David Gaughran writes
Another great insight into the murky world of self-publishing, exposing the Author Exploitation Business:
http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/the-author-exploitation-business/
Count me in as one of the victims of Author Solutions, the biggest scammer of them all, now owned by Penguin who is happy to make the scam group even bigger.
As says David:
“Publishing is a screwed up business. The often labyrinthine path to success makes it much easier for those with nefarious intentions to scam the unsuspecting. But it doesn’t help that so many organizations who claim to help writers, to respect them, to assist them along the path to publication are actually screwing them over.”
Bad choice
Yes, I did Google to figure out which publisher to use. Reduced it to two, AuthorHouse and XLibris. Happens they are both Author Solutions. Many of the web sites that “help you to chose” are stealth promoters of the same huge group.
Now I figured out AuthorHouse not only is from the Middle Ages (sending you checks in BP from the USA, so you get net like 40%), did not yet discover electronic payments but also under-reports my sales (you could call that stealing). Mails sent for clarification are never answered. So you can wonder: should you promote your book for them to sell so you even don’t see the royalties?
Worse, I thought I was dealing with a UK company. The I was forced to register with the IRS (and pay taxes, again less royalties). What the f*** do I have to do with U.S. taxes? For books sold mostly OUTSIDE the USA?
See also: https://www.damulu.com/2013/02/21/the-swindling-tactics-of-author-solutions/
The members of the scam family
So, if you wanna do something, better follow David’s blog.
See his list:
Here’s the full list of Author Solutions companies (I might be missing one or two, there’s just so many): Author House, iUniverse, XLibris, Trafford, Palibrio, Publish in the USA, Abbott Press (Writers Digest), Balboa Press (Hay House), WestBow (Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins), Partridge (Penguin India), Archway (Simon & Schuster), Inspiring Voices (Guideposts Magazine), Legacy Keepers, FuseFrame (previously Author Solutions Films), Pitchfest (Authors pay to come pitch their stories for film adaptations), Author Learning Center (Online learning tool hoping you’ll forget to cancel your credit card after the free trial ends), WordClay (Abandoned ebook imprint), BookTango (New ebook imprint), AuthorHive.
Good luck, and thanks David!