iUniverse
Reviews and Complaints

RUN, don't walk away from this company that practices fraud with no shame!

In 2009 I purchased and paid for in full a Premiere Pro Publishing package. Since my book was not complete at the time, I did not immediately utilize it. In 2012, my book was complete and I initiated the process of submitting the manuscript. After submitting, I was almost immediately contacted by Krista Hill in the Editorial department saying my book had potential but that it needed a "thorough content and typo edit." This would cost me an additional $3200. I paid this in 3 installments. I received my revised manuscript with a list of changes to be made. i made the changes and re-submitted it only to be informed that they had found more errors and I needed to spend another $3000 to remedy them. I said I could not afford it and that I would go through again and check it over. Meanwhile, iUniverse had one of their publicity agents contact me about the publicity for the book. At first I assumed he was talking about the publicity package that was included with my initial publishing package purchase. No, he was talking about getting me to spend over $24, 000 additional dollars for publicity. In my stupidity I agreed but was up front with him that I could not pay it all at once and would could scrape together $4000 for an initial payment. He said that was fine and that they would work with me on other payments.

Working with me on the other payments meant only that I would get two, sometimes three calls a week from their "Collection" department demanding that I pay in full plus collection fees, since when they submitted the charge to my card it was declined. I spoke with Nolan and he said he would take care of it. Taking care of it means nothing except there are more collection calls and that my manuscript is put on production hold. Not only are they refusing to move forward with my manuscript, they have also locked me out of the author's part of the website.

I have left multiple messages for Nolan regarding this matter and no responses. I have informed my bank that iUniverse is not reputable and that no charges were to be allowed from them on any of my accounts. Further, I plan to take this matter to our state's attorney general as well as Indiana's. I also plan to look at going after them for fraudulent business practices and for theft by the fact they have my money and will not give me the services I paid for, nor have they refunded it despite my request for them to do so.

This matter has been escalating since January, 2013. Bottom line, RUN, do not walk AWAY from iUniverse. These people will do anything, with no conscience whatsoever, to get your money. This needs to stop. Anyone who has had similar dealings with iUniverse needs to go after them to the full extent of the law. That is what I plan to do and will not stop until something happens to resolve the issue in a positive manner. If they do not resolve my issue with a full refund of the money paid and resolve the book production issue, I plan to take as much legal action as I have to in order to get this issue resolved.

Best of luck to anyone considering publishing with iUniverse, but your best bet is to run elsewhere!

I just published a book through IUniverse. I am quite disappointed because of the "half truths" they present. I purchased the book buyers return package and found out I am the one that needs to go to the bookstores and try to get them to stock the book. Like I have time to do that. The editorial review was an outsource that used a cookie cutter approach. No one at IUniverse even read my book. I had multiple people as "Personal Sales Assistants" and was passed from person to person to person who most did not speak english. After spending several thousand dollars, I have a book that looks great, cost way too much, and likely won't go anywhere. Why can't someone just provide good service as advertised?

iUniverse advertised a special price for a bulk order. I ordered 500 copies of my books (250 of each title) in 2010 October to be sent to two addresses--one in Idaho, one in New Hampshire. I was on overseas assignment, and when I returned in April, the books were STILL at neither address. When I called iUniverse, they kept bumping the matter around from one employee to another (the employee who had mishandled the original order was no longer with them, and the employees still there wouldn't fulfill the order). And of course they had charged my credit card.

A way to effectivily fight back against Iuniverse and all other publishers is to never sign anything with them until they give you the name of the resident agent working for them in your state. Once you get the information check the Attorney General's consumer protection agency to se if they are listed with them, if not don't sign anything.
If you can't find or they don't have a resident agent in your state, then Iuniverse or any other internet business is operating illegally in your state. They are most likely evading paying taxes (state, Federal) and can be held accountable. The best thing to do if you are already ripped - off by them is to get a form from the State Attornet General's Office of Consumer Protection in the head quartered state the publisher is operating in and one from the state you also reside in and explain and send all incriminating information Also contact the Federal Trade Comission FOR MORE INFORMATION, and then contact The IRS AND REPORT THEM. YOU CAN FILE CHARGES THROUGH YOU STATES CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY AND TAKE THEm TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT (5, 000 OR LESS) IN YOUR STATE, AND THEY HAVE NO DEFENSE!

I tried to order 50 books from iUniverse with what they called the Author Event Discount at 45%. The representative told me if I ordered 100 books, I could get a 50% discount. I told her I didn't need them. She said I could order my other two books to equal 100 and get the discount. I asked her a couple of times if the 100 books could be books for the 50% discount. She said "yes" each time. I ordered the 50 plus 25 each of the other books, but when I got the invoice by email a few minutes later, I found out I was charged 50 books at 40% and 35% discount for each of the other. When I called back, I was informed the office was closed. When I finally got ahold of the representative, she told me that the order had already gone in to the publisher. I called my credit card to dispute the charge and will refuse the order when it arrives. Authors beware of the "bait and switch" at iUniverse. They do not do good business.

I published a book with iUniverse in 1008. Received firest scheck. Had to call for second. Now have not received nor can gain information on my book in a year 1/2. Have a seond one ready, but need to know status before I do this again with this company. Iknow my book has been purchased by family and at least friends, and even adio overseas in Australia. I have been advised of none of this and cannot even access my account. No check has been sent. Yet I get e-mail everday for my next book (s). I hae some ready, but don't know what's going on with this company.

I up - signed for a "premier pro package" with iuniverse and they have taken over two years to yet publish my book. I have had one of their "award winning" editors who edited my book (cathy witcamper), while transferring my call to another department condescedingly, telling them that "his book is not going to sell" while she knew I could her her. She read my book and didn't like the content and must have smugly but incorrectly thought that by doing this that I was indecisive if my book wouls sell, and that making this comment would discourage me. She was wrong. I have a large group who can't wait to get a copy, especially overseas, england, australia, viet nam, ect.

Then under the first psa they assigned to me, my manuscript was altered to make me sound like a steppen fecthit stereotype ("I is comming") and when I complained about that (by email) they told me she no longer works there anymore (she didn't like the book either).

They assigned me another psa, (this one is also an "award' winner) andrea long" and for over two years she can't get the book finished yet! The psa is supposed to guide through the process and I have told her countless times that I have never wrote a book before and that I am totally unaware about the process. I had just started teaching myself to type and use a pc. After I had completed the editing process, she asked me if the editing was correct. I had gotten to what she claimed was the "cover polish stage". I told her what they did was good, but I still wanted to follow the editors suggestions to breakdown larger paragraphs only to find out the next day that I was denied access to my manuscript by iuniverse. I called andrea and she only then told me in retrospect (after the fact) that when you get to this stage you have to pay for any further changes! I protested to no avail, she told me that "it was too late" like it was some kind of a game, andd since I had many changes to make, it has cost me thousands of dollards to get it right!

When I would make corrections to the manuscript ($100.00 for 25 corrections), I would check them and let her know if they were done right. Then when I was about to go to print again, I asked her about them making sure that the edits they did were good, since I had found (stumbled upon) mistakes they made and that I have all copies of everything they had ever gave me, and this is when she tells me that I am responsible for reviewing (proofreading) the whole 475 page book! I told her that I am not a proofreader, that if I were, then I wouldn't have had to pay iuniverse to proof read the book.

I told her that I only checked the edits they made at my request and that I shouldn't have to proofread the rest of the book, because besides my corrections, it should still be the same as when iuniverse proofread it and if there are anymistakes they make that causes me to get sued, then they are responsible for that, not me! Then andrea does something real stupid in trying to influence my mind (just like cathy wittcamper did) that in all affect shoed me how stupid they are. She kept stressing to me that iuniverse is a "self-publishing" company, as if I were robotically supposed to all of a sudden, become stupid and interpet her saying the phrase "self - publishing" to think that it means that because I was self-publishing my book, that I am responsible "for their mistakes". I told andera that when I was 25, I turned down a law scolarship that knowledge of the law runs in my blood, and that I have a sister who got a scolarship to vassar and is a partner in the largest corporate law fim in the world (plunkett & cooney - "the super lawyers") who has practiced well over 25 years and never lost a single case in her life! I told andrea that when they do anything besides and go beyond just printing a ready-made book, and provide services like editing and proofreading that they are responsible for what they did, and that no business is exempt for what they do! I threatened to sue them.

I decided to take my book to another publisher (but I haven't told them yet), but I need to have it proofread again and needed to have it in a word document form (instead of a pdf doccument) and and told them that their rates were too high, and asked them for my manuscript in word. They gave me a word doccument that was unable to be processed and I went back and got another that was a little better, but is still unacceptable to the prooreaders still. They are trying to hold me as a hostage by giving me such an unacceptable version. All the people who have problems with iuniverse, need to come together and file a class-action suit against them! Contact me at ([protected]@verizon.net).

In 1999 a novel entitled "Out of Egypt, A Letter to Sophie" was completed. A man took the original manuscript (Copyright TXu001358129), changed it from third person to first, changed straight quotes to curly quotes and commas, changed a few words, added an epilogue and published it through iuniverse.com under his own name as a TRUE memoir (although many of the incidents are fictional).

When iuniverse.com was contacted in 2007 they removed the book from the shelves. Inexplicably, it is now back again--available at amazon.com. This book has violated federal copyright laws and should be removed.

iUniverse has published my book with sixty blank pages. Their marketing ploys result in zero sales. Now my book is on Amazon under my real name and not my nom de plume like I requested. The once flagship of the vanity/POD industry, has turned into a black joke staffed by poltroons.

Snafu the Elder author of "Illustrated Love Stories For Men (Bedtime Stories)

I signed on with iUniverse with my eyes wide open: I had my cover professionally designed by another source, I utilized an outside proofreader, and paid extra for the "express" Premiere Pro package to ensure my book went to press in a timely fashion.

As a result, my book was completed quickly and looks excellent.

My complaint with iUniverse is regarding their atrocious customer service and all the details they don't tell you on their website. Here's a "writer beware" list of everything that has happened since the publication of my book:

1) iUniverse is unreachable by phone, without exception. I've been forced to leave multiple messages, which are only occasionally returned via email.

2) When I send a specific question to their general support email (don't even think you'll ever get a direct contact at this company), I receive a nonspecific response 24 hours later that doesn't even come close to addressing my question. BONUS: when I resubmitted the same question three different times, I received three entirely different responses from three different people.

3) While their Booksellers Return Program is valuable and useful to get your book in stores, what they do not tell you is that is takes up to 60 days for it to go into effect.

4) Customer Service will tell you that it takes 45 days after your publication date to list your book with Books in Print. This is inaccurate - Books in Print takes 5 business days to list new titles when they're submitted. The delay comes from iUniverse, who will not submit your book to BIP until after you have received your contracted promotional copies, and you won't receive those until after you have reviewed your test copy. In my case, I still haven't received my promotional copies, because the "Book Sales Consultant" that was assigned to me quit his job, and lied to me about sending the copies. It took two weeks for anyone to even get back to me about my lack of review copies, and I'm still not listed in Books in Print.

5) Your "Marketing Consultant" will not offer you valuable marketing suggestions. Mine only tried to upsell me outrageously priced publicity services and ad rates in their partner magazines. THIS IS UNNECESSARY. You can do everything they do and more to market your book yourself - just do your homework to find out how.

6) Beware of inappropriate behavior. I copied several of the "Publishing Services Associates" I'd worked with on an email to Customer Service begging for assistance. One PSA happened to click "reply all" and unwittingly copied me on a not-so-nice reply about whiny authors.

7) If you purchase the "see inside" Barnes & Noble feature, be aware that it can take B&N several months to post it. iUniverse will not tell you this up front.

That's my story to date. While I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of my book, I cannot abide by the shoddy customer service I have received post production. It is unconscionable.

Should you decide to publish with iUniverse, be prepared to do EVERYTHING yourself, and expect no help along the way.

I am having a lot of problems with iuniverse and its poor services. Dealing with iuniverse is, like you said, very frustrating. I have one big problem after another in my dealings with them. When I thought all my troubles were over, I was shocked to recieve two test copies, which had terrible book covers. I have never seen a book with such a bad cover. The colours were all mixed up, and the text, plus cover photo were misplaced!

The worst part of dealing with iuniverse is that they are rude and unprofessional. I have written to the vice president, CEO, and many consultants about the poor covers of my books, and they have all ignored me. I have even written to the CEO/ Vice presidents of authorssolution, and authors house, but they are all silent about the issue.

And as if that were not bad enough, the only guy who had the courage to reply said that this was the first time they had ever had a problem like this!

it is obvious that what iuniverse writes on its website, is miles apart from what it actually offers. i would not advise any writer to risk invest his money in iuniverse. I wonder why no one had sued it yet!

Oscar Bamuhigire
E mail: [protected]@yahoo

The (bitter) iuniverse experience
I purchased the premier pro book package which promises "one-on-one author support". But my assigned publising assistant was inexperienced and incapable of effectively guiding me through the publishing process in a way that supported what I was trying to achieve. The iuniverse publishing experience is an extremely frustrating one, characterized by sub-professional output, endless delays, the one-on-one author support is in reality conducted by a pool of publishing assistants who stand between the author and the technical and creative staff that actually produce the book. It is not possible - except on rare occasions - to communicate ideas directly to production staff and work out solutions to problems with layout or design. Calls are never returned. Communication is conducted by email. When you are involved with a throny creative issue the waiting can seem endless as days and, in some cases, even weeks pass by. Publishing assistants work with a 9-5 mentality and seem to have little genuine passion for their work. The politeness and "have a wonderful day" positivsm do not constitute true professionalism but are geared to softening customer anger and weakening the resolve of frustrated authors to confront iuniverse in its failure to deliver on promises made in the marketing text.
I had to do virtually all the work on interior and exterior and work extremely hard to get my ideas into print. Post production assistance is virtually non existance. For the last two weeks I have tried to get information from my assigned book consultant. To no avail.
In fact to date I have never received a written response from this book consultatnt - I was forced to call in to find out why it took two months for me to receive a copy of the book I published after it had been sent to the printer.

The iuniverse marketing promise:
Only iuniverse has professionals with extensive industry knowledge who make it easy for you to affordably publish your book. Our "learn as you publish" approach combines specialized author support with value-packed publishing packages and a variety of high-quality, competitively priced editorial and marketing services

The iuniverse difference: with experienced leadership from the worlds of publishing, sales and marketing and technology, our management team is dedicated to helping you achieve your publishing goals

You've written it. Now it's time to begin production! Iuniverse has made this process painless by providing you with great tools and the professional advice you need to produce a flawless book.

Custom cover design - actually sub professional.
Book design and page layout - were template driven and unsuitable to the book.

Ultimately, from my experience, the premier pro package was neither premier, nor pro. It was a slap in the face. A slap which continues to resound and which I hope comes across here. My advice to anyone interested in selecting iuniverse is: don't believe the marketing text. Look at other publishing companies. Get author feedback.

I signed up with iUniverse Publishing last 8th of July 2008 to get my manuscript get edited, and published professionally, affordably, and fast (per Get Published! Professionally, Affordable, Fast - a book written by Ms. Susan Driscoll, Author, President and CEOof iUniverse). My manuscript was submitted and accepted by iUniverse, Inc. after payment of the required fee and was assigned two personnel by the name of Liesl Shapker, my appointed Publishing Services Associated and Amy He, my appointed Publishing Consultant.

I was informed that my manuscript would have to go through several stages, under 4 different authors, one author responsible for correcting grammar and spelling, one author responsible for ensuring it is in the right format, etc.

After over 3 months has passed, I kept sending emails to Liesl Schapker on the status of my book. Then about the first week of Oct. 2008, I received a telephone call from one Eugene Hopskins that he was canceling my contract with iUniverse and get the money I paid for, be refunded. According to Eugene Hopkins, (He is the client services manager per Liesl Schapker) my manuscript was not the kind of story they would publish. I asked him why it took him over 3 months to decide and tell me that. Eugene was apologetic and
said, 'I'm sorry.'

As per several e-mails from my assigned PSA, Liesl Schapker, the amount of $899.00 will be refunded. I have checked my bank for electronic transfer but there was no record of any transaction coming from iUniverse Publisher.

iUniverse wasted my time for over 3 months and delayed my going over to another able and capable publishing company. It was a mental anguish for me to wait over 3 months and to be told that my manuscript was not the kind of story they wanted to publish.