- Report: #646313
Complaint Review: Xlibris Publishing Company - Bloomington Indiana
Reported By:
Duane -
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Xlibris Publishing Company
1663 Liberty Dr.; Bloomington, IN 47403 Bloomington, 47403 Indiana, United States of America
Phone:
719-229-1233
Web:
Xlibris.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Xlibris Publishing Company Xlibris Let me help save you money, time, and a headache Bloomington, Indiana
If you are thinking about using Xlibris Publishing Company, I strongly recommend that you do your research and decide to go elsewhere. I was called by Xlibris several times regarding the publishing of my book of poetry, "Through Sunshine & Rain," I read about the negatives in the book, "The Fine art of Self Publishing," but the Xlibris rep. assured me that they had a different mode of operation now and give more royalties. What he quoted me was higher than they actually give, nothing in writing of course, and he no longer works there, as I see in other complaints.
They continually give you new campaigns, the latest and the greatest, from book shows to emailing your E-book to a targeted market. I went to one of the book shows and it amounts to having your book lost in a small library on one of the many shelves. I thought it was a bit expensive for the Apx. $1,600 I was charged. On the ebook email campaign I could get 1 million people (Targeted Market). It was suggested by the Xlibris Rep. that I might get about a 2% response. Sounded so good I had the email sent out to the same audience twice, about 3 weeks apart. Guess how many buyers? 0 that is in (Zero).
I have spent with them, including printing, publishing, purchasing copies, and advertizing campaigns aproximately $13,000.00, I think, just say $12K to be safe. My return is right now less than $100.00 from the royalties.
So you are thinking about publishing with Xlibris, You might want to think again. Signed someone with experience who feels the pains of loss.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Sebbie
LA,California,
I don't agree
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, May 19, 2014
No vanity publishers and self publishers pay royalties if someone buys the book. People pay a vanity publisher but then if someone buys the book they still get royatlies. Xlibris claims to offer royalties of 20% of net (terrible royalties but by all accounts they usually don't bother to pay them anyway)
Sebbie
LA,California,
I don't agree
#3General Comment
Mon, May 19, 2014
I don't agree that you should even use them for printing and binding. That's ridiculously expensive printing and binding when you can get that kind of thing for under $50 from a lot of places like Kinkos, but Xlibris will want $1500 then delibrately insert all kinds of errors so they can demand payment for corrections.
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
THIS IS A "VANITY PRESS" AND NOTHING MORE
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, October 01, 2010
AS A PERSON WHO USED TO BE IN THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS AND HAD FAMILY WHO WERE PRINTERS, I THINK I CAN SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THIS BUSINESS.
XLIBRIS IS AN OUTFIT THAT IS CALLED A "VANITY PRESS" IN THE TRADE -- OR A SELF-PUBLISHING HOUSE AND NOTHING MORE,
THIS MEANS, IF YOU HAVE A CAMERA-READY MANUSCRIPT AND HAVE PROOFED YOUR PAGES AND ARE SURE IT IS THE WAY YOU WANT TO SEE IT IN PRINT, THEY WILL PRINT IT UP FOR YOU AND THEY WILL BIND IT FOR YOU IN BOOKS.
YOU PAY THEM TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK.
NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIGURE OUT TO DISTRIBUTE IT AND MAKE A PROFIT..AND IT CAN BE DONE BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE INDUSTRY RATHER WELL.
THEY ARE JUST A TYPESETTING AND PRINTING PLATE BURNING AND BOOK BINDING PLACE.
IF YOU ARE SMART, YOU WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT AND HAWK YOUR BOOKS WHEREVER YOU CAN -- DEPENDING ON HOW HOT AND FASCINATING THE TOPIC IS AT THE MOMENT.
SADLY, POETRY IS NOTHING SPECIAL UNLESS IT CAN EXCITE AND UPSET AND AFFECT PEOPLE LIKE ALAN GINSBERG'S FILTH OR SOMETHING EQUALLY OUTRE.
YOU DO NOT LET THEM CLAIM THAT THEY WILL PROMOTE YOUR BOOK AND BLAH BLAH BLAH...
THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY DO!
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY CLAIM, ALL THEY ARE IS A PLACE TO GET YOUR WRITTEN PRODUCT PRINTED AND BOUND INTO A BOOK.
AND IF YOU ARE SMART,THAT IS ALL YOU WILL USE THEM FOR.
