BookBaby: A Cautionary Tale for Indie Authors

When I decided to self-publish my novel Forged in Blood, I was excited to finally hold my dream in my hands. Like many indie authors, I entrusted a company to help me bring my book to life. After extensive research, I chose BookBaby, hoping for a seamless, professional experience. Unfortunately, what followed was a frustrating and disappointing journey, one I hope to help others avoid.

Top is Forged in Blood, bottom is normal everyday book.

The Initial Excitement

After submitting my manuscript and eagerly awaiting my author copies, I felt that familiar anticipation that all authors experience. I was so excited to finally hold my dream in my hands, to show my deceased grandpa that I had finally done it. The day my author’s copy arrived should have been a celebration, but it all turned to dust with the poor quality I received. It became a wake-up call.

Poor Quality Binding and Formatting Issues

When I opened my package, my heart sank. The book’s binding was subpar, appearing fragile and poorly secured. But that wasn’t all. The interior formatting, a critical element for readability, was asymmetrical with inconsistent margins throughout the book. I flipped through the pages, hoping it was an anomaly, but the inconsistency was pervasive. Every single page had issues: one page's text would stretch near the bottom, while the adjoining page's text would stop half an inch higher, even in the middle of a paragraph.

The Response from BookBaby

Naturally, I reached out to BookBaby, assuming that they would address the situation with professionalism and concern. To their credit, they did investigate, but their conclusion showed a lack of care and placed the blame on me. Here is an excerpt from the email I received:

"Hello Kristina,

Thank you for reaching out. We are sorry to hear that there was an issue with your book.

I took a look at the images that you provided and the binding on your hard cover book does appear to be correct. Additionally, it is worth noting that our books are not intended to be a lay flat product. Meaning when you open the book, the pages will not fully open flat against each other, due to a standard binding method that creates a visible gap or 'gutter' in the center where the pages are attached to the spine.

I saw in the photo that you sent of your previous book that the binding included a headband. At this time, we no longer include headbands as part of the binding process, as these are not necessary and are strictly for cosmetic reasons.

Regarding your concerns with the formatting within the book. Not every single book is going to have the same amount of lines on every single page in case of 'orphaned' text. Additionally, this was visible in your approved proof.

Regarding the dust jacket, all of our dust jackets are applied by hand, so some slight shifting may occur during the application. This can typically be adjusted on your end.

Please let me know if you have any other questions."

This response suggested that I should have measured every single page in the digital proofs to catch inconsistencies. It also dismissed the flawed formatting and placed the burden of fixing physical issues like dust jacket shifts on me.

Lack of Communication and Inconsistent Support

My assigned "agent" never responded to my emails. The last time I spoke with him was August 16th, 2024, and I have not heard from him since. Each time I followed up, I was handed off to someone different, forcing me to re-explain my concerns every single time. The responses varied wildly: one person would say the issues were minor and unavoidable, while another would suggest they might review the case only to drop the ball entirely.

Refund Disappointment

After much back and forth, I was issued a refund of $108.06 for the $99 cost of one unit from my order [order number redacted] plus tax. The refund confirmation email from Lori, a Publication Production Specialist, read:

"Hello Kristina,

Our apologies for any delay and/or issues you've experienced. We are processing a refund of $108.06 for the $99.00 for 1-unit on your order [order number redacted] + tax.

You will receive this refund back onto your credit card ending in [redacted] within 5-7 business days. Thank you."

In addition, I received another refund email:

"Hello Kristina,

We've checked for you and your Design work on this order [order number redacted] has been approved. We are not able to refund for the design work that has been completed/approved.

However, we can refund an additional amount of $86.23 for the ISBN ($79.00 + tax) that was purchased on the order. We have processed this additional refund and you should see this reflect back onto your credit card ending in [redacted] within 5-7 business days."

Despite these partial refunds, they amounted to a fraction of the nearly $1,700 I had invested in this project. Their justification? I had approved the digital proofs. However, digital proofs cannot convey physical inconsistencies such as asymmetrical interior formatting or faulty binding. Approving a digital file is not the same as approving physical printing flaws, and I will not use their so-called "formatted" proofs anywhere else, as it would carry the same quality issues even with a different printer.

Lessons Learned

This experience has taught me a few hard but valuable lessons:

1. Choose Your Publishing Service Carefully: Do thorough research and read customer reviews, especially the negative ones, before committing to a self-publishing service.

2. Ask Questions and Demand Transparency: Make sure to ask detailed questions about their printing, formatting, and proofing process.

3. Hold Companies Accountable: If something goes wrong, don’t hesitate to demand answers and fair treatment.

4. Trust Your Gut: If something feels off at any point in the process, consider pausing or seeking alternative solutions.

A Warning for Fellow Indie Authors

Self-publishing is a brave endeavor that requires significant time, effort, and financial investment. Your book deserves to be treated with care, and you deserve a publishing partner who respects your vision and concerns.

To anyone considering BookBaby, my advice is to proceed with caution. I’m sharing my story not to discourage anyone from self-publishing but to remind you to advocate for yourself and your work. There are many services out there, so find the one that will treat your book with the same love and care that you put into creating it.

For now, I’m taking what I’ve learned and moving forward with resilience and purpose. My journey doesn’t end here—it’s only the beginning, and neither should yours. I hope my experiences empower you to stay the course and pursue your publishing dreams fearlessly. I will be sharing a deep dive into the tools I used and the contractors I hired to self-publish my first book, providing insights that I hope will guide and inspire you along your own path.