Author Solutions, LLC

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I understand the %refund policy However, after looking through my complaint and agreeing that Balboa services were totally unacceptable, my Balboa agent said that I should be refunded and promised that my refund would be in the amount of $750.I have this promise in Writing!! After being reassured, I was able to approach another agency and re-invest in my book publishingI did rely on the given promise and planned accordingly.I have more then dozen friends/authors who went with Balboa and ALL say that it was a BAD decision I'd hope that the company would at least try to keep and stand for its reputationand pay what they promisedDon't see it happening
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to address the content and royalty concerns regarding Ms***’s projectsOn July 22, 2013, Ms*** purchased the Online Premier Pro publishing package for $3399. As part of a special promotion, she received a second Online Premier Pro
publishing package for $1. She paid in full via check at the time of purchase. Ms*** also purchased the Hollywood Coverage marketing service and a website at later dates. Attached is a spreadsheet of expenditures showing what Ms*** has purchased and payment made. Similar information was emailed to Ms*** on November 16, by the Payment Plans departmentAll manuscripts submitted go through a content evaluation. Content evaluation is the process in which iUniverse assesses the manuscript to ensure that it meets the standards for publishing. Manuscripts are reviewed for copyright, libel and content containing sex and/or drug paraphernalia. This review is done to identify any areas of the manuscript that could potentially put the author at risk for copyright infringement and/or libel issues For Ms***’s first project, the submitted manuscript was reviewed in 2013. At that time, libelous material was found. Ms*** provided legal documentation concerning some of the issues found. That documentation was accepted and the manuscript was moved into production for publication. The book was published with her approval in March of 2015. Ms***’s manuscript for her second book was submitted on August 23, and reviewed. On September 4, 2017, it was found that the manuscript contained libelous material. Ms*** provided the same documentation that she provided for her first project. The manager of the content evaluation department reviewed the documentation, deciding that it did not adequately address the libelous material. She has been working with Dana S***, Senior Manager-Operations on the libel issues. MsS*** has explained that iUniverse does not grandfather in manuscripts that contain content issues, nor can the author include a disclaimer, as that will not protect from potential litigation. The libel guidelines (not provided to authors) have not changed since she published her first book but the content evaluation staff are more diligent when reviewing manuscripts for libel. Ms*** has expressed that she will not change the identities of those in her manuscript as that would make the project fiction. Therefore, the project has not moved forwardAfter Ms***’s filing was received, in which she mentions that the published book has similar content, the final manuscript for the first book was reviewed again and found to contain libelous material that was not resolved with the documentation that was provided. Attached are three examples of libelous material from that bookTherefore, the book is currently being pulled from distribution and cancelled. Royalties The second tab of the expenditures spreadsheet lists Ms***’s royalty payments made thus far. Also attached is her royalty statement from Qthru Q2017. Her Qroyalties are below the minimum threshold of $so they are an open balance to be paid in the Qcleanout quarter, payable in late February 2018. The payments match the sales that have been reported to us thus far by retailers. Ms*** writes “I have talked to so many who said they bought my bk and yet their figures do not jive.” However, she provides no specifics as to the discrepancy. If Ms*** has proof of sales that were not reported to us, she can forward that proof to [email protected] and an investigation will be done. Documentary evidence as proof of sale may be either a dated sales receipt, the name of the vendor and purchase date, or the printer code as it appears on the last interior page of the printed bookDesired Resolution Ms***’s writes that her desired resolution is “I want either the 2nd bk published like the 1st with all the same services or I want ALL my money listed above back so I can go to a reputable publisher.” Due to the libelous material in both projects and her refusal to make the necessary changes, Ms*** has been refunded in full for the money paid for the publishing packages, $3400. She was refunded in full because the first project should not have made it into production due to the content issues and the second project would have not moved forward. A check for this amount will be sent to her on December 22, The Hollywood Coverage marketing service was fulfilled on July 20, Therefore, the service is no longer eligible for a refund. The website domain for which Ms*** purchased a year extension can be turned over to her. In order to do so, she will need to fill out and return the attached Website Admin Release Form. She should email it to her Marketing Services Representative, Anne S***, at anne.s@authorsolutions.com. In closing, both of Ms***’s manuscripts contain libelous material that she is unwilling to change. Therefore, both projects have been cancelled and refunded in full. Ms*** will be mailed a check for $3400. The Hollywood Coverage marketing service was fulfilled two years ago and not refundable. The domain name can be turned over to her once she fills out and returns the attached form to her Marketing Services RepresentativeWe trust this information illustrates the steps taken to address Ms***s concerns. Sincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr***’ request for refund of the renewal of his Author Learning Center subscriptionMr*** purchased the Children’s Magic publishing package from AuthorHouse UK on August 14, This package includes a complimentary year
