When I was 17 and a few months away from graduating HS in 1970, our family lived in public housing projects in Chester, PA. While watching an episode of “The Flying Nun” one night, I was intrigued by the closing credits that were dedicated to one of the writers who had passed away. Right then and there I prayed, and asked God if he wouldn’t mind making me a writer one day.
Moments later, I felt inspired to write my own episode. Using an old Royal Typewriter (with a few bent keys), I created eight pages of what I thought was “great material.” However, when I showed it to my English teacher at the Catholic HS I was attending, he told me it was “the worst piece of crap” (he used a different word) that he had ever read and that I should consider a career as a ditch digger.”
Right then and there I vowed that, one day, I would see my name on multiple covers of books and that I would travel the country, inspiring and teaching other people to follow their dream of writing. A few months later I enlisted in the Navy.
Fast forward through seven years of collecting rejection slips and I finally sold my first magazine article! I had arrived!!! With no college degree, but lots of clips, I could not get a job as a “real writer” so I drifted from being a payroll clerk at the Dupont Company (seven years) to a few part time jobs after I left there to pursue my writing dream.
A few years later, I found myself working as a Development Director in charge of fundraising and public relations at a local nonprofit agency. It was the best of both worlds, allowing me to use my gift of creative communication to write grant and fundraising letters, and to create special events. For example, I tried to set the Guinness Book of World Records by having the largest number of people dance the twist with Chubby Checker!
After seven years at one agency, I took another Development Director job at an agency closer to my home. I raised a boatload of money for them in the first 15 months or so and they rewarded me by laying me off.
As I sat home, licking my wounds, wondering where I was going to find another full-time job, etc., I remember watching the Oprah show one afternoon. She was going through the phase of the show where she would have self-help experts come on and tell people, “If you want it, make it happen, etc.”
I finally had my “light bulb moment!”
Why was I wasting my time looking for yet another full-time job when, by this time, I had tons of clips (The Washington Post, among others)? Thankfully, the Internet was still in the early stages and I started reaching out to editors online.
As of this date, I have written and sold 34 books to traditional publishers, and have worked as a ghostwriter on numerous projects. My byline has appeared in major publications all across the U.S., and I have written articles for over 200 Websites.
And I’m not done yet…
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- AFTER THE LEAP: 10 Ideas For The New Full-Time Writer By Melanie Bowden
- I Quit My Full-Time Job to Write Freelance. But, It Took Work! – Adesoji Michael
- How I Went From Burned-Out Actress, to HuffPost Freelancer, to Full-Time Maxim Sex Columnist! by Vanessa de Largie
- From Full-time Teacher to Full-time Freelance Tech-industry Writer! How I Did It by William Barton
John Riddle is a freelance writer, author, and ghostwriter from Bear, Delaware. His byline has appeared in major newspapers, magazines, websites and trade journals all across the country. He is the author of 34 books, including a few health and medical titles, and has worked as a ghostwriter on numerous projects. John is also the Founder of I Love To Write Day, a grassroots campaign he launched in 2002 to have people of all ages practice writing every November 15. Last year over 25,000 schools all across the United States held special I Love To Write Day events and activities. He is a frequent speaker at both Christian and secular writing conferences, and recently appeared at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. You can obtain a quote for John’s ghostwriting services here: https://marketplace.writersweekly.com/ghostwriters
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This isn’t really a Q&A format but I think you’ll forgive me for that this week.
I sure get a chuckle out of people who think, after more than 25 years in the business, that I just fell off the turnip truck. Here’s an example of a scammer who wanted to submit an article to us that pitched his own scam book-to-movie services:
Hello,
So many writers dream of becoming authors but some also dream about their story becoming a movie. They want their story to be in the bright lights of Hollywood! Remember (famous author name removed)? His novel was turned into a film.
Authors don’t really know how to make that happen. My article will teach authors how to make that happen. I’ve done it for authors before and I can teach them what I know.
He goes on to say he’ll teach authors how to “pay” for pitching services. Ha ha ha. Also, he’ll teach authors how to hire a good screenwriter. He also claims he can set “any book” up for movie-making success. Total B.S.
My response:
Pitching services are a scam and studios hire screenwriters. Authors should NEVER pay for screenwriting services. Don’t contact me again.
This incident reminded me when we exposed Publishing Mojo’s illegal activities and they then emailed me twice. They wanted me to buy an article from them that was purportedly going to teach authors how to get published. Seriously. How STUPID do these people think I am?
RELATED
- DON’T MISS THIS ONE! Publishing Mojo Claims THEIR REPUTATION WAS HARMED, But Then Stops Responding After MORE Allegations Surface!!
- SCAM ALERT: No, Netflix did NOT just email you about turning your book into a movie!
- No, CBS Studios Did NOT Just Offer You a Movie Deal for Your Book
- A Fake Literary Agent + a Fake Movie Studio = Another Scam Targeting Authors
- Your Book As a Movie? Watch Out for Snake Oil Salesmen!
- HOW MY BOOK BECAME A LIFETIME MOVIE! The Secret S*x Life of a Single Mom By Delaine Moore
- How My Novel Became A Movie! By Dvora Waysman
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
Hi Angela,
Have you any negative information on a company called Austin Macauley Publishers?
Trevor S.
A –
Yes, definitely avoid Austin Macauley Publishers LLC!
Read the complaints and reviews on bbb.org.
And, look at the one-star reviews on PissedConsumer and Trustpilot.
If any other readers want me to research a specific company, please CONTACT ME.
And, don’t forget these articles! They are must reads!!
A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
RELATED
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART I: This International Scam is Fooling THOUSANDS of Authors Across the Globe!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART II: 19 Signs You’re About to Get Scammed By a Foreign “Book Publisher”
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART III: How WritersWeekly Communicates Directly with Deceitful “Publishers” to Expose Their Appalling Practices
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART IV: WARNINGS about TheGhostWriting.org, Book Publishing HQ, Author Book Creators, Author Books Publisher, AMZ Publishing Firm, and McMillan Book Publishers (the fake one), AND MORE!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- Scammers Are Offering to “Help” Scam Victims Get Refunds…For a Fee, of Course
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles
Q –
My “agent” from this company was a woman named Rita, alleged to be working at USABookPublication.com. I fired them for incompetence. I would not recommend a dog use them. They promised me a refund three weeks ago but I still haven’t received it. They are a ripoff and a scam company.
A –
I wrote back to the author, and let her know that company was already on our list of scammers. When I put on my detective hat, I found a company with almost the exact same name (it has one extra letter). Once I Googled that company’s phone number, I sent her this –
All of the companies below have identical phone numbers:
Boston Book Publishers / bostonbookpublishers.com
USA Books Publication / usabookspublication.com (notice the subtle name difference from the one in the author’s email above)
Digital Book Publishers / digitalbookpublishers.com
Kindle Direct Book Publishing / kindledirectbookpublishing.com
KDP Publishing House / kdppublishinghouse.com
KDP Books Publication / kdpbookspublication.com
Book Publishing Services / llc bookpublishingservicesllc.com
If you are wondering about a specific publisher or service, CONTACT ME right away with the company’s name and website. I will research them quickly for you. No charge! If they are a scammer, you’ll have done me a favor because I can add them to our spreadsheet and website.
The author asked me who I would recommend. I gave her the link below, which shows U.S.-based publishers: 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison
RELATED
- Scammers Are Offering to Help Scam Victims Get Refunds…For a Fee, of Course
- These are U.S.-based companies: NEW! 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison!!
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- FACEBOOK’S FRAUD FIASCO: How Facebook is Profiting From Scam Publishers Targeting YOU on Its Platform – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- Update on Our Foreign Publishing Scammers Exposé
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- Do NOT Complain to People Who Have Honestly Exposed Your Illegal Activities Online – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I have several books on the market. I keep getting emailed by companies calling themselves “hybrid publishers.” What does that mean?
J.C.
A –
A true Hybrid Publisher does NOT charge authors any up front fees, and their contracts are for a shorter period of time compared to traditional publishers. However, their royalties may be a bit lower. For authors on a budget, a real hybrid publisher can be a true blessing! But, they are very choosy about what they publish.
But, the term is now being used by scammers to try to defraud authors. The scam goes like this:
1. They find a new book on Amazon, Google the author’s name and book title, and find the author online. They will then either email or call the author (or both). Contrary to true hybrid publishers, these scam companies will publish anything and everything.
2. They also will run ads on social media using the term “hybrid publisher” to try to fool unwary authors.
3. The scammer will then claim that they’ll pay half of the author’s fees to get their new book published.
4. In reality, the scammer isn’t going to contribute one penny toward the publication costs for the book. Instead, they charge the author an outrageous price and they never contribute a dime to the publication costs of that book.
5. In some cases, the author pays (often thousands of dollars) and the book never gets published at all. Those are overseas scammers that know the author, if located in the U.S., has a zero percent chance of getting their money back.
One true hybrid publisher is Abuzz Press, which charges authors nothing up front. The contract is exclusive for three years and the royalties are higher than those paid by traditional publishers.
RULE OF THUMB: If any so-called publisher spams or calls you, CLICK DELETE or HANG UP! No real publisher uses spam or telemarketing to try to get new authors to sign up.
RELATED
- Abuzz Press – This Hybrid Publisher Charges No Setup Fees!
- “What are the benefits of going with a hybrid publisher?”
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- NEW! 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison!!
- VAMPIRE PUBLISHERS: How to Tell If You’ve Been Bitten by One By Julie Matherly
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles
Q –
I’m looking for a successful, trustworthy book marketing company. Can you advise please? I keep finding sharks.
– Susanne R.
A –
You have to be so very careful now because so many overseas scammers are not only offering (fake) publishing services to steal authors’ money, but also fake marketing services. And, don’t forget that the U.S. addresses they put on their websites and Facebook are almost always FAKE. Most are in Pakistan and the Philippines.
Our BookLocker authors are very happy with these folks: Book Publicists We Recommend
You should also NOT hire any of the overseas scammers to edit your book! It will end up with far MORE errors because the people editing your book will NOT be native English speaker. Of course, that’s if your book ever gets edited at all… Many of these scammers try to get more and more money out of authors while constantly dangling that non-existent book in front of their noses.
The editors we recommend are vetted, offer outstanding services, and are all native English speakers, of course: Freelance Editors We Recommend
For the time being, do NOT hire any so-called publisher, or someone offering “publishing/marketing services” that is running ads on Facebook. Facebook is NOT removing those ads! Why? Because Facebook profits from scammers’ ads!
RELATED
- FACEBOOK’S FRAUD FIASCO: How Facebook is Profiting From Scam Publishers Targeting YOU on Its Platform – by James. M. Walsh, Esq.
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- How to Tell if That So-Called “Publisher” is REALLY Located in the U.S.! By James M. Walsh, Esq.
