself, it might cost the same or a little more but you'll know who's working on the book. 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. I'd really appreciate your advice! Ive been notified by Pubkits.com. Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book. He couldn't even get through my email to send me the contracts. I have experienced cold calls. A quick look at their website seems fairly promising. How do I find the right publisher? It will be bookmarked and studied. Case studies of notable literary scams, including Edit Ink, Commonwealth Publications, Deering . I had terrible response times, incorrect information and a general lack of any consideration outside of when they were trying to sell me yet another marketing program. However, I'm leery of putting my credit card info into their site, even if it does have the https in their URL. Hi. They have people that are just sales people and not professional. By the way, their solicitation for services is up to $7500.00 US, as of this comment-writing. Customer . I decided NOT to go with them because I could not partner with an entity that does not exist. Law firm MinterEllison pulls branding from Writers' Week over anti-Jewish authors Top national law firm MinterEllison has removed the firm's branding from the Adelaide Festival Writers' Week despite being a major sponsor. Just got an email from them. Selling a book is something that most authors struggle with. Thanks :-). Hi could you let me know about Lighthouse publishing buford usa, I sent my manuscript and i have had nothing but problems. So annoying. Hello! BRANDING SERVICES Branding is both how you present your book to the public and yourself as an author. My first effort was with Westbow Press. Their goal is to make money. I am an experienced author with another good publishing company but they are not interested in this genre. 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. Here's what Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has to say about them: "it is ridiculously overpriced ($5,500 for an array of junk marketing services, such as an email marketing campaign), and provides none of the information you'd expect from a reputable PR service--such as staff biographies or examples of successful promotional campaigns--to enable you to judge its competence and success. She even provided a contract and provided for a payment plan in which she took my money. I have bought a self publishing package with Balboa press. Lets dig into some of the miraculous marketing solutions that authors are often sold: Press Releases. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. Hay House seems to offer some writers resources, but they include some online courses that are seriously overpriced. For $125, any author can buy an ISBN through Bowker in the USA or Nielsen in the UK: agencies that issue ISBNs and cannot profit from their sale. writers branding complaints. 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. We've heard a lot of very bad things about Capstone Media Services. approved for publishing." I suspect you'll find that a lot of them have few-to-no reviews. Thanks. Finalist Winner Finalist WELCOME TO WRITERS' BRANDING! Yes, the long-running Children of the Corn franchise is back yet again with another installment. https://thenewpress.com/, What about Author Elite Academy and Kingdom Builders. Dear *****************,Unfortunately, you did not notify us, which would have rectified this issue quickly. beautyrest heated blanket replacement cord; university of rochester job placement; what did gee your hair smells terrific smell like; spangdahlem air base closing I have a 2 month old published "young readers" novel. Im working with Professional Ghostwriters Im starting to question if this company is a scam. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/745f905065faff4281ca4b5da6262bf6bd5b21369f166868d38656d08de68adb.jpg. Please list some of the other or similar courses available and the price, or at at least the website(s). Capcom is one of the biggest gaming publishers, not just on the Japanese side, but in all of gaming. I have been contacted by many so called promoters but do not follow up with them. Can you offer any information about the company?Are there any legitimate vanity publishers. There are also some competitions in which the prize might be a trophy. How would you classify Savio Republic publishing through Post Hill Press? Obnoxious pop-up moved to inoffensive sidebar. My thanks for any direction you may offer. Either way, it's not an amazing royalty for an author who's footing the cost of production. Simply by virtue of them owning that IP. That's actually why they're called "vanity publishers" in the first place :) I was also contacted by the Dream Books Distribution. Since September 21st, The Visitation has been released under Writers' Branding. Only in business a year. Have been contacted by Parchment Global Publishing with the initial call coming out of the blue. Throughout the course . A Writer's Badass Guide to Branding, Blogging and Social Media is packed full of practical material for novice bloggers from developing your brand and logo down to the minutia of establishing the site, promoting your content and growing your readership. Yes I only made a few hundred dollars, but I gained the knowledge and confidence to now be actively scoping out agents and publishers for my next book. Anyone had experience with this Company? 1. ), what their contracts look like, and how strong a sales team they have to actually get your book into book stores. I'm trying to possibly find a way out without loosing my money. Have you received anymore info from dreambooks distributing? Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent is getting a brand-new Disney solo series courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment.. Dynamite Entertainment announced Disney Villains: Maleficent is launching in May 2023 from writer and artist Soo Lee.The new series is largely set prior to the events of the animated Sleeping Beauty film and depicts the character's ascension to villainy. I have stupidly deposited USD $1600 in one of those self publishing on line courses (I won't name) only to find out it is not what I signed up for. Patrick McDonald Arts Editor 3 min read February 21, 2023 - 5:26PM Any feedback appreciated (Lee), I am just wondering if Parchment Global publishing is a reputable company as they are interested in my book. Has anyone published a childrens book with Storybook Genius Publishing? Have you heard of Covenant Publishing? He didn't mention any costs that might be involved as well as nothing says about it on their website. They seemed trustworthy but after reading the blog I'm now a bit reluctant. 