Today, we're diving into a hot topic: Self-Publishing School reviews.
When you're looking for a service like Self-Publishing School and Selfpublishingcom to help you publish your book, you probably rely on reviews to make your decision. But what if those reviews aren't genuine? What if the people saying great things about the Self-Publishing School and Selfpublishing .com are just actors reading from scripts paid for by Chandler Bolt himself?
It seems that there's a buzz about most of their online reviews being fake, and there is evidence that actors and actresses are being paid to pose as happy customers.
This is a serious issue because fake reviews can mislead people like you who are seeking honest feedback. It's like trying to choose a restaurant based on glowing reviews, only to find out later that those reviews were written by the staff, not real customers.
The problem with fake reviews is that they make it hard for you to know if a service is really as good as it claims to be. You want to trust that the feedback you're reading comes from real experiences, not paid endorsements, or in this regard, fake reviews.
So, as you consider using Self-Publishing School, Selfpublishingcom or any other service, it's important to be cautious. Take the time to look for reviews from different sources and try to gauge their authenticity. That way, you can make an informed decision about who to trust with your book-publishing journey.
Is Self-Publishing School a scam?
Yes. Yes, they are. Most of their positive reviews, produced on their website, are fake testimonials. Their publishing starts at $7,000, and is based on video tutorials for Amazon Kindle - which other publishers can do for you for as little as $200. According to Pissed Consumer, "Self Publishing School has 1.4 star rating based on 7 customer reviews. Consumers are mostly dissatisfied."
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According to Chandler himself:
Chandler Bolt is an entrepreneur who has dabbled in running his own businesses since he was young. Since he released his first book, The Productive Person, his self-publishing success kicked off, culminating in the release of Published and the creation of his company, Self-Publishing School and Selfpublishing." He also runs the Write Life, The Book Designer, Make A Living Writing, and Freelance Writers Den.
Chandler Bolt is an investor, the CEO of Self-Publishing School & SelfPublishing.com, Forbes 30 Under 30, and the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.”.
You will have access to weekly group laser coaching calls directly over Zoom with Chandler Bolt, founder and CEO of Self-Publishing School. Sell More Books ...
Chandler Bolt
Chandler Bolt on LinkedIn: The end of an era. I launched Self Publishing School in February of 2015…Dec 14, 2022
Chandler Bolt - selfpublishing.com
LinkedIn · Chandler Bolt
Austin, Texas, United States · selfpublishing.com
Chandler Bolt is an investor, advisor, the CEO of SelfPublishing.com, and the author of 6… | Learn more about Chandler Bolt's work experience, education ...
Nov 8, 2023 — About the Founder of Self-Publishing School. Chandler Bolt is an entrepreneur who has dabbled in running his own businesses since he was young.
Chandler is the Forbes 30 Under 30 CEO & Founder of Self Publishing School and the owner of SelfPublishing.com. self-publishingschool.comand 3 more links.
Dec 23, 2022 — Chandler Bolt is a 29-year-old entrepreneur and founder and CEO of SelfPublishing.com who is re-inventing the future of publishing books.
Chandler Bolt is the Founder and CEO at selfpublishing.com. He attended College of Charleston.
According to Chandler Bolt's array of websites:
"Self-Publishing School is an online education company that offers multiple programs teaching authors how to write, publish, market and build a business from their first book in as little as 90 days.
We Help You Successfully Write & Publish Books to. Start a Business. From WRITING to SELLING YOUR BOOKS ONLINE and all the steps in-between… We give you exactly ...
We teach you how to create and self-publish all types of books. This includes ebook, Kindle, paperback, children's books, and the entire audiobook production .
Nov 8, 2023 — Self-Publishing School is for anyone who wants to write and publish their own books and learn how to launch a book to be an Amazon Kindle ...
Oct 30, 2023 — Is Self-Publishing School legit? Yes – Self-Publishing School is a credible online self-publishing company that offers comprehensive training ...
Chandler Bolt runs the Self publishing school podcast of the following byline: "Learn from experts leading the industry in all things business growth, book writing, book publishing, marketing, and more, with appearances from Hal Elrod, Susie Moore, Robert Kiyosaki, and many others. Gain access to the knowledge you need to succeed, right from our podcast!"
Chandler Bolt's YouTube channel, Self Publishing TV, is an extension of the podcast.
