AuthorHouse is the leading provider of supported self-publishing services for authors worldwide, helping more than 70,000 authors publish more than 96,000 titles since 1997. Its aim is to help authors achieve success of their own definitions, whether that includes seeing their books in bookstores, on TV or optioned for film.
Written by the business, not verified by us.AuthorHouse (www.authorhouse.com) has a 2.8 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 101 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Hobbies & Crafts and its reputation is poor. Opinions are polarized: 41% rate it 4 stars or higher while 43% give 1 star; The business has replied to 80% of negative reviews; 19 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-12.
well . . . at first I liked the responses to my book but then gradually I was a bit concerned that it was taking a long time. It is the longest book I have ever written but I've published 18 shorter thrillers since then although not sure when
Polite, efficient, and flexible
Thanks, Lance — glad we could be polite, efficient, and flexible for you! Congratulations on your book!
When my manuscript was first edited major spacing changes were made that I had to return to my original concept. Then the Production Department changed the font on all the Scripture references and reduced the size of my manuscript to 6x9, making no attempt to fix the abundant new spacing problems that this created. The manuscript was electronically returned as "read only" so I had to email an extensive list of corrections and hope that they would do them all. They did not, so this back and forth had to be done several times until I finally gave up in frustration, leaving a few small typos undone. Also, most of my questions went unanswered or I only received a pre-scripted computer generated response that did not address my issue.
My editor was great. Response time was very good.
Thank you, Lydia — a great editor and quick responses are exactly what we hope every author gets. I'll be sure to pass your kind words on to your editor. Congratulations on your book!
The shield is a fantastic job helping me with my book publishing.
Thank you so much, Pat — Michelle will be thrilled to read this. Having someone in your corner who makes the whole publishing process easier is exactly what we hope for, and we're so glad she's been that person for you. I'll be sure to pass your kind words along to her. Congratulations on your book!
I always have mixed feelings on authorhouse. On the one hand, they have done everything they promised and have never gone back on anything or given me a cheap product. On the other hand, they are horribly overpriced for everything they offer. They overcharge on every service by nearly 3x or more than any other service. It makes me never want to use anything more than the base packages. There is absolutely no reason to pay thousands of dollars to get a single radio broadcast, or 500+ dollars for a poster that is just a blown up image of your book with a QR code. Absolutely everything is expensive to such a degree that ironically they are losing business by charging the sheer amount they do.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such thoughtful feedback. We're grateful to hear that we've delivered on our commitments and provided you with a quality product. At the same time, we understand your concerns about the cost of some of our services and appreciate you sharing your perspective. Feedback like yours helps us continue evaluating the value we provide and where we can improve for our authors. If you'd like to share any additional feedback, we'd welcome the opportunity to hear from you at [email protected].
The 3 points given is that some area seems to be working toward making the industry thrive other parts seem lax in performance, instant no feed to how the author's work performing, dash board not updating and constantly of to request updates, no payment for the author work for years coming through, miserable
Thank you for raising this. We are constantly working to improve our authors' experience, and this is valuable feedback. What you've described here — particularly not receiving payment for your work — is serious, and we're not going to try to address it in a public comment. Our team is reviewing your account and will reach out to you directly to review your royalty payments. Please keep an eye out for an email from us.
Great editor, prompt service, honored my wishes.
Thank you! An editor who listens and honors what you want for your book is exactly what every author deserves, so we're glad that's what you got. Congratulations on your book!
Complete waste of your time and especially your money! They charge a needlessly expensive monthly payment for them to "produce and distribute your book" which makes 0 sense to me as I had already finished writing and drawing the book all that needed to be handled was distribution which they decide to make difficult and take a whole 3 months to do editing to a script that had already been drawn out in a comic book which I sent them to distribute anyway but they decided to be difficult about it anyway. Even when they did finally edit the book, they did a horrible job, mainly removing parts where characters where shouting and times when characters would speak in slang, taking all the personality out of my "self published" book. They sweet talk you by telling you everything you wanna hear to peer pressure you into buying the first instalment of many to print your book and then they make you assume marketing is included in that cost but then a month later a different guy tried to peer pressure you and sweet talk you into buying another installment of payments for marketing in which you're confused but you agree because you wanna get your book out there, they sweet talk you, peer pressure you and do not take no for an answer. So after a month or 2 later, with btw constant updates telling you that your book you have already edited and made is in the edited stage and 0 updates from the marketing team, you get a new call. This time they try sweet talk you into buying a new instalment of payments to advertise your books on a podcast which only has 8 views per vid while they are asking for over 300 ponds from you and then you finally tell them no and they can't take no for an answer so they spam call you, peer pressure you and make you try and say yes but it doesn't work so they give up. After the 4th call in the hour you finally tell them you want out which they don't like so you tell them to put your account on hold and they "agree" and "confirm" that for you on the call. A month later you find notifications from the bank saying you have 2 declined payments from AuthorHouse which annoys you to no end as your account was agreed to be put on hold so you e-mail everyone you know who has been involved and they all just straight up ignore you. This is the author house experience and I DON'T recommend! I want them to stop charging me and give me my money back as they haven't done anything for the book except a poor attempt at editing this. While all this was happening I was able to put my book onto multiple platforms including my own website so you really don't need Author House
Ashley, we’re sorry that your experience left you feeling unheard and frustrated. You trusted us with your book, and we should have communicated more clearly about the editing process and listened when you said you did not want additional services or calls. We have confirmed that you will not be charged any further payments, and we are taking steps to ensure the calls stop. Thank you for sharing your experience and giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. Feel free to contact our response team at [email protected]
All I can say is, I was an inexperienced, first time, author and they took advantage of me. Basically, I had to buy a fixed quantity of my own books from them, at inflated prices, turn around and sell them all by myself, with even higher prices to get any kind of profit, and then watch them give themselves hefty royalties for my hard work. They get paid upfront because you’ve already purchased your own books (at THEIR price) to sell. But they take your royalties too. I had an eprint and paperback deal. The eprint option evaporated within a year- no reason that I can understand. Next, they took my book completely out of print and started blowing up my phone and email to try to manipulate me into buying more of MY books from them. The only way to get my book now is to buy it used on Amazon or I’d have to buy another “package” from them and sell them myself. It’s a big FRAUD! They call me several times per week. I can’t get them to leave me alone. I’ve told them multiple times I don’t want to do business with them anymore but they won’t listen. I can’t even answer unidentified phone numbers now because it’s probably THEM! I did mark their emails as junk and phishing. They are blocked. I wish there was a guaranteed way to stop the calls. I can block their number each time ,but they have TOO MANY in rotation to catch you off guard. I plan to seek a better publisher for my book so I can get unstuck. I have no idea what the process is to transfer to a new publisher, but I’m about to find out. A couple of Christian authors that I know (personally) only do business with Xulon Press .com. You get 100% of your royalties with them. I’m a Christian author, so I think that I will look into Xulon Press too. You live and you learn. Authorhouse was a HUGE mistake. They are professional scam artists AND bullies!
Jen, we're sorry to hear that your experience left you feeling frustrated. We take feedback like this seriously and would welcome the opportunity to better understand your concerns. Because we are unable to identify your account from your review, we invite you to contact us directly at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with your name, book title, and any relevant details so our team can review your experience. We would also like the opportunity to investigate your concerns regarding communication preferences and the status of your book. Thank you for sharing your feedback. We hope you'll give us the opportunity to look into this further.
This company promised a lot, but didn't follow through any of it. They were nice to talk to but they lied to you behind your back.
Jacqui, We're sorry to hear that you feel let down by your experience. Trust is important, and it's concerning to hear that we did not meet your expectations. Because we are unable to identify your account from this review, we invite you to contact us directly at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with your name, book title, and any details you are willing to share. We would appreciate the opportunity to review your concerns and better understand your experience. Thank you for your feedback. We hope to have the chance to learn more and address your concerns directly.
I wrote a children’s book with no prior experience in publishing and chose AuthorHouse to help guide me through the process. Unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing. I paid what I now realize was a very high upfront fee to publish my book. Only after paying did I learn that little to no meaningful marketing support was included. Instead, I was repeatedly encouraged to spend additional money on marketing services, with no clear explanation of the results or value. At the same time, I struggled to get answers to basic questions. The website that was supposed to be set up for my book was never clearly completed or explained, and I received little to no communication when I asked about it. I was also not given clear information on how to track book sales or understand royalties. Most concerning, I did not receive clear answers regarding payments for books sold. This lack of transparency and communication made the entire experience frustrating and concerning. If you are a first-time author, I strongly recommend doing extensive research before committing to any paid publishing service. I wish I had better understood the process and what was (and wasn’t) included before making this investment.
Danielle, we’re really sorry to hear how disappointing and concerning this experience has been for you especially as a first-time author navigating the process. We understand how important clear guidance and communication are, and it’s clear you didn’t feel supported in the way you expected. You should have a full understanding of what’s included, how your book is set up, and how to track your sales and royalties. We’re going to reach out to you directly to walk you through accessing your sales reports, explain your royalties in detail, and answer any questions you have about your website and marketing options, so everything is clear moving forward. We appreciate you sharing your experience, and we want to make sure you have the information and support you need.
I want to provide honest feedback about my experience with your marketing and sales processes. The level of disorganisation has made the entire journey extremely difficult to manage and I will highlight why. I received many emails requesting confirmations and approvals for marketing steps, making it almost impossible to keep track of what is required. Important messages get buried simply because the volume is unmanageable. I was also told that the challenge comes from having hundreds of offices around the world, which inevitably makes it difficult to maintain an efficient and organised process. While I understand the scale, the current system places the burden on authors to chase, track, and manage fragmented communication that should be streamlined on their side, which could be done with an app or more efficient dedicated process, instead of overwhelming authors with hundreds of emails. Additionally, the sales and marketing teams feel misaligned with the actual process of writing and publishing a book. The sales team, especially the marketing department, will call repeatedly to push additional marketing packages, yet the delivery of those services has been minimal. Despite the heavy emphasis on purchasing more marketing products, the marketing system itself has delivered next to nothing in terms of actual sales or measurable results, no follow ups on results, nothing. Overall, the experience has felt disorganised, overwhelming, and not aligned with the expectations set during the sales process. A more centralised, transparent, and results‑driven system would significantly improve the author experience. Due to this reason my book for the 2nd time running was delayed in being shown at the London Book Fair. After asking for a refund because I am no longer interested in the service and because the experience and process has been abysmal I was told that I had not approved my book being presented at the London Book Fair when I have the proof that I had. I have sent them the email in which my approval was confirmed. This situation has highlighted a serious issue in their internal processes. The fact that my book was not presented at the London Book Fair — and that I only discovered this because I physically turned up at the event — shows that even if I had not approved my book, there was no intention or system in place to notify me. There was no follow‑up, no prompt, and no reminder asking for approval at any stage. If there was no communication leading up to the London Book Fair, it is clear there would have been none at all. This makes it evident that my book would never have been presented unless I happened to be there in person to question its absence. That is not an acceptable or reliable process for authors who trust you with their work and their investment. I do not want to continue my investment with this company for this reason, and there fore I insist on a refund for that marketing campaign. Just to show the continued disorganisation that exists in this company. Authorhouse has a long way of reaching an acceptable standard for book publishing.
Lara, we’re truly sorry for the experience you’ve described, and we appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback. What you’ve outlined, especially around communication volume, lack of clarity, and misalignment between what was discussed and what was delivered, is not the experience we want for any author. We understand how overwhelming it can feel to manage fragmented emails, unclear approvals, and limited follow-up on results. We also sincerely apologize for the situation surrounding the London Book Fair. Missing an event like this, particularly after you had provided approval, is understandably upsetting. You should have received clear confirmation, proactive communication, and visibility every step of the way. We can confirm that your refund for the marketing campaign has been processed. We are actively reviewing and improving our processes across teams focused on reducing confusion, streamlining communication, and eliminating missed or duplicate touchpoints. Your feedback highlights exactly where we need to do better. We’ll also reach out directly to you to ensure everything has been fully resolved and to answer any remaining questions.
Scam. They took my manuscript placed author house onto my book and offered me 25% royality and linked the account to themselves also charged me £600 which seems pretty unfair.
As we replied before we take concerns like this seriously and have previously invited you to contact us so we could review the situation directly. The 25% royalty referenced is outlined in our publishing agreement, but we’re happy to walk through how royalties and accounts are structured and address any questions. Our team is available and would welcome the opportunity to speak with you and review your concerns.
I had my book published 7 years ago. I paid a lot of money for it. I kept paying money out, but I'm yet to see any sign of royalties, or payments. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for my book being published, but nothing came of it. I just wished i got paid for my work. I've completed a manuscript for a novel, and am looking to get it published, but this as put me off. You may still have my details, im not sure.
Thank you for sharing this and congratulations on publishing your book. We did notice you have not signed up for direct deposit, which is how we pay royalties since 2020. Our team will be reaching out directly to assist you with this so we can get this resolved. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Have yet to see a copy of my book -promised before Christmas! I have paid a joining fee and a marketing fee (kept email receipts)- chose to do my own editing. I have emailed 'Donald'(?) about this, but have yet to receive a response. None of the 'people' I have spoken to have a convincing Google profile (some don't exist) - and I have yet to speak to a non-American person, despite the company marketing themselves as Authorhouse (UK). Any advice would be welcome!
Thank you for sharing this — we understand how frustrating it is to be waiting on a promised delivery and we apologize for the delay. We can confirm that your book order has been processed and a copy is being sent. AuthorHouse is a US-based company that supports authors internationally, including in the UK, and our teams work across multiple regions. While individual employees are not required to maintain public Google profiles, authors are always welcome to verify communication by contacting the phone number listed on our official website.
Zero stars. Breached contract took a widow needing brain surgery for 5 k
I co authored a book, The Truth as the Lord Lives, which was published in 2021. I have received one royalty check several weeks after the book was on the market for a total of $38! I spent over $2,000 for their publishing fees. I’m still waiting for a check four years later!! I personally have bought the book many times so where is the royalties owned me and the author?? Scam, scam, scam. There is no way to find out how many books have been sold then and now. There is no paper trail or accountability. Never use this company ever!!!!
Thanks for sharing — I understand your concern. For privacy and contract reasons, we can only discuss royalty details with the primary author listed on the publishing agreement. We don’t have record of you as the main account holder, so we’re unable to release sales or payment information. If the contracted author contacts us directly, we’ll gladly review the account and provide full royalty details.
If you do not want some faceless people to eat ALL of your sweat, DO NOT deal with AuthorHouse
We’re sorry to hear about your experience. AuthorHouse is committed to providing quality service and support to our authors. We noticed your book went live in 2019, and we wish you had reached out sooner so we could have addressed your concerns at that time. Please contact us at [email protected] so we can review your account and assist you further.
Almost everything about this company is a joke. They’re VERY EAGER to get your credit card information so you can make a payment and then they just kinda….stop. Emails are rarely responded to, and if they are, never in a timely manner. Employees do not pass along critical information to other departments and no one takes accountability when things go south. My salesperson, Brad Wilhem, did not respond to my emails requesting an order of books. Two weeks later I called and asked to speak to management. He was suddenly on the phone for me placing the order. I told him I needed the books by August 7th. Guess what’s arriving on August 9th…. When I called to talk about this they claimed to have had no notice that this was needed. I also paid them to create an ad and the quality is laughable. If a 6th grader made the ad I wouldn’t be surprised. They are not good at reporting your sales either. All in all a terrible experience. No one is held accountable and they don’t offer you anything when they screw up. Terrible company.
We’re truly sorry for the frustrations you’ve experienced, from delays to the lack of timely communication. That’s not the experience we want for our authors, and we regret that we fell short of your expectations. Your feedback is important, and we’re taking it seriously as we work to improve our responsiveness, quality, and accountability moving forward.
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