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 have not published yet. They met every clause in my contract & I am satisfied with their work. As I indicated in a prior message here, they tried to gaslight me and implicate me as 'problematic' and uninformed about the world of publishing. This is ****** ****** from Booktimes. The Filipinos I dealt with are based in Florida and I also was told this from day one. He got angry when I told him Im not giving him $3,000 to do anything and sent this email: I didn't even submit my materials to them yet but they said that the book was "chosen" to be featured. After viewing the results, we are happy to announce that the pilot was a resounding success! These are all vanity publishers, with a really bad reputation. they went down on the prices to 600 US$ but I am not sure if they are a legitimate company or they are just behind my money. A look at their 'recent books' section will pretty much tell you what you need to know. Please. What you think about Newman Spring Publishingthey do everything $3400 over a 10 month payment planif they choose your book for publishing How would you rate Page Publishing and Novum Publishing ?? See the Full Cast & Crew page for The Shawshank Redemption (1994) for examples. See answer below :) BookBaby is reputable, but there are probably more cost/value-efficient alternatives out there. I already self published with Balboa Press. About The Program. Are the books priced competitively 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. Thanks for any helpful feedback. As I tried to trace her down, the websites and youtube sites for bookthoughtspublishing were abandoned and then taken down. Know any good inexpensive and real self-publishing websites that also help with marketing for me to republish with? Stay away from them. They took the money and ran. writers branding complaints. Join a community of over 1 millionauthors. Be the first to contribute! Check out our writer branding selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Developed an HR department from . You can read more about the cons of Inkitt's marketing here: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2016/04/spam-spam-spam-spam-inkitt-and-grand.html Thank you so much for this information, it's so helpful! Do you know anything about this company? I appreciate you looking out for writers but this is biased nonsense. If that's the kind of company you're referring to, then I agree with you, but they're not called "vanity publishers". Shady publishing companies that offer to sell you ISBNs above the market price (and other types of publishing scammers). If they claim to be publishers, they may be benefitting from having a similar name to Pearson, which is a major publishing group. Authors own the copyright to their works before and after they publish them. Legit scam. Becoming a published author is a dream shared by almost every writer. Whats your alternative? You wrote "But with the traditional business model, publishers are incentivized to release quality books and foster long, healthy relationships with authors." Need to file a complaint? HI all, I was approached by Octa publishing company, to publish on Amazon my daughter poetry book? never again. It may sound great that they'll do "everything for you", but in reality what that means is that you lose editorial control over your book: they decide who'll do the editing, they'll do the cover, and they decide all the metadata when distributing the book. Beware, Authors. 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. Before We pay for their services. They said investors are paying for my interview with AL Cole and I have to pay for the air time. Any place that asks you for $5,000 to publish your book is going to be a scam. Do you have any thoughts on Covenant Books? Publications. Reviews have been splendid, sales tepid. I stated that he had several ways to verify me. I used them to publish my novel the Judas Goat. I am an author myself and will not help anyone who scams authors. Have you heard anything positive or negative about Westwood Book Publishers in LA? Thanks for this. Do you know anything about them? I would like to know as well. 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. . my work at anytime and that I barely have a say so with the book cover I do not like it. Format. Balboa Press is Hay House's vanity imprint. I won't give them money. - they don't ask you to buy copies of your own manuscript at launch (watch for a clause like that in the contract) What about Rushmore Press? So what is the difference with me just using google to research. To find out more about how Reedsy chooses its professionals, read more about our selection criteria here. 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 We were never given an advance and were told it may take 2 or 3 years to get a return on our money. Do you have any information on AAXEL Author Services or ebookpbook ? There is Self Publishing companies that are Author Funded and then there is "vanity presses" those two things are entirely different. I don't know what's fair but this doesn't seem to be it. Reviews research 2. We offer you the position of Communications & Branding Intern. Is Covenant Books of South Carolina reputable? I wonder if this is a traditional publisher. Has anyone heard of Renley Rudolf? Ugly Ducking Presse are definitely a legitimate non-profit publisher. Thank you! Title, bullets, description, A+ content, photos, Images We will be providing full training & access to our custom software and processes. Do their cover designs look like they were made by professionals? Has anyone heard of SOOP? New vanity presses seem to set up shop each month and with no bad press associated with their names, theyre able to convince many authors to pay for their services. If you're writing fiction, the straightest line is always through an agent: https://blog.reedsy.com/find-literary-agents/ And if you still don't hear back, hire an IP attorney to try to get the rights back. They're located in Brooklyn and they distribute books in different countries. But honestly, I wouldn't dismiss them as a publishing option because of that. Why? However, if they do everything they say they will do, the fee is not that bad. If they want to buy my book, they can look it up on any number of places and order it themselves.