Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 09/19/2023, I published a book on amazon.com with Leaders Press. At that time, the contact information for Leaders Press was: Leaders Press LLC HQ: Via Trento e Trieste 49, Levanto, 19015 (SP). Several books were sold during the later part of 2023 into March, 2024, but to date, Leaders Press will not pay me any royalties because they claim they do not have the funds to pay author royalties. Yet, they continued to collect royalty payments from Amazon (KDP Publishing) during that time. In February, 2024, Leaders Press sent me an email indicating that they would not be paying any royalties because they were restructuing as a marketing agency. Since that time, I have emailed Leaders Press several times requesting them to pay me my book royalties from September 2023 to April 2024; a total of $278.76. Leaders Press claims that they do not have a schedule for paying royalties. May I respectfully request assistance with this matter please? Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I signed a contract with Leaders Press (LP) on November 22, 2023, for a Leaders Press Business Package, which set out the expectations and agreement between us. The first step was to kick off a series of collaborative sessions and interviews to confirm and fine-tune my book idea. In my initial conversations and the first interview, I made it clear that I wanted to produce an academic-style book. This expectation has remained consistent and clear throughout. If Leaders Press could not deliver on that expectation, they should have terminated the relationship at the outset. LP assured me that they would produce a book with my own words, stories, and ideas, resulting in a well-developed manuscript that matched what we agreed upon. Before and during the kickoff presentation, as well as through their marketing, LP assured me that they would provide professional drafting and comprehensive editing of the book with my input. I was also assured that a human being would write the book. This was clearly a misrepresentation of what was to occur. Not only did LP fail to deliver on what they represented to me, but their advertising for its services was also not accurately portrayed. During the first delivery of material, it was clear that the work had been completed using AI, and the tone of the writing was nothing like what I had consistently conveyed as my expectations and desires. I ran it through two different AI checkers, and each came back 100% AI. Both my marketing director and I have spent a considerable amount of time working on a product that does not reflect my voice or my clear intent, resulting in countless hours of lost time. We had a call with their service team, and they acknowledged that AI had done the work but would not let me cancel. I have sent two demands with zero response.

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Leaders Press sold me a package for $65K that guarantees that my new book would get WSJ or USA Today Best Seller List status within 90 days of launch which would be July 29, 2024. I was informed that Wall Street Journal no longer had a list in April 2024 but Alinka the CEO wrote in attached email that she would honor the money back guarantee in the attached contract if I did not get USA TOday Best Seller Status within 90 days. I have gotten no responses from the team on numerous emails and tried to pin them down the past few days about the plan to get on the USA Today Best Seller list by July 29th. Today Alinka the CEO wrote in an email that that they will be doing a campaign to become a USA National Best Seller Author (a package which they are currently selling on their website for $30K) I rejected this in April because that is very different (top 10 seller on one platform) and much less prestigious than USA Today Best Seller. I have asked for my money back numerous times in email and on the phone with an agent since Alinka has said she can not get me on the USA Today Best Seller List). She will not respond. Also phone numbers don’t work on the website and their head Marketing Exec Gerald Pena has never responded (I have emails from weeks ago that he is suppose to give me an update, but never does). Tons of turnover including Jon Nicholson, Chief Business Officer, who sold me this package. I want my $65K back per contract because Leaders Press can not get me on the Wall Street Journal or USA Today Best Seller List as promised and they have a Money Backed Guarantee in my signed contract. Alinka has done lots of interviews in prestigious magazines and on the company website promising WSJ and USA Today Best Seller LIst for their authors. This is a bait and switch at best. The contract is very clear that if WSJ or USA Today Best Seller List is not achieved in 90 days, the money is refunded. Yet they won’t respond about wiring the money back

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The company “Leaders Press,” continues to deny sending back my unused monies for a project. We prepaid $17500 and they delivered maybe $2500 worth of work. The majority of the money is for marketing and the book isn’t close to being done. They couldn’t deliver as stated in their literature they sell to the public. We had 4 passes and the writer’s abilities were at an elementary level. They ignored my notes about the writer and continued to shove him down my throat. I requested the unused money on October 5, 2023 to the whole staff and the president of the company. They have ignored every request from myself through this process. We’ll continue to follow through on the request to return the unused money and approach whoever is necessary to get it done. DO NOT ENGAGE IN BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY! Previous Emails: For the record J*** ******* *****'s termination date of the Leader's Press contract is October 5, 2023. So, based on your structure, we're maybe 40% into the deal. The pricing for a short book is $7000. To date, we've paid $ 17,500, which included PR. 40% of $7000 is $2800. The difference is $14,700. Wire that back, payable to Bang Productions, and we'll call it a day. Termination. Both parties may terminate the contract should the publisher not be able to perform. Should any parts of this contract not be fulfilled, upon termination, the publisher will (i) return the correct unearned percentage of the author's investment together with all completed work in process represented by the unreturned percentage, and (ii) provide to the author as author all information relating to contracts for publishing or distribution of the book(s) and other reasonable transition assistance. For any dispute that should arise regarding the interpretation and execution of this contract, the parties agree on the exclusive jurisdiction of the court where Leaders Press has its registered office.

