Archway PublishingReviews of archwaypublishing.com

Everything is done as it should be done. People in Archway are helpful and professional.

Quick and easy

I try not to be a hardass when working with "lots of working parts" organizations but I have to join the ranks of the 3-stars-or-less reviewers here. I am still in-progress with my book release so we'll see how the "9 Reviews" service works out. I initially bought the Social Media campaign and to be true they refunded it pretty quick (a couple weeks) when I asked, BUT I had to dog them, like I've had to do on everything. Their "author rep" staff just seem to be of the lower-IQ range, naturally inept and/or untrained/unthreatened. I don't know where they get these people or why they keep them on. I too was dazzled by the Simon & Schuster umbrella but Archway is definitely a company of its own. I've written to upper-management people at both S&S and Archway, alerting them to the unpro style and bad lags and/or always-deficient sort of communications and how can they possibly expect to compete in the market with a style like that, etc, but no responses from them yet. They don't appear to give a damn. On the plus side, the content/quality of the hardcopies was very good, once I could get the production dept to make the corrections! I wouldn't bother with them, there have to be other publishers that do better than this. S&S are you listening?! I will update this review as services finalize, to whatever results. 6/19/26 - thanks Eugene for quick response and chance to communicate in detail. Bumping this review up to three stars, will monitor further performance :)

Archway Publishing extracted more than $25,000 from me for their publishing packages. When combined with my investment in a 10‑book children’s picture book series—including fully completed illustrations and professionally edited, publication‑ready manuscripts—my total financial loss exceeds $75,000. After securing my payments, Archway abandoned me almost immediately. I want every author to understand exactly what they are walking into. The sales representative who recruited me used nonstop pressure tactics, emotional manipulation, false promises, and scripted assurances to push me into purchasing their highest‑priced packages. She called me back‑to‑back, after hours, and on weekends, insisting the “special offer” was expiring within 24 hours and that her “vice presidents” were watching my progress. Once Archway had my money, everything changed. Communication stopped. Services disappeared. Every promise collapsed. Archway told me they had “reformed,” that the negative reviews were “old,” and that authors were now treated with professionalism and care. None of that was true. My experience matched the exact horror stories other authors warned about: unreturned calls, ignored emails, undelivered services, fabricated excuses, and a complete refusal to take responsibility. They even misrepresented the status of my services to the Minnesota Attorney General. I was promised marketing support, visibility, guidance, and a genuine partnership. Instead, I received silence, delays, excuses, and a system clearly designed to run out the clock while keeping my money. Archway’s business model is not built to help authors succeed—it is built to extract as much money as possible and then disappear. If you are an author considering Archway Publishing, please learn from my experience. Do **not** trust their promises, their sales tactics, or their “special offers.” Once they have your payment, you will be left alone, ignored, and financially devastated. I would not wish this experience on anyone. I am currently considering legal action against Archway. If any authors have experienced similar treatment, I am open to joining or initiating a class action.

Good luck getting answers from your designated staff. Unfortunately this review allows for only one "Date of Experience" because this situation has been ongoing. I purchased the most expensive package (person 1) in hopes that they would be able to assist me with the book marketing. I have tried to contact my account manager (person 2), the marketing person (person 3), the person 4 in charge of my complimentary copies; and any other persons who sent me an email in the past (persons 5 and 6) and crickets. I did receive an email (after many relentless phone calls) that included two links to PDFs with a tutorial on how to setup social media accounts to promote my book. Well, duh! Don't you think I haven't already done that through my already active profiles in social media? I then asked my account manager (person 2) if this was a scam because I was promised a press release, a website, advertising and marketing and, after a week and half since my book was released, I have received 0 of those services. Not even an answer to my emails. I wish I would have read these reviews before I chose Archway for my book (the first in a series that they will not be involved with going forward) because I would have NEVER used them.

At the end of 2024, and the beginning of 2025, I paid Archway Publishing $11,202.20 for a marketing plan for my book, Good Night Vietnam, From An American Army Rebel With A Cause. The book was finally published on September 30, 2025. Subsequently, I refused all facets of the marketing plan that were offered. Now, despite my numerous emails and calls to individuals at Archway during the last two months, I still have not received a refund or a response from Archway. I wish I had seen the awful reviews about Archway that I recently read. I should also have again published with Amazon KDP, which previously published two of my books. I only went with Archway because it was a Simon and Schuster Company. As a Vietnam vet with PTSD and suicidal tendencies, this situation is exacerbating those tendencies.

They are terrible to work with and hard to respond when you have questions. Avoid at all cost, no pun intended. They do zero work when it comes to marketing, unless you want to pay even more.

The book is "Life Within a Big Box," by Megan O'Hara, copyright 2020. As a reader of a book published through Archway, I definitely wouldn't recommend writers use Archway. There are several obvious errors, such as spelling the same person's name differently. "Carley," and "Carlie," for example. Also, leaving out words in a sentence such as "I went to talk them," needs "to." Such errors are throughout the book.