subscription to the Author Learning Center, a website dedicated to assisting and supporting all writers, sponsored by Author Solutions IncThis website service is offered for both Author Solution clients and those writers who are seeking other publishing venues, or have not committed to a publishing package yetOn November 20, 2014, Mr*** registered to take advantage of this complimentary membershipDuring registration, the website will request credit card details, although these will not be utilized until the complimentary membership time period has expired. Once the trial membership period ends the subscription membership becomes duePlease reference the following link: https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/authors/sign_up As stated on the website, the subscription will automatically renew at the end of the trial period unless the member advises of their cancellation desire within the trial period by phone at 866-697-or email [email protected] . On November 20, 2015, Mr***’ chosen credit card was charged the applicable $renewal fee, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of this serviceThis fee was deducted from Mr***’ card exactly one year after his sign up dateThe details of this transaction have been attached for your convenienceOn November 23, 2015, the $was returned to his chosen credit card, transaction number ***. To date, all funds relating to the renewal of the Author Learning Center service have been returned to Mr***Should he have any additional questions or concerns he may contact our Author Support staff at 1-888-795-Sincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to review Mr***’s project and to complete his refundOn May 11, 2016, Mr*** purchased the Online Platform publishing package for the discounted price of $3349, paying in full at the time of purchase with his credit cardIn his filing, vague
allegations are made that we are unable to substantiate because the claims are unspecific. In our review of his file we have exercised due diligence to uncover any evidence that would point to, suggest or infer the allegations he made. We will address them as best we can with the information provided and foundFirst, he writes “Their sales person was not honest with me…” We cannot confirm or deny this as Mr*** did not elaborate with specifics as to what his publishing consultant, Brian F**, told him that he considers as untrueSecond, he states “and their "check in coordinator" pressured me to submit my manuscript immediately.” His checoordinator, Hannah E***, sent to him the initial checoordinator email on May 18, 2016. A copy of the email is attached for your reference. This is our introductory email, sent to all authors with newly purchased publishing services by the CheCoordinator (CIC) assigned to their projectThe email is simply an explanatory one that acknowledges the author’s purchase, welcomes them to WestBow Press, provides instructions and guidance on the steps that will follow and offers to answer any questions the author may have regarding the submission processAs is customary, the CIC also called him the same day to alert him that she had sent the email and ask when he thought his materials would be ready for submission. The sending of the introduction email by the checoordinator after purchase and calling the same day the email is sent, is one of WestBow Press’s standard welcoming courtesies to our authors. Although a set date for submission is not required, he indicated that he would submit materials by the following Monday, May 23rd. In the next conversation they had, on May 24th, Mr*** stated that he wanted to cancel his project. Again, he did not provide a specific example of how MsE*** pressured him into submitting his material but from the notes in his account, we found no evidence that MsE*** received any materials, was posed questions by him regarding his materials or made attempts to rush or coerce him into submitting his workThird, he writes “Turns out, if you don't have right formats, etc(which they didn't provide) there are extra charges.” It is true that there can be additional fees for services not included in the publishing package price. Attached is the Potential Production Fee List that was part of the initial submission information the CIC sent to him. As the title suggests, these are potential fees; they are not definite. As stated in on the list these fees apply when the author wants or needs something done that is not included in the publishing package they purchased. Should there be extra services needed, the author is always informed of any applicable fees and other options to avoid any additional fees before anything is charged to themThe initial email sent by MsE*** even states “It is not required for you to follow all of them (manuscript guidelines); most are just suggestions based on industry standardYou are more than welcome to send me your manuscript the way you have it and I will let you know if there are any issues with it that need to be changed on your end.” However, no material was sent to MsE*** for review, comments or suggestions. If he had specific concerns about the format of his manuscript or any other submission questions, he never raised those to his checoordinator via email or phone. Although in his filing he suggests that the potential fees information looked like a bait and switch, he did not express this concern to our staff nor share his manuscript with us so that we could assess if potential fees might be applicable to his situationMr*** simply chose to cancel instead without commentOn May 23, 2016, the day he had selected for the submission of his manuscript, he called his publishing consultant, MrF**, requesting a refund. MrF** requested that Mr*** provide his intent in writing. An email was sent by Mr*** stating his intent to cancel on the same dayOur review found that on June 20, 2016, Mr*** called again regarding his refund, speaking with Call Center operator, Hannah E***, who put him in touch with his Publishing Consultant, Brian F**’s supervisor, LaMont F*. In their conversation and discussions MrF* made several offers including an upgrade to the next level package at no additional cost and an additional discount on the current packageMr*** declined both stating he simply wanted a refund. MrF* responded that he would submit the refund request ASAPIn reviewing his file we found that the refund was not submitted at that timeWe apologize to Mr*** for our staff’s oversight in following the standard refund request protocol and by so doing causing a delay in his refundThe refund was submitted and approved on the day we received this filing, July 6, 2016. In accordance with Section of the Terms and Conditions of his signed Self-Publishing Services Agreement, he is eligible for a refund of $3199--the package purchase price of $less the non-refundable $set up feeA copy of the agreement is attached for your referenceAlso on July 6, 2016, the refund was paid to his Visa card used to make the purchase via transaction ID ***Depending upon the practices of his bank, he should see the funds returned within to calendar daysIn closing, while we cannot elaborate on all of Mr***’s claims without specific examples, we thank him for calling to our attention that his refund was not processed in a timely manner. Again, we apologize for this delay in completing his refund and any inconvenience he may have endured as a resultHis refund of $has been returned back to the Visa credit card used to make the purchase and those monies should reflect on his card within a weekWe trust this information illustrates the steps taken to address Mr***’s concernsSincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the calling to our attention Ms***’s refund request of the unfulfilled audiobook format for her title Ms*** *** purchased an Amethyst Black and White publishing package to publish her book entitled “*** *** ***” with *** ***