- BEWARE! Is A So-Called “Publisher” Asking YOU to Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement? – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- Publishing Mojo Is Furious That I Exposed Their Scam! – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I had my book ‘hybrid’ published by Olympia Publishers for £3,500. They did a very amateur job of turning my manuscript into a book, but they did eventually print it and make it available on-line. But they have done nothing to promote it, get it reviewed or in any meaningful way tell the world that it exists. All sales so far have been from my own efforts. They had to be threatened with legal action to get the first lot of royalties, and they forgot to send me the second royalty statement, which when I chased it was full of omissions, which they have admitted, but yet to correct and pay. This company seem so amateur that I am beginning to think they might be a scam. Have other authors had similar experiences with Olympia?
A –
It looks like you’re not alone.
Here are a few choice tidbits from the 21(!!!) one-star reviews about them on Trustpilot:
“I paid over $4200 to them, the sample covers they provided me were absolute rubbish.” – Hamed
“I have had a very devastating experience with this publisher and advise to anyone considering signing with them to reconsider. I have not yet received any royalties and sent countless emails.” – Booklady
“They dragged their heels at every corner, when we expressed concern about how long this book was taking they said they were still in the time frame as written in the contract, then they went over the time frame and only really started moving when we threatened involving a solicitor.” – Sandy Johnstone
“They broke the contract by exceeding the given time to complete the manuscript to publication, communication was near non-existent and they actually edited in mistakes!” – Sara
“If I could give them no stars I would…” – Miss T White
“..there were tons of spelling, grammar, & punctuation mistakes…” – Debra
“If you have a dream of becoming an author, DO NOT submit your work to these guys. You’ll get lured in by empty promises, flashy-looking websites, and doctored reviews, only to have your dreams shattered.” – Adam Robertson
You can read more of the 21 one-star reviews about them on Trustpilot.
Incidentally, do NOT trust 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. Read this:
FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
Also see:
Olympia Publishers and the Art of the Soft Scam
Has anyone had any experience with the ‘hybrid publishing’ contract or Olympia Publishers? – I looked up Olympia Publishers and they have a Watchdog Advisory rating, which means: “Services that fail to align with ALLi’s Code of Standards, are the subject of consistent complaints and, in some cases, have been subject to legal action.”
RELATED
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- And, Even More SCATHING Complaints about Amazon KDP!
- MORE COMPLAINTS about Draft2Digital / draft2digital.com
- COMPLAINTS about Iconic Book Publishers PLUS How Foreign “Publishers” Are Extorting Money from U.S. Authors!
- DON’T MISS THIS ONE! Publishing Mojo Claims THEIR REPUTATION WAS HARMED, But Then Stops Responding After MORE Allegations Surface!!
- COMPLAINTS about Covenant Books AND Christian Faith Publishing
- If You Are Called By Spotlight Network TV / Spotlight TV / Logan Crawford, HANG UP!
- MORE SCATHING COMPLAINTS about Author Solutions, the owner of AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, Trafford, Westbow Press, Archway Publishing, Balboa Press, Abbott Press, and others!
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
Should I refuse to work with someone who’s already sent me more than 100 emails, and isn’t yet ready to commit? He has yet to sign the contract for my services and he hasn’t paid me.
He sends me short questions, one at a time. I respond to each email quickly. Then, he sends me more and more emails. I respond, etc. The process keeps repeating. I’m starting to wonder if he’s a competitor trying to get his own business running, and is using my advice or processes, or if this person simply isn’t serious about hiring me. I also wonder if it’s a lonely person just wanting attention. I know that seems far-fetched but I just can’t understand what’s going on.
How can I politely tell him to get lost? I cringe every time I see a new email from him in my in-box.
C.A.
A –
This is something I’ve encountered numerous times over the years. If you consider how many hours you’ve already spent trying to land that contract, you may discover that you’re already in the red…even if he HAD paid you.
One recent example for me was an author who had technical issues with his file. I explained to him a simple fix for the problem (he had not yet hired us, of course, so I wasn’t going to do the work for him!). He kept sending me more and more questions. I finally, and very politely, told him that it was clear he wasn’t going to commit and that I could no longer give him advice unless he signed our contract, and paid our fee.
He wrote back, imploring me to change my mind. He said he would sign up right away so we could move forward. I told him that would be fine. That was two months ago. He submitted the contract, but never paid the fee. Yet, he kept sending questions.
I stopped answering his questions, and told him he needed to pay for our services before I could help him further. And, then he sent four more questions. I ignored his questions. Instead, I politely (again!) but firmly told him it was clear this wasn’t going to work out and that he needed to have his book published elsewhere.
I, personally, find it offensive when somebody expects free services. And, clients who act like this ARE receiving free services…because they never sign up and pay.
A friend of mine had a similar experience recently. After she told him she wouldn’t be able to work with him, he finally told her that he simply didn’t have the funds necessary to do the job. My friend then realized that the man was getting free advice on how to do the project himself, all the while pretending he was going to hire my friend.
It shouldn’t take more than ten or so emails to determine if a potential client is going to be one that you do not want to work with in the future. Also, if a client is acting badly before the contract is signed and the payment is made, imagine how much trouble they’re going to be when you are working on the project itself. They will expect even MORE attention from you and you’ll end up spending hours corresponding with him or her when those extra hours were not part of your original proposal.
RELATED
- Is Your Client Feigning Ignorance? Don’t Be a Dummy!!
