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xlibris/Authorhouse

Posted:    

Royalties

Complaint Rating:  96 % with 27 votes
96% 27
Contact information:
Xlibris/Authorhouse
Tennessee
United States
I self-published a book with Xlibris, and according to their records my book is not selling. I question this, because my book is listed on over twenty pages on the web. When speaking with staff of Xlibris, I was told that my book is only listed with Amazon.com. With this, I did ask them to search the web and discover what I did. (My book is listed with Abe Books; Shopping.com; Goodreads; Ebay; Books-A-Million and E-campus just to mention a few. And with E-campus my book can be rented, also.)
I was promised that a sales report would be sent to me via email. I am still waitimg...
*My book is listed on pages threading from China, India, Africa and Italy. A reader did make contact with me to share that he enjoyed my book. Also, I mention that used books are posted on the web. My question is: If a book is not selling; how can there be used copies existing? Sincerely, Is there another meaning for the word "used" in the business of publishing?
I am tired of Xlibris toying with me.
Complaint comments Comments Complaint country United States Complaint category Entertainment
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 27th of Sep, 2010 by    0 Votes
My husband and I are going trough the same Thing . They NEAVER!!! Return phone call's. And if they do you can't understand 1 word of what they are saying. We are trying to get our money back and buy the books and sell them ourself. My husband wrote a book called " I AM" COME KNOW ME BETTER. We are fed up with these basterds. we are getting our money back and sell the books ourself. and find annother publisher. They should de forced out of busness. a very angry first time writter.
 18th of Dec, 2010 by    +1 Votes
Quite simply, Xlibris is a fraudulent, dishonest and incompetent, disaster zone. Xlibris is nothing more than a quick-buck scam printer, posing as a "print-on-demand publisher", and it has one of the highest complaints percentages for a small business of it's type - with numerous civil legal proceedings for fraud and libel - including one major one that is currently in the Indiana courts and when the judgement is made public in Spring 2011, will likely make the Rebecca Brandewyne/Authorhouse saga look like a walk in the park. (Word is they're going to need to remortgage a few houses to cover the damages on this latest libel case) Xlibris was started in the late 1990s in a parents' basement, and was previously run out of a garage/home office in Philadelphia, but in the last year moved to the Author Solutions call-center with partner frauds, AuthorHouse (which has a long legal history - just Google "Authorhouse Scam" to find out) and Searchforpublishers.com - the quintessential Author trap. As of December 2010, Xlibris owes huge back taxes to the IRS and is currently carrying huge liabilities that Mr Princeton CEO Kevin Weiss has strategized to rescue with disturbingly dubious "publish 2 for 1" / "publish for a buck" coupon deals which any writer, however good or bad, should stay well clear. Their book production is dogshit like their customer service. Piers Anthony, one of the website's English owners, one of the swarming flies who still fronts this scam, is a failed British "published author" and part time con-man who lives in Florida, and has a few skeletons of his own - including a 20-year old criminal record in the UK for serious sexual misconduct, fraud and theft. Yes, Random House does still own a percentage - but let's be clear folks, Random House has a sleeping stake much the same way that Microsoft partially owns the adult services site, Ingenio/Niteflirt and don't they keep that very quiet. RH makes VERY CLEAR that Xlibris books have nothing to do with RH. The Xlibris website contains inept, vague material which is more confusing than helpful, and makes wild inconsistent boasts about how the company has "600 staff" on one page, yet, on another page mysteriously has "300 employees". The company actually has 3 full time employees, (including Mr Ivy League Kevin Weiss), and at any one time up to 10 part time workers, most of whom are part-time college students who know virtually nothing about publishing except high school english and how to make a greasy $10/hour. The problems with printing at Xlibris are as long as Authorhouse's scam history, they are a disgusting company and I'm sorry they ever crossed paths with my work.
 18th of Dec, 2010 by    -1 Votes
I did contact the Indiana Attorney General's office; don't waste your time because nothing was done to assist me. My royalties are still being stolen as we speak. Xlibris offered them a story of no books were sold along with a phony print out, and they bought it. It is a shame-pertaining to how people are allowed to steal from others and nothing is done about it. It is an example of what type world we are living in and all the dishonest people.
 29th of Mar, 2011 by    0 Votes
Sadly, I just published a book with Xlibris. My reason for doing so was out of complete disgust with my previous publisher. So, from what I am reading here, I can only assume my problem with the other publisher will continue again. I share this very same mentioned problem with the previous publisher regarding four books. Those four books are listed on well over 200 websites around the world. And, that is 200 websites for each book! I am on Facebook, have a webpage on Filedby, and have my two of my own websites. People had contacted through those sites and even mailed me letters stating they enjoyed, and even loved my books. Yet, the only royalties I receive from my publisher are a few meager dollars. I’ve come to believe that publishing with self-publishers is a huge scam, and those publishers are greedy overlording masters. Only way we self-publishing writers are ever going to put a stop to the greed is, through forming some sort of an association with an attorney; an attorney who might be sympathetic and conduct some pro-bono class action suits. If the association could win just one grandiose successful case, it would be the cornerstone for eroding a ‘hidden’ empire!
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
You should file an on-line complaint with the FBI. Do it today. Despite all of our complaints these individuals continue to steal and benefit from our work.
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