on October 5, The book completed its publication process and became available for sale with Ms***’s approval on July 25, On May 18, 2016, she purchased an audio format for her published title, the Audiobook Platinum Plus - *** *** ***She took advantage of a 10% discount off the additional format’s original price, making its cost $3,US dollarsFor reference, attached is a description of the format, which is also readily accessible on our website Ms*** emailed us in November requesting cancellation and a refund of the audiobook format service after realizing the voice limitations to the Audiobook would not meet her expectationsIn this filing, she writes that she received a written promise of a refund but no funds as of yet As we take our promises to our clients seriously, we opened an investigation of her experienceAfter reviewing her account, we apologize for any misunderstandings regarding implementation of the requirements for her audiobookOur review confirms the language on the email sent acknowledging the submission of her refund request suggests the funds are on their wayUnfortunately, the request had yet to complete a full review and receive final approvalAll refund requests follow a required series of steps to establish eligibility, payment amount, payment method and contact information when applicable Her Self-Publishing Services Agreement, Section Termination & Refunds, explains the terms for refund eligibility, copy attachedSubsection lists the refund terms for publishing package purchases and for the purchase of additional services not included in a publishing packageIn addition, the subsection establishes an expiration date for refunds at six (6) months after the effective date of the agreement. Since she purchased the original publishing package in October and the audiobook service in May 2016, her request in November to cancel the audiobook occurred months after the original purchase date and months from its apurchaseSubsequently, we applied the timeline criteria for refund considerationAs the lapsed time exceeded the 6-month timeline, eligibility had expired and her refund request deniedHowever, after reviewing the circumstances of her case, we submitted an exception appeal In consideration of the unfulfilled status of the audiobook and the misrepresentation of the format capabilities, *** *** approved the appeal for an exception to the timeline termsAs of this writing, Ms***’s full refund is in process via wire transfer with completion expected within 10-business daysThe refund of $3,is processing by wire to the bank account submitted by Ms*** in December In summary, we apologize to Ms*** for any frustration or inconvenience caused by the audiobook format restrictions*** *** approved an exception to the timeline terms of her services agreement and wired a full refund for the audiobook and overpayment to bank account she provided Sincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The companies Boiler plate response tells more about this company that anything I could say.But then again, I do have something to say: I signed by email on the April and cancelled it on April 21, and I never signed the payment agreement they sent on April 20, My cancellation was not acknowledge until April 24thDeeAnna M**, the sales person that offered me a large discount if I signed the contract that day and did not inform me of their Zero Day Cancellation, also ignored my cancellation notice and did not notify anyone in the companyPeople called me and I had to tell them it was cancelledIn an Email on April 24th to DeeAnna I said: "My reason for cancelling is due to a complete misunderstanding on my part and my hope is that a full refund will be possible" DeeAnna, did not respondThe last email I sent to Balboa Press @ DeeAnna & Sammie A***, said this:I received a refund of $which left $that was charged to me for signing your Zero Day ContractPlease have someone, in common sense way, not legal, explain what you did for me to learn $394.00? No one has responded to my requestThe major trust of my complaint is the Zero Day Cancellation without proper notice when a salesperson is doing everything they know how to get you to sign a contract that has a Zero Day CancellationHad I known I would not have signed it until I had more time to read the contract. Since it is legal to have a contract with Zero Day Cancelation, I would think that it would be common sense or a law, that notification be given when there in no time for reading a contract, especially with telephone sales and with email response This company did nothing for me and received $Their legal statement of what they did to set up my account is bogus, I signed on the 19th and cancelled on the 21stWhat they did after the 21st is unnecessary activity to make money and are not entitled to receive it; the law needs correctingBalboa Press is not a member of the Revdex.com, yet they use your logoI had to call you to find out that the company is Author Services, LLC.Also they have 80% negative complaints and a One Star rating. Of course, this is all my badI should have checked them out before I listened to their sales pitchDeeAnna was really good at what she doesShe took this year old WWII Veteran in with ease and with no remorseWhatever you can do for me or others would be a great service to an average person like me wanting just write a book for this family to read. Thank you for listening,
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** ***Greetings- My findings in this response is rather disturbing If I never chased the mouse, would the cat continue to hide my royalties? Administrative errors are no excuse and "story tellers" should be behind bars Garnishments that never existed to begin with and ghost "holds" on any payments are quite fictitious! Your intention to deceive is quite chilling The only area that I am in default is at times running low on dry cat food I am not able to view any of my royalty status through the Trafford website All records show zero amounts However I was able to view the PDFs file, which was fine Due to the fact Trafford boasting of fabricated garnishments, excuses of errors, lack of business attention and faulty stories to myself and the Revdex.com: The rate due to me now stands at $for damages and fraudulent conduct.-Keeping people and businesses accountable and honest- Thank you-

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
