Writer beware xlibris book

I am a television producer and writer but this is my first book and i found the process difficult and most of all costly. Writer beware began receiving complaints about american book publishing in 2001. Book publishers to avoid and watch out for new author scams. The company at the centre of the ongoing controversy is author solutions along with its us imprints, author house, xlibris, iuniverse and trafford. This great article detailing the author house scam written by selfpublishing guru david gaughran takes a very indepth look into how author solutions has been operating over the years. About two weeks had passed, then i got another call from the same person. First, they wanted me to change a true story into fiction. Writer beware receives a steady trickle of complaints about authorhousethe only large pod service of which that was true prior to the iuniverse acquisition. No one person can supply all these services in the publishing process. Posted by victoria strauss for writer beware the enormous digital archive that is the internet archive encompasses many different initiatives and projects. Writer beware is a project of the science fiction and fantasy writers of americas committee on writing scams.

Nov 09, 2019 i am a new writer and right now im working on getting my book published and xlibris was the company that i was going for. I found author solutions new palabrio, spanish company, another evil scam. The xlibris author advice has the writing, editing, and marketing tools to help you achieve selfpublishing success, whether youre a new or a veteran writer. August 2019 victoria strauss, author of fiction for. If the writer is the publisher, the writer not xlibris would assign the isbn. Xlibris, authorhouse, iuniverse they are all dreadful companies. It is flattering to receive a call from a company offering to help publish and market your latest book. Googling author solutions scams and a multitude of results detailing these deceptive practises can be seen. Xlibris author advice tips to becoming a better writer.

I think that is partly the appeal and attraction leading many authors to search for a traditional or vanity publisher for their manuscript rather than pursue a selfpublishing path. A vanity press, vanity publisher, or subsidy publisher is a publishing house in which authors. I love to hold a book in my hand, but at the same time, the ebooks are cheaper to purchase, and i dont have to wait for amazon to. Writer beware was founded in 1998 by myself and fellow author and science fiction and fantasy writers of america sfwa member ann crispin who writes as a. New authors, beware of vanity publishers and experts making you offers that are too good to be true. I received some spam recently from xlibris yet another author solutions brand, touting a literary event the word read more tags author scam, author solutions, authorhouse, heather kanabe, iuniverse, the word on the street, the word on the street festival, trafford, writer beware, xlibris. I am currently still in the process of self publishing my book with author house publishing and it has been a horrific experience. Third, you must create a terrific book publishing proposal. And as with almost any widelyshared ambition, there are also folks out there looking to make a quick buck by exploiting those dreams whether they involve securing a book deal or going the indie publishing route. You are a writer and may not know the ins and outs of marketing a book. New authors beware of scam agents and publishing sharks.

May 21, 2014 these days, however, there are a few new predators out there. Ripoff reports has a section dedicated to comments from former employees. Crispin give advice on avoiding scam contests, working with editors and agents, and understanding your legal rights. My republished book is more attractive than from xlibris.

Xlibris has modified their site quite a bit so weve updated our comparison by deleting older information. The alliance of independent authors watchdog desk, approved partner program. While writing can often be a lonely journey, publishing your book doesnt have to be. For more information on author services, and to learn how to appraise any service yourself, please see johns book. I am getting royalties from book sales for the last six months. Dec 31, 2015 yes, i do have a complaint about xlibris. Disreputable author service companies often masquerade as legitimate publishers. But for the first time ever, authors could selfpublish with relative ease and at. Listen to steven pinkers writing advice based on his book, the sense of style. Aug 21, 2019 author scams and publishing companies to avoid becoming a published author is a fantasy shared by almost all writers. It is a good idea to check writer beware about such businesses. Still not sure how i will proceed, but these comments have certainly helped so much. One of these is the open library project, a huge repository of scanned print books available for borrowing in various digital formats.

But once you understand the fundamentals, youll be able to make a name for yourself as an author. A good resource to find any negative information is writer beware. With its wide range of editing, publishing, marketing, and bookselling services, xlibris has the expertise, skills, and resources to help you make your publishing dreams come true. In some cases, authors of a book that is vanity published will buy a. Its mission is to track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other. Dec 17, 2018 xlibris after i went through trouble of publishing six books and the atorney general three times i still have not seen a royalty check or have even the passcodes or corect information to get into authors my book pages they are a lame blaintant lie of a shiester whom have done me a bog wrong even today trhey look to weasel away a few books from.

