Jaiden L.
False advertising
False advertising, when my publisher reached out I was told for a one time payment of $1600 I could have my book ready for ebook, Paperback, and Hardcover. When the time came to publish to Amazon only the ebook and PB were available. I reached out and asked about the hardcover and she said it was a complete different package for another one time payment of $425. Then my book only appeared on 2 of the 5 websites promised and they were only available as Ebook. I'm sure for another "One time payment" I can get the PB and HC. I didn't like how it cost nearly $2,000 for the format and editing and overall cost to do this entire process but then I had to go through and do most of the editing myself and send my suggestions to her. If that's normal I apologize I'm new, but it just felt weird. When I was sent the final draft of my book I approved it, however when the book was released and my family ordered a copy they noticed a lot of errors. I glanced over a It and noticed she used the previous draft and not the final. When I reached out she said I would have to republic the book and it was to late. She said, " You approved the final copy" in which yes, I did but she didn't use the final draft for my book. She was very nice but the poor communication and amount of errors and just feeling like i had to work harder on this book than SBP, just feels like I was scammed. Did not get enough out of what I paid.
Response from Stellar Books PublishingOct 16, 2024
Dear Jaiden, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We value all feedback, whether positive or critical, as it helps us grow and improve. However, we’d like to take a moment to clarify a few details to provide a complete and fair understanding of the situation. The initial cost of $1,600 covered the publishing of your book in paperback and ebook formats, as outlined from the beginning of our discussions. When you later expressed interest in a hardcover edition, we explained that this would require an additional one-time payment of $425, as hardcover publishing is considered an optional add-on service. Regarding the platforms, your book was indeed listed on all five promised platforms. However, it is important to note that two of these platforms only offer ebook formats—this is a platform-specific limitation beyond our control. The paperback and hardcover edition is available on the other platforms. In terms of the overall cost, it included not just editing and formatting but also proofreading, book cover design, and publication across multiple platforms. Additionally, we provided unlimited revisions throughout the process to ensure the final product aligned with your vision. Throughout the editing process, we shared every draft with you for feedback and incorporated the multiple rounds of changes you requested. This collaborative approach ensures our clients have full control over the outcome, and it is standard in the publishing industry to involve authors closely during editing to meet their expectations. You approved the final manuscript, and we moved forward with publication based on your confirmation. After two months, you contacted us regarding errors you noticed in the printed version. We offered to unpublish the book to make the requested changes, even though doing so could impact the book’s visibility and rankings. Ultimately, you chose not to proceed with this option. We apologize if there was any confusion or if you felt the communication could have been better. Please know that your satisfaction remains our top priority, and we are still open to working on any revisions you'd like to make, at no additional cost. We are committed to delivering the best possible outcome for every project and invested the same level of care and effort into your book. Thank you again for your feedback.