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Xlibris Publishing review: scam publisher 4

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1:43 am EST
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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 apparently as dog[censored] as their customer service. Piers Anthony, one of the website's English owners who still fronts the 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.

4 comments
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ZARAHSMITH
Bloomington, US
Mar 29, 2011 10:40 pm EDT

SUMMARY

Total Purchases

£350.00

Total Payments (THANK YOU)

(£350.00)

Outstanding Balance

£0.00

PURCHASES

Book ID 301924

Order Date
Service
Qty
Price
Total

03/28/2011
Service - TP Poetry Superieur_102009
1
£699.00
£699.00

03/28/2011
Ingram Distribution
1
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
AddOn - Individual Interior Graphics
0
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
AddOn - Custom Cover Upgrade
1
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
AddOn - Basic Cover Design
1
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
Free Paperback book
5
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
MSvcs - 4/4 2x7.25 Reg Bookmarks 052006
50
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
MSvcs - 4/4 Business Cards 052006
50
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
MSvcs - 4/4 4x6 Postcards 052006
50
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
MSvcs - Poster Bundle TP (set of 5)
1
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
AddOn – Sony/Kindle/Scribd/BoB/B&N E-Book Service
1
£0.00
£0.00

03/28/2011
2011 MEGA March Deal - TP Poetry Superieur - 50% off
349
-£1.00
-£349.00

PAYMENTS

Date
Amount
Pay Type

03/28/2011
£223.34
Credit Card

03/28/2011
£126.66
Credit Card

Payment Method:
Payment Mode:

o Installment
þ Credit Card
o Check

þ Full Payment
o Cash
o Money Order

Thank you for your payment.

Please fill-out the attached form(s) and send it back to us either through fax or regular mail.

Our publishing process takes from 2-6 months and begins once Xlibris received your payment and you have submitted your final manuscript and supplementary materials. So hurry! The earlier you send your materials the earlier your book(s) will be available for sale!

Thank you for making Xlibris your choice... Where writers become authors

For further inquiries, call us at [protected] or e-mail us at Collection.Finance@Xlibrispublishing.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE:

· If Paid through installment, the £30.00 non-refundable processing fee applies

· Your book will not be made available until all payments are received

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS IS THE RECEIPT I WAS SENT. NO POINT HAVING A BOOK ID FOR A BOOK THAT WILL NEVER BE PUBLISHED BECAUSE IT DOES NOT EXIST. XLIBRIS NEVER PUBLISHED THIS BOOK. THEY HAVE NO WRITTEN & NO SIGNED CONTRACT WITH ME WHATSOEVER. I CANCELLED WITHIN 7 DAYS SO AM ENTITLED TO A FULL REFUND. PLEASE DO NOT WORK WITH RANDOM HOUSE OR XLIBRIS OR ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH THESE FRAUDS. I HOPE MY LOSS PROTECTS YOU ALL FROM THEIR EVIL. SHAME ON YOU ZARAH SMITH, ROY ANDRES, FINANCE TEAM AND CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS IN HELL I ASSURE YOU.

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ZARAHSMITH
Bloomington, US
Mar 29, 2011 10:35 pm EDT

THIS IS ROYS EMAIL TO ME HOURS AFTER I SPOKE TO ZARAH ON THE PHONE HE HAS NOT RESPONDED TO A SINGLE EMAIL OF MINE THIS IS THE ONLY EMAIL I EVER GOT FROM HIM ON ZARAHS REQUEST OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE TOO BUSY SPENDING THE BANKS MONEY:

Dear xxxxxxx,

Thank you for choosing to publish with Xlibris!

I am Roy Andrews and I am your Submission Representative for your book project. I am here to assist you in completing the submission of materials and instructions before starting the publication process.

Attached to this email is the Submission Guideline. This attachment provides a checklist of the materials and the different file format on how you can submit them.

Also attached is the Order Form that contains all the relevant information for your book like the author’s information and special instructions. The last page of the form is the Agreement form that states all the terms of our Publishing Agreement. Please fill these out, sign, and send these to us together with the materials.

For your easy reference, we have assigned your book the Book ID 301924. Please use this number when calling or corresponding through email.

I would like to confirm that as of today, we have not received any materials for your book. However once you are ready, you may send them through email at: Roy.Andrews@Xlibris.com

Please feel free to call or email me if you have questions or clarifications on how to make your submission.

Before we start the publication process, I would like to inform you about the books retail price once we finish the publication Process. Please take note that the Book’s Retail Price will depend on the final page count. Kindly see the pricing table below. Let me know if you have any questions.

Softcover
Discount off
Number of Pages

Retail Price
up to 107
108 - 399
400+

Retail Price
0%
£ 9.99
£ 13.99
£ 16.99

Channel Discount
48%
£ 5.19
£ 7.27
£ 8.83

Reseller Discount
40%
£ 5.99
£ 8.39
£ 10.19

Royalties
Rate

Direct Sales
25%
£ 2.50
£ 3.50
£ 4.25

Indirect Sales (resellers)
10%
£ 1.00
£ 1.40
£ 1.70

Author Discount
Discount

1-9 copies
30%
£ 6.99
£ 9.79
£ 11.89

10-24 copies
35%
£ 6.49
£ 9.09
£ 11.04

25-49 copies
40%
£ 5.99
£ 8.39
£ 10.19

50-99 copies
45%
£ 5.49
£ 7.69
£ 9.34

100-249 copies
50%
£ 5.00
£ 7.00
£ 8.50

250-499 copies
55%
£ 4.50
£ 6.30
£ 7.65

500-1499 copies
60%
£ 4.00
£ 5.60
£ 6.80

1500+ copies
Please request a custom offset quote

Thank you and we look forward in working with you.

Sincerely,

Roy Andrews
Author Services Representative

Xlibris Corporation

Victory Way

Admirals Park

Crossways

Dartford DA2 6QD

United Kingdom

US Tel: 888.795.4274

Fax: 610.915.0294

UK Tel: +[protected], ext. 761

Fax: [protected]

Roy.Andrews@Xlibris.com

http://www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

Let us know how we’re doing

customersatisfaction@Xlibris.com

Reminder: Xlibris will never send a request asking you to verify your personal, financial or password information by email. You should not respond to this type of message from any source whether it is related or unrelated to Xlibris.

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ZARAHSMITH
Bloomington, US
Mar 29, 2011 10:33 pm EDT

ZARAH SMITH IS THE NAME OF THE ALLEGED PUBLISHING CONSULTANT THAT RANG ME ON 28TH MARCH 2011 SHE THEN EMAILED ME IMMEDIATELY AND CALLED ME IN RESPONSE TO AN EMAIL I SENT HER. ZARAH PUT ME THROUGH TO HER COLLEAGUE IN FINANCE AND COLLECTION DEPT. WHO TOOK PAYMENT OVER THE PHONE FROM INDIANA USA. BUT ON RETURNING THE CALL IT SAID THE CALLS ARE FROM OUTSIDE THE USA & WILL BE CHARGED AT INTERNATIONAL RATES. SHE GAVE MY EMAIL TO HER COLLEAGUE ROY ANDREWS WHOSE EMAIL CLAIMS HES FROM THE BRITISH OFFICE. BUT ON CALLING HIS NUMBER IT SAYS THIS NUMBER IS NOT IN SERVICE. ROY NEVER RESPONDS TO HIS EMAILS. HE JUST SENDS ONE EMAIL REQUESTING A SUBMISSION FORM. I HAVE NEVER SPOKEN TO ROY TO THIS DAY. THIS IS ONE OF ZARAHS EMAILS TO ME:
Hi

It was lovely talking to you. Welcome to Xlibris Publishing.

In reference to your book’s publication kindly refer to your Book I.D.: xxxxxx

Again my name is Zarah Smith and I am the Publishing and Marketing Consultant assigned to you by Xlibris. I am here to assist you with whatever needs you may have in making the next step in becoming a successfully published author.

Please find time to browse through the attached publishing kits so you can be informed with all our services. For more current information you may refer to our website www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

If you do have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Xlibris has published over 25, 000 titles and has been in the business of self publishing for over 14 years now.

Just to give you information on how our publishing works:

Throughout the Xlibris author-centered publishing process, you collaborate with your personal Xlibris Author Service Representative to ensure that your vision is translated into book format. Our Author Service Representatives provide advice and support while allowing you to maintain creative control over your book. You decide what is best for the project, and we can design the book around your ideas.

Once we have received all of your materials, we learn about your vision for the project before we begin to work on your book. After reviewing your manuscript, we will collaborate with you to choose the most attractive and readable design template or custom design for your work. We will then design your book and send you an interior galley and cover proof to review.

As soon as you return the galley to us, we'll make any revisions you request and, if necessary, send you a second galley. This process will continue until you approve all the content and layout within your book and on your book cover. Once you have approved the galley and cover, we'll send you an Author Review Copy, which will reflect what your published book will look like. Once we receive the approval form for the Author Copy, we will make your book available to the market.

Your book is maintained as an electronic file with Xlibris, and we are able to fulfill orders ranging from a single book to tens of thousands of copies as they are received. Because it is a digital file, your book will never go out of print, and you can make revisions to it at any time.

