Archway Publishing History (Simon & Schuster and Author Solutions Team Up)
Archway Publishing is operated by Author Solutions, a large limited liability company that runs numerous self-publishing companies like AuthorHouse, iUniverse and others, all of which I’ve reviewed before. In the case of Archway Publishing, it’s widely believed that Author Solutions signed a licensing deal with Simon & Schuster sometime around 2012 to act as Simon & Schuster’s self-publishing arm.
Basically, Author Solutions handles all of the publishing and book marketing for Archway authors and uses the Simon & Schuster brand to add legitimacy to Archway despite it being operated by Author Solutions. Author Solutions’ sales team can pitch potential clients with the idea that they can publish with Archway, a partner of Simon & Schuster. But will you actually be working with Simon & Schuster if you sign up with Archway Publishing? Read on…
How Does Archway Publishing Work?
Archway Publishing, with its connection to Simon & Schuster, presents itself to prospective author clients as a unique opportunity for authors. The promise on the Archway website should be read carefully. It mentions that they have been provided guidelines by Simon & Schuster but the services are ultimately rendered by a team of specialists at Author Solutions. So, as mentioned above, authors at Archway are working with Author Solutions, not Simon & Schuster.
Archway does act as a type of “farm system” or minor leagues for Simon & Schuster, though. Archway claims to present select Archway titles to Simon & Schuster editors for possible acquisition. It’s difficult to ascertain how many Archway Publishing titles have actually been picked up and published by Simon & Schuster as of 2023, but my educated guess is that the odds are less than 1%.
Is it worth working with Author Solutions, a self-publishing conglomerate with a bad reputation, with the hope of maybe getting picked up by Simon & Schuster? You’ll have to decide for yourself if you’re interested in signing up with Archway.
Archway Publishing Services (REVIEW)
Archway Publishing’s services closely resemble those offered by other Author Solutions brands, although they are higher priced than Author Solutions’ iUniverse, Trafford and Xlibris. Archway’s publishing packages are separated by genre. If you have a fiction or non-fiction book, you can expect to pay a range of $2,499 – $16,999. The basic package is a bare-bones option, offering little to no marketing whatsoever. Marketing and advertising is added on as you move up the package tiers. By the time you get to the top-tier package you will receive a press release, website design, social media support (a kit, not a social media management service), a feature on Bookmad, featured book placement in the Archway Publishing bookstore, a bookstore sell sheet, a social media announcement, a video and podcast interview, a 2-week online book launch campaign, a bookstore pitch campaign, and a book promo video.
Complete manuscript editing is NOT included in any of the packages. Archway instead includes an “editorial assessment” which examines a portion of your work, usually the first chapter or about 1,700 words. After that time, Archway will try to sell you on a complete editing service for your manuscript. Line editing (aka proofreading) will cost you about $0.039 per word or around $3,900 for 100,000 words. If you need content editing, a more comprehensive option, that will run you approx. $0.046 per word or $4,600 for a 100,000 word manuscript. Therefore, if you want professional editing, you should plan to spend thousands more in addition to any of the Archway publishing packages or get your book edited elsewhere.
As for book marketing services, Archway taps into the Author Solutions catalog of services to provide marketing add-ons such as book reviews, radio services, online marketing, publicity services and more. In my opinion, most of the meaningful marketing services are not part of the publishing packages, so you’ll have to buy them separately. Even then, Author Solutions is notorious for selling overpriced and ineffective marketing services to authors, as evidenced by the countless Author Solutions and Archway Publishing reviews posted online, including this one.
Archway Publishing Reviews (OVERVIEW)
As of this writing, Archway Publishing has a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. 14% of the reviews there are 1-star reviews. The negative reviews highlight quality issues, publication delays, poor communication, non-payment of royalties, and misrepresentation of services. On the other hand, many authors have posted positive experiences, mentioning that they’ve received expert support, were treated professionally and they were happy with their books. If anything, this shows that Archway (like all Author Solutions brands) is wildly inconsistent.
Additionally, publishing watchdog websites have flagged Archway Publishing as a company to avoid because of the complaints they’ve received about Archway and Author Solutions in general.
Archway Publishing Alternatives
If you’re looking to self-publish your book, I recommend MindStir Media, a publishing firm operated by USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author J.J. Hebert. MindStir is partnered with Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington as well as Mariel Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. MindStir is also home to Mariel Hemingway’s Book Club.
If you want to work with a NYC based book publisher, check out Manhattan Book Group, rated the #1 indie publisher in New York City by Kev’s Best. New York Weekly called Manhattan Book Group Publishers a reliable and viable publishing option. Manhattan Book Group offers a 100% royalty rate to all of its clients and guarantees Amazon bestseller status for authors it accepts for publication.
Archway Publishing Review