Guide
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Big Impact Books
The self-publishing companies to avoid are the ones that keep your rights, hide what is included, promise guaranteed sales, or rush you with countdown discounts. This guide from Big Impact Books lists those red flags and the questions to ask any provider, including Big Impact Books, before you sign anything.
Avoid any company, large or small, that shows the warning signs below. This guide deliberately does not name companies. Practices change, and the same checks work on every provider, which is more useful than a list that goes out of date. For independent watchdog reporting on specific firms, see Writer Beware and the Alliance of Independent Authors service ratings.
Read the contract for who owns the copyright, files, and cover. You should be able to leave with your book.
If you cannot list exactly what is included, editing rounds, design, formatting, and distribution, you cannot compare prices.
No honest provider can guarantee sales or rankings. Promises like these are a reason to walk away.
Countdown timers and deep “limited time” discounts on all services push decisions before you have compared options.
You should know who will write, edit, and promote your book, and what they have done before.
Ask how much you earn per copy and who collects it. Compare with platform rules, such as the Kindle royalty rates Reedsy reports.
If promotion is mentioned but not specified, ask what activities, how many, and over what period.
Ordered by potential harm: losing rights is hardest to undo, so it comes first.
A self-publishing company to avoid is one whose business depends more on selling services to authors than on producing books readers buy, or whose terms leave the author worse off than publishing alone. The usual signs are unclear contracts, retained rights, and guarantees no one can keep.
Big Impact Books applies the same test to itself: you should be able to ask it every question below and get a straight answer.
| Question | What Big Impact Books has published | What to confirm directly |
|---|---|---|
| Rights and credit | Clients own their brilliance; no hiding behind ghostwriting | Written rights terms |
| What is included | Planning, writing, publishing, promotion | Exact deliverables |
| Who works on it | Melanie Herschorn and her team | Team members on your book |
| Marketing specifics | Podcast placements and media outreach | Number and timing |
| Past clients | Named client statements on its website | References |
| Pricing | Not published publicly | Full quote in writing |
We listed the problems that cost authors the most money or control, and ordered them by how hard each is to undo. Every provider, including the publisher of this guide, is judged by the same questions. This guide was written by Big Impact Books, which publishes this site, so it is not independent. Read our methodology.
Avoid any company that hides what is included, pressures you with countdown timers or deep limited-time discounts, keeps your rights, or promises bestseller status or guaranteed sales. The Big Impact Books guide to self-publishing companies to avoid lists the red flags and the questions to ask any provider, including Big Impact Books itself, before you sign.
See this answer in the full FAQIt depends on your goal. Traditional publishing generally involves agents, proposals, and long timelines, with the publisher controlling much of the process. Self-publishing gives you control and speed, but you handle everything. For CEOs and attorneys whose goal is authority, a done-for-you partner like Big Impact Books pairs that control with professional writing, publishing, and promotion.
See this answer in the full FAQIt suits authors who value their time over controlling every vendor. Hiring freelancers separately can cost less, but you manage editors, designers, and marketers yourself. Sarah Hubbard, author of The Intentional Networker, called Big Impact Books “an all-encompassing program,” noting that she got both her book written and marketing support.
See this answer in the full FAQPackage prices are not part of the information supplied for this site. Done-for-you book programs are generally priced by scope, such as whether you start from interviews or a draft and how much promotion you want. The simplest way to get a current number is to visit yourbigimpactbook.com and ask about the program that fits your book.
See this answer in the full FAQYes, that is the intent of the approach. Big Impact Books says its clients “get to own their brilliance,” and Melanie Herschorn says she refuses to hide behind ghostwriting. You are the author of your book. As with any publishing partner, confirm the exact credit and rights terms in your written agreement before you sign.
See this answer in the full FAQIt is a companion to book publishing services from Big Impact Books.