Bookmasters review: Fraud in the inducement, breach of contract, negligence, and detrimental reliance 9

I just got scammed after a year with over 300 titles and nearly $20000.00 in sales they have demanded $15000 payment and have shut all books down from receiving sales even with 200 books pending sale. They tack on fees so much the debt just grows. I'm very interested in any option of a suit. bill.vincent@yahoo.com

I'm Aldora Larkins.
BookMasters had and sold my books for over six years.
They always put up a false inventory of my books.
They sold my four children books and I have one adult book of 154 poems they sold too.
They printed my front & back covers with only bond paper.
I paid them to print good quality books from expensive paper and from my settlement I got 5, 000 plus books back but of only made from bond paper.
I paid them to print high quality books.
From my my settlement I didn't get a single dime back; I had to pay them to get my books back and I had a lawyer.
They even sold advertisement space under my five books.
Now they have given my books a bad name because they sold my books with very poor paper and now I can't even sell my books. I'm going to have to donate most of my books.
As of now I'm getting ready to do what I call reverse psychology advertisement which in my books they put their name saying manufactured by BookMasters and I'm going to have a stamp made to go on this page. My stamp will say: books printed against author's wishes. Author didn't get a single dime from the sells of her books. I have new books with high quality paper and, etc.
They have given me a bad name and my books a bad name because of the quality of paper used. Because of this I have to prove myself, I now have my books back and that I do have very good quality books.
My books I'm trying to sell under Amazon online.
Thank you
The Story Teller
Aldora Larkins

I now feel very foolish to have entered into a business relationship with BookMasters. Their first treacherous act was to "Bait and Switch" me regarding the printing of my book. They sent me samples of very nice, professionally printed books, but when mine was printed, the ink density varied drastically from page to page and the margins were outside of their allowance for error. I complained and got a much smaller quantity printed using their on-demand method. This wasn't completely satisfactory to me, but I still went along with it. Next, I paid them to attach stickers to the front of my book. I included simple instructions on where and how I wanted the stickers attached, but they attached them incorrectly. I may have gotten a small discount because of this. I really don't remember. Regardless, BookMasters was selling my books, but because of their fees, I never earned a dime in all that time. In fact, I paid THEM every month! After two years or so, I decided enough was enough and wrote the letter formerly ending my relationship with them. I made my final payment to them in June of 2012, which included the cost of destroying my entire inventory. It has been a year and a half now and they are still offering my book on their website, and may still be distributing the eBook and paperback. Last week I received a check from them for $1.32. (That's right, one dollar and thirty-two cents. The only check I have EVER gotten from them.) The implication being that they are still selling my books without my permission - books that I paid them to destroy. I was warned about BookMasters before I decided to use them. I wish that I had listened.

From experience, and as a publishing consultant, I can tell you there is almost NEVER a reason to go with a publish-on-demand or vanity publishing company. They either get your money up front with no way of knowing if there is any return on your investment, or they get your money in royalties with no evidence of a return on your investment. You even lose on your royalties by the time bookstores and Amazon like places pound their royalties and commissions out of you. The only people who benefit are the publishing companies and lawyers. Where there is a breach by the publisher, yes you can almost always get out of the contract by taking your complaint public and to the social networks. You are entitled to a financial accountability, the print ready file - unless you signed away your ownership rights, then you own nothing; and the distribution and listings should be yanked from all places claiming commissions and royalties under the name of the publisher.

For the unestablished, and sometimes to an established, author the world of publishing is intimidating, confusing and overwhelming. There are a multitude of different types of publishing houses and sources in which to use. Which is right for you? What happens when you go with a less than honorable vanity or print on demand publisher? What steps are involved in the writing, printing, publishing, distribution and marketing of a book? How does an author proceed safely with their dream? How does an author determine what is the best course of action for their book? As an author, writer and publishing consultant my goal is to help the author determine what their best course of action is and sometimes how to undo a bad choice and how to start over. www.janethorton.net

My unpleasant experience with Book Masters is that I have never received a dime for the $5400 in book sales, and then they have the nerve to try a bill me for books returned that I never received any payment from them in the first place. Now that I want to cancel my contract they said I need to send them a cashiers check for $1002.63 ( which $350.00 was charges for returned books that I was never paid on), before they will release my inventory.

From my prospective Book Masters is one big Fraud! They prey upon unsuspecting Author's and publishers leading them to think that they will get your book out in the stores which is totally false. Their statement shows that the balanced owed me is $1800.00 but will not be paid out till the end of 2013 for books that sold back in mid 2012. I am planning to take them to small claims court. If anyone wants to contact be about their experience you can email me at paul@HubbleRevealsCreation.com

I too wish I could sue BookMasters, and I'm glad somebody is. Their fees are so outrageous, I was losing money doing business with them. Then I realized how expensive it is to try to end the relationship -- they come up with fees for the air they breathe. (A "payment fee" for receiving my payment? Really?!?)

Now I'm about to embark on my own 10-month "termination" with all the fees and bills they require, for nothing.

Rene, we'd love to sue BookMasters, have been getting the runaround, poor service, and completely unfair business practice stuff for months. We are pulling from their distributor service. All told, it will cost us $1500 (due to their extortionary 10-month cancellation policy) and we have received exactly $232 in royalty payments, their accounting practices are so confusing we have no idea whether that's even accurate. Not sure what your current experience is, but would love to hear about the outcome of your lawsuit. Lisa Jackson, author, Transforming Corporate Culture

Sorry, needed to add my e-mail on the above posting referring to $1000 paid for no service rendered by Bookmasters DBA Atlas Distibuting. If anyone else has had a similiar experience please e-mail me at nortonbaily@hotmail.com and we'll try to put an end to this predator.

Everything that Rene said is true from what I can tell. Bookmasters DBA as Atlas Distribution has accepted nearly $1000 from me and bills me monthly for not distributing one book. I've tried several times to cancel the contract but to no avail. They prey on wanna-be-published authors and pounce on you with threats of collection if you miss paying a statement for services never rendered. If anyone else has these problems lets join together, find a pro bono lawyer, and use a class action suit to end this fraudulent behavior. If your thinking of doing business with them get out your checkbook but don't expect anything in return and you won't be dissapointed.