WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan, understands that an author’s work is more than just a book. It’s a calling. We empower emerging Christian writers to answer their callings and share their messages of faith through publishing, helping every step of the way with supported self-publishing services that fit authors’ ambitions. As a Christian book publisher we publish books of all genres but specialize in books with Christian morals and inspirational themes.
Written by the business, not verified by us.
Is WestBow Press legit?
WestBow Press (www.westbowpress.com) has a 3.3 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 100 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Media & Publishing and its reputation is mixed. Opinions are polarized: 55% rate it 4 stars or higher while 30% give 1 star; The business has replied to 85% of negative reviews; 39 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-12.
The initial encounter and experience with Westbow was great. However, it went down hill quickly! It seemed all they cared about was taking my money. EVERY conversation included a sales pitch for some additional service. At the time, I was doing ministry overseas.
The salesman called and told me how great my book was. I told him that we raised support to do ministry and that I wouldn't be able to afford much, if anything for marketing. The next day, he sent me a proposal for $25,000, proving that he hadn't listened to me at all and that he only cared about the money.
The royalty is also very small. I've sold hundreds of books and have yet to recover my initial investment.
Now, I can't get anybody to return my calls to get copies of my book printed...been trying for a month!
The most disappointing part of all of this, is that this is a Christian company. I expect more integrity and authenticity from Christian companies. I will eventually cancel my contract and reprint on Amazon, and use Amazon for all future books that I write.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-14
Thank you for sharing your experience, and I'm truly sorry to hear that it has been so disappointing. As a Christian company, we try to operate with a high degree of integrity and to prioritize the needs of our authors.
Your feedback is invaluable and highlights areas where we need to improve, particularly in listening to our authors and ensuring our services align with their expectations. We will take this seriously and work towards better aligning our practices with our values.
Your book consultant has reached out to you about your book order
All of my contacts at Westbow provided me with clear, concise information in a timely, friendly manner. As a new author, I had many questions. Each query was answered in complete fashion. It has been a wonderful learning experience for me.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-14
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're so pleased to hear that you found our team helpful and responsive, especially as a new author with many questions. It’s wonderful that each of your inquiries was addressed thoroughly and that you had a positive learning experience with us. We aim to support our authors every step of the way and are glad to have been a part of your journey. We look forward to your future projects and successes!
Excellent quality in every way possible, printing, paper, service, promotional assistance.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-14
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are delighted to hear that you were satisfied with the quality of our printing, paper, service, and promotional assistance. Our team strives to provide the best possible experience for our authors, and it's wonderful to know that we've met your expectations. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to continuing to support your publishing needs in the future!
Helpful service. The walking through each process.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-14
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We're glad to hear that you found our service helpful and that our step-by-step guidance through each process met your needs. Our goal is to make each stage of the journey as clear and supportive as possible. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to assisting you with any future projects!
One of the things that vanity press companies often get wrong is putting the correct resources on a project and doing frequent, informative communication. WestBow has excellent resources who are conscientious and communicative. I really appreciate that. Everything promised was delivered on schedule and with high quality. Well worth the fee.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-14
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that your experience with publishing your first fiction novel through WestBow was a positive one. We pride ourselves on our commitment to providing the right resources and maintaining open, informative communication with our authors. It’s fantastic to know that we delivered everything as promised, on schedule, and to your satisfaction. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to supporting your future writing endeavors!
The information I was given during the sales pitch was not accurate. First I was told that they could make any size book and then it changed to only two sizes. I was told that they could use a paper copy and then it was only a very specific kind of electronic file which I couldn’t produce.
I asked to cancel the order and was told that it would be canceled which it was but it was $200 short when I saw my refund. They advised me that this was in the contract and it was but the contract was so tiny that I couldn’t read it on my cell phone, nobody mentioned that there would be a penalty for cancellation. The reason I wanted to cancel was because I was told that I could send a paper copy and they would do the rest. This was totally not true I had told them I had no Internet except on my phone and could not Submit anything but paper I was assured this would be fine and I mailed them a book which they still have plus $200 of mine and a lot of my time I would not use them again I trusted Zondervan and Thomas Nelson from my childhood but that was then, and this is now and things do change not always for the better
They might have a case to hold back $200 if I had just changed my mind but it wasn’t because I changed my mind. It’s because they did not deliver what they promised, and since they did not deliver what they promised, they should refund everything.
The number for the account transaction
Was 859969 and it occurred on 4/22/24.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-07
Thank you for your feedback. It looks like there might have been some confusion. We can certainly use a paper copy and handle the data entry for you, though please note that this service does carry an additional fee.
Regarding the holdback terms, I apologize if they were hard to spot in your contract. Contracts can indeed be challenging to read on a phone. For future reference, I recommend viewing such important documents on a larger screen, like a friend’s computer, to ensure you don’t miss any details.
Everyone I interacted with was extremely helpful in helping me get my project published and printed! When I didn't understand something or needed support, they were always there to guide me!
Reply from WestBow Press2024-05-07
Thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience; our staff will definitely be happy to read what you wrote. We put customer experience and satisfaction as our priority, and your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. So thanks for your kind words and we look forward to seeing you again.
Considering this was an entirely new venture for me, my experience with Westbow Press was a Godsend. From my first conversation with Eric Schroeder through many more, there was never any pressure felt. I was given direct advice that I knew but ran from. When I finally decided to forge ahead, everyone I worked with was patient and helpful during the process, Angel Tanner, Leslie Tan, Janine David and I am hopefully preparing to work with Heather Carter. Thank you so much for making what could have been an intimidating experience, a blessing.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-04-25
Thank you for your review. The staff you mentioned will be excited to read this review. They work hard to give our authors a great experience
Great folks and very accomodating--for a reasonable price
Westbow was a breath of fresh air after our horrific publishing encounter with Covenant Books. So many great people at Westbow made our experience go really smoothly as far as working with those assigned to our project (shout out to these rockstars: Levi Floyd, Bob DeGroff, Deena Capron!). Unfortunately, we didn't understand much about the new self-publishing model and expected much more invested interest from the company, but for no-name authors that want to get out there at their own investment, Westbow Press is a fabulous company! We just needed to go over things with a fine-toothed comb as the manuscript is processed by multiple departments and we missed some layout errors and a few little text glitches that was not what we sent them, but must have happened along the way. So make sure you are extremely detail oriented. Otherwise, paying for mistakes--both yours and theirs--is expected by Westbow of the self-funded author. Also, Westbow cannot accommodate more than one author either legally or communicatively, so my co-author and I really wish they would change that policy. All in all this new way to publish probably has American publishing companies of yesteryear turning over in their graves, but it's a great opportunity to get out there and get yourself heard, and Westbow has some amazing folks to help you do just that!
Reply from WestBow Press2024-03-26
Thank you for the kind words about the staff. They will be happy to hear this as they want to provide excellent service to their authors. We charge fair prices for the work we perform for our authors to allow them to reach readers with their book.
WestBow Press has proven to be the top publisher in the business. Their professional service and marketing departments are one of the best.
I have worked with in the past seven years. When I look back, at the two publishers and three book distributors I used to publish my parents’ books.
I realize, they were a waste of time, money, and patience. If you want the best publisher for your thoughts, faith, and book.
I suggest you use WestBow Press.
Waldo Theus
Author – “A Mother’s Touch”
“Our Father’s Spirit”
Reply from WestBow Press2024-03-26
Thank you for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience; our staff will definitely be happy to read what you wrote. We put customer experience and satisfaction as our priority, and your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. So thanks for your kind words and we look forward to seeing you again.
So, I was sold allot but never saw the benefit of them. At the first I bought the biggest package. But actually could have just bought the lightest package as I cannot see the benefit. I feel like they don’t really care about you after they get their money. They set things up but I only realized how to work the different parts after it was over.
Reply from WestBow Press2024-03-06
We are sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the services you purchased. It is true that we charge fair prices for the work we perform. We appreciate that it's difficult for new authors to find new readers but it's a journey without an end so don't give up. And remember: not all promotion comes with an expense. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss further
i purchased a pkg for about $3000 to publish my book because THIS WAS ZONDERVAN! Right? Wow! Thomas Nelson! woohoo! and then in less than two wks i learn it was a scam and requested a refund of which they took out $75 because i wanted my money back! and on top of THAT the author learning ctr keeps deducting 9.99 monthly for services canceled in 12/23 that i had to dispute w/my bank! it was refunded BUT THEY DID IT AGAIN IN JANUARY which means they have my info on file. the guy, christopher adamson (i think) was supposed 2b handling the cancellation but HE can't be reached! so i go to my bank again and reported it and got it back! so if they take out another 9.99 i'll have to get another debit card in order to make them stop! if i knew how to reach the author learning ctr, i'd do it myself! but everybody is unreachable until you leave a negative review! i'm so sick of scammers!
Reply from WestBow Press2024-02-14
I appreciate your feedback. I can assure you we are not scammers and have many happy, successful authors. We are sorry you feel otherwise. The $75 was withheld for your payment plan fee which was a charge you agreed to in your contract.
The Author Learning Center was cancelled in Jan, which we confirmed on the 11th. You would have received an email prior to that saying the subscription would be continued, until we received a cancelation. There will be no further charges to your account
Golden Star assistance every step of the process in getting my manuscript made into a book!
I so much appreciated how Westbow Press listened to me, every step of the way!
Being elderly, I had much difficulty getting every task completed but several of the staff members stayed with me, clarifying what I didn't
understand. Often I was given options to make the process easy to understand including the ability to change the options that I liked or didn't like.
I had no surprises in completing the task in getting my book completed!
Any delay in completing the task, was from my own barriers, including feeling overwhelmed with the tasks needing completion, in my own personal life!
Other: I appreciated the fact that when I needed assistance, Westbow Press answered all emails in a timely matter!
I felt like I had personal assistance, and never felt rushed! Thank You to the Westbow Press staff!
Vickee Martin
Reply from WestBow Press2024-02-14
Thank you for your wonderful review. The team will be so happy to read this.
Do not use this publishing company. They sell you on big promises and then use every opportunity to take your money. Hidden fees everywhere. The only thing they gave me that was worth anything was the cover and interior design. They will call you and try to talk you into spending more money after you have already given them a ton. They control the price of your book and jack up its price. My 125-page book in hardcover cost significantly more than other hardcover books with well over 1,000 pages. I am embarrassed to tell people to buy my book. I wouldn't spend that much money on the book, and I'm the one who wrote it. You're better publishing through Amazon than WestBow
Reply from WestBow Press2024-02-05
I am glad you liked your cover and interior design. We do offer additional services that can be added onto your publishing package. You are never required to purchase these. Book pricing is dependent on a number of items. I am sorry that the hardcover version did not meet your expectations. If you would like to discuss further please contact us at [email protected]
Westbow is quite possibly the worst, most manipulative company I’ve ever worked with. And they say they’re “Christian”. The head person spends more time coming up with a way to spin the situation than just fix the situation. They are like car salesmen…and once they get the money, they disappear. I had an issue with distribution and they wouldn’t return my calls, no one was available, and they told ME to call around and fix it. That’s literally the job of a publisher. Crazy! I asked for a high quality image of my front cover so I could promote and their head person told me no. My book is out…they still haven’t launched the website that I paid for and still have sent other materials that I paid for. But there’s no one to contact. If you’re wanting to publish your book, RUN from here and go somewhere that cares. Lastly, pay attention to their 1.28 star rating on BBB.org. They will boast about their “A+” rating but this letter rating is based on their ability to respond back to BBB in a timely manner. Their number score of 1.28 shows you how the customer actually feels about this place. All of the complaints are the same. This exciting endeavor turned into a stressful one. And I paid a lot of money for that bad service. RUN!
Reply from WestBow Press2024-01-29
We are sorry to hear about your disappointment. This is definitely not the experience we aim to give our authors. I see you are in contact with several people here who are reviewing your concerns.
WestBow press was very easy to work with during the whole publishing process. They were quick to answer my questions and suggest options when I was not sure. Each step of the way, there was a coordinator to communicate with. I am very pleased with my experience and would use them again for future book publishings.
The WestBow Press team was very friendly, professional, and responsive and book quality surprised even me. Thank you WestBow for helping me publish a book that has been in my mind for a while. All the best!
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