- When Charging a Pain in the (Bleep) Client More Money…is More Than Justified
- Are You UNDERcharging Your Clients to be “Nice?” Don’t Sell Yourself Short! by Angela Hoy
- The 3R’s to Successful Client Screening (And why it matters!) By Jennifer Brown Banks
- 5 Direct Yet Diplomatic Ways To Handle Slow Paying Clients – by Louisa Eunice
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I published my bookbut my publisher offers very limited support in promoting your book. I have received reviews from Online Book Club and Readers’ Favorite, but I am at a loss as to how to promote the book other than seeking additional reviews. The book starts as a young adult science fiction story and after several twists and turns concludes with a parody of the January 6th insurrection. The political satire is meant to appeal to readers of all ages. I would appreciate any helpful advice regarding how I can make people aware of the book and build some momentum in sales and publicity.
Thanks for your time,
Noah
A –
Unfortunately, you’re likely to get very few to no sales if you paid for book reviews. Please see: Should I Pay The Online Book Club to Review My Book? NO!!!
I also don’t trust the “get your first review for free” sites. Who knows how many people are downloading your book, who they are, and what they’re doing with it?
I just had our server email free copies of two of my ebooks on book promotion to you. They are:
90+ Days of Promoting Your Book Online: Your Book’s Daily Marketing Plan – THIRD EDITION
and
55 Dos and Don’ts of Book Selling: If You Can Write, You CAN Sell Books!
Any other WritersWeekly.com subscribers who want free copies of both of those can CONTACT ME directly to request them. 🙂
RELATED
- Two Reasons Why Some of Your Readers are NOT Allowed to Post Reviews on Amazon!
- Amazon and the BBB File Joint Lawsuit Over Fake Reviews
- SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP! How to Handle Bad Book Reviews
- IS AMAZON REJECTING BOOK REVIEWS FROM YOUR READERS? We Found a Work-Around!
- AUTHOR ALERT! Can Your Book’s REVIEWS Get You Sued? Yep! – 08 2018
- AUTHOR ALERT! How Amazon Can Instantly (Poof!) Make Your Book Sales DISAPPEAR!
- KARMA! Man Who Sold Book Reviews Is Shamed Online
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
Has any of your other readers had any dealings with American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI)? I tried to search your site and didn’t come up with anything. They sell training sessions on copywriting?
I’ve always been interested in copywriting so subscribed to their newsletter. After about a month, I received 30 emails from them promoting their products. I found that many emails annoying so wrote them and told them to cut it out.
Then I had my email program send their emails to a separate file which I thought I would read later. I’ve been busy writing local political news along with my regular job of part-time magazine editing, so I just had a writing break and thought I’d check that file.
They have sent me 108 emails in less than 3 months by their organization and five different people. Never got a response to my “don’t send me so many emails” letter. I guess their whole organization runs on automatic with no one actually there. I did unsubscribe today. I took two screen shots of my inbox, but don’t see any way to attach them. Okay, just wanted to pass this warning on.
– Barbara
A –
I noticed that you also posted a complaint to bbb.org about this firm. They responded. It’s interesting that they offer copywriting services when the person who responded to you used incorrect punctuation throughout his entire message.
There are more complaints about them on bbb.org.
There have some pretty bad reviews on Trust Pilot as well.
Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware published a piece on them as well.
I, myself, would avoid doing business with American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI). And, I’m certainly not giving them my email address!
RELATED
- Everything You Should Know About Direct Response Copywriting By Skylar Margaret
- How to Profit on the Current Sales Enablement Copywriting Craze by Rebecca Boyle
- I Built a Copywriting Business That Earned $50K in Its First Year By Steve Hoyles
- Email Copywriting: A High-Income Writing Service YOU Can Offer – by Karoki Githure
- How I Accidentally Fell Into Adult (Ahem…) Copywriting – by Vanessa de Largie
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles
Q –
Angela:
The name of the site: genrelibrarysolutions.com
After our book was first published, I received a solicitation via phone from this entity, offering to generate one million “targeted” emails to people “known” to like the genre that is our book is in. That was in June of 2024.
After I wired $1,000 to a Delaware Bank, I received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Marie Brown. According to Brown, the email saturation of one million “targeted” emails would commence within 90 days. She has been playing duck and cover with me since then. I have all of her text messages and I have learned that Genre Library Solutions is not listed as a licensed business in the State of New York, according to the Department of State. GLS lists an address on Lexington Avenue in New York, but that is a virtual address, according to the realty management company. Mail sent there is forwarded to another address which I have not yet uncovered.
On its website, GLS lists a 315 area code (upstate NY). The identical 315 area code number is also listed to a company called Ascend, which, according to a Google search, is in the Philippines. I have screen shots in my phone to back up these claims. The GLS site also lists a Delaware address. It is listed as a corporation in that state, but a search revealed that GLS uses a “registered agent” in Las Vegas. It dead-ends from there.
My gut told me that such an offering for only $1,000 was likely a scam. But my co-author and I, even though we thought our book was a good product, had no marketing plan, so to speak. I rolled the dice only to find out that my gut was right. This is a sad commentary on a man who for 22 years worked as an investigative reporter and never got burned.
A –
I researched them. They offer book publishing services as well.
Their Delaware address appears to be virtual office space. That means a company can pay to have an address there (but they’re not physically located there). The virtual office service provider is Davinci Virtual Office.
Same with their New York address. Alliance Virtual Offices.
Their website is only one year old (created 12/13/23).
On facebook, under page transparency, it says this:
Pwedeng magkaroong ng maraming admin ang Page na ito. Maaari silang magkaroon ng pahintulot para mag-post ng content, comment o magpadala ng mga message bilang Page.
According to Google Translate, that is Filipino. So, your research finding that related company in the Philippines appears to be correct.