Sincerely, you should give thanks to God that you didn't send in your work. You would have been just-another writer to steal from. Pass it on...
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
For all those writers who have books being sold via internet by Xlibris and AuthorHouse, and not earning what is due to you. File a complaint (IC3.gov) with the FBI for Internet Fraud. We are greater in numbers.
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
The fact that is rarely mentioned about Xlibris, but one that I found on this website by Horror Writer, is that in most instances there are more so called "used" books selling than what the author has been paid royalties for. You need to first make sales before there can be a constant supply of used books on all the online book channels. These used books are being sold by large booksellers who often have a constant supply of multiple copies of each title, and the books are often listed as "New" or "Brand New" in the descriptions and sometimes they even state how the book takes 10 to 14 days to print, which is not applicable for a so called "used" book. As an Xlibris author who has had a discrepancy with the amount of books I knew I sold and the royalties I received, I have signed many of these books which I did not receive royalties for and they were indeed "brand new". When I complained to Xlibris I was told they might have been "used" and why I did not receive royalties. There is a lot of room for fraud here and I feel like a victim who cannot get answers. There is no way to obtain records for the amount of used books sold, though there are always used books listed with my titles and have been shortly after they were published, even though family and friends were the ones who purchased them in the beginning to keep in their libraries. I believe there is a used book scam, and possibly other scams, and this is why we are not receiving our royalties.
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
Please file that complaint form with the FBI. How do you feel about taking this to the media? We can't let them continue to get away with this. Let me know because I have had it. Again, all writers who were taken by Xlibris and AuthorHouse, please file the form at IC3.gov.
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
I checked out the FBI website, but I would need to know who the party or parties are involved in the used books scam, and if indeed there is one. I believe there is, but I need factual evidence and more information on how the used book market operates and what the laws are. For example, are there loopholes that enable book sellers to sell new books in the guise of used ones without giving authors their royalties? This used book situation affects all authors, not only self published ones, but no ones seems to be aware of this avenue of possible fraud. If anyone can shed light on this market, it would be wonderful. I am asking a lot of questions, but not receiving sufficient answers. However, I am on a mission to get to the bottom of this, and if I do, it will definitely be reported.
 19th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
I don't recommend self publishing because your sales will be dependent upon the online bookstores where they sell used books next to the new books. Customers buy the used books since they are cheaper. Go with a regular publisher is my advice.
 20th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
Arrange for others to purchase your book, new and used copies, I bet you my pension that Xlibris/AuthorHouse will still maintain that no books were sold. Later, collect the bill of sale from those who purchased your book. I purchased many of my books with the assistance of others, and guess what?...I think you know the answer.
 20th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
I had a suspicion that would be the case since it has been like that all along.
What did they do when you presented the bill of sale?
Did you see an attorney about this?
This is considered copyright infringement and you can make a claim about this on Amazon. There is now a batch number on the last page of the book which indicates when it was printed to help you figure this out. This is terrible and it is making me very stressed out.
 20th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
It would not be wise to present what I did with my proof of stealing within this open forum-you can understand that. Pertaining, the proof has been given to the right people...it's just a matter of time. Sometimes it's best to keep quiet, play stupid and let people continue to do what they do...stealing. The more they steal from me; the better it gets for me. It is sort of funny and sad at the same time.
 20th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
It is sort of ironic. Maybe we should keep quiet then, but I do wish to warn people at the same time not to waste their money and compromise their dreams. I have a question for you though, did you register your book in question with the copyright office, since that's the only way you can sue? The copyright in self published books is not enough in court.
 21st of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
I do have a copyright for my novel which I did obtain myself. However, to sue is not the sole issue with me, it's about driving the rat out the cage for the world to see.
 21st of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
You can do that if you are willing to carrying out all of the hard work involved. In fact, many recording artists are leaving out the major recording studios for various reasons. They are recording and marketing their own work. Prince is one artist. He grew tired of the middle man and all of the bull.
 21st of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
Yes visit http://www.copyright.gov for more information on copyright. You can do that if you wanted to, plus there is Create Space on Amazon which is free to self publish, but to really be successful it will be very difficult. If you can find a publisher, or literary agent, that would be best, since there is a lot of promotion and things to do that are exhausting and often fruitless on your own, good luck!!!
 24th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
The publisher does that with both self publishing and traditional publishing. Visit Create Space on Amazon.
 26th of May, 2011 by    0 Votes
i would just like to comment on dmalander's comment. How can you be an author when you don't even know how to spell? your grammar sucks. I'm guessing that your book is horrible.

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