When I had Author House to do the books in -2010, I was told by them that I would be able to receive more on the book sales if I had the sales were set a different way. When I asked about how to do it, that question was never answered. But, when my husband and I had purchased books, the sales never showed even down to this day. The books were never bought from any other vendor but Author House. They are fraudulent when it comes to showing book sales.Also, on Jan 31, 2017, I was told that the ad would run for a year, not just two months. The carousel and the ad was all one thingThe guaranteeing of book sales is not the problem, the problem is they are liars and there is no way to track if they really did what they said they would do. I know, from the response letter, they never intended on running the ad for a year.What Author House needs is an audit, they don't intend in doing what is right for their authors, they only want to pressure them into purchasing packages
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to review the steps taken to assist Mr*** in meeting the publishing and content standards required for publicationPurchases Mr*** states that he invested over $with iUniverse for his book projectA review of his file found that his
total purchases were $3,On October 16, 2015, Mr*** purchased the Book Launch Premier Pro publishing package for the discounted price of $2199.50. He opted to pay for the package using a three installment payment plan, which added a $non-refundable payment plan fee, making his total $On January 25, he added the Ghostwriting Estimate and sample service for $On June 8, 2016, he elected to add content editing for his expanded manuscript at a cost of $again using an installment payment plan and adding a $non-refundable plan fee, making his total $Manuscript Submission and Content Evaluation On October 27, 2015, as part of Section of the Services Agreement, his manuscript was endorsed to the content evaluation departmentA content evaluation was conducted, as it is on all manuscripts and materials submitted, in order to protect both the author and iUniverse from potential legal risks resulting from libel, copyright or content issuesThe evaluator reviewed the materials following the guidelines listed in the FAQ section on our website, looking for: text and images that are not created and/or owned by the author; statements or information which reveal private information about a living person and/or could negatively reflect a living person’s reputation; issues that contains sex and/or drug paraphernalia When concerns arise the authors are given the opportunity to adjust or remove them from the manuscriptEach manuscript must pass content evaluation before moving forward to other preparation and design phases The results of the evaluation were emailed to him on November 13, by his assigned checoordinator, Emmaunel L**. The email explained that the manuscript had failed the content evaluation and pointed out the areas of concern. The manuscript contained many instances of libel including references of fraud, prostitution, unethical conduct, and association with organized crime, and the identification of people, institutions and agencies including teachers and police officers in Miami Dade. In addition a copyrighted quote from Albert Einstein was used without the needed permission to do so. Specifics from the manuscript were provided in MrL***s email to Mr***. The same day, Mr*** responded, stating that all names in the manuscript were not real names. The manuscript was re-evaluated on November 18, 2015. At least one name was found that had not been changed, instances of libel against companies remained and the Einstein quote appeared with no permission documents providedMr*** emailed MrL** that his brother had no objection to being named in the book and that the other instances of libel were irrelevant. On November 20, 2015, the revised manuscript was reviewed and again failed the evaluationStill no permission was submitted for the Einstein quote and the names of the libeled businesses continued to appear also without permissionAnother revised manuscript was received by MrL** and sent to the content evaluation department on December 4, 2015. It also failed. While most of the issues were addressed, there were still some lingering libel issues. Mr*** agreed to make the necessary changes and resubmitted a revised manuscript. On December 18, 2015, this manuscript passed the content evaluation. Editorial Services and Content Re-Evaluation Subsequently, the manuscript was forwarded to the editorial department for the next phase of its preparation for publication, an editorial evaluation. Here the manuscript was assessed to be sure it has fulfilled the basic requirements for a published book. The evaluator provides a general overview of the manuscript and offers objective feedback on what works and what does not. The author may choose to proceed with the manuscript as submitted, make adjustments to the work suggested by the evaluator or seek additional editorial help On January 26, 2016, after speaking with Editorial Consultant, Sarah D***, he chose to explore having the book ghost written thru the Ghost Writing Estimate and Sample serviceOn March 2, 2016, the Ghost Writing bid information and samples prepared by two ghostwriters were sent to him by the Editorial DepartmentIn reviewing his file we were unable to find any evidence that suggests or confirms his statement of a guarantee by MsD*** that his work would pass content evaluation. While in the editorial process, Mr*** purchased content editing and advised that he was in the process of revising the manuscript once more and would be sending it soonThe revised manuscript arrived, increasing the word count from 20,words to approximately 55,words. Because his revised manuscript had more than doubled in word count, it had to be returned to content evaluation. On July 14, 2016, the results of the re-evaluation were sent to him. The manuscript failed the evaluation due to a statement connecting the author’s legal name to his pen name. Because his pen name is his stage name, this could libel anyone identified with him, particularly his brother. On July 18, 2016, Mr*** submitted another revised manuscript that was evaluated and again failed on July 19, 2016. In this version, he put his pen name/stage name back in the manuscript after having removed it previously. He also put back in the relationship to his brother, despite having removed that in a previous versionMr*** submitted another revised manuscript on July 26, It was sent for content review and failed due to the ongoing libel issuesTim M***, Assistant Manager, Operations called Mr*** on August 2, 2016, to address these ongoing content issues. Mr*** agreed to make the necessary changes, as long as he was sent the complete list of all changed needed. On August 3, 2016, Mr*** sent another manuscript but it again failed for the same reasons. He did not remove his stage name and he wanted to use his photo on the book cover, both which would identify him and his family members, despite using aliases for the family. When he was informed by Dana S***, SrManager, Operations, he requested a refund. Mr*** was contacted by a member of the sales team to discuss the cancellation request. At that time, he agreed to use a real pen name and remove