The first three times I self-published books through Xlibris it was a pleasant, hassle-free experience. The fourth time has been a nightmare, and a very expensive one.
I was told the project would take 4-6 months. It ended up taking 9 months. I submitted the manuscript in June. They didn't start working on it until October, and then only because I wrote an a letter to Xlibris management pleading with them to just get it done. The editor did a sloppy, mediocre job with the layout, botching one of the photographs (which I was forced to pay $100 to reorder from the photo archive I'd leased it from in order to correct.)
When I ordered author copies of my book, they charged my credit card twice for the order. Six weeks ago I asked them to refund my money (approximately $1200.) They told me they would, but according to my online credit card statements they haven't. They have also failed to post a picture of my book on the online bookstore page where they're supposed to be selling it (which is why I published with them in the first place): there's just a broken link there.
I have asked them several times to correct this, and I've been ignored. I have also asked Xlibris several times to return fifteen photographs belonging to me (worth about $150) that were used as illustrations in the book. At first, they told me they couldn't return them because they needed to keep them until the book was published. After the book came out, they said, "What pictures?" Again, to date these have not been returned to me.
In short, once Xlibris got its fee up front for publishing my book, it appears that going through with actually publishing the book—what I paid for them to do—was an extremely low priority. As it's now demonstrating with its botched online bookstore page, actually selling my book (which is very much part of the deal) is completely beneath its notice, as is refunding the $1200 it overcharged me, returning my property to me, or reimbursing me for the added expense of correcting their mistakes.
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