Author Solutions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | Bloomington, Indiana , United States |
| Products | Vanity publishing services |
| Owner | Najafi Companies |
Author Solutions, LLC operates as the parent organization for multiple vanity publishing brands, such as AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford Publishing, Xlibris, Palibrio, and Booktango. The company is based in Bloomington, Indiana and has been under the ownership of Najafi Companies since 2015.
History
By April 2008, Author Solutions reported that one out of every seventeen books published in the United States originated from AuthorHouse. The company grew further in 2009 by acquiring rival firms Xlibris in January and Trafford Publishing in April. Later that same year, it collaborated with Christian publisher Thomas Nelson to introduce WestBow Press, a self-publishing imprint. In June 2010, Author Solutions launched Palibrio, its initial Spanish-language imprint aimed at Spanish-speaking authors in the U.S., which was subsequently extended to Spain.
In 2012, Pearson plc purchased Author Solutions from Bertram Capital Management for $116 million. The following year, the company was subject to a class action lawsuit accusing it of deceptive business practices, with damages sought amounting to $5 million. The attempt to certify the lawsuit as a class action was denied in 2015, and the case was later resolved without prejudice.
On December 31, 2015, Najafi Companies acquired Author Solutions, marking the end of its relationship with Penguin Random House.
Since then, Author Solutions has established strategic alliances with traditional publishing houses to provide self-publishing imprints including: Simon & Schuster (Archway Publishing), Thomas Nelson (WestBow Press), Hay House (Balboa Press), Guideposts (Inspiring Voices), and Writer's Digest (Abbott Press).
Criticism
Author Solutions has frequently been criticized by author advocacy organizations for engaging in aggressive marketing strategies, charging excessive fees, applying high-pressure sales methods, and delivering substandard customer service. These concerns have led to its placement on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's Thumbs Down Publisher List, multiple Watchdog Advisories issued by the Alliance of Independent Authors, as well as alerts from Writer Beware.
Imprints and divisions
- Archway Publishing
- Author Learning Center
- AuthorHouse
- AuthorHouse UK
- AuthorHive
- Balboa Press
- Balboa Press UK
- Booktango
- GABAL Global Editions
- iUniverse
- LifeRich Publishing
- megustaescribir
- Palibrio
- Partridge Publishing
- Partridge Africa
- Partridge India
- Partridge Singapore
- Trafford Publishing
- WestBow Press
- Wordclay
- Xlibris