I found English in that space on Facebook with another link.
Sadly, email campaigns are a waste of money (even if the company isn’t lying to its customers). Even if you did get a campaign for your $1K, I doubt many, if any, copies would sell. Nobody should pay for spam, which is what most of these companies do. Those emails end up in junk folders.
Never, ever wire money to a company. If you pay by credit card, you can issue a chargeback later. You’ll never get the cash back that you wired.
They have a “refund policy” on their website. I suspect this is to give comfort to prospective customers. However, I doubt they issue refunds at all.
RELATED
- A List of Publishers That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART I: This International Scam is Fooling THOUSANDS of Authors Across the Globe!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART II: 19 Signs You’re About to Get Scammed By a Foreign “Book Publisher”
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART III: How WritersWeekly Communicates Directly with Deceitful “Publishers” to Expose Their Appalling Practices
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART IV: WARNINGS about TheGhostWriting.org, Book Publishing HQ, Author Book Creators, Author Books Publisher, AMZ Publishing Firm, and McMillan Book Publishers (the fake one), AND MORE!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- How to Tell if That So-Called “Publisher” is REALLY Located in the U.S.! By James M. Walsh, Esq.
- COMPLAINTS about Publishing Mojo / PublishingMojo.com – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
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Search Ask The Expert For Answers
This isn’t really a Q&A format but I think you’ll forgive me for that this week.
I sure get a chuckle out of people who think, after more than 25 years in the business, that I just fell off the turnip truck. Here’s an example of a scammer who wanted to submit an article to us that pitched his own scam book-to-movie services:
Hello,
So many writers dream of becoming authors but some also dream about their story becoming a movie. They want their story to be in the bright lights of Hollywood! Remember (famous author name removed)? His novel was turned into a film.
Authors don’t really know how to make that happen. My article will teach authors how to make that happen. I’ve done it for authors before and I can teach them what I know.
He goes on to say he’ll teach authors how to “pay” for pitching services. Ha ha ha. Also, he’ll teach authors how to hire a good screenwriter. He also claims he can set “any book” up for movie-making success. Total B.S.
My response:
Pitching services are a scam and studios hire screenwriters. Authors should NEVER pay for screenwriting services. Don’t contact me again.
This incident reminded me when we exposed Publishing Mojo’s illegal activities and they then emailed me twice. They wanted me to buy an article from them that was purportedly going to teach authors how to get published. Seriously. How STUPID do these people think I am?
RELATED
- DON’T MISS THIS ONE! Publishing Mojo Claims THEIR REPUTATION WAS HARMED, But Then Stops Responding After MORE Allegations Surface!!
- SCAM ALERT: No, Netflix did NOT just email you about turning your book into a movie!
- No, CBS Studios Did NOT Just Offer You a Movie Deal for Your Book
- A Fake Literary Agent + a Fake Movie Studio = Another Scam Targeting Authors
- Your Book As a Movie? Watch Out for Snake Oil Salesmen!
- HOW MY BOOK BECAME A LIFETIME MOVIE! The Secret S*x Life of a Single Mom By Delaine Moore
- How My Novel Became A Movie! By Dvora Waysman
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
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DON’T FORGET! This Saturday, 4/5/25, is the Spring, 2025 24-Hour Short Story Contest!!!
Q –
Hi Angela,
Have you any negative information on a company called Austin Macauley Publishers?
Trevor S.
A –
Yes, definitely avoid Austin Macauley Publishers LLC!
Read the complaints and reviews on bbb.org.
And, look at the one-star reviews on PissedConsumer and Trustpilot.
If any other readers want me to research a specific company, please CONTACT ME.
And, don’t forget these articles! They are must reads!!
A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
RELATED
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART I: This International Scam is Fooling THOUSANDS of Authors Across the Globe!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART II: 19 Signs You’re About to Get Scammed By a Foreign “Book Publisher”
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART III: How WritersWeekly Communicates Directly with Deceitful “Publishers” to Expose Their Appalling Practices
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART IV: WARNINGS about TheGhostWriting.org, Book Publishing HQ, Author Book Creators, Author Books Publisher, AMZ Publishing Firm, and McMillan Book Publishers (the fake one), AND MORE!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- Scammers Are Offering to “Help” Scam Victims Get Refunds…For a Fee, of Course
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
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Q –
My “agent” from this company was a woman named Rita, alleged to be working at USABookPublication.com. I fired them for incompetence. I would not recommend a dog use them. They promised me a refund three weeks ago but I still haven’t received it. They are a ripoff and a scam company.
A –
I wrote back to the author, and let her know that company was already on our list of scammers. When I put on my detective hat, I found a company with almost the exact same name (it has one extra letter). Once I Googled that company’s phone number, I sent her this –
All of the companies below have identical phone numbers:
Boston Book Publishers / bostonbookpublishers.com
USA Books Publication / usabookspublication.com (notice the subtle name difference from the one in the author’s email above)
Digital Book Publishers / digitalbookpublishers.com
Kindle Direct Book Publishing / kindledirectbookpublishing.com
KDP Publishing House / kdppublishinghouse.com
KDP Books Publication / kdpbookspublication.com
Book Publishing Services / llc bookpublishingservicesllc.com
If you are wondering about a specific publisher or service, CONTACT ME right away with the company’s name and website. I will research them quickly for you. No charge! If they are a scammer, you’ll have done me a favor because I can add them to our spreadsheet and website.
The author asked me who I would recommend. I gave her the link below, which shows U.S.-based publishers: 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison
RELATED
- Scammers Are Offering to Help Scam Victims Get Refunds…For a Fee, of Course
- These are U.S.-based companies: NEW! 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison!!
