Author Solutions, LLC

Thank you for your continued assistance in our efforts to address Mr***’s concerns
In this response, we have revisited the reiterated issues of misleading information and royalties from the original complaint and have addressed the additional concerns he has introduced
Misleading information
Mr*** makes reference to being told by Xlibris staff how great his book was although they did not read it. Due to the number of books we provide services for, an allotment of time for staff members to read each book would be prohibitiveIn reviewing his account and the services he received, we found that three (3) independent book review services were assigned to read and review his book. Mr*** was presented with their written reviewsThe reviews are very complementary of the plot (engaging and gripping) and insight into the lives of everyday citizens during the Revolutionary War period. Each also makes positive suggestions regarding enhancements for the additional volumes in his series.
In a second review of the conversations between Mr*** and his publishing consultant, although some hypothetical scenarios were mentioned, we found no guarantee made of book sales as a result of the marketing service purchased
Royalties
Our original response explained the sales data collection, royalty rates and payment scheduleInformation regarding royalties and sales is readily available for Mr*** to browse anytime through our website with the link belowhttp://www.xlibris.com/faq/bookselling_royalties.aspx#RoyaltiesandSales
Mr*** introduced the following concerns through his rebuttal response.
1) his book was poorly edited,
2) his book is unsellable due to technical, mechanical and spelling errors,
3) his requests to no longer be contacted with marketing opportunities were unheeded,
4) the services he purchased and the agreements he signed are null and void because he was intoxicated during all phases of the contract discussions and signing
Editing
Xlibris offers various types of editing services which are described in detail on the Xlibris websitehttp://www.xlibris.com/ServiceStore/ServiceList.aspx?Service=CAST-As copyediting is included in the publishing package purchased by Mr***, the copyeditor assigned to his project performed a review of the manuscript, correcting errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntaxOnce edited, Mr*** was given the opportunity to review the results, ask questions, accept or reject the editorial changes or introduce his own changesA copy of his signed approval of the edit dated September 19, 2014, is attached for your reference
Sellable format
Mr*** mentions technical, mechanical and format errors, but fails to elaborate. He approved both the interior and cover galley proofs of his book on October 6, 2014, authorizing them to be endorsed to print and made available for saleCopies of the approvals are attached for your reference
Request to Not Contact
An audit of our company call records confirm that attempts to contact Mr*** to provide information about marketing and volume book discount opportunities were made. We apologize to Mr*** for any inconvenience these attempts may have caused him. His account has subsequently been removed from the contact list for marketing opportunities
Contract Nullification
We have no knowledge of this circumstance
Based upon the comments of the independent reviewers, we would like to suggest that Mr*** consider additional editorial assistance with his book. The execution of a period piece such as his requires specialized editorial recommendations beyond standard copyeditingAs a gesture of goodwill, we are prepared to provide, at our expense, an editorial assessment of the manuscript which will diagnose more precisely the type and level of editing that will benefit the workAlthough Mr*** would be under no obligation to contract for additional editorial services with Xlibris, we are willing to apply a portion of the cost of the Reader’s Digest marketing service toward additional editing services.
In summary, Xlibris is a supported self-publishing services provider, assisting authors to self-publish, promote, and bring their books to marketThe decision to purchase publishing services from Xlibris is optional and solely at the author’s discretionThe offer to purchase publishing and/or marketing services from Xlibris does not include any guarantee of the number of sales that will result from the release of a book or marketing campaigns
Mr*** approved the copyediting of his manuscript and his book was released to print with the approval of the cover and interior galleysHis account has been placed on Do-Not-Contact status for Marketing Consultants
As a good will gesture we are willing perform an editorial evaluation at our expense and, if he chooses to use Xlibris for additional editorial services, apply a portion of cost of the Reader’s Digest Marketing services to its cost
We trust this information illustrates the steps we have taken to address Mr***’s concerns
Sincerely,
Elaine ***
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 address Ms***’s concerns regarding her royalty payment and the ability of vendors to purchase her bookSales and Royalty Information Resources Royalty criteria and payment schedules can be found in our services agreements and on the FAQ section of our
websiteIn addition, quarterly royalty statements are accessible thru the author’s personal My Center page on our website Sales and royalty data are compiled and verified each calendar quarter and payable days after the quarter closesCheck payments are issued unless the author has enrolled in the electronic funds transfer (EFT) programCertain criteria applies to each payment method. For check payments: The royalty amount due in a single calendar quarter must be $75.00US for a check to be issuedIf not, the balance will carry forward and combine with the following quarter until the payment due for the quarter equals or exceeds the $75US thresholdHowever, if the earnings threshold is not reached in the 4th quarter, the royalty amount will be paid out regardless of the amountFor Electronic Funds Transfers: By enrollment in the direct deposit program , days after the end of the quarter, positive balances are immediately sent electronically to the bank account authorized to receive funds regardless of the amountEnrollment forms for EFT are available thru the author’s My Center pageFederal withholding taxes: Regardless of the payment method used, we are required by the IRS to withhold federal taxes from royalty income unless specific forms are completed and on file with usForms for US citizens and Ncitizens are available thru the author’s My Center pageMs***’s and Royalty earnings and payments Since the release of Ms***’s title in March 2016, sales information has been reported to us by our distribution network partners. Attached you will find two reports detailing this data; a Sales Data and Royalty Payment report and a copy of the Quarterly Royalty Statements posted on her personal My Center page on our website The Sales Data and Royalty report has two tabs; one lists the sales information from our distribution network and the second lists the quarterly royalty earnings and payments madeThis data is conveyed to Ms*** electronically thru the Quarterly Royalty Statements available on her My Center accountThe Sales Data and Royalty Report shows that: In 2016, Ms*** earned royalty in quarters, Q2, Qand QSince the $75US threshold was not reached until Q4, a check for the $($less federal withholding of $26.15) was issued on 3/28/and mailed to her address of recordOn May 27, 2017, Ms*** notified us that she had yet to receive a royalty payment and provided a different mailing address. The check was neither cashed nor returned to usSubsequently, it remained negotiable and outstanding until its day (month) lifecycle expiredThe check would became eligible for re-issue with the Qpayment, scheduled for the end of February In 2017, she enrolled in the EFT program and provided a W-tax formHer Qpayment ($40.17) was direct deposited to her bank account and no taxes were withheld.The re-issue of her Qroyalties will be made for $via EFT with no tax withheld. Vendor Ability to Order Ms*** writes that vendors have told her they cannot order her bookWe assure her that her book continues to be in distribution and vendors may purchase her title through our distribution network partnersHer statement does not specify if the vendors are booksellers or other retailers, from whom they were attempting to make the purchase or whether they were asked to san account in order to make the purchase. If she would like to provide us with more information, we will be happy to investigate further In summary, a check for Ms***’s Qroyalty earnings was issued and sent to her address of recordShe provided a different address in May The criteria for re-issue of the outstanding check was met after daysWith Ms***’s enrollment in the EFT program, the re-issue will be direct deposited to her account with the Qpayout (days after the close of the quarter) We trust this information addresses Ms***’s concerns 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 response/resolution is satisfactory to meI appreciate their understanding of the situation. Although I do not want to make this a further issue, I do want to clarify that the book consultant never contacted me on March 14th or after. If they tried calling, they did not leave a message, and if an email was sent, it must have gone to spam - I have looked thoroughly and do not see anything. Regardless, I truly appreciate the response.
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to assure Mr*** that his refund has been processed and returned to his credit cardOn Friday February 23, 2018, Mr*** purchased a Broadcast Pro Publishing package at the special offer price of 50% off and expanded the Editorial Evaluation service
included in the package to cover an additional 50,words. As payment he elected to use an installment payment plan, which added a $non-refundable payment plan fee, making his total purchases $He made an initial credit card payment of $2,and verbally agreed to a second installment sfor the same day the following monthThe following morning, we emailed the DocuSign documents (the Services and Distribution and Payment Plan Agreements) to him for his signatureMr*** writes that he objects to the terms of the agreement and seeks to cancel his purchase and receive a refundHe spoke with his Publishing Consultant concerning his issue with the agreementSadly, they were unable to come to an understanding of the language of the agreement as detailed in Section of the documentThe paperwork for his request was prepared on the last day of February band forwarded to the Refunds TeamThe Refunds Team reviews all refund requests for eligibility, reimbursement amount, payment method and verification of the information necessary to complete the transaction On March 12, 2018, a refund payment to the credit card used to make the purchase, via transaction ID *** occurred and the payment plan balance cancelled On March 13, an audit of refunds processed found that his refund amount was incorrectly calculatedSince he had not signed the DocuSign documents, we should have refunded the full balance of his initial paymentWe immediately entered a refund request for the amount withheld plus the payment planOn March 14, 2018, the amounts were returned to the credit card used to make the purchase via transactions *** *** *** In summary, we apologize to Mr*** for any misunderstandings regarding the terms of the services agreementHis project is cancelled and the full amount refunded to the card used to make the purchase We trust this information addresses Mr***’s concerns 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 that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
'Dreamscapers' is the project I am looking to be refunded onPID ***/***Dreamscapers has already been canceled as per iUniverse's instructionsThat was one of the stipulations for moving towards a refund on services not used on the making of Dreamscapers
Regards,
*** ***

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.Regards,*** ***
The business Xlibris has done just what I expected them to do and that is to Deny everything. They have failed to address the complaint that I have made. My complaint actually ran out of space to fit every thing in, and Xlibris did not even address those issues I could list. They are refusing to admit that they sold me all of this based on misleading information and flat out lies. Second the contractual obligations were never even done in satisfaction. Third, the royalties were not being reported or paid to me and evidence indicates that royalties are both not being reported to me and indications also show that those royalties that are being reported are insufficiently being dispersed
The book was never even properly edited or completed to contractual and sellable form. It is loaded with technical mechanical and spelling errors and was not in sellable form. Not to mention that they are glossing over a few little bits of irrelavent information such as claiming a few phone calls were looked at or submitting a sales chart. Non of this is proof of anything to defend themselves. My complaint is clear and to the point. They lied to me with and misleading information to sell me things. They either mislead me or intentionally withheld information in regards to specific sales quotes and expectations in order to sell me these things. For example they lied to me about things like how great my book was and that it was a masterpiece and that I was going to get rich from it. They said things like it's the best book they've seen and this is the big book we've been waiting for... These were all lies and ploys to get me to publish it and purchase expensive packages in both publishing and marketing. They also lied to me because they initially told me how great my book was to sell me this stuff and they told me that I would have no problem not only recouping my investment but making lots of money too. Plus, they initially told me how great the book was to sell me all this stuff, yet later after I spent all this money they eventually admitted to me that they only read a few bits and pieces of my book. That is clearly a lie because how can you tell someone that a book is so great when you have not even read the whole thing, just a small fraction of it?
They also did not address the issue of having told me about the lies about sales quotes to get met to buy $6,dollars worth of advertising. They clearly lied by sweet talking me with numbers. She quoted me with numbers of a minimum of 58,copies sold with RD advertising, and that was only 1/of her projected numbers. Yet she clearly lied to me about these quotes because I asked her initially what sales figures other authors had with reader digest advertisement and she said she had no such figures but after the sales were made and I asked her about some figures she tells me about how their best author sold 23 or thousand copies. Before I brought this package she said no such info is available. Yet, now it is revealed to me that their absolute best author has only sold or thousand copies. Why would she be quoting me such inflated sales figures of a minimum of 58,copies sold when their best author only sold 24,000. She would have no business telling me these inflated figures or telling me beforehand that she has no info on other authors when she knew this type of information but obviously intentionally withheld it from me to make the sale(and grossly over inflated sales expectations)
Plus they are not addressing the constant and harassing phone calls I was getting from them people trying to sell me more stuff. I told one of them in particular at least or different times not to call me, and I would call them I was interested in in what they had to sell. These calls were bothersome harassing and they attempted to intimidate me into buying more advertisements and stuff from them
It is clear that I was lied to deceived and deliberately given misleading information to purchase these things. Plus I was withheld information on facts and figures that they actually had available to give me,(such as sales figure from other authors ect!) to sell me these publishing contracts. Finally, these contracts are not valid not only for the aforementioned, but also for the mere reason that I was intoxicated when they were made with me, and the law is very clear about making contracts with intoxicated people, they are void and nullified. So, since I was intoxicated during all phases of the contracts being discussed and signed, they are void and nullified. In short, due to these vast array of issues I respectfully request a full refund of my $11,from Xlibris

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to clarify our response to Ms***’s Library of Congress inquiriesPer our original response, the two Library of Congress services in her publishing package are filled through different departments at the Library of Congress and require separate submissionsRegarding the LCCN (Library of Congress Control Number Ms*** requests documentation showing that a copy of for her title was sent to the Library of Congress to fulfill the Control Number assignment requirementsAttached she will find a copy of the order to print her ISBN placed with our print partner Lightning Source (LSI), acknowledgement from LSI of the fulfilment of the order and ship date, along with the UPS tracking number. A copy of the UPS delivery receipt indicates that her book delivered on 1/6/at 10:amRegarding the Library of Congress Copyright Registration We apologize to Ms*** for our failure to submit her Copyright Registration application in a timely manner and thank her for contacting us on 11/7/regarding her concernAs her original filing indicates, the customer service representative she spoke with acknowledged the oversight and asked if she would like us to move forward with the registrationShe requested we not proceed and asked for a refundWe honored her request and cancelled her copyright registrationA refund for the service was issued on 11/17/Ms*** may apply for copyright registration of her title on her own or thru her new publisherIn summary, the LCCN is fulfilled and a copy of her title acknowledged as delivered on 1/6/Due to an oversight regarding the submission of her Copyright Registration application and requisite materials and Ms***’s request to not proceed, Westbow Press has made no application for registration for her titleShe has been refunded for the service We trust this information addresses her Library of Congress concerns Sincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms*** request for refund of the renewal of her Author Learning Center subscription
Ms*** purchased the Classic BW publishing package from AuthorHouse on November 24, 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 yet
On December 4, 2014, Ms*** 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 December 4, 2015, Ms***’s chosen credit card was charged the applicable $renewal fee, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of this serviceThis fee was deducted from Ms***’s card exactly one year after her registration dateThe details of this transaction have been attached for your conveniencePlease note that her penname was used in registering for the service
On December 10, 2015, the $was returned to her chosen credit card, transaction number ***.
To date, all funds relating to the renewal of the Author Learning Center service have been returned to Ms*** and her subscription has been cancelledShould she have any additional questions or concerns she may contact our Author Support staff at 1-888-795-
Sincerely,
Elaine ***
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
There was an unjustified delay of six months after their marketing staff (Mr Neil R***) was transferred to another projectEven if their company assigned another replacement staff, that person seemed not to have been informed of the outstanding status or did not take the effort to check. After their long suffering customer informed them of the delay in January 2018, the company apologisedBut their replacement marketing staff still delayed the fulfilment of the outstanding marketing services (since late JUly 2017) and the offer of the so called free press release made in late December This increased the delay by another three months.Their company offered a free marketing service as compensationIt was said to be worth about ***This offer was turned downIf their company was perceived not to be able to deliver the existing long overdue marketing services fully paid for, how could they be expected to fulfill another freebie marketing package? That would seem only to be adding to the list of overdue marketing packages.What was the point of a company offering their customer apologies but continuing to delay fulfilment of these services by another three months? In retrospect, it seemed that the replacement marketing staff might have been waiting for their newly hired marketing staff to join the company in early April Then perhaps she could pass on the burden of the "hot potato" to the new kid on the block.When their new hire arrived, he contacted this customer and seemed to have been told to hurry the fulfillment of the long outstanding marketing issuesIn this writer's view, it was a case of "too little, too late."Perhaps the essence of the complaint was not so much the refund or even the amount of refundIt was the principle of doing businessIn business, you do not forget that your customer has unfulfilled items, let alone forget about him for six monthsThen you add salt to the festering wound by ignoring him for another three monthsThey could not even get a simple press release out of the door after fiddling and tinkering with it for three months.Their customer has purchased another two premium high end publishing packages (fully paid for) from themTheir customer has been with their company since the days it was known as Trafford PublishingWas this the level of service that they could offer to a repeat customer?There is a saying in business, "If we do not look after the customer, someone else will."
Regards,
*** *** ** ***

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
November 11, I did purchase the Hollywood Coverage. I told the marketing agent that I was waiting for a response from some Hollywood Producers that had requested my manuscript from the Pitchfest I had attended in New York City. His name was Joe. He said that the book did not have to be published and that the Hollywood Coverage still could be done. I submitted my manuscript to Authorhouse prior to this so they could submit my book to the Hollywood Producer that requested it. Now I'm wondering if even that was done. I am already out the $to publish my book and now I'm out the Hollywood coverage advertising that they didn't do. They never told me that it would not be refundable if they didn't complete my Hollywood Coverage. And still after the fact I received many phone calls trying to sell me more Hollywood Coverage. I believe there is a huge discrepancy between their sales department and their executive office.
Regards,
*** ***

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
The refund is proper as far as that goes, I would also like to receive my manuscript back, this would return both parties to the circumstances we were in before this happened
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to assure Mr*** that the eligible refund amount stated in our response of March 7, has been returned to his Amex cardIn accordance with the refund terms and conditions of his Services Agreement, cancellation up to days after purchase is calculated on 100% of the publishing package purchase price, less a 10% sand administration feeBecause the termination of the project resulted from the author’s choice not comply with our content guidelines, a $content evaluation fee is also withheld. The package purchase was $5399, and the cancellation fees $($+ $150), resulting in a $refundOn March 3, 2017, the $was refunded to his Amex credit card, ending in 1003, transaction ID ***As of today, March 21, 2017, we have received no notification from Amex to indicate that the transmission failedIf the refund amount has yet to post to Mr***’s AME X credit card, we urge him to check with his credit card companySincerely, 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 this proposed action 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,
*** *** I never spoke to anyone named Jose about a refund policy The person I spoke with first was the salesperson and I asked her about refund and terms She promised me that I would get a full refund minus $at any time I was displeased and wanted a refund IF the book had not gone into production It has not Not even close.Balboa initially took three weeks to do an initial review, which I was notified I passed The transcript of my novel was then passed on to editorial assessment, which was supposed to take two to three weeks A week later I got a call that it had been completed When asked for the result, the male caller responded, "It's not bad I've seen worse." When I pressed him, he said my transcript needed line editing Big red flag The transcript was fully edited, including line editing, by a private editor of my choosing before I submitted the transcript to Balboa "Is there an extra charge for line editing?" I asked Answer: "Yes." Question: "How much?" Answer: "I don't know It's by the word." Editorial Assessment is part of what I'd paid for It's listed as one of the services of the package I paid for, with no mention of additional cost I asked for the full refund of $3,because of the trouble I've been through and the lies I've been told Both the sales person (Tina) and my project director (Barb) verified my right to refund, minus $at the time I requested it I even asked Barb how long could my project be on "hold" and still be eligible for a full refund She said, "Oh, up to six months." I said, "It won't take that long for me to make up my mind I'm going on vacation and I will let you know something in a week or two I think it was a week later that I called and said, yes, I wanted my money back I suggest that the Revdex.com request recordings of all conversations that took place via phone Those recordings will back me up I suggest Revdex.com research Balboa on Google I think you'll be surprised at the number and nature of complaints and at the unbiased magazine review of the company. If Balboa does not refund me in full, I intend to post the complaint I wrote you on blogs and other sites So my answer is, "No," I DO NOT ACCEPT THE DISHONEST PARTIAL REFUND BALBOA HAS ISSUED TO MY AMERICAN EXPRESS CREDIT CARD

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,
*** ***I have not received the following refunds into my bank account $PLUS $PLUS $stated by Xlibris as of the 22nd of December I do believe these amounts to be correct but have not see any deposits at this stage.Thank you for your help in this matter

Dear Revdex.com Thank you for the opportunity to address Mr*** *** ***’ request for return of materialsOn May 22, 2016, through an internet search engine, Mr*** expressed interest in finding out more about the self-publishing services of iUniverseAs is customary a publishing consultant
was assigned to provide the information requested and answer any questions he might haveThe following day he was contacted by the assigned consultant by both email and phoneMr*** writes that he has decided to go in another direction and that he wishes to have the manuscript and movie treatment he sent to us returned to himUnlike traditional publishers who purchase the rights to an author’s work, the author retains the rights to their work when they publish thru iUniverseSubsequently, we do not solicit, read or require authors to provide chapter synopses, manuscripts or query letters as a condition of consideration for publishing with usShould such unsolicited materials be received in our offices they are logged as received and stored for up to daysIf no services agreement is forthcoming the materials are destroyed unless other arrangements were made when the materials were sentOur media data center log indicates that the materials were received on June 20, We were unable to find any instructions for their returnAs a courtesy, the manuscript and movie treatment were returned via USPS on August 8, with return receipt *** *** *** *** ***Should Mr*** wish to consider supported self-publishing services in the future, we would be happy to discuss our opportunities with himSincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Mr***’ request for a refund of his publishing packageOn May 19, 2017, Mr*** purchased the Starter Full Color Publishing Package from AuthorHouse for $He elected to pay in installments which added a non-refundable
payment plan fee of $for a grand total of $He signed the Services and Distribution Agreement the same day and the Installment Payment Plan Agreement on May 22, (copies attached)On July 5, 2017, we sent Mr*** the initial electronic proof files of his book for approval via e-mailThis e-mail with the files attached also asked that the files be reviewed thoroughly and carefully as only one free round of corrections is givenIt encourages the author to provide all corrections at once so that no additional fees are incurred as well as noting that once the book is sent to the printer, further corrections will require a resubmission fee in addition to the correction feesAfter receiving the initial proofs, Mr*** called and gave corrections over the phone to his representative and revised files were sent on July 6, At this time, he approved of the cover and signed the Cover Approval FormRegarding the interior files, he sent an e-mail stating that the only thing he wanted to change was that he wanted quotation marks around the bible verses in the book and that everything else was okayHis representative reminded him that he had already used one round of corrections and that he would need to pay for these to be doneMr*** expressed that he had been unhappy with the initial file we sent due to errors he felt we created that he had to correctOn July 10, 2017, he sent an e-mail stating that he wanted to send in a new version of the manuscriptHis representative informed him that sending a new manuscript would require designing the new manuscript (a retech) which would carry a fee of $or if he preferred, he could send in a print ready PDF file which would cost $The PDF would be printed exactly as we received it as we are unable to make changes to PDF filesThe next day, Mr*** spoke with a supervisor who offered an additional free round of corrections to the files of the current manuscript as a one-time courtesyThe supervisor noted that any additional corrections after this round would definitely have fees associatedOn July 14, 2017, Mr*** sent in what he referred to as his “final” list of corrections via e-mail and his representative called and went over them via phone as wellThe revised files were sent to him on July 21, He called the same day after receiving the files and stated that he had more correctionsHe spoke with a manager and stated that he did not like the layout of the initial design fileThe manager reminded him that he did not provide any specific instructions about the layout or formatting before the book moved to the design phase of productionOn July 24, 2017, Mr*** sent an e-mail with additional corrections all related to spacingThe next day, he spoke with a supervisor who, again, as a courtesy to Mr*** offered to change the spacing in the file free of chargeShe again stated that there would be fees should any more corrections be neededOn August 1, 2017, the revised files were sent to Mr*** for approvalHe signed and returned the Interior and Pricing Approval forms, but on August decided that he wanted his middle initial to be included in his name on the inside of the bookWe made this last correction free of charge as well and he signed another set of Interior and Pricing Approval forms (copies attached)His book was published on August 4, On August 11, 2017, Mr*** called and stated that he wanted to make more corrections to the interior of this bookHe was reminded that he had already been given many free rounds of corrections and had ample opportunity to make any corrections he needed to his book prior to signing the authorization form for release of his book to print and distribution (see copy attached)Also, he was reminded of the terms stated in the approval form and that accordingly he would be responsible to pay additional fees for a resubmission as well as correctionsMr*** was not willing to pay the fees, so we offered 30% off the cost of the resubmission fee, which he also declinedShould he choose to take advantage of the 30% off offer and make further corrections to his book, we would be happy to assist him; however, he is not eligible for any refundsPer section of the Services and Distribution Agreement, after we receive final approval for a book no refunds will be givenAs stated above, Mr*** provided final approval for his book on August 3, and his book went live on August 4, In closing, due to the fact that Mr*** had several opportunities, free of charge, to correct any errors he found in his book and provided final approval to publish his book, per his services agreement his title is no longer eligible for refundIf he would like to make any further corrections to his book, we will honor the offer of 30% off the price of the resubmissionWe trust this information illustrates the steps we have taken to address Mr***’ concernsSincerely, Elaine H*** Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]   I read the response of Author House, In their Service and Distribution Agreement: Termination + Refund states; Either party may terminate this agreement at any time, with or without cause with notice to the other party. If you terminate the agreement or if we terminate for cause (as defined below) at any time or without cause after we have fulfilled the publishing services and marketing service refunds will be issue as follows: For publishing packages 0-90 calendar days after the purchase 100% of purchase price less 150 or 10% of the purchase price which ever greater.   First I would like to say I explain to Author House that my manuscript was nonfiction and fiction about growing up in the 70s the coordinator Rhea N[redacted] and whoever read the content of the manuscript and made of it what they wanted to then wanting me to change my story to their satisfaction, she wants me to explain who's real and who's not, the story contain Urban activities prison minor sex, and profanity it's a Urban story- what Urban story doesn't, It seem that Author House had a problem with the content, I explain the story was apart of a trilogy I wasn't willing to change the story because it would throw the trilogy off, by the way they already published one of the books in 2016 "[redacted]" so why are they having so much problems accepting this manuscript "[redacted]" that was published by another publishing company in 2012, I make correction and wanting to re publish- a continued story, the manuscript Author House publish there were no problems with the book except I haven't received any royalty payments from Author House- I should have by now.   Anyway, according to their agreement a person has to make a full purchase of a package, and from 0 to 90 days or after there would be or not be a refund, Author House will deduct 150 or 10% from 100% percent purchase price, I didn't 100% purchase anything I made a down payment before any production or marketing was down, the agreement doesn't say if you make a partial payment then back out there would be a minus return, therefore I want my total amount of $300.00 dollars return, also I didn't back out Author House did.

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to examine the sales reporting for Ms. [redacted]’s print-on-demand book. On June 20, 2012, Ms. [redacted] purchased a Basic Paperback Publishing package to publish a children’s book. On December 28, 2012, with her approval, we released her title to the...

public. Ms. [redacted] writes she believes that Amazon has sold copies of her book, yet she has received no royalties.  We have previously explained to her how print-on-demand publishing works, how royalties are calculated and how the on-line bookseller listings are used to market titles. We trust the following information will help her to recognize that we want to pay her royalties for sales of her book and have systems in place to do so.  Royalties are payable when validated documentation that books were printed and sold is presented to us. To bring a title to the marketplace, we have developed a network of distribution and print partners. The goal of this network is to provide exposure for the books we publish to consumers in the US and throughout the global internet community. The network enables the listing of a title’s ISBNs in the publishing industry’s Books in Print database and the robust catalogs of our network distributors, Ingram (the largest book distributor in the US) and Baker & Taylor. From these resources, large online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble list our titles for sale, as do other booksellers and retailers.  As a self-publishing services publisher, Xlibris uses print-on-demand (POD) technology and business processes when fulfilling orders. The term print-on-demand is literal; meaning that only after receipt of an order (demand) is a book printed. To earn royalties, a sale must occur and books printed to fill it. E-book purchases mirror those of physical books; an e-book order triggers the release of the electronic version of the work and constitutes a sale. We track sales data thru the books printed and sales data reports of our network print partners and eBook distributors. Each of their reports are sent to us, collated by ISBN, verified multiple times for royalty eligibility and royalties disbursed quarterly according to the royalty payment schedule published on our website. We post statements showing the sales and royalty data for each author’s account quarterly after the reconciliation process is complete.  Partial sales data may appear on the author’s online account at any time within the quarter; however, the final and official sales data appears only after the reconciliation is complete. This information is accessible on the author’s My Author Center page. In our research of Ms. [redacted]’s concern, we conducted an audit of the sales reported for her title from its release in 2012 to the present. Attached is a copy of the resulting consolidated books printed report. The report lists the number of copies printed, the date of the order, the order type and the royalty rate. The report shows printings occurred in 2012 thru 2014 and none since November 28, 2014. Of the eleven (11) copies printed, none is royalty earning. Five (5) are proof copies, three (3) ordered direct by Ms. [redacted] and another three (3) are goodwill copies.  Proof copies are ineligible for royalty as they are not sales but confirmation from the printer to the author that their title is installed in their system. Author purchases and goodwill copies are also ineligible for royalty. We would be happy to dispute the sales data received from Amazon or any of our print and distribution partners for Ms. [redacted]’s title. However, in order to do so we need some documented evidence to present to them.  This evidence can be a dated sales receipt, the printer’s codes located on the last interior page of the book, or the name of the vendor and date of the sale. Ms. [redacted] expresses confusion with the marketing methods used on Amazon’s website to create urgency to purchase products. We searched Amazon’s site for her book and were unable to view the stocking reference she describes for her book---2 left in stock. This type of designation has been common but misleading for POD titles. We are hopeful that Amazon in their efforts to be transparent with their consumers have chosen to refrain from this practice. What our search did find was Amazon’s statement that the title is in stock and the estimated number of days to allow for shipping. We also found listings for New and Used books in the Marketplace section of their website. The listings for new books appear in a menu-like format at different but similar prices with delivery timelines quoted that are sufficient for the seller to order the book and have it shipped. There are three (3) used book listings, all identified as--Used – Like New. Please note that all three of these sellers also appear in the New section with comparable shipping timelines. In summary, we completed an audit of Ms. [redacted]’s title with the results confirming no royalty earning sales reported by our print and distribution partners. To file a dispute with Amazon or any other network partner regarding the sales reported for her title, we need documentation from her of an unreported sale to present to them. We trust this information illustrates the steps taken to assist Ms. [redacted]’s with her concern. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to complete Ms. [redacted]’s cancelation request and provide royalty payment information. Ms. [redacted] writes that she published her book in 2011 and has yet to receive any royalties. She also expresses her concern that sales are missing due to the...

references found on the internet for her title. Online Listings It is important to recognize that the goal of the distribution network is to provide exposure for the books we publish for consumers in the US and throughout the global internet community. Through this distribution network, her title’s ISBNs appear in the publishing industry’s Books in Print database and the robust catalogs of our network distributors, Ingram (the largest book distributor in the US) and Baker & Taylor. From these resources, large online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble have listed her title for sale along with other resellers, libraries and the iUniverse bookstore.    Even though Ms. [redacted] states she has seen her book on websites from other countries, its appearance does not mean that her work is available in other languages. Any bookseller who uses one of our network distributors or wholesalers may list her book on their site. The ISBN numbers given her title at its release assures that orders fulfilled through our distribution network will use the American English files she approved. These on-line listings provide the consumer with the opportunity to find out more about a title and place an order for the book. However, the listing itself is not evidence of or a guarantee that the consumer has or will purchase a copy of the work.  The listing is an invitation to make a purchase.   Royalty Payments To investigate her royalty payment concern, we conducted an audit of her records. The audit found that she has earned royalty from Q3 2011 thru Q4 2015 with no sales reported in the years following. We have attached a copy of the sales data for her title. This information is also available to her thru her password protected MyUniverse page on our website. In addition, we are attaching a listing of the quarterly payments made. Please note the sales data royalty earned and payments made agree. Check payments are the default method for royalties. However, the opportunity to receive royalty thru Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is also available. To receive direct deposit payments an author must enroll in the program by completing and submitting a form that requests banking information and gives us authorization to transfer monies into that account. Ms. [redacted] writes that she did not provide banking information for direct deposit EFT payments. In 2011 when she published her book, she enrolled in the EFT program by completing and returning a hardcopy form with her signature and a voided check with her bank information attached. The information then became part of her royalty account and changed her default payment method. Today, enrollment is available online thru the author’s MyUniverse page. The royalty payment report shows ten (10) payments made with all by EFT except one (1) for Q3 2012. Due to an unfortunate equipment malfunction, check payments replaced the direct deposit method for that quarter only. We mailed her check to her address of record at the time. Our records show this check remains uncashed and that her bank accepted all the EFT payments. We will re-issue the outstanding check and mail it to her at the current address of record. Cancellation We cancelled Ms. [redacted]’s title at her request and removed it from our distribution network. Because each bookseller maintains their own website, the delisting of her title is subject to their content maintenance schedules and may take up to 60 days. Since our printers no longer have the ability to print new copies of her book, any new orders are not fillable. Copies previously sold and made available as used copies may remain on the internet for sale. Royalty earnings apply only on the original sale of the title and not on sales of used books. Ms. [redacted] exercised the print file after cancellation clause in her agreement, receiving the print files without ISBNs and logos.   In summary, royalties are paid quarterly on sales of new books as reported to us by our distribution partners. Ms. [redacted] enrolled in the Electronic Funds Transfer program in 2011 and has earned royalties and received payments thru direct deposit (EFT) ever since. We are processing a re-cut for the single outstanding check payment and mailing it to the address on record. Her bank has accepted all EFT payments. As requested, we cancelled her title and provided her with the print files without ISBN and logo. We trust this information addresses Ms. [redacted]’s concerns. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction