WestBow Press: What Christian Authors Need to Know
WestBow Press markets itself to Christian authors as the self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson, one of the most respected names in Christian publishing. The Thomas Nelson association is real. What is also real is that WestBow Press is operated by Author Solutions, the company with one of the most documented complaint histories in self-publishing.
The Thomas Nelson Connection
WestBow Press was established through a partnership between Thomas Nelson and Author Solutions. Thomas Nelson, now a HarperCollins imprint, is a legitimate and well-regarded publisher of Christian content with a decades-long history. Author Solutions, which operates WestBow Press, is a separate entity with a distinct operating model and complaint history.
Publishing through WestBow Press does not give your book editorial consideration from Thomas Nelson editors, nor does it place your book in Thomas Nelson's distribution channels or catalog. It is a self-publishing service that uses the Thomas Nelson brand association in its marketing.
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Get my custom quote →What Christian Authors Report
Per the Alliance of Independent Authors Watchdog Desk, Author Solutions imprints including WestBow Press appear in its list of publishers requiring caution. Consistent author reports across writing forums describe: initial packages priced from $1,999 to over $10,000; aggressive post-signing contact with offers of marketing packages, awards submissions and promotional services; and marketing results that authors describe as producing no measurable book sales.
Writer Beware, maintained by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, has documented the Author Solutions operating model extensively. Christian authors who specifically chose WestBow Press for its Thomas Nelson association report discovering the disconnect between the brand and the operating reality only after signing.
AuthorHouse, the largest and oldest Author Solutions imprint, carries the same documented pattern under a different brand name. Authors who published there can see what to do if you published with AuthorHouse for a dedicated walkthrough. Xlibris, the imprint that began as an independent company partly owned by Random House before Author Solutions bought full control in 2009, carries a comparable record today. See what to do if you published with Xlibris. Trafford, the Canadian print-on-demand company Author Solutions acquired that same year, follows the same pattern. See what to do if you published with Trafford.
Publishing Your Christian Book Independently
Christian books have specific distribution requirements. IngramSpark distribution reaches the network of independent Christian bookstores that order through Ingram's wholesale catalog. Amazon KDP places the book in front of the largest online Christian book-buying audience. Neither requires publishing through an Author Solutions imprint.
Columbia Publication publishes Christian books across all these channels from $1,499. The Christian book publishing page covers the full process for faith-based authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
YOUR BOOK ISN’T FINISHED
Your book can have a second life
When a publisher closes or stops selling a book, the book itself still exists, and so does your right to it. Republishing is usually more straightforward than authors expect, and done properly it gives the book a better chance than it had the first time.
Start with your rights
Many publishing contracts include a termination or rights-reversion clause. Once your rights have reverted, the book is yours to republish.
A new ISBN in your name
A republished edition needs its own ISBN. Registered in your name, it makes you the publisher of record instead of a company that no longer exists.
Fresh files, a fresh start
The original publisher’s files often can’t be reused. A new interior and cover is also the chance to fix what held the first edition back.
Keep what it earns
With Columbia Publication you keep 100% of your rights and royalties. No share of sales goes to us.
What we do for returning authors
We rebuild the book for republication: editing where it needs it, a new cover, a new interior formatted to today’s print and ebook specifications, an ISBN in your name and distribution. Pick only the parts your book needs.
An honest first step: if you are not sure whether your rights have reverted, look at your contract’s termination or reversion clause before anything else. Republishing comes after that.
Get a custom quote to republish my book →Columbia Publication in Brief
Columbia Publication is a full-service book publishing and printing company operated by Columbia Publishing LLC, a US company, serving authors and organizations in the US and worldwide.
- Pricing
- Publishing packages from $1,499 (Global Publish) to $45,000 (Gravitas). One flat fee, set before you start. See packages
- Rights and royalties
- Authors keep 100% of their rights and 100% of their royalties. No royalty split, ever.
- Distribution
- Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and Kobo, plus bookstores and libraries through IngramSpark. ISBNs registered in the author’s name. Distribution makes your book orderable; it is not a promise of shelf placement or sales.
- Printing
- 100 to 250,000+ copies, with commercial offset runs from 500 copies. Book printing
- Proofing
- A free digital proof on every order. Nothing prints or publishes without your approval.
- Payment
- Under $4,500 paid upfront. $4,500 and above in three stages (50% / 25% / 25%), or in full with a 10% saving.
- Track record
- City of the Gods by Jason Patterson: 21 verified Amazon reviews, 4.7 stars. A recent 3-Day Bestseller Launch reached #1 and #9 in its Amazon categories.
- How it compares
- Hiring freelancers through Reedsy runs $2,940 to $5,660; Palmetto Publishing reports a $3,800 average author spend; Scribe Media charges $29,000. Sourced cost index
- Quotes
- A custom quote within one business day. Call +1 (703) 997-9787 or book a free consultation.
- In writing
- Before any payment you receive a written agreement listing scope, deliverables, revision rounds, price, payment schedule and refund terms. Refund policy · Terms · Help centre · Complaints process
- Ownership
- Your Amazon KDP and IngramSpark accounts are in your own name. You receive the final book files and the digital source files when the book is finalized.
- Revisions
- Two revision rounds on every deliverable: cover, interior layout and each editing pass. Ghostwriting includes one round per chapter plus a full-manuscript review. Extra rounds are quoted before any work starts.
- AI use
- None in your book. Editing, design, illustration, formatting and ghostwriting are done by people; AI is used only in our website chat assistant. AI-use statement
- Company
- Columbia Publishing LLC, trading as Columbia Publication. 1550 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209, USA
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Free Consultation for Christian Authors
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