Balboa Press Reviews

After my intake call with Nick Salazar the intake coordinator I decided not to proceed with the contract after he informed me that the cover can not be submitted until the manuscript is completed and they approve it. And the covers are very similar as they are stock images unless 2 images are merged.

I don't call this quality work. I asked to discontinue the process and cancel. It has been a week and still NO response from anyone at Balboa to get my deposit back, no response in email or phone call from the Sales Person Lisa Vyas.

I called the bank to dispute charges and contacted my lawyer.

At least they can respectfully do is respond to my email.

A 1 star rating for me. So disapointed.

Date of experience: July 12, 2022

my questions went unanswered. although I fully explained my work they do not read it and thus they they misrepresented the content. I was promised help that I have never received even though it was paid for. they lied about the way royalties were paid until they had my money so I asked for a refund before they completed the contract and they just went silent. I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy! there are other companies that treat you better and don't charge as much where 100% of royalties are yours.

Date of experience: July 12, 2022

I SELF PUBLISHED FOR NOT A LOT OF MONEY THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK THAT PEOPL COULD BUY. TRUTHVILLE TESTING BY WALT MES. I TOOK 1 TO MY FAV LIBRARY SO THAT PEOPL COULD READ IT. BUT BALBOA STAFF WERE VERY NICE TO ME. LOVING. I LOVE BEING ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE PEOPL LIKE BALBOA.

Date of experience: March 26, 2023

The Balboa team has been simply amazing for all the attention to detail, customer service, editorial review, graphic art design, and support. I have had the privilege to author four books published by Balboa and each subsequent publication seemed to be better than the previous ones. Thank you, Balboa Press, for your total service package. I was very pleased with the experience.

Date of experience: October 10, 2022

Balboa Press were very helpful in assisting me in publishing my book. The process was effortless and there communication via phone or email was easy to follow. I did struggle sometimes with the promotion of different products. Overall it was a great experience with a high end product.

Date of experience: August 04, 2022

They got the book published, but I found communication difficult. Often I wouldn't get a reply to my enquiries.

What service was included in the initial fee was ambiguous and it felt like I was constantly being approached to buy additional services.

I also believe that there was some dishonesty about complimentary copies, and I was misled into buying copies that I didn't need.

But in the end, the book is published and we'll see what comes of their marketing efforts.

Date of experience: June 21, 2023

1. Workmanship could be improved and thorough.
2. Responsiveness could be improved - no phone/email responses for a long.
3. Staff could be trained further why they exist.
4. Overall, the company does not care about customers.

Date of experience: October 01, 2022

Swift, friendly responses, excellent guidance and the books are beautifully presented. Plus, freight-time is faster than expected.
I can't ask for better than that. :-)

Date of experience: June 23, 2023

Prior to signing the contract with Balboa Press, I researched the company and read two reviews for memoirs that said Balboa Press insisted that they either use a pen name or obtain legal permission from everyone named in the book. I asked specifically about this when I spoke to my sales consultant. She assured me that was not the case with every memoir - only when something sensitive or accusatory such as child molestation was involved. I signed the contract. A few days later I received a call from my "representative" who said that since my book was a memoir I would have to use a pen name or get legal permission from everyone named. I told him what my sales consultant said and he repeated what he said without ever having seen the manuscript. I was charged a 10% cancellation fee. Total rip off.

Date of experience: October 15, 2021

For the most part, my experience was good. There was timely flow of communication and very kind and respectful support. I am most disappointed in the final editing process. I needed more help discerning the final edits and am not pleased with the final product of my book because of that. I either didn’t know how to communicate that I needed more help or guidance or was becoming overwhelmed at each task. I also got confused when other entities like marketing and book printing called. They were great people, but I don’t think I truly understood that if I bought the biggest package, that there would be significant (for me) additional expenses involved. All in all, there was great kindness but the end of the writing/editing process was overwhelming and I felt confused when marketing called about purchasing other packages. The staff are all extremely respectful and kind. With that said, if I were to self publish again, I would strongly consider Balboa.

Date of experience: October 11, 2022

Multiple hand-off's leaves the process devoid of intimacy and continuity leaving one to feel like they are starting over with each step. Once a hand-off has happened it seems like the individuals you have previously dealt with vaporize. The process would benefit by charging one person to be the champion of the entire process and as the go-to person.

Date of experience: January 12, 2023

I have had to follow up constantly and re write the press release etc that has been provided. The release has grammar and spelling errors. I could have written it myself and not purchased these services.

In the future I would use a marketing or firm to support all marketing as this is not Balboa expertise. The communication has felt inconsistent and confusing and it’s been a lengthy process once the book was published to get the other services completed.

One thing I didn’t know that they should have answered when I asked was how to take my self published version off Amazon. They said it would be no problem but I now have two versions and my first version is selling versus the balboa copy.

If you are a self published author ✍️ you may want to think about this prior to going this route.

Date of experience: May 17, 2022

when I call there no one returns my call, it's hard to get a hold of someone that works there, it's like playing phone-tag. And when I do get someone they don't want to help me, no one shows customer service skills there. All they want to do is email you a bunch of junk and not converse with me, I'm sick of that behavior.

Date of experience: December 14, 2022

Balboa Press in my view is the best publisher on the planet. The unit Kenzo Yuki handles is simply amazing. They are efficient, honest, kind, professional, and generous. I would recommend it to anyone with publishing goals.

Date of experience: January 26, 2022

I'm a first time author, with little technical knowledge. From the beginning, they worked with me, I never was made to feel stupid. Because of my team at Barboa, the process was smooth and they delivered just what I wanted.

Date of experience: October 07, 2022

I gave you one star because there were no negative numbers. The process was all about money, the book is far from how it should have been as the 'design team ' have no idea and the support throughout was lacking. The dollars referred
to for marketing and book prices are always American, but do not appear as that on documentation. So, it is always a surprise when things are more expensive & have an additional foreign fee. I have had to cancel my book launch as the books promised to me days ago have not arrived and all of my calls to my consultant went to voice mail. This has left me out of pocket again!

Date of experience: December 11, 2021

The publisher neglected to publish the book I wrote in the same as I way I sent it to them . I have had a few friends already purchase the book and now I have to reimburse them. I did not receive a book myself before it was available to the public. Although I did contact DBeeler and he said he would correct the error. I would like them to send me a confirmation email.

Date of experience: November 18, 2022

It would be more helpful to have just one person who acts as coordinator for the process, rather than a host of different people. Also, it would help to be given a timeline of the entire process at the beginning, which should also include formatting and editing guidelines. What was most disappointing is the continuous up-selling and lack of actual content in the initial package purchased as every step incurred additional costs.

Date of experience: August 03, 2023

It took nearly six months to get my copies of my own book. Completely in the dark on sales. Poor communication and only communication was for sales on products they offer. I never did witness or know where to look for the advertisement that I paid for. On the upside, eventhough it took months for the audio book. I love audio book and the cover of my book. The books themselves, I am happy with. This wasn't a bad experience but it wasn't great either. I am hopeful that the book will do better than anticipated and this is all the experience of a new author.

Date of experience: December 27, 2021

Working with BalboaPress was and still is a very positive experience for me as first time author. They listened to my ideas and worked with me every step of the way to create and publish my book and the book cover in the most appealing and exquisite way. People who work there are professional, ethical and supportive. I would recommend anyone who is considering to publish their book to explore BalboaPress.

Date of experience: November 12, 2021