Of the three main brands under Author Solutions, Xlibris shows initial signs of being different. Xlibris’ well-organized and inviting website states that “it’s all about our authors,” and from the looks of it, there should be no reason to believe otherwise.
The home page boasts their Trustpilot reviews readily available to read, all of which report satisfactory experiences. A trip to the “Author Videos” page appears to confirm Xlibris’ author-centric motto, where a wide range of impressive testimonies fills the page with nothing but praise for Xlibris’ services. They offer publishing packages, editorial services, marketing services and basically anything you might need to get your book out there.
Unsurprisingly, however, the glittery facade fades upon taking a deeper dive. All it takes is some quick searches on Google to reveal that, like iUniverse and AuthorHouse, Xlibris only has one interest in mind: your money.
No shame in the sales game?
If there is one thing these Author Solutions publishers all have in common, it has to be their poor phone etiquette. On one end, customers cannot seem to get a hold of Xlibris employees regarding poorly executed editorial and marketing services and either late or truant royalty payments. Meanwhile, other customers cannot escape ceaseless sales calls despite declining their offers and forwarding their calls repeatedly.
One reviewer reported that Xlibris took advantage of their 90-year-old grandmother by bothering her with phone calls until she signed up for Xlibris services (which, unsurprisingly, turned out to be a nightmare). Another stated that an Xlibris employee called them a whopping 12 times in a row. What happened to calling once and leaving a message like a normal person? Oh, right, Xlibris does not condone normal business practices. They do, however, condone exploiting their paying customers.
The book is published… now what?
With advanced digital marketing tactics proving crucial for a book in today’s world, publishing the book is only half the battle. The other half is convincing audiences that it is not only worth reading but also worth buying.
So if a book is riddled with mistakes that make the authors look like amateurs, and the price tag is nearly $25 to $30 for this error-ridden paperback book, then how are authors expected to get more out than what they put in? They aren’t. Instead, authors are expected to pay for Xlibris’ mistakes.
Even when authors try to hammer out specific and detailed publishing and marketing plans with Xlibris personnel, the end result is typically traumatic.
For example, one customer took their business to Xlibris because they were told that they could publish their book and retail it for $16-$18 per paperback. When the book was ready to be sold, Xlibris slapped a $47 price tag on a paperback book. The customer event spent thousands on Xlibris advertising services but found no visual proof of their efforts on any platform. Every book the customer sold was through their own marketing efforts, not Xlibris’.
Take your business elsewhere
Wherever Author Solutions goes, corruption and greed follow closely behind. There is a world of options that don’t end with authors getting ripped off, so why settle on the services that don’t have the authors in their best interest? Don’t waste your time or money. Avoid Xlibris by any means necessary.
Don’t Lose Hope!
If you’re looking for a company that does right by the customers, I recommend MindStir Media. MindStir is the top-rated self-publisher in the world for a reason: it cares about its writers.
This post is written by Jesse Haynes, an independent reviewer, not J.J. Hebert.
Xlibris Review
Summary
At first glance, Xlibris looks promising as a self-publishing option. But with aggressive sales calls like all Author Solutions brands, along with inflated book prices and poor service quality, Xlibris is not a good publishing option for most authors.