Writer beware military small publisher hellgate press. If the publisher is new, or has published very few. David boyer uses many aliases chipmunka publishing. So, writer, never give xlibris your correct phone number. The resulting books were flimsy and cheaplookingas i recall, books from xlibris, one of. Fourth, you must know the difference between traditional trade publishers and pod, vanity and other forms of selfpublishing.

Jan 08, 2009 while writer beware doesnt generally recommend the use of pod selfpublishing services, except in certain specific circumstances see our print on demand selfpublishing services page for a discussion, we feel that writers who do choose to selfpublish are bestserved by having the widest possible range of options, in a robustly competitive. Selfpublishing companies need to develop some pride, and to grow some balls. Beware of failed writers trying to make a buck on the side by offering services that they are not qualified to provide. If an author approaches the combined book exhibit directly via its website, they can display their. Websites, such as ripoff reports, writer beware on the science fiction and fantasy writers of america at and reedsy will become your best friends. Writer beware victoria strauss, author of fiction for. If you tell them to naff off, they will use one of their other business names and contact you, pretending to be different people. Recently i had a terrible experience with this selfpublishing company. Writer beware on vanity presses vanity publishing information advice and. Victoria strauss author solutions acquires xlibris writer beware. This is the official youtube channel of xlibris book publishing.

Military small publisher hellgate press presents itself as an independent publisher. The second key requirement for being published is having a book that is marketable. I received some spam recently from xlibris yet another author solutions brand, touting a. Xlibris says, at xlibris, the writer is the publisher. You and your workbe it a novel, truetolife story, poetry collection, or childrens talecan get all the publishing, marketing, and bookselling support here at xlibris. And where there is something that writers want or need, there are always sharks waiting to take advantage. Unlike a regular library, the ia does not purchase these books, but relies on donations to build the. Writer, reader, editor, copy editor, proofreader, publisher, cover designer, book marketer, and selfpublishing consultant. Authorhouse book publishing includes authorsolutions and xlibris. Writer beware s mission is to track, expose, and raise awareness of scams and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry. Hear steven pinkers 6 tips to becoming a better writer, based on his book the sense of style. Predators and editors book publishing and marketing.

However, writer beware has gotten three recent documented reports of. Jun 27, 2011 xlibris says, at xlibris, the writer is the publisher. I must say i am a bit worried, but after reading the good and the bad i am getting a bigger picture. Thank you jeanette, i am a first time writer of an enchanting childrens book. Company staff cite various problems and issues to excuse the problems, but authors are running out of patience, and fear that there are deeper problems at the company. If you reside outside the us, also be aware that author solutions has. They need to be able to say, im sorry, but your manuscript is just not good. Heres how to publish a book without getting scammed. I wrote my first book with xlibris printing company and as you could imagine i was elated and very pleased with the book.

To complement the general advice and warnings on the writer beware website, the writer beware blog provides uptotheminute information on specific scams and schemesalong with advice for writers, industry news, and a special focus on the weird and wacky things that happen at the fringes of the publishing world. Since 1997, xlibris has been helping thousands of writers per year become published authors, with many returning to publish their second and even third books. Watch this before you self publish how xlibris and author inc has ripped. Were dedicated to helping writers get their books published. Lynette collins has published 24 books with xlibris publishing.

Now that xlibris has your contact information they will hound you relentlessly. In a few days they will send a form email, but go to the xlibris bookstore to make sure the book is removed. Self publishing and print on demand company xlibris book. Have you received an email or social media message from an agent or publisher offering to publish your book. Xlibris has been helping writers publish their books since 1997. I published my book originally with xlibris, but decided to republish with litfire because of the royalty and retail price. The hollywood booktoscreen marketing package was pioneered by author solutions, way back in the early 2000s. The thinking persons guide to writing in the 21st century. Author scams and publishing companies to avoid becoming a published author is a fantasy shared by almost all writers. Posted by victoria strauss for writer beware selling film rights to hollywood is among writers most fevered dreams.