AuthorHouse is a real, currently operating publishing services company, not an outfit that takes money and disappears. It has sold books for over two decades and was sold to a new owner, Center Street Ventures, in March 2025. But it carries one of the longest documented complaint histories in self-publishing: a 1.5-star average across roughly 65 Better Business Bureau reviews, a Poor 2.1-star Trustpilot rating, and two federal lawsuits filed against its parent company in 2013. Authors report a consistent pattern: an initial package priced from $1,499 to $14,999, followed by persistent post-signing offers for marketing services, and difficulty getting a straight answer about royalties afterward.
AuthorHouse never closed. That is exactly why so many of its authors are still stuck.
AuthorHouse did not vanish overnight the way Tate Publishing did. It has changed owners three times since 2007 and continues to sign new authors today. What has not changed across three ownership groups is the complaint record: thousands of one and two star reviews, two federal lawsuits against its parent company, and a business model that industry watchdogs describe as built on selling services to authors rather than selling books to readers. If you published with AuthorHouse and are wondering what your book is actually worth to you now, here is what the public record shows and what your real options are.
What AuthorHouse actually is, and how it got here.
AuthorHouse began life as 1stBooks, founded in January 1997 in Bloomington, Indiana, one of the earliest print on demand self-publishing services in the United States. Per Publishers Weekly's 2004 reporting, the company renamed itself AuthorHouse in March 2004 to reflect the growth of print on demand publishing, having grown from a few hundred authors published in its early years to more than 7,500 in a single year by the time of the rename, with roughly 20,000 titles already in print.
In 2007, AuthorHouse became the flagship brand of a newly formed parent company, Author Solutions, which brought together AuthorHouse with iUniverse, Xlibris and other imprints under one corporate umbrella headquartered in the same Bloomington, Indiana offices. Ownership changed hands twice more after that. Pearson, then the parent of Penguin, acquired Author Solutions in 2012 for a reported $116 million. Pearson sold the company to Najafi Companies at the end of December 2015, ending its association with Penguin Random House. Most recently, in March 2025, Najafi sold Author Solutions to Center Street Ventures, a private investment firm based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Publishing industry reporter Jane Friedman noted at the time that little independent information exists about the buyer beyond the acquisition itself.
Across all three ownership eras, the pattern authors report has stayed remarkably consistent. AuthorHouse sells tiered publishing packages, with entry pricing around $1,499 and top tiers reaching approximately $14,999 depending on the edition. Complaint aggregators including the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, PissedConsumer, Ripoff Report and ComplaintsBoard document a recurring sequence: an initial package purchase, followed by persistent post-signing contact offering additional marketing, publicity and award-submission packages, then difficulty getting clear answers about royalty payments once the additional spending slows. One review aggregation cited a case of an author who reported spending between $7,000 and $8,000 over six years without receiving royalty payments, with a different explanation offered each quarter for the delay. The Alliance of Independent Authors Watchdog Desk has summarized the underlying business model bluntly: unlike a traditional publisher, Author Solutions imprints generate revenue primarily by selling services to their own authors rather than by selling books to a general readership.
The complaint record also has a legal chapter. In 2013, Author Solutions was named in lawsuits filed in the Southern District of New York seeking class action status and roughly $5 million in damages over alleged deceptive practices, according to reporting at the time by Forbes and Publishers Weekly. A court denied class certification in July 2015. One case was discontinued without prejudice in August 2015 following settlement discussions, and a second case was dismissed in September 2015. Neither case produced a court finding on the merits, but the pattern of complaints documented independently across multiple review platforms continued for years after both cases closed, and Author Solutions remains on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Thumbs Down Publisher List.
Why "still operating" changes what you need to do next.
Most AuthorHouse authors who contact Columbia Publication fall into one of three situations. The first group knows they want out entirely: they want their rights confirmed, their files recovered, and their book republished somewhere with transparent, flat fee pricing and no further contact after the sale closes. The second group has a book that is still technically active under their AuthorHouse contract but has stalled commercially, and they want a clean relaunch rather than a legal exit. The third group is simply uncertain what their specific contract says about termination, reversion and file ownership, and needs someone to read it and explain it in plain language before they decide anything.
Because AuthorHouse has never closed or filed for bankruptcy, none of these situations resolve automatically the way they would for a former Tate Publishing author. Your rights depend entirely on the specific termination and reversion clauses in the contract you signed, which vary by package tier and by which ownership era you signed under. Columbia Publication starts every AuthorHouse engagement with a free consultation that reviews your actual contract if you have it, or helps you request a copy directly from AuthorHouse if you do not, and gives you a written, honest assessment of your position before you commit to anything.
If you decide to move forward, we handle rights documentation, file recovery, production and platform setup end to end. Your book goes live on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books and 40 plus additional global platforms, typically within four to eight weeks. You keep 100% of your rights and 100% of your royalties permanently, with one flat fee and nothing ongoing.
From an unresponsive publisher to a book that actually sells.
Every AuthorHouse republishing engagement moves through the same clear stages. No surprises, no post-signing upsells, no waiting weeks for an answer that never comes.
Contract Review & Termination Path
We read your actual AuthorHouse agreement and identify exactly what it says about termination, rights reversion, notice periods and any fees involved in exiting. If your package tier or contract era differs from the norm, we flag that clearly. Most contract reviews are completed within two to three business days as part of your no-cost consultation call, before you owe anything.
DELIVERABLE: Written explanation of your specific termination path and timeline.
Manuscript & File Recovery
We help you formally request your production files, interior layout and cover source files from AuthorHouse in writing. Where those files are withheld, delayed or unusable, we rebuild them from your manuscript. A new ISBN is registered in your name, independent of AuthorHouse, and your copyright registration is confirmed or renewed.
DELIVERABLE: A complete file audit with a fixed scope and price before production begins.
Professional Production
Depending on your book's condition, this stage covers interior formatting to current Amazon KDP and IngramSpark specifications, cover redesign, professional copyediting where the original edition needs it, and metadata work including title, subtitle, description, keywords and BISAC categories for discoverability.
DELIVERABLE: Finished interior and cover files that pass Amazon and IngramSpark's current 2026 upload checks on the first submission.
Platform Setup & Global Distribution
Your book is submitted to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark simultaneously, reaching 40,000 plus retailers, libraries and wholesalers worldwide. Pricing is set to maximise your royalty per copy, which you keep in full. The new edition is live within 72 hours of platform submission.
DELIVERABLE: Your book live on Amazon and IngramSpark with global distribution active.
Relaunch Against an Active Old Listing
This step matters more for AuthorHouse authors than for authors coming from a closed publisher. Because AuthorHouse is still operating, your old edition typically stays live and for sale rather than quietly disappearing, which means your new edition needs to be clearly positioned as the current, authoritative version. We handle the Amazon author page update, new edition metadata, and provide a relaunch outreach template so existing readers find the new edition without confusion.
DELIVERABLE: Clear new edition positioning with the old listing appropriately handled.
What former AuthorHouse authors typically need, and what it costs.
Republishing costs vary depending on your contract's termination process, what files you can recover, and how much production needs to be redone. Columbia Publication uses flat fee, transparent pricing: no royalty splits, no ongoing percentages, no post-signing upsells of any kind.
Full production republishing, from $1,499
For authors who need a new cover, a manuscript reformatted from scratch, or an interior redesigned to current publishing standards. Covers professional cover design, full interior layout, copyediting, metadata optimisation, ISBN registration, and Amazon KDP and IngramSpark setup with global distribution active. Timeline: four to six weeks.
Full service relaunch, from $4,999
For authors who want a genuine relaunch: updated content, professional editing, a new cover, Amazon bestseller positioning, press outreach and a structured relaunch campaign. Timeline: six to eight weeks. Appropriate for authors whose AuthorHouse book had real commercial traction before the account relationship soured.
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Waiting does not change your contract. It only costs you readers.
Every year your book sits under an unresponsive account relationship is a year it is not reaching the readers it was written for. AuthorHouse being a real, operating company does not obligate you to stay. It means the exit is a documented process rather than an automatic event, and that process is exactly what the free consultation walks you through.
The authors who wait longest are usually the ones unsure whether their contract even allows an exit, or unsure whether republishing is worth the effort. Both questions have concrete answers once someone actually reads your agreement. That review costs nothing but forty five minutes, and it tells you exactly where you stand.
Frequently asked by AuthorHouse authors.
Is AuthorHouse still in business?
Yes. Unlike Tate Publishing, AuthorHouse has never closed. It was sold to Center Street Ventures in March 2025, its third change of ownership since parent company Author Solutions was formed in 2007. Because it is still operating, there is no automatic rights reversion the way Tate authors received. You typically need to invoke your contract's termination clause directly.
Why does AuthorHouse have so many complaints?
AuthorHouse and parent Author Solutions carry one of the longest documented complaint histories in self-publishing, per aggregated review data from the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, PissedConsumer and Ripoff Report, plus two federal lawsuits filed in 2013 that were resolved without a class judgment by late 2015. Watchdog groups including the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America both flag Author Solutions imprints for caution.
Do I automatically get my rights back from AuthorHouse the way Tate authors did?
No. Because AuthorHouse is still operating, there is no bankruptcy-triggered reversion. Your position depends on the termination language in your specific contract, which varies by package tier and by which ownership era you signed under. We review your actual agreement in the free consultation before you pay anything.
What if I cannot find my original AuthorHouse contract?
Common, especially for authors who signed years ago. We can help you request a copy directly from AuthorHouse in writing, which publishers are generally obligated to provide, and advise on next steps before that copy arrives.
Is AuthorHouse the same company as iUniverse, WestBow Press, Xlibris or Trafford?
Yes, all operate or have operated under the same parent, Author Solutions LLC. AuthorHouse is the oldest and largest by name recognition, originally founded as 1stBooks in January 1997 before renaming in March 2004. If your book was published under iUniverse or WestBow Press specifically, see our dedicated guides for those imprints.
How much does republishing with Columbia Publication cost?
Full production republishing starts at $1,499, flat fee, including cover design, interior formatting, ISBN registration and platform setup. Full service relaunch packages with editing and a marketing campaign run up to $4,999. No ongoing packages, no post-signing upsells, ever.
Your book was never the problem. Let's give it a publisher that answers the phone.
The free consultation takes forty five minutes. It covers your contract, your file status, your republishing options and what each one costs. If Columbia Publication is not the right fit for your situation, we will tell you who is. If we are, you will have a clear proposal and timeline before the call ends.
Three ownership changes have not fixed AuthorHouse's record. You do not have to wait for a fourth.
Get Your Free Contract ReviewOr call (703) 997-9787 · Reviewed by Gia K., Director of Editorial and Book Production · Columbia Publication, Arlington VA