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Online Book Publishing Scam

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Online Book Publishing Scam Reports & Reviews (10)

• Apr 22, 2024
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In June of 2023 Wiley Book Writers received $1050.00 from me by Capital Credit Card they produced nothing over a seven month period, numerous delays with misspelled words stc.

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- Bath, ME, USA • Mar 22, 2024
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On Dec. 1, 2023, I signed a contract with Scribe Marketer to publish my completed book. My project manager said his name was Henry (no last name), and his is the only email I have, though I suspect he is no longer with the company, or he has made himself unavailable. The agreed (advertised) price was $300. The contract clearly stated that if I was not satisfied, my money would be refunded. On December 13, I had a conversation with "Dick," who told me I needed an author's licence and an ISBN number (which I already had). These were to cost $900 each, but since I was "such a nice lady," he would cut it down to $450 each. Alarm bells rang loudly, and on December 15, I canceled my contract and requested a refund. I received an email, assuring me I would receive the refund, but it would take about three weeks. It is now March of 2024, and after repeated attempts on my part to obtain the refund (email and phone conversations). The most recent person I spoke with was "Marcus," who told me the refund would be issued that day, but it would appear on my bank statement in between 5-7 days. This was on February 20. I recently called Marcus, and he was going to "check into it" and call me back. He ha.s not. I have been scammed. I have reported the company to the Federal Trade Commission and to the Attorney General's office in New York, but I suspect the only thing I will receive is a lesson learned

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- Lady Lake, FL, USA • Mar 14, 2024
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This is a book I was going to have published. A children’s book. I choose the package I wanted which was $1,200. I paid $600 of it. They did edit the book but didn’t really make any changes.

I had to pick out illustration types and they did a couple of those which I didn’t care for. Late one night, around 7:30pm ta Liam called and was telling me to really sell this book I needed to go bigger with the media stuff. I told him over and over no, my dream is just to have a book, I wasn’t interested in making tons of money. I’m 73 years old and have had this story got many years.

Finally he wore me down ( I know very dumb in my part) but I gave in and paid $5000.00 for all this extra media and e reader books.

I never slept that night and could have kicked myself for giving up. I called and emailed them the very next day, telling them I changed my mind. I know I have 3 business days to cancel a contract so this was done on the 30th on November in the 1st of December I called and emailed them. They said no problem at all. I was put through to the finance department and he said, no problem, I’ll refund that money, I’ll need your credit card and information to reverse the charges. I gave him that feeling much relieved. But to my surprise when I went in my Discover card the next day. I had another $5000.00 charge!!! I called them right away. The finance guy Kevin told me that was his mistake and he would fix it right way plus reverse the original $5000.00 charge.

Now I’m calling every day and getting busy signals, mailbox full, ringing forever. No one is answering my texts or emails.

I’m so beside myself and Discover said to put a complaint in with the ScamPulse.com and the attorney general. So that is what I’m doing.

This company lied to me and now won’t even answer their phones.

Thank you

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- Wellington, FL, USA • Mar 06, 2024
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Initially, I hired Cosmics Publishers to publish my book, but I soon realized that something was amiss. Despite giving them the benefit of the doubt due to my inexperience as an author, I discovered that the company was not a legitimate entity. A thorough search of their name in a search engine yielded no results, and I received samples of their work, but the final product for the full $3300 I paid has yet to materialize. Furthermore, before completing the first project, they requested an additional $10,000 via wire transfer under the name of Design Cosmics, which I was not aware of. However, upon further investigation, I found that the company is not in good standing with the state of Maryland for failing to file a financial report in 2023. While I regret losing $3300, I am grateful that I discovered this information before handing over any more money, as I was on the verge of transferring an additional $10,000.

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- Rochester, NY, USA • Jan 29, 2024
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I was looking to publish my book and I found a website that I thought looked legit-they did a really good job, I’ll give them that . I started chatting with someone and they called me and told me they could get my books published nationwide in ****** *** ***** and all these other places. I had a project manager and we discussed my book etc. I paid $400.00 for empty promises. I started feeling like it was a scam when they sent me a picture of the cover of the book and the picture of the first drawing. They also added the dedication page to the back cover vs the inside of the book. I emailed my project manager and someone else sent me a text stating that they were covering for them on vacation and could we set up a time to talk. I told them a couple of days and they confirmed but never called me. So I emailed again-crickets. I then went back to the website and they disabled their chat, but I found another website that was oddly the same. I opened it and saw there was a chat button and I pressed it. I spoke with a woman and asked if she ever heard of Kindle publishing company. She said “yes we’ve been getting a lot of complaints that they are a scam. A real agency wouldn’t tell you they will get your books published at Barnes and Noble”.

I decided to pretend I was someone else and got to the point where she (the same woman) told me she could get my books on ****** *** *****. I let her know I was interested in purchasing the highest package level, but that I didn’t get paid until the following week. I told her I would be spending my entire paycheck, but it would be worth it. She said “yes it will. Especially since you’ll be making 3 x’s as much”.

