Adam W.
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Originally, I had left a five-star review, but I've had to go back and drop the score. My own personal experience with Parker Publishers started well, but it has quickly spiraled. I want to be fair to them, but I want to also be transparent. I've felt that the additional costs have been significant, dwarfing my initial payment, that I thought would cover the majority of my expenses. Second, my release date was a big deal to me. This was my first book. I had many family and friends supporting me. They waited with anticipation to purchase my book, and the release date came and went, but my book was not released. After wondering what was going on and feeling embarrassed that people who wanted to purchase my book couldn't, I reached out to find out what was happening. The team handling my book delayed my release without my knowledge. I've been very discouraged by the process so far. I would encourage first time authors to be sure that you get transparency on pricing, printing costs, marketing, etc. Ask up front for detailed price guides! I failed to do this, and now I'm wishing I'd went with another publisher.
Response from Parker PublishersOct 22, 2024
Dear Adam, Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. At Parker Publishers, we value transparency and open communication, and I want to personally address your concerns while providing clarity on the situation. First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize for the frustration and disappointment you experienced regarding your book’s release date. As your first book, we understand how much this moment meant to you, and we regret that it didn’t unfold as you had anticipated. The delay in publishing was a decision based on recommendations from our marketing head due to the Thanksgiving holiday. During this period, traffic on e-platforms tends to be significantly lower, and we felt a slight delay would better position your book for visibility and success. While this approach has been beneficial for other authors, we deeply regret that you were not informed about this adjustment. This was a communication oversight on the part of your project manager, Ms. Betsy Williams, who, despite her professionalism and kind demeanor, did not keep you in the loop regarding this change. For this, we are truly sorry, as keeping our clients informed is one of our core principles. Regarding your concerns about pricing and additional costs, I’d like to provide some context. Your primary service agreement with us was for book publishing, which included formatting, editing, proofreading, and cover design. Any additional services discussed by Ms. Williams, such as marketing strategies or value-added services, were entirely optional. As professional partners, it is our responsibility to offer suggestions and expert opinions that can enhance your book's success. However, at no point were you pressured or obligated to proceed with any additional services. These services were only discussed once the core aspects of your book were finalized and you were satisfied with the main deliverables. We strive to maintain complete transparency, and every additional service is quoted separately, with detailed explanations provided beforehand. This practice ensures our clients can make informed decisions. While we aim to provide professional assistance and suggestions to help our clients’ books stand out, it is always a mutual agreement when additional services are selected and payments made. We regret if this process left you feeling otherwise. We appreciate your feedback and take it to heart. It helps us identify areas where we can grow and improve. We are here to address any outstanding matters and ensure your experience moving forward is as positive as possible. Sincerely, Steven Patterson, Parker Publishers