his photo from the book cover. Therefore, the refund request was marked as saved/issue resolved and was not processedMr*** submitted a revised manuscript and the editing process resumed. The editing was completed on October 17, 2016. After some back and forth regarding interior images, the project was moved into production on November 1, 2016. Mr*** approved the final proofs on December 14, 2016. As is standard with all books published by iUniverse, manuscripts undergo a final content evaluation prior to being submitted to the printer in case any potential problems were added during the production process. While going through the final evaluation, on January 18, 2017, Mr***’s name was found in the credits section and the interior images, while blurred, were still recognizable in some instances. This caused the manuscript to again fail the evaluationDesired resolution Mr***’s desired settlement is a refund. As both Editorial Services have been fulfilled they are no longer eligible for refundHe is eligible for a refund as outlined in his signed Services Agreement, copy attached, of the publishing package price of $less the $setup fee and the $Content Evaluation Fee or $A check has been issued and scheduled to be sent USPS via Certified Mail tracking number *** *** *** *** *** on January 26, to his address of record. In summary, we have provided guidance to Mr*** regarding what is needed to bring his work into compliance with our content and publishing standardsHe has made multiple attempts to revise his work to meet these standards; however, the modifications made have yet to adequately do soMr*** has expressed his intent to no longer strive to be compliant. His project has been cancelled and a check refund in accordance with this Services Agreement has been issuedWe trust this information illustrates the steps taken to address Mr***’s concernsSincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]Regards,*** ***

Dear Revdex.com,Thank you for the opportunity to clarify for Mr*** the importance of his input in the preparation of his illustrated book and the status of his refund requestMr*** *** signed up to publish his book with Xlibris on April 23, He purchased a Full Color Children’s Ballad
specialty publishing package, taking advantage of a promotional rate of $and adding the Editorial Assessment service for $He opted to use an installment payment plan which added a $non-refundable surcharge, making his purchase total $Mr*** made the first payment of $that day with the remaining two payments of $each set up for auto-charge on the same day of the following two (2) monthsOur records show that the remaining two payments were submitted for payment and declined by his bankBook PreparationThe Self-Publishing Services Agreement Mr*** agreed to stipulates certain principles and obligations the parties will abide by to complete the publication of the work of the authorMr*** states that he has been asked to do his own layout work and no one will read his bookWhat has been asked of him is standard information that is requested for all Xlibris self-publishing packages in order to prepare and design the book project to the author’s liking.Mr***’s publishing package includes Designer’s Touch Illustrations to be created by our illustratorsIn order for Xlibris to create an accurate representation of the book’s characters and manuscript, authors with illustration services are required to provide instructions such as: How they envision each character to look, How each scene/illustration is to be depicted (what’s happening, where it’s happening, which characters are in the picture, what’s the overall or individual tone/feel, etc.) Reference materials, if any--such as a cartoon/drawing/illustration/book from which to draw inspiration or a picture of someone they’d like a character to resemble or look like.Labels to indicate which part of the story/manuscript every illustration corresponds to.In order to convey this information to the illustrator, authors are asked for written instructions using a separate form for each illustration to be createdOn May 18th Mr*** was asked by his illustrations coordinator to fill out the illustrations form emailed to him and has yet to do soInstead of supplying instructions he told the illustrations coordinator to read the manuscript he had submitted. Although there are some crude, partially distinguishable “sketches” contained in the manuscript, they fail to convey the level of information (see above listing) needed to create professional illustrations for his book.He was reminded that in order for us to create the illustrations for his work as he envisions, we require a full description of the scenes from the book he wants illustratedWe reiterated the example below, also found in the illustration form sent him, to give him a clearer idea of what is being asked from him“*** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** ** * *** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** ** *** ** * *** ** *** *** *** *** * *** *** *** ** ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** ** *** *** *** *** *** *** * ***Despite several follow up calls and attempts to reach Mr*** regarding the missing instructions, no further response was received from him until the receipt of this complaintRefund RequestXlibris reassigned Mr***’s project to one of our senior representatives who contacted him after this complaint was receivedMr*** responded insisting that Xlibris create a book out of what he had sent, otherwise, proceed with cancelling the service and giving him a refundAside from the illustration instructions, other requirements such as interior and cover design preferences, preferred book trim size, author biography, book summary, cover texts and other textual content (dedications, acknowledgements, table of contents, bibliographies, etc., if desired) were requested by his Submissions Representative and also await a responseXlibris is unable to create an author’s book until these missing elements are receivedAs such, without the author’s cooperation Xlibris has no other choice but to process a refund of Mr***’s payment subject to our refund terms as stated in Section of his Self-Publishing Services Agreement and Paragraph of the Installment Payment Agreement, copies of each attached.As an act of goodwill, we have waived the $payment plan decline fees and the $sfeeOn October 7, a refund of $(the original payment less the $non-refundable payment plan fee) was returned to his Visa card ending in ***, transaction ID: ***Author Leaning CenterIncluded in his publishing package is a free twelve (12) month subscription to the Author Learning Center where authors may collaborate with other authors and authorities in various phases of the publishing industryTo activate the subscription he must sign up online. We believe that his reference to communications about joining an “Authors Club” is referring to this feature of his package and the reminders about activating the subscription he would have received. Had he responded declining the free subscription, the reminders would have ceasedIn summary, as Mr*** has declined to provide the information and instructions needed to prepare his work for publication, his publishing package has been cancelled and a refund issued.Sincerely,Elaine ***Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com,