I tried to get her to tell me everything and it was the same stuff my original person who scammed me said, just in a different website.

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- Sheridan, WY, USA • Jan 24, 2024
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They operate in England and America. That's why there were 2 types of currency.

£7,000 and $56,000

I signed a contract with a 100% money back guarantee if they don't make book sales equivalent to 1.8% (or more) return on my investment of £7,000.

They did not sell even 1 book, but refused to pay the refund.

Instead they said they made a deal with 50 American bookstores to buy 20,000 copies of my book but I have several days to send them $56,000, which will make me a return of around $350,000 in just a few days.

They said they will print 13,000 copies via Amazon, because Amazon has a 13,000 books limit.

I have to pay $8 per book for the remaining 7,000 books.

They said the deal is either 20,000 copies or none and I have to give them the money within several days or lose the deal, because it has to hit the stores before Christmas.

This was a massive red flag.

So I called some of the bookstores in the list.

One of them said that they know nothing about me, or my book and they have most assuredly NOT made such an order.

I asked them to confirm this in writing, so I have it and can share as evidence.

When I called the other bookstore, there was an automated operator message that this number is linked to SCAMs and I was not connected.

I also called Amazon and they said - firstly they don't have a limit for 13,000 copies.

Also it is not possible for them to print my book at all, because for this to happen, they first need to have the book approved for external distribution, this takes time and requires this to be requested by us, then approved by them.

So clearly if I paid the $56,000 they would have gone to the deep pockets of Woodbridge publishers, and not for book printing.

Please help so other people don't get burned.

I would love to have my £7,000 back, but despite my numerous attempts to discuss with them, they keep promising they will call me or email me back, within 15 minutes, or by the end of the day, but this never happens.

Please note, my company is based in Wyoming and I notice we share the same registered office address.

But there is no other relation between our 2 companies, and the address is purely accidental.

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- White Plains, NY, USA • Oct 31, 2023
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In November of 2023, I thought I found a legitimate publisher to publish my book. At the beginning, the scammer insisted I pay before the work even started. I made many payments as I was promised a job well done by the scammer. little did I know, it is now almost a year now and the work was not done to my satisfaction. Instead, I ended up with harassments, emotional stress, and disappointment. I had to go to the emergency room for high blood presser because of so much stress. I have been getting promises after promises for the balances they owe me and still nothing. The book was not successfully published. therefore, I ended up with public humiliation.

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- Mason, TX, USA • Oct 28, 2023
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address listed was response of chat CSR on website for Frontlinewriters.com; would not provide Richmond, VA address

Frontline Writers agent initiated contact @ my manuscript, stating they can do traditional publishing and made request to see manuscript. I sent it. After 2 or 3 days, agent sent response which appeared to be a form rejection and stated they would need to work on my writing as my writing supposedly were not up to their requirements. My writing needs no editing. After I responded that they had not read the manuscript, I received notes that they were a responsible business when they only wanted me to proscribe to their self-publishing program.

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- Sparks, NV, USA • Oct 28, 2023
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A retired school teacher, a retired university faculty member, and an artist created a colorful book teaching elementary school children new concepts of math. We were given - via emails and numerous telephone calls sales pitches by a publishing agent named Brian Joseph with Scribe Marketers that the company located in NYC would publish the book and distribute to 44,000 outlets. When the contract was signed and 975 dollars given, we were then assigned a 'production manger named Amy Patrick who continuously asked us for our Social Security #'s and bank account numbers. We zoomed with her and a man who claimed to be the CEO named Bobby ( he wouldn't provide his last name) but stated he ran a tech company in Silicon Valley and for $15,000 dollars would make the book into an APP and market to schools. The book never got printed because we refused to pay the 15,000 dollars; when we instructed them to return the $975 a man named Kevin Peterson sent a series of emails promising to deliver back money.. which never happened. On October 22, 2023, two of us went to New York City to the address of the company listed on their website... the building manager told us "there is no such business here." We immediately called the company but they refused to put us through to the man named Kevin or the woman named Amy or the man named Brian. However, when we had a witness call them asking how to get a book published .. we were immediately put through to Kevin. When we confronted him in front of his 'bogus office." he told us to" **** ***?" then two days later he sent an email to the retired teacher promising to pay her back her money IF she gave him her personal bank account #.

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- Crownsville, MD, USA • Oct 26, 2023
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I found Penguin Book Writers online because I needed a publicist. Their website looked very enticing and I didn't see any red flags. There written offer was great (almost too good) and I talked with a person who called herself Olivia Raven. Everything seemed fine and I attempted payment via credit card. The transaction failed twice and it also failed with a different credit card. I became very suspicious when I called Olivia to tell her about the failed payment and she started coaching me how to get around the credit card blocks. The scam is extremely sophisticated. However, when I started looking closer I found out that Olivia's LinkedIn account is visible only on request -- strange for a business developer. Their website lists authors they have helped but none of them exist.

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