FindYourPublisher.com / SearchForPublishers.com

James D. Macdonald · Apr 27, 2009

You see them advertising in Google AdSense:

Find A Book Publisher Now
We'll Help You Find the Right Publisher. Simple 3 Step Process.
www.FindYourPublisher.com

*
Literary Publishing Agent
Get Matched With A Literary Agent That Is Right For You Today!
SearchForPublishers.com

The ads lead to similar sites. You have a bunch of buttons and drop-down boxes to click to answer questions about your book; your genre, for example. Then you come to a new page, and the question,
"What amount do you want to invest to get published?"

None of the choices are "Nothing," or "The publisher pays me, you fool." All that's available are amounts that you'd be willing to pay.

Which means that, assuming you went through with this and gave them your email address, you wouldn't hear from a single effective agent or non-vanity press.

Maryn · Apr 28, 2009

How typically avuncular! Thanks, Jim. You've surely saved some people a buttload of clicking, maybe even some money and heartbreak.

Maryn, offering you a muffin

victoriastrauss · Apr 28, 2009

I went all the way through, with a fake email address, and it led me to...iUniverse. So it's the Author Solutions empire looking for customers. Very sleazy, but I'm not surprised.

- Victoria

Deleted member 42 · Apr 28, 2009

No matter what I answered--I end up at iUniverse.

Old Hack · Apr 29, 2009

Me too. I tried several combinations of answers.

ChristineR · Apr 29, 2009

Ha! I got Authorhouse! I said I wanted to do photography and had lots of money to waste. What's the difference anyhow? Is Authorhouse pricier?

By the way, check this link out. It's the same form, only on Authorhouse.

Cyia · Apr 29, 2009

I got iUniverse as an inspirational writer and AuthorHouse as a photographer.

Old Hack · Apr 29, 2009

Aha. I didn't try the photography option. It's interesting that there's that split: so can we assume that AuthorHouse is now going to be for illustrated books, and iUniverse for text-based books, do you think?

Cyia · Apr 29, 2009

Old Hack said:
Aha. I didn't try the photography option. It's interesting that there's that split: so can we assume that AuthorHouse is now going to be for illustrated books, and iUniverse for text-based books, do you think?

It would appear so. I just reran it for an illustrated children's book and it came up AuthorHouse.

CaoPaux · Jul 23, 2010

Just an update: FindYourPublisher now states "powered by Author Solutions" here and there.

No such disclosure on SearchForPublishers.

Bartholomew · Jul 23, 2010

Thanks for saving me a few minutes, guys. I've seen this a couple of times now, and I was going to visit it next time. o.o

Marian Perera · Jul 24, 2010

ChristineR said:
Ha! I got Authorhouse! I said I wanted to do photography and had lots of money to waste. What's the difference anyhow? Is Authorhouse pricier?

I got AuthorHouse too. I said I wanted to publish a fantasy novel and had $500 to $1000 to spend. There was no option for anything below $500, much less for nothing, even though I said that my purpose in publishing was to make money off the book.

How am I supposed to make money if I'm $500 - $1000 in the hole before the book is even released?

James D. Macdonald · Mar 2, 2013

It appears there is a current class-action lawsuit against AuthorSolutions (and all its imprints):

Investigation of Author Solutions’ Deceptive Practices

Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart LLP is currently investigating the practices of Author Solutions and all of its brands (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, Inkubook, and Wordclay). Authors using Author Solutions have complained of deceptive practices, including enticing authors to purchase promotional services that are not provided or are worthless, failing to pay royalties, and spamming authors and publishing blogs/sites with promotional material.
If you have self-published with Author Solutions or any of its brands and have been the victim of deceptive practices, please fill out the form below.

http://www.gslawny.com/lawyer-attorney-2103286.html

CaoPaux · Nov 27, 2016

Just wanted to note that while SearchForPublishers has been run by a series of marketing firms over the years (originally Venture Direct Worldwide; currently emfluence), and presumably paid to "feature" particular publishers, it isn't a direct subsidiary.

ChooseYourPublisher, however, is another "powered" by ASI.

FindYourPublisher.com / SearchForPublishers.com

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Maryn

Not Any More

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

Deleted member 42

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

ChristineR

What happened?

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless

Bartholomew

Comic guy

Marian Perera

starting over

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless