Learn more about the differences between BookBaby and Author Solutions
It’s no secret—a quick Google search for Author Solutions’ customer reviews reveals a few of the lawsuits filed against the company.
Dozens of blog articles have been devoted to disappointed customers complaining about Author Solutions’ marketing and sales tactics.
You may have submitted a complaint yourself, although we certainly hope not. No author deserves to have his or her dreams hindered by a publisher.
The most important element of any relationship is trust. And while these articles illustrate the major differences between BookBaby and Author Solutions, we encourage you to do your own homework and discover the truth yourself.
Service under one name
AuthorHouse. iUniverse. Xlibris. Wordclay. Trafford. Any of these sound familiar?
They’re five of the many “imprints” operated by Author Solutions. At a glance it looks like a variety of publishing brands for authors to choose from. But marketing a platoon of names—all with similar business models and service packages for extremely varied prices—is confusing, especially when you’re trying to decide if that company fits your self-publishing needs. They even run a website called “findyourpublisher.com” that makes authors think they are able to compare and contrast competing services.
BookBaby is, simply, BookBaby. We do our best to support, inform, and encourage our independent authors to achieve their self-publishing goals—from getting your manuscript to print, to making your book available to readers around the world.
Over-promising and under-delivering
From Xlibris to iUniverse, all of the Author Solutions’ brands sell marketing packages that appeal to the lavish dreams of fame and fortune—but seldom deliver. Take for instance the “Hollywood Treatment”, a $3,749 service where they promise to pitch books to movie producers. In its own recent published results, Author Solutions admitted that out of 300 authors who bought this service, only two were ever seriously considered for a movie.
The “possibility of being picked up for acquisition” isn’t going to put money in your pocket. Neither is missing royalties from well-earned book sales. BookBaby ONLY sells products and services that it can back up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
We’ve negotiated the best eBook royalty rates—up to 85%— for authors selling through websites like Amazon, where the bulk of self-published author income comes from. When you sell your printed books with Print On Demand on Bookshop™, you earn 50% of your selling price. But most importantly, you’re paid what you earned, on time, every time.