The self publishing school blog which produces articles for aspiring authors, in organized into the 17 distinct categories: Authors Like, Best Books, Book Marketing, Books Like, Business, Children's Book, Creative Writing, Editing, Fiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Podcast, Pre-Writing, Pro Author, Publishing, Reviews, Writing.
According to Chandler Bolt's website:
The go-to resource for learning how to self publish successfully! We have 100s of helpful articles on fiction writing, nonfiction writing, book design, ...
How Do I Create an Online Course From My Book? How Do I Break a Publishing Contract with a Traditional Book Publisher? How Can I Strategically Market My ...
Feb 1, 2024 — Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing: In this article we break down royalties, speed to publication, distribution, and more.
In addition to this, The self publishing school workbook provides another funnel that allows Selfpublishing and Self-Publishing School to generate leads and find clients to scam. Below you can download the Self Publishing School workbook, which includes the webinar slides, workbook, Chandler's notes, and a mind map PDF.
According to Self Publishing School, "The Outsourcer Rolodex (or Book Production Team) is an exclusive list of editors, cover designers, formatters (and more) to help you save money and time to produce your book. You'll even find a Virtual Assistant!"
There are 4 ways you can reach the staff at Self Publishing School. Here are :
Phone Number
Email Address
Customer Service
Login
To speak with a Publishing Strategist or to get support from the overhyped Student Success team, unsuspecting authors may call: 1-866-772-0012.
If you have questions about a Self Publishing School scam, contact their team and request a refund within their 30-day refund policy team@self-publishingschool.com. They can also be reached at: support@self-publishingschool.com.
According to their Self Help subdomain, "To open a Support Ticket. Follow these steps: Visit selfpublishing .com/ticket. Complete the form by providing your name, email, subject, description, and any additional details about your question. Click submit."
According to several sources, Self Publishing School and Self Publishing .com maintains several mailing addresses. Their 2 main addresses are: PO Box 9184. Greenville, SC 29604 and 1 Polk St Unit 1402, San Francisco, California, 94102, United States. Related addresses: Business Details · SelfPublishing .com. Austin, TX 78702-3436. BBB Accredited Business · SelfPublishing .com. Venice Venice, CA 90291.
A major concern arises when considering the price of enrollment. The cost of Self-Publishing School's programs is notably high, starting at $7,000 and potentially deterring individuals with limited financial resources. While the investment may be justifiable for those who are serious about becoming successful authors, the pricing structure may not be inclusive enough for a broader audience. Another drawback is the lack of personalized support.
According to Write Life, their publishing services cost even more money:
"Most products, which include 1:1 coaching, group coaching, done-for-you services, and online curriculum, retail for $8,000. Bundling products reduces the price.
Become a Bestseller. From Blank Page To Bestselling Author & Everything In Between. $7000 ; Fundamentals of Fiction. Write & Publish A High Quality Story Readers ...
According to GetNovelize:
"Self-Publishing School is not without cons, as there’s no such thing as a perfect program. The biggest drawback may be their pricing. Another thing to consider is that they’re mostly focused on Amazon and becoming a bestseller for whichever category you snag that tag in.
As of this writing, they list all their courses for $6,000 on their website. When I signed up in September 2019, I paid $6997 for Fundamentals of Fiction, Memoirs and Story and Sell More Books. The Full Time Fiction course did not exist. When Self-Publishing School started, their clients were mostly nonfiction authors, but they have since branched out.
During the initial coaching call, I was told the price for the program was $12k. But they would give me a discount since I came through them via Novelize. I had initially emailed with someone from selfpublishing.com (owned by Self-Publishing School) about doing link exchanges on the Novelize website."
Despite the promises of mentorship and coaching, some users have reported a lack of direct interaction with instructors and mentors. This absence of one-on-one guidance can be a significant limitation, especially for individuals who require more tailored assistance or have specific questions regarding their unique publishing journey.
The effectiveness of the marketing strategies advocated by Self-Publishing School and Self-publishing also raises questions. Chandler Bolt pays for book reviews. That's how he ranks his authors' books. Which is illegal.
According to Chandler himself:
"Writing a book doesn’t guarantee that your book will sell. Even if your book is the next Great American Novel, if it doesn’t get into the collective consciousness of the public, it won’t be a success. That’s where book marketing tactics become indispensable.
Marketing takes planning, organization, and consistent action; it’s work. But the good news is that marketing your book is also about connections and relationships, so it can be fun. You’re the only person who knows your book from cover to cover (pun intended), your backstory and reasons for writing, and who your ideal reader is. It’s just a matter of putting a plan in place to connect with your intended audience and share your story.
We’ll walk you through play-by-play sales and marketing steps so readers find your book and buy it. Book sales = profits for you. You deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Most users from their own client base have expressed disappointment in the results of their marketing efforts, suggesting that these book review strategies taught may not be universally applicable or may require additional customization."
But according to this Reddit user:
Chandler Bolt is an Internet Marketer. He is an expert in making money from gullible people online using marketing tricks, but he is no publishing expert. See the full Reddit post here:
Self-Publishingschool and Selfpublishing are a scam run by Chandler Bolt, alongside other online sites such as the Write Life, The Book Designer, Make A Living Writing, and Freelance Writers Den -- through which he runs as a front to lure unsuspecting aspiring authors to continue his multi-layer marketing scheme.
The high cost, limited personalized support, and potential ineffectiveness of marketing strategies raise concerns. As with any investment in education, prospective students should carefully weigh the benefits against the drawbacks and consider alternative options that may better suit their individual needs and resources.
According to another website owned by Chandler Bolt, Get Novelize:
"Self-publishing school is a great option if you're new to the business of being an author. They lay out a process that allows you to finish a book in 90 days—an ambitious but achievable goal. The individual and group coaching sessions will help you stay on track and keep you motivated, too."
Or let's see what his other website, The Write Life's fake testimonial has to say:
"Nov 8, 2023 — Self-Publishing School is one of the most comprehensive programs available on how to write, publish, and launch a book to bestseller status on ...
But Lisa, however, who maintains a website not on the payroll of Chandler Bolt had this to say:
"Self-Publishing School was not what I’d hoped. After less than three weeks, I asked for a refund. I did get the refund, so I wasn’t fleeced. I did get started on two books, but I can’t much credit SPS for that.
Here’s my honest review of Self-Publishing School, started by Chandler Bolt. I hope this review helps someone else, because I couldn’t find this kind of critical info online when I was trying to decide whether to plunk down the cash.
The quick summary: I got far more out of two books than out of the SPS course material. For $13 you can get all you need from Guy Kawasaki’s Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and Nancy Hendrickson’s Write and Publish Your First Non-Fiction Book."
Chandler Bolt is an expert in creating fake reviews. Here's a list of all the fake reviews he took out of his ass and produced on his website:
ALEXIS & JUSTIN BLACK. “Self Publishing School pushed me to finally get my book out there. They answered all my questions, even ones I didn't know I had. The coaches are amazing, and the community support is unlike any other.
“I just didn’t know how to launch this book. My book has brought in royalties, it’s caused me to get speaking engagements. It’s just amazing to see without even promoting it that hard . Just do it. Take action!” CHARLES ROSE. Become a Bestseller
“Joining SPS ranks in the top five list of the best things I ever did in seventy years of life. If you have a story or a series of stories that you need to tell and if you want to tell the best story you can: join this program.“ JOHN HORNBECK. Fundamentals of Fiction
“At least 100 people wrote me a review, shared it on social media, and that was the biggest thing—that strategy came from you and that was what sold 10,000 copies of my book in the first couple months.” GILLIAN PERKINS. Become a Bestseller
NOLA LI BARR
Become a Bestseller, Publicity & Speaking, Course Building for Authors
“One of the biggest things I worried about when I joined SPS was monetary. It’s a lot of money to invest in yourself without knowing what you’re going to get out of it. And I have to say it’s probably the best investment I’ve ever made in myself. And I’ve gone through a PhD, I’ve gone through multiple jobs, I’ve gone through multiple industries. It’s the best investment I’ve ever done for myself.”
What Does the Internet Say about Self-Publishing School and Self Publishing .com?
1- Chandler Bolt SCAMMED $4,000 From Her
For more information, check out the link below:
2- Pissed Consumers .com
"Anonymous Guest-5106712 Erie, Pennsylvania
SPS is a scam
Sep 14, 2023
1.4
I paid 12k for help with turning my PHD dissertation into a book. Keep in mind I do have a PHD and can write to a degree, although academic writing and book writing can be very different. For 12k I was provided access to their website that is populated with short instructional videos on outline writing, theme production and simple chapter structure that one can find for free on the internet. It also included 12 30 minute zoom meets, one per month as they want you done in a year, with a coach. I participated in 3 or 4 where my outline, chapter length, and book topic was discussed. I stopped scheduling the meets after the fourth meeting, at no time did my coach ask to read my outline, written chapters, or dictated material. There was zero help with the content of my book. Keep in mind with a PhD I can write, those with little writing background are screwed. I did finish my rough draft and initial editing that is done before professional editing. SPS does not include edits in their 12k price tag and tells you hiring an editor will be only an additional 1k or so, but they will provide a list of editors. So, I reached out to my coach several times via email for the editor list with no response. Finally, I received a response with a list. After researching the list it became obvious proper editing, which is the real work, would be thousands. The entire program is a huge scam. My understanding SPS is re-tooling. They need to. Too late for me. Others beware!!
User's recommendation: Stay away. Scam"
For more information, check out the link below:
3- Writers Weekly .com
"Sometimes, I wonder if people just don’t know how to use search engines. Seriously. Most of the questions I receive in a day have answers right there for the immediate taking – in Google and on other search engine websites.
An author contacted me about Self Publishing School, a.k.a. SPS. Oh yeah, I’d heard of them. It took me less than five minutes to send him this:
Hi (name removed),
You should read these links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLGeDS4QPa0Fast forward to 4:45.It’s an interview with a woman who says she lost $4K to them.
PissedConsumer.com Page down several times on that one. Lots of Self publishing school reviews complaints. There are more online as well."
For more information, check out the link below:
4- Reddit .com
Here are some Self publishing school reviews from reddit.
"Self-publishing school and Chandler Bolt is a SCAM. $5,990 down the toilet.
Self publishing school is a crock of BS. I paid $5,990 for their premium package and I have tried to get a refund but SPS refuses. I filed complaints with the BBB and Consumer Affairs and they couldn't help me. SPS replies with enough lies that BBB and CA accept. I am interested in finding a lawyer and would like to know if you found someone?
My VIP package came with 16 "coaching calls" that amounted to being told to watch a bunch of Youtube videos and pressure to finish my book because one of the big things they don't tell you during the high-pressure call is that you only have one year to use the coaching, finish your book, and have access to the FB "support" group.
I still have 9 of the coaching calls remaining because it, unfortunately, took me 7 of them to realize what a crock of shit this company is. They teach you to manipulate the Amazon algorithms to become a "best seller" for a minute in some obscure combination of genres. The "best sellers" that I've seen come from this group are written as good as an 8-year-old could do. Plus you get bombarded with tons of marketing for their other BS products.
I've never fallen for such a scam in my entire life and cannot believe they refuse a refund. The coach even told me he doesn't care if I get a refund because he's already been paid.
Chandler bolt's self publishing school reviews
"Chandler Bolt is a bull-shit artist who cons people by playing on their dreams. He should be ashamed of himself and shut down.
Keep your money and find a real coach if you need one. SPS is a scam."
For more information, check out the link below:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FakeGuru/comments/j4cd0h/selfpublishing_school_and_chandler_bolt_is_a_scam/
5- Savy Writes Books .com
For more information, check out the link below:
6- Reddit .com - ( part 2)
"Anyone ever work with SPS (Self Publishing School)? Can’t decide if it’s a good 1 stop shop or a way to scam $6k out of hopeful writers."
level 1
Chernobog3
"Never heard of it. But I can't imagine paying six grand worth of bells and whistles for something I learned how to do for free and with relatively costless trial and error. New self publishers would not make back that fee for a very very long time, if ever.
There's a lot of stuff out there that at least sounds like what SPS is (from what I could read about it) and a lot of it is shady and unnecessary. There's no shortage of cash traps for over eager new writers sadly."
level 2
InDaFamilyJewels
"That’s the way I was leaning. I’m so brand new that SPS sounded like a great idea. Saw a couple things online that pointed to it being a scam. And it’s a lot of money, knocked down from $8k. Appreciate the help."
level 3
Chernobog3
"Outstanding. Good luck going forward!"
level 1
OrangeSockMonkey
"Scam. They even have a bigger package for 20k."
level 2
InDaFamilyJewels
"I had heard that there would be more fees as you go along as well. Thanks."
"I've never heard of that. I don't know what exactly they are offering, but all the information you need to learn about self-publishing is already available for free. So it's hard to imagine what they could offer that would possibly be worth 6 grand."
level 1
artsycat_nina
"I found this post while doing my research on SPS because I've got so many messages out of their students requesting illustration for children books they meant to publish and apparently they learn that a 24/plus page picture book cost is $500 (is not) with a full copyright transfer contract (the messages I receive are a basic copy/paste with this same budget). The fact that this school is teaching its students to devalue other professions/important parts of a book project is sad to say the least and proof that it really isn't worth the investment, which could be better used for making the books"
level 1
"It’s absolutely a scam. You can pay for high end overpriced cover art and editing at that rate. Visit the Reedsy website for a ton of good and free articles on the topic. They’re still trying to sell things there too. But at least you’ll become more well educated without an up front investment.
There’s a good book on publishing called ‘The Influential Author’ by Gregory V Diehl.
Alternatively, for $5,000 to $10,000 you can hire a competent writer to ghostwrite a 50,000 word book for you. Or you can hire a scam writer for less and edit/rewrite it yourself (but what’s the point of that unless your time has no value - just write it yourself or hire someone competent).
Overall most of the rates advertised on Reedsy are twice or more what you should be paying in most cases - but at least you’re getting something. Unlike the publishing school.
Also, don’t pay anyone to publish your book. It’s free. And don’t give away rights to your book. Keep them and get your own ISBN, unless a good sized publisher offers you and advance and you decide to accept."
InDaFamilyJewels
OP
"Thanks for the help. Brand new at this and appreciate the advice."
For more information, check out the link below:
7 - Lisa Schnellinger .com
Self-Publishing School: A review
"It only took a couple days before I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that said: ‘You’ve been had.’
Self-Publishing School was not what I’d hoped. After less than three weeks, I asked for a refund.
I did get the refund, so I wasn’t fleeced. I did get started on two books, but I can’t much credit SPS for that.
Here’s my honest review of Self-Publishing School, started by Chandler Bolt. I hope this review helps someone else, because I couldn’t find this kind of critical info online when I was trying to decide whether to plunk down the cash.
The quick summary: I got far more out of two books than out of the SPS course material. For $13 you can get all you need from Guy Kawasaki’s Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and Nancy Hendrickson’s Write and Publish Your First Non-Fiction Book.
What SPS offers is an overly simplified, stripped-down version of just one approach to self-publishing. If you are easily confused and want the Reader’s Digest version, you might find SPS more helpful than I did.
Details
Core content: The SPS program, at the “Pro” (lowest) level, gives you one thing: access to videos and handouts. The total video content adds up to just a few hours.
Overall, I felt the content was minimal, more of an outline of what to do than the actual steps. Or a single tip that was stretched into a “topic” – such as an explanation of how to read your book out loud.
What the content did cover was completely focused on producing a book for Kindle and using other people in SPS to help you promote it there. Nothing at all about other ebook platforms (iBook, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, Kobo), nothing about how to do a print version of your book."
For more information, check out the link below:
8 - JJ Herbert Online .com
Selfpublishing.com/Self-Publishing School (SPS) Reviews
"The reviews of the new selfpublishing.com are mixed at best. When you Google “selfpublishing.com reviews” you’ll have to ignore all results from before 2020-ish when selfpublishing.com was something else entirely. Also keep in mind that in some cases he merged Self-Publishing School reviews with reviews of selfpublishing.com. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this approach. The strategy makes a lot of sense after an acquisition takes place, especially when Self-Publishing School has taken a hit to its reputation over the years.
Self-Publishing School has hundreds of positive reviews online, but there are some extremely negative reviews mixed in there too. BBB lists dozens of complaints. Former clients have written entire blog posts about their experiences. Reddit has covered Self-Publishing School and Chandler Bolt extensively, and not in a good way. There has even been some content posted on YouTube calling SPS into question, to put it nicely. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. My opinion is that these negative reviews impacted sales at SPS, hence part of the reason for the rebranding to selfpublishing.com.
Obviously, you should conduct your own research before hiring selfpublishing.com (formerly SPS). The various negative feedback online is based on disgruntled clients’ experiences and expectations not being met."
For more information, check out the link below:
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