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and for the opportunity to address Ms*** *** concernsMs*** has requested a refund for the Audiobook Prime Plus service she purchased. She states that the two sample recordings she was sent were
not read with the emotion required for the material
Two demo recordings were sent to Ms***, on October and November As those recordings did not meet Ms***’ expectations, she then sent examples of herself and a friend reading parts of her book. However, those examples were received on December 15, and this refund request was received on December 16. The audiobook team had not yet had an opportunity to incorporate that feedback into another sample version of the audiobook for Ms*** to review
Although the service was fulfilled in part, with two sample versions of the audiobook recorded, we have refunded the service in full as a show of goodwill. This refund was processed on December 19, 2014, and should appear on Ms***’ credit card within 3-business days. The refund details are below:
$to Visa ending ***, transaction ID ***
$to Visa ending ***, transaction ID ***
Should Ms*** be interested in a different audiobook service, AuthorHouse does offer a DIY Audiobook service, in which Ms*** (or a friend, should she choose to make such arrangements) would record the book using an AuthorHouse-supplied recorder. More information about that service is available on the AuthorHouse website, and is also attached.
We hope the information provided with this letter illustrates the steps we have taken to address Ms***’ concerns Please let us know if additional steps need to be taken for an amicable close to this case
*** ***
Global Director of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to review the status of the resubmission of Mr***’s title. Mr*** purchased a Premium Black and White publishing package with Xlibris on December 20, 2010, taking advantage of a special price offer. At the time he indicated that he would
be submitting his materials for his work, a translation of the New Testament into modern evangelical English, late the following year. The submission specialist assigned to his project contacted him in October of for an update on his progress and was given a new anticipated submission date of early His anticipated date came and went and he asked us to continue to check in with him regularly which we didOn January 2, 2013, he submitted his manuscriptThe manuscript and cover design were prepared for publication and with his approval released to our printers on February 22, and made available for sale thru distribution on March 10, 2013. On May 24, the order for the copies of his book included in his publishing package was fulfilledIn the ensuing months of marketing and promotional services were launched with his approval and others purchased. In mid-February of a request for a subtitle modification for the work and some internal changes were requestedThe changes were made and with his approval our printers replaced the previous files with the modified ones and his title was re-released in May A copy of each version of the book was again sent to him so that he could view how the physical book looks As is customary for resubmissions, a content evaluation is conducted to ensure that any changes made meet our publishing standardsIt is important to note that with our acquisition by Penguin Group in July and the Penguin Random House merger on July 1, 2013, our content requirement standards were strengthened and the requirements were more specificIn completing the content evaluation several issues were identified as potential copyright concerns and attempts were made by both parties to comprehend their impact. His title bounced back and forth between resub and complete status three times in with the most recent resubmission finalized in January and released to our printer on 1/22/16. Please note that his royalty report statement (copy attached) shows royalty earning sales were made in Q2013, all four quarters of and and Qof 2016, illustrating that his title was active and available for consumer purchases during resubmissionsOn April 26, Mr*** purchased copies of his book and on June 2, books were ordered for fulfillment of the Book Exhibit service at the National Education Association in New York. Fulfillment of Marketing and Promotional ServicesAuthors may purchase enhancements to their publishing services package and/or marketing and promotional services as add-ons to the original package for as long as their publishing agreement is in forceIn addition, for as long as the book is in-print, the author may purchase copies in volume at discounted pricing A list of the amarketing and promotional services Mr*** purchased is attached for your referencePlease note that these services were purchased in 2013, and 2015. The reports denote three categories--those services that have been fulfilled (closed or launched), cancelled or are open awaiting information or the onset of the service’s event Cancellation RequestA request to cancel the unfulfilled marketing services was received from Mr*** on January 5, We responded pointing out the refund eligibility terms as stated in the Self-Publishing Services Agreement he has with XlibrisThe Term and Exclusivity section of the Author Agreement states, copy attached, that “Fees related to other pre- or post-publication services such as marketing services, data entry, copyediting and /or corrections or book sales are not refundable.” Mr*** through his representative Nancy S*** has been in contact with Xlibris about the cancellation requestXlibris received instructions from MsS*** by email to not communicate by phone but by email only going forward In light of our review and consideration of his circumstances, Xlibris has agreed to make an exception for services purchased within six (6) months of his January 5, refund requestThe three (3) marketing and promotional services refunded are listed below and the combined refund made through check and credit card chargeback: Refund Ticket Refund Amount Service Order Item*** $1,000.00 Bookstore Returnability Kit - Starter*** $2,499.00 Extended Campaign - Regional Bookstores Pitch Campaign*** $2,499.00 Extended Campaign - Regional Bookstores Pitch CampaignXlibris, through our refund representative, Erika T***, has notified Mr***’s representative that their request was forwarded for executive review and deniedUpon receipt of this complaint, the request was presented again for review. Please note that the agreement was signed in 2010, released in 2012, again in 2013, and The review stands by the terms of the agreement, and declines any further refund eligibility. As his book has been released again, the marketing and promotional services, with his cooperation, can be fulfilled in accordance with the service description Sincerely, Elaine H***Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I have asked numerous times for proof that they even submitted my first book to Hollywood, but since they have refused to publish my second book and pulled also the first book and made it unattainable I want the $reimbursed also along with the $Now it is as both books were never in existenceI meant what I said about ALL my moneyThese two books were a big investment for me and iUniverse has taken it all away.When I receive both amounts which total $then I will say it is resolvedI am keeping my website since I paid for that in full which is, ***I am truly sorry it had to come to this, but my books had a message to tell all women around the world about Domestic ViolenceYour actions is like you have put a gag order on both books, which I fail to see was necessary, since there have NEVER been any repercussions if you were concerned about libelBoth are a true story about me and the events in my lifeI paid the ultimate price to write these books by getting shot twice by my husband and left for deadI have rights tooYou are protecting a man who admitted shooting me
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Mr***’s concerns regarding the availability of his bookMr***’s book, ** *** *** **, was originally published on *** **, ***In November of 2015, he elected to make changes to his book and purchased a
resubmission. On April 14, 2016, we sent Mr*** the final cover proof for his review and approval after several attempts to create a cover that matched his specificationsWe received his signed cover and interior approval forms on April 18, (copies attached)These approval forms state that by signing the form, the author approves and consents to the publication, printing and distribution of the book (distribution is defined on the form as the book being made available for public sale on online retail sites such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com)The fact that the book would be made available for sale after approval was received for the cover was also mentioned in our response to Mr***’s previous filing in April which stated “once he has approved the cover design, the book files will be submitted to our print vendors and the revised version will become available for purchase.” Because we had received signed approval forms from Mr***, we proceeded with our standard process of publishing the bookThe new files were sent to our print vendors and the book was made live on April 26, After a book goes live, we send the author one complimentary printer copy of each available print version of their book (in this case hardcover and softcover) so that they may see a finished productAt this point, the book has already gone live and is available for saleThe same process also applies to resubmissionsOnce new files are approved, they are sent to our print vendors, the old files are removed, the new ones installed, the new version of the title is made live and available for saleA complimentary printer copy of each version is also sent to the authorOn May 12, 2016, Mr*** sent an e-mail stating that he had received the complimentary copies of his book and that the bold text on the cover was different when compared to how it appeared in the electronic filesOver the next week, these concerns were discussed in more detailAfter consultation with the printer and our design and distribution staff it was decided that to obtain the cover Mr*** desired in a printed product some adjustments to the electronic file would be necessaryOn May 20, 2016, the status of the book was changed in our system to reflect that a resubmission would be doneOn May 26, 2016, after some adjustments were made, the status of the book was changed back to live so that we could have copies of the adjusted files printed for the team working on the color correction in order to see how the book would look coming directly from our print vendorsOn June 1, 2016, we received an e-mail from *** *** stating that the book went live without their permissionTheir CheCoordinator sent an e-mail to our submissions team asking that they put the title on hold with our print vendors and we changed the status of the book in our system back to resubmissionOn June 8, 2016, *** called and explained that he wanted the book removed from reseller websites, and that he wanted the book to be on hold as they had more corrections that they wanted to make to the bookThey were informed by the customer service representative that it may take two to three weeks for resellers to update their websitesUnfortunately, we have no control over how quickly sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble update the information on their sitesIt is up to them when they add or remove titles once they are provided the updated informationLater that week, *** sent interior modifications that needed to be made to the bookAs of this writing, the book is not live in our system and is in resubmission statusBecause this revised version uses the same ISBNs as the first version, there are copies of the original edition listed for sale on the Amazon Marketplace of both the paperback and hardcover formats. On the title’s listing Amazon states that they have several hardcover copies of the original version in stock. These copies were purchased by Amazon for stock and in accordance with their policy will offer them for sale until they are purchased. Amazon has placed a “Just so you know” disclaimer on the title’s hardcover Look Inside option that refers to the version of the book (***) that one will receive when placing an order on the Amazon site or thru the Amazon Marketplace The new cover is appearing on the Amazon site because the new files were submitted in April after Mr*** submitted the signed approval formsMr*** states in his filing that he wants AuthorHouse to stop selling his book to anyone but himAlthough this choice is requested on occasion, there is a print option that will restrict sales to the author alone called “short run only”. This means that for the purpose of maintaining the print files his title would be recognized as not available for print or distribution at the printers. When he desires to place an order, he must do so thru an AuthorHouse book consultant; the file will have to be temporarily activated so that the requisite number of copies can be printed and then the “short run only” status restoredThis “short run only” option makes his title unavailable to any resellers or consumers and removes it from any AuthorHouse bookstore listings. At this point, we can keep the status of the book on hold, or if Mr*** wishes, we can make the status short run only so that he alone may purchase copies at any timeWe await his instruction on whether this option will meet him needs. We hope this information helps clarify our process for Mr***In closing, Mr*** requested revisions to his book and approved the modifications made when he signed both the cover and interior proof files as ready for publication, printing and distributionThe new files were subsequently submitted to our print vendors and made available for saleThe first record of being notified that he wished for the book to be on hold was June 1, at which point we immediately made the book unavailable in our system and communicated to our distribution channel that the title should be placed on holdRegarding the removal of the book from reseller sites, as bookseller other than AuthorHouse are responsible for the contents of their websites, the timing of removal from their website(s) is at their discretion and subject to how often they update their sitesThis process may take several weeksHowever, the ability to print new copies has been stopped at our print partnersWe trust this information illustrates the steps taken to address Mr***’s concernsSincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.There are a couple of reasons why I don't accept the resolution:1) it is the publisher's responsibility to contact all of their authors in advance notifying that payment delays may be eminent or possible as a result of a system updateThere were no email, no notes anywhere2) The payment was exactly month late3) I requested a late payment fee--as any other institution would given payment was days delayedSome institutions also charge an interest fee on top of the late fee per day of late payment. Authorhouse has the responsibility to pay late fee sine them paying a month late is equal to "borrowing" money from me, except I have not permitted such borrowing and had no intention to lend any money to themLegally they have no right to withhold payment for any length of time, not even a day let alone a month, without prior authorizationAuthorhouse is a business set up on the foundation of the American business regulations and lawsThey must abide by them under any and every circumstances. The response, therefore, serves as an explanation for something a business has no legal platform to explain and thus is void and null until a late payment is also paid to my account. Sincerely.*** * *** ***
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to review the editing and production phases of Mr***’s project and resume the resubmission of his book Mr*** *** signed up with Xlibris on December 4, to publish his book entitled “*** *** *”He purchased a Black
and White Executive publishing package at a special discountIn addition to the marketing and promotional services included in his package, he strengthened his marketing plan’s focus with the purchase of other marketing and promotional packages and services to be implemented once his book was completed and in printOn February 10, 2016, he added the DIY Audiobook option to his services Xlibris allocates a team of specialists for each project and the author works with them in a specific order according to their specializationOnce the team member’s role is completed, the project advances to the next phase and is under the direction of the specialist in that areaMr*** expresses concern that he was not informed when the Publishing Consultant he had worked with left the companyThe Publishing Consultant is an author’s first point of contactHere, a discussion of the author’s vision for his/her book takes place and the services we offer are explainedIf the author decides to purchase publishing services the consultant finalized the decisionOnce the paperwork is completed the project moves to the next phase where a specialist in pre-production services takes overMr***’s project advanced thru several phases and the specialists in those phases were working with him to complete his bookA different publishing consultant was assigned to his project should he need their assistance. A review of his account found the following: On February 9, he approved the copyediting of his manuscript, copy of approval attachedThe approval form instructs the author to review the edit and make changes where desired.His manuscript was forwarded to the next phase.On February 20, he provided his signed approval for the cover galleyOn March 10, he approved the interior galley for release to print, copy attached.On March 10, his cover and interior files were submitted to our printer distribution network.On March 13, his book was made available for sale.On March 26, he notified us that spelling and grammatical errors appeared in his published work that should have been found in editing In his filing he indicates he made assumptions and gave his approval without verifying contentThe approval forms at both the copyediting and galley phases specifically advise the author to carefully review the document presented to them and identify any changes or modifications they desire to have made. The interior galley sign off explicitly states that approval attests that the interior is ready for publication and distribution and any subsequent change requests will incur additional fees Our review of his file found that after discussion he and his Publishing Services Associate, Alyssa R***, worked out a resolution for the identification of the editing issues. In May he paid resubmission fees for modifications and as agreed he submitted the revisions in batches. As part of the agreement the resulting rounds of revisions were completed at no additional cost. However, due to a change in the assigned representative for this phase, he was mistakenly asked to pay for correction charges upon submission of the final set of changes Xlibris acknowledges that this situation would be frustrating for Mr*** and accepts responsibility for failing to fully address his copyediting concern when he called it to our attention after receiving his printer copy of the book. We apologize to him for our oversight. We have since reviewed the full copyedit and addressed the results with the editor. We have taken the necessary measures to ensure that this will not happen again. We also apology for the confusion surrounding the revision submission method agreed upon As a good will offering, Xlibris will refund the resubmission and revision fees that have been paid by Mr***. The refund has been requested and he should receive reimbursement within days. The implementation of the final revisions will be completed at no additional cost. A galley will be provided and submitted for his approval. We trust that he will carefully review the galley to ensure that the revisions he had requested were implemented and that the book looks and reads as he had desired. If requested revisions were not made, he may identify them and we will implement themIf new revision requests are made, they will be reviewed for origin and may incur additional fees We hope the information illustrates the steps we have taken to address Mr***’s concerns. Sincerely, Elaine H***Manager of Author Satisfaction