The publishing service you have is called the Poetry Superior Package. Here are the details:

Superieur Service features include:

* Books * shipping rates apply

ü 1 author copy on paperback

ü 5 Paperback copies

ü Unlimited Supplies for Book Orders

ü Lifetime Support

* Publication Registration:

ü Unique ISBN Code and UPC Barcode

ü UK Copyright Registration

ü Registration with Books In Print

ü Registration with Bertrams and Gardners Wholesalers

ü Registration and distribution with Ingram and all 2, 500 online bookstores or channel retailers all around the world (Amazon.co.uk, BarnesandNoble.com, Waterstones, WHSmith, etc)

ü Book and Author Webpages on the Xlibris’ website

* Miscellaneous (production)

ü Cover Design Service – Basic:

An eye-catching, professionally designed cover is key to the salability of your book. Think about the last time you were searching through books or magazines at your local bookshop or library. What made you take a book out and give it a look? Without a doubt, more than 90% of the time it is the cover. And with the major shift to online ordering for the majority of book sales, it is now, more than ever, crucial that your book cover do justice to the content within.

Xlibris’ experienced design team can help you create a unique cover design that will bring your book to life. Don’t sell your work short, choose the level of Xlibris Cover Design Service that suits your needs and rest easy knowing that your book will get the attention it deserves.

ü Ability to supply your own cover design

ü Your choice of Basic or Professional cover templates

ü Ability to customize Cover design

ü Ability to supply unlimited number of Cover images

ü Your choice of Basic or Professional interior templates

ü Ability to supply unlimited number of Interior images

ü Ability to Customize elements of Interior templates

ü Consultation with Xlibris Cover and Interior designers

* Marketing Aide (To help you promote your book):

Printed Materials (50 bookmarks, 50 business cards, 50 Postcards, 5 posters)

n Personalized advertising materials you can hand out to your friends and relatives.

Also included:

ü Ability to submit Author Photo

ü Availability of your book in paperback, hardback and eBook format

ü Paperback royalties: 25% of cover price (direct sales), and 10% (Distributor/Reseller sales)

ü Author discounts of up to 60% (trade paperbacks respectively)

ü Author Service Representative who provides support throughout the publication process

ü Control over your book excerpt viewable in Xlibris' Online bookstore

ü Online Book Sales Reporting

I.
Trade Poetry Superieur Service:
£ 699.00

Promotion/discount
£ -349

£ 350

Installment Option:

*installment surcharge
£ 30.00

£ 380

Payment Term

1st payment
£ 126.66

2nd payment
£ 126.66

3rd payment
£ 126.66

Please take note that we set no deadline for the submission of the materials. Should you choose the installment option, we will start the production right after we receive the first payment.

We are able to provide services that other self-publishing companies usually do not give: 24/7 Book Ordering Service, an open-ended and non-exclusive agreement, 100% (Satisfaction Guarantee), you (the author) retain all rights to the book and have full control of the publishing.

Let me help you write your own success by calling me at [protected] ext. 703 or by replying to this email.

Best Regards,

Zarah Smith
Publishing & Marketing Consultant

Sales & Marketing Department

Xlibris Corporation

1663. Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

Tel: +[protected], Ext. 703

Fax: [protected]

Zarah.smith@Xlibris.com

http://www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

Let us know how we’re doing

customersatisfaction@Xlibris.com

Why choose Xlibris?

eXcellent selection of publishing services and comprehensive marketing services | Largest 24/7 customer service staff | Incredible monthly offers | Books never go out of print | Retain the Rights of your Book | Industry giant for more than a decade | Satisfaction Guaranteed

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ZARAHSMITH
Bloomington, US
Mar 29, 2011 10:25 pm EDT

I agree absolutely oe hundred per cent that once Xlibris get hold of your money or account details say good bye to your cash. They actually have phone numbers that you cannot returns calls to. I got a sorry this number is not in service for their main numbers. None of the emails reach the recipients. All the callers do not speak english even the website has poor english type. they do not call back unless you wish to pay more for another package and it means more money for them then they are quick to call. You will not hear back from them once they steal your money. Even though I did not sign a contract with them they still kept my money. I am disgusted the girl who answers the phone directs you to voicemail or speaks gibberish puts you on hold for 10 minutes at a time pretending shes going to speak to your representative, finance and your publishing consultant. none of whom are there. she even said there is an office in the uk who can do this for me. when you make the payment the lady in the indiana usa office takes your money so why not refund from the same finance dept in indiana usa. I too will be complaining to the BBB and OAG. This Xlibris. I would be interested to know how you got your money back. IS it worth me writing to the british office if that even exists as a bricks and mortar building or is some dead end.