Over seventy authors who were screwed out of thousands of dollars by the Airleaf Publishing scam are banding together in the hopes of exposing "a company founded on fraud" and putting the owners in jail. The effort is spearheaded by Bonnie Kaye, a relationship counselor who paid Airleaf $1800 to publish her book on "straight/gay" marraiges.
My book came out the same week that former Governor James McGreevey’s book “The Confession” was released. I launched my own media campaign, and I was interviewed Paula Zahn on CNN and the national FOX news. Sales were booming. Airleaf kept telling me that I was their most successful author.
I was feeling so good about Airleaf at that point of time that I volunteered to talk to prospective authors who were on the fence. I now live with the guilt of convincing them to follow me down the road of doom.
But Airleaf didn’t cough up her royalties and she’s since learned of authors who have lost as much as $20,000 on the scam.
Author Frederick Martin-Del-Campo – Chronicles Of War And A Wanderer. Airleaf royally diddled me: I invested over $10,000.00 to have my one book turned into a best seller, and another taken to Hollywood and turned into a movie. They utterly made a fool of me, let alone the countless other authors they defrauded. The Airleaf agents gave me a runaround of answers when I tried to inquire about my investments and publication of books. Now, no one has deigned to reply. They have totally screwed me!"
Her many quotes from her fellow Airleaf suckers is doubly infuriating: you’re pissed at the Airleaf conmen for preying on the desperation and ignorance of these wanna-be authors…but, at the same time, these people were so stupid and painfully gullible that it’s hard to feel any sympathy for them.
“I invested over $10,000.00 to have my one books turned into a best seller, and another taken to Hollywood and turned into a movie.”
Who in their right mind would even think that you can buy such a thing for any amount of money? Did Airleaf promise such a thing? I doubt it.
People really need to start looking at what the contract says and what they’re supposed to get for their money, instead of fixating on their wildest dreams and them complaining when somone else doesn’t make them come true (and never promised to).
From their website:
“Airleaf Publishing offers a variety of professional publicity services to assist authors in reaching their dreams of publishing success. From bookstore signings and placements to Hollywood pitches and television commercials, we provide our authors with a variety of innovative programs to help achieve their goals.”
Only $10,000 to turn you into a bestseller? That would have to be the bargain of the century.
Being a fellow author I felt compelled to read the posts on http://www.AirleafVictims.blogspot.com. After spending hours reviewing each story, newsletter, and post I came to the conclusion that there are so many victims caught in this scam. Ultimately lead by one’s pursuits in life for “wishes, hopes and dreams.” Who doesn’t have those? after all, it was always my dream of becoming a published author, and it happened. Every quarter I have the royalty checks, e-mails of support, and reviews on sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to prove it. These poor victims have had a dark cloud hovering over them for many years, all bestowed on by one individual, who started this so-called Airleaf Publishing company.
I don’t know if you’ll ever have the answer to this. What causes one’s sick individual to go and cause this much pain and suffering so many human beings lives? Especially when it affects your dreams that you all hope will become reality someday. Don’t ever give up hope, continue dreaming, and never take rejection as something negative as everything happens for a reason. As I say in sales “to every hundred knows you get one YES…”
I do believe in karma, what goes around comes around! Good luck my fellow authors…
Sincerest Regards,
Dennis J. Schleicher
http://www.MarketSellMoreBooks.blogspot.com
author of an explosive and controversial memoir, “Forbidden Love with a Married Man; E-Mail Diaries.”
Seems that the Indiana Attorney General disagrees with the idea that certain promises weren’t made since they issued an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance in May 2007 which Airleaf had to agree to stipulating that they would cease making certain promises and would refund $6,999.00 to two writers and pay a penalty to the Indiana Office of the Attorney General. That can be seen at URL http://atgindsha01.atg.in.gov/cpd/docs/enforcement/SteveCarter-397144-1.pdf
A Victory Against Vanity Press Scammers
Writers Beware reports the very good news that vanity press scammer Airleaf Publishing, aka Bookman Marketing, was shut down on Dec. 19th, thanks to the aggressive efforts of a group of 275 defrauded authors. Their fight isn’t over — the
Just who are you to label struggling hard working writers who were defrauded as ¨stupid and painfully gullibe,¨?
Are you a representative of the fraudster, you miserable coward. yes, Airleaf promised all that, and contracts were signed, so you are the prejudiced idiot that laughs a the setbacks of others, why, because you were screwed too and can’t admit to your failure, is that why?
Shame on you, and the crooks you work for!
HOW MANY AUTHORS HAVE ATHENA PRESS DEFRAUDED?
I am the author of WHO IS ROBBING GOD? published by Athena Press on April 12, 2003. But 8 years down the road, I am yet to receive an account of the actual number of books sold. When the time came to calculate my royalties, they told me that my file with them could not be found. Mr. David Moore had earlier said that the royalties due to me are huge and that was as at end of 2005! On the day the royalties were to be calculated, my files disappeared!!! Mr. Mark Sykes had lied to me that people do not read hard cover books when they buy them that was why they produced my book on paperback after collecting $6, 080.00 to produce hard cover. They promised to do book reviews in the papers but never showed me even one they did. When I asked for books to give to the Nigerian Press for book reviews, Mr. Thomas Mathew said he had ordered the books but it turned out to be untrue. He never sent the books as he promised after receiving a list of Nigerian Newspapers and magazines, which he asked me to send to him. Recently, Amazon hurriedly cancelled an order for two copies of my book, when the buyer asked them to ship the books to me! This was after they had accepted his payment and told him to expect the books within three weeks. Right after that, they now require buyers to first send an email to be told when the book will be available. Yet this man had earlier ordered the book from Ebay and it was shipped to his address in USA. The only difference now is that he asked them to ship it to me, the author! If they have nothing to hide, why are they now selling the book underground? They are simply trying to cover their tracks but I have gathered a lot of evidence against them already. IT IS TOO LATE NOW FOR THEM TO TRY COVERING THEIR TRACKS. Mr. Mark Sykes had earlier dared me to sue them if I can afford the cost of hiring a lawyer. How can I get help to sue Athena Press? How many authors have they defrauded so far? The author of “FORTIFY YOURSELF – The Man Who Saw Heaven And Hell” is another victim like me, whom they have defrauded. I need international lawyers to sue Athena Press now. Interested lawyers should please get in touch with me through my email address okwuosaezeoma@yahoo.com. Thanks.
I paid Mark Sykes Athena Press £2500 in 2013 to publish my memoir Nutter and he has neither published it or refunded the money. The onus is on me to sue