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- FACEBOOK’S FRAUD FIASCO: How Facebook is Profiting From Scam Publishers Targeting YOU on Its Platform – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- Update on Our Foreign Publishing Scammers Exposé
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- Do NOT Complain to People Who Have Honestly Exposed Your Illegal Activities Online – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I have several books on the market. I keep getting emailed by companies calling themselves “hybrid publishers.” What does that mean?
J.C.
A –
A true Hybrid Publisher does NOT charge authors any up front fees, and their contracts are for a shorter period of time compared to traditional publishers. However, their royalties may be a bit lower. For authors on a budget, a real hybrid publisher can be a true blessing! But, they are very choosy about what they publish.
But, the term is now being used by scammers to try to defraud authors. The scam goes like this:
1. They find a new book on Amazon, Google the author’s name and book title, and find the author online. They will then either email or call the author (or both). Contrary to true hybrid publishers, these scam companies will publish anything and everything.
2. They also will run ads on social media using the term “hybrid publisher” to try to fool unwary authors.
3. The scammer will then claim that they’ll pay half of the author’s fees to get their new book published.
4. In reality, the scammer isn’t going to contribute one penny toward the publication costs for the book. Instead, they charge the author an outrageous price and they never contribute a dime to the publication costs of that book.
5. In some cases, the author pays (often thousands of dollars) and the book never gets published at all. Those are overseas scammers that know the author, if located in the U.S., has a zero percent chance of getting their money back.
One true hybrid publisher is Abuzz Press, which charges authors nothing up front. The contract is exclusive for three years and the royalties are higher than those paid by traditional publishers.
RULE OF THUMB: If any so-called publisher spams or calls you, CLICK DELETE or HANG UP! No real publisher uses spam or telemarketing to try to get new authors to sign up.
RELATED
- Abuzz Press – This Hybrid Publisher Charges No Setup Fees!
- “What are the benefits of going with a hybrid publisher?”
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- NEW! 2025 Self-Publishing Price Comparison!!
- VAMPIRE PUBLISHERS: How to Tell If You’ve Been Bitten by One By Julie Matherly
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I’m looking for a successful, trustworthy book marketing company. Can you advise please? I keep finding sharks.
– Susanne R.
A –
You have to be so very careful now because so many overseas scammers are not only offering (fake) publishing services to steal authors’ money, but also fake marketing services. And, don’t forget that the U.S. addresses they put on their websites and Facebook are almost always FAKE. Most are in Pakistan and the Philippines.
Our BookLocker authors are very happy with these folks: Book Publicists We Recommend
You should also NOT hire any of the overseas scammers to edit your book! It will end up with far MORE errors because the people editing your book will NOT be native English speaker. Of course, that’s if your book ever gets edited at all… Many of these scammers try to get more and more money out of authors while constantly dangling that non-existent book in front of their noses.
The editors we recommend are vetted, offer outstanding services, and are all native English speakers, of course: Freelance Editors We Recommend
For the time being, do NOT hire any so-called publisher, or someone offering “publishing/marketing services” that is running ads on Facebook. Facebook is NOT removing those ads! Why? Because Facebook profits from scammers’ ads!
RELATED
- FACEBOOK’S FRAUD FIASCO: How Facebook is Profiting From Scam Publishers Targeting YOU on Its Platform – by James. M. Walsh, Esq.
- FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- How to Tell if That So-Called “Publisher” is REALLY Located in the U.S.! By James M. Walsh, Esq.
- BEWARE! Is A So-Called “Publisher” Asking YOU to Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement? – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
- Publishing Mojo Is Furious That I Exposed Their Scam! – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
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Q –
I had my book ‘hybrid’ published by Olympia Publishers for £3,500. They did a very amateur job of turning my manuscript into a book, but they did eventually print it and make it available on-line. But they have done nothing to promote it, get it reviewed or in any meaningful way tell the world that it exists. All sales so far have been from my own efforts. They had to be threatened with legal action to get the first lot of royalties, and they forgot to send me the second royalty statement, which when I chased it was full of omissions, which they have admitted, but yet to correct and pay. This company seem so amateur that I am beginning to think they might be a scam. Have other authors had similar experiences with Olympia?
A –
It looks like you’re not alone.
Here are a few choice tidbits from the 21(!!!) one-star reviews about them on Trustpilot:
“I paid over $4200 to them, the sample covers they provided me were absolute rubbish.” – Hamed
“I have had a very devastating experience with this publisher and advise to anyone considering signing with them to reconsider. I have not yet received any royalties and sent countless emails.” – Booklady
“They dragged their heels at every corner, when we expressed concern about how long this book was taking they said they were still in the time frame as written in the contract, then they went over the time frame and only really started moving when we threatened involving a solicitor.” – Sandy Johnstone
“They broke the contract by exceeding the given time to complete the manuscript to publication, communication was near non-existent and they actually edited in mistakes!” – Sara
“If I could give them no stars I would…” – Miss T White
“..there were tons of spelling, grammar, & punctuation mistakes…” – Debra
“If you have a dream of becoming an author, DO NOT submit your work to these guys. You’ll get lured in by empty promises, flashy-looking websites, and doctored reviews, only to have your dreams shattered.” – Adam Robertson
You can read more of the 21 one-star reviews about them on Trustpilot.
Incidentally, do NOT trust 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. Read this:
FRAUD ALERT: Why 5-Star Reviews on Trustpilot Can NOT Be Trusted – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
Also see:
Olympia Publishers and the Art of the Soft Scam
Has anyone had any experience with the ‘hybrid publishing’ contract or Olympia Publishers? – I looked up Olympia Publishers and they have a Watchdog Advisory rating, which means: “Services that fail to align with ALLi’s Code of Standards, are the subject of consistent complaints and, in some cases, have been subject to legal action.”
RELATED
- A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- And, Even More SCATHING Complaints about Amazon KDP!
- MORE COMPLAINTS about Draft2Digital / draft2digital.com
- COMPLAINTS about Iconic Book Publishers PLUS How Foreign “Publishers” Are Extorting Money from U.S. Authors!
- DON’T MISS THIS ONE! Publishing Mojo Claims THEIR REPUTATION WAS HARMED, But Then Stops Responding After MORE Allegations Surface!!
- COMPLAINTS about Covenant Books AND Christian Faith Publishing
- If You Are Called By Spotlight Network TV / Spotlight TV / Logan Crawford, HANG UP!
- MORE SCATHING COMPLAINTS about Author Solutions, the owner of AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, Trafford, Westbow Press, Archway Publishing, Balboa Press, Abbott Press, and others!
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
Should I refuse to work with someone who’s already sent me more than 100 emails, and isn’t yet ready to commit? He has yet to sign the contract for my services and he hasn’t paid me.
He sends me short questions, one at a time. I respond to each email quickly. Then, he sends me more and more emails. I respond, etc. The process keeps repeating. I’m starting to wonder if he’s a competitor trying to get his own business running, and is using my advice or processes, or if this person simply isn’t serious about hiring me. I also wonder if it’s a lonely person just wanting attention. I know that seems far-fetched but I just can’t understand what’s going on.
How can I politely tell him to get lost? I cringe every time I see a new email from him in my in-box.
C.A.
A –
This is something I’ve encountered numerous times over the years. If you consider how many hours you’ve already spent trying to land that contract, you may discover that you’re already in the red…even if he HAD paid you.
One recent example for me was an author who had technical issues with his file. I explained to him a simple fix for the problem (he had not yet hired us, of course, so I wasn’t going to do the work for him!). He kept sending me more and more questions. I finally, and very politely, told him that it was clear he wasn’t going to commit and that I could no longer give him advice unless he signed our contract, and paid our fee.
He wrote back, imploring me to change my mind. He said he would sign up right away so we could move forward. I told him that would be fine. That was two months ago. He submitted the contract, but never paid the fee. Yet, he kept sending questions.
I stopped answering his questions, and told him he needed to pay for our services before I could help him further. And, then he sent four more questions. I ignored his questions. Instead, I politely (again!) but firmly told him it was clear this wasn’t going to work out and that he needed to have his book published elsewhere.
I, personally, find it offensive when somebody expects free services. And, clients who act like this ARE receiving free services…because they never sign up and pay.
A friend of mine had a similar experience recently. After she told him she wouldn’t be able to work with him, he finally told her that he simply didn’t have the funds necessary to do the job. My friend then realized that the man was getting free advice on how to do the project himself, all the while pretending he was going to hire my friend.
It shouldn’t take more than ten or so emails to determine if a potential client is going to be one that you do not want to work with in the future. Also, if a client is acting badly before the contract is signed and the payment is made, imagine how much trouble they’re going to be when you are working on the project itself. They will expect even MORE attention from you and you’ll end up spending hours corresponding with him or her when those extra hours were not part of your original proposal.
RELATED
- Is Your Client Feigning Ignorance? Don’t Be a Dummy!!
- When Charging a Pain in the (Bleep) Client More Money…is More Than Justified
- Are You UNDERcharging Your Clients to be “Nice?” Don’t Sell Yourself Short! by Angela Hoy
- The 3R’s to Successful Client Screening (And why it matters!) By Jennifer Brown Banks
- 5 Direct Yet Diplomatic Ways To Handle Slow Paying Clients – by Louisa Eunice
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Q –
I published my bookbut my publisher offers very limited support in promoting your book. I have received reviews from Online Book Club and Readers’ Favorite, but I am at a loss as to how to promote the book other than seeking additional reviews. The book starts as a young adult science fiction story and after several twists and turns concludes with a parody of the January 6th insurrection. The political satire is meant to appeal to readers of all ages. I would appreciate any helpful advice regarding how I can make people aware of the book and build some momentum in sales and publicity.
Thanks for your time,
Noah
A –
Unfortunately, you’re likely to get very few to no sales if you paid for book reviews. Please see: Should I Pay The Online Book Club to Review My Book? NO!!!
I also don’t trust the “get your first review for free” sites. Who knows how many people are downloading your book, who they are, and what they’re doing with it?
I just had our server email free copies of two of my ebooks on book promotion to you. They are:
90+ Days of Promoting Your Book Online: Your Book’s Daily Marketing Plan – THIRD EDITION
and
55 Dos and Don’ts of Book Selling: If You Can Write, You CAN Sell Books!
Any other WritersWeekly.com subscribers who want free copies of both of those can CONTACT ME directly to request them. 🙂
RELATED
- Two Reasons Why Some of Your Readers are NOT Allowed to Post Reviews on Amazon!
- Amazon and the BBB File Joint Lawsuit Over Fake Reviews
- SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP! How to Handle Bad Book Reviews
- IS AMAZON REJECTING BOOK REVIEWS FROM YOUR READERS? We Found a Work-Around!
- AUTHOR ALERT! Can Your Book’s REVIEWS Get You Sued? Yep! – 08 2018
- AUTHOR ALERT! How Amazon Can Instantly (Poof!) Make Your Book Sales DISAPPEAR!
- KARMA! Man Who Sold Book Reviews Is Shamed Online
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
Q –
Has any of your other readers had any dealings with American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI)? I tried to search your site and didn’t come up with anything. They sell training sessions on copywriting?
I’ve always been interested in copywriting so subscribed to their newsletter. After about a month, I received 30 emails from them promoting their products. I found that many emails annoying so wrote them and told them to cut it out.
Then I had my email program send their emails to a separate file which I thought I would read later. I’ve been busy writing local political news along with my regular job of part-time magazine editing, so I just had a writing break and thought I’d check that file.
They have sent me 108 emails in less than 3 months by their organization and five different people. Never got a response to my “don’t send me so many emails” letter. I guess their whole organization runs on automatic with no one actually there. I did unsubscribe today. I took two screen shots of my inbox, but don’t see any way to attach them. Okay, just wanted to pass this warning on.
– Barbara
A –
I noticed that you also posted a complaint to bbb.org about this firm. They responded. It’s interesting that they offer copywriting services when the person who responded to you used incorrect punctuation throughout his entire message.
There are more complaints about them on bbb.org.
There have some pretty bad reviews on Trust Pilot as well.
Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware published a piece on them as well.
I, myself, would avoid doing business with American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI). And, I’m certainly not giving them my email address!
RELATED
- Everything You Should Know About Direct Response Copywriting By Skylar Margaret
- How to Profit on the Current Sales Enablement Copywriting Craze by Rebecca Boyle
- I Built a Copywriting Business That Earned $50K in Its First Year By Steve Hoyles
- Email Copywriting: A High-Income Writing Service YOU Can Offer – by Karoki Githure
- How I Accidentally Fell Into Adult (Ahem…) Copywriting – by Vanessa de Largie
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
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Q –
Angela:
The name of the site: genrelibrarysolutions.com
After our book was first published, I received a solicitation via phone from this entity, offering to generate one million “targeted” emails to people “known” to like the genre that is our book is in. That was in June of 2024.
After I wired $1,000 to a Delaware Bank, I received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Marie Brown. According to Brown, the email saturation of one million “targeted” emails would commence within 90 days. She has been playing duck and cover with me since then. I have all of her text messages and I have learned that Genre Library Solutions is not listed as a licensed business in the State of New York, according to the Department of State. GLS lists an address on Lexington Avenue in New York, but that is a virtual address, according to the realty management company. Mail sent there is forwarded to another address which I have not yet uncovered.
On its website, GLS lists a 315 area code (upstate NY). The identical 315 area code number is also listed to a company called Ascend, which, according to a Google search, is in the Philippines. I have screen shots in my phone to back up these claims. The GLS site also lists a Delaware address. It is listed as a corporation in that state, but a search revealed that GLS uses a “registered agent” in Las Vegas. It dead-ends from there.
My gut told me that such an offering for only $1,000 was likely a scam. But my co-author and I, even though we thought our book was a good product, had no marketing plan, so to speak. I rolled the dice only to find out that my gut was right. This is a sad commentary on a man who for 22 years worked as an investigative reporter and never got burned.
A –
I researched them. They offer book publishing services as well.
Their Delaware address appears to be virtual office space. That means a company can pay to have an address there (but they’re not physically located there). The virtual office service provider is Davinci Virtual Office.
Same with their New York address. Alliance Virtual Offices.
Their website is only one year old (created 12/13/23).
On facebook, under page transparency, it says this:
Pwedeng magkaroong ng maraming admin ang Page na ito. Maaari silang magkaroon ng pahintulot para mag-post ng content, comment o magpadala ng mga message bilang Page.
According to Google Translate, that is Filipino. So, your research finding that related company in the Philippines appears to be correct.
I found English in that space on Facebook with another link.
Sadly, email campaigns are a waste of money (even if the company isn’t lying to its customers). Even if you did get a campaign for your $1K, I doubt many, if any, copies would sell. Nobody should pay for spam, which is what most of these companies do. Those emails end up in junk folders.
Never, ever wire money to a company. If you pay by credit card, you can issue a chargeback later. You’ll never get the cash back that you wired.
They have a “refund policy” on their website. I suspect this is to give comfort to prospective customers. However, I doubt they issue refunds at all.
RELATED
- A List of Publishers That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART I: This International Scam is Fooling THOUSANDS of Authors Across the Globe!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART II: 19 Signs You’re About to Get Scammed By a Foreign “Book Publisher”
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART III: How WritersWeekly Communicates Directly with Deceitful “Publishers” to Expose Their Appalling Practices
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART IV: WARNINGS about TheGhostWriting.org, Book Publishing HQ, Author Book Creators, Author Books Publisher, AMZ Publishing Firm, and McMillan Book Publishers (the fake one), AND MORE!
- EXTREME AUTHOR ALERT – PART V: Do NOT Hire ANY Publisher That is Running Paid Ads on Facebook Right Now!
- How to Tell if That So-Called “Publisher” is REALLY Located in the U.S.! By James M. Walsh, Esq.
- COMPLAINTS about Publishing Mojo / PublishingMojo.com – by James M. Walsh, Esq.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.
ASK ANGELA!
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Great piece and great encouragement as always to keep the writer’s nose to the grindstone. Consistent message from one of the best freelance-process “coach”es in the biz.
Nice inspirational piece, John! Good for you, for keeping on. I’m wondering if the 200 websites you have written for all paid for your work, or if you wrote for some of them gratis?