  Business response

  11/02/2023

  First, please note that I am an independent contractor working with Leaders Press, a company with its headquarters based in Italy. 
  
  Leaders Press is a publishing services company that has hundreds of satisfied clients with bestselling books, including 220 authors who have become USA Today or WSJ bestselling authors through the publisher's efforts. 
  
  Leaders Press is committed to completing each and every project we take on with dedication and professionalism in collaboration with the publisher's author clients. When complaints are made during the course of the project, the Leaders Press team offers adjustments and improvements accordingly. It is also the publisher's goal to go above and beyond for its author clients whenever possible.  
  
  Leaders Press works with professional ghostwriters to provide manuscripts based on interviews conducted with the author clients. This is an iterative, collaborative process that requires the author's participation through the production of clear interview content as well as productive feedback and ghostwriter revision. If progress still fails even with the good faith implementation of all the above, Leaders Press may offer to pivot to a different ghostwriter to ensure progress to everyone's satisfaction. 
  
  Leaders Press is ready and willing to complete the book project and marketing begun with Mr. *****, which only requires his cooperation in order for the book to be completed by our team. 

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

  
  
  Complaint: 20786274
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  These people are trying to keep prepaid money for work that hasn't been done yet per the contract. 
  
  Regards,
  
  J*** *******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business response

  11/24/2023

  Leaders Press has a binding agreement with the author client to provide book production and marketing services. Based on the complaints lodged by Mr. *****, Leaders Press stands firm that the project can be successfully completed with the cooperation of the author client. The publishing team has gone above and beyond in delivering the work completed so far, and only require the author client's collaboration to complete the book project and proceed to the marketing campaign.  

  Customer response

  11/27/2023

  
  
  Complaint: 20786274
  
  Based on the information they provided, the book cost $6500 according to the contract, but only 40% of the work was completed after 4 or 5 passes. The writer was lost. That is $2600, which is the amount that should be deducted from the total payment of $17500. Additionally, $14,500 was part of the prepaid monies for a marketing package, which cannot be used if the book is not finished. The contract is attached, and the termination clause is included in it. I requested termination on October 5th, which is documented, but the owner has not responded to my request. In fact we got no response. It's hard to do business if no one will respond. I bet an Italian-based company doesn't have legal tax agreements to do business in every state. Just do the right thing and quit playing contract when your not abiding by your own contract. It is unfortunate that I prepaid for the services, but it is not fair for the company to keep the unused funds. 
  

  
  Regards,
  
  J*** ******* *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Leaders Press is a publishing company that is in breach of my contract. They have missed deadlines, the work that they have delivered has been of extremely poor quality and they assert that they have provided services to me that they have not provided. In short, they promised me in the contract a "dream like experience" working with them to write a publish my book but the reality is they have cost me time and money throughout a painful process that has not resulted in a book. They are in clear breach of the contract.

  Business response

  07/12/2022

  Leaders Press is a hybrid publishing company that has hundreds of satisfied clients with bestselling books, including 198 authors who have become USA Today bestselling authors through the publisher's efforts. 
  
  
  Leaders Press is committed to completing each and every project we take on with excellence in collaboration with our authors. Occasionally, factors require timeline adjustments, such as the expansion of the project parameters to include ghostwriting by the publisher when originally a manuscript was to be provided by the author. 
  
  
  Leaders Press works with proven, professional ghostwriters to provide manuscripts based on interviews conducted with the author. This is a collaborative process that requires the author's participation through productive feedback and ghostwriter revision to capture the desired voice. If this process is not engaged in, drafting cannot proceed and the project may be paused. 
  
  
  Leaders Press is ready and willing to complete the book project begun with Ms. R****** which only requires her feedback in order for the book to be completed.

  Customer response

  07/19/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My issue with Leaders Press is not a timeline adjustment. In fact, when the company missed its own deadline due to not having writers, I proposed a new timeline for publishing which they refused to put in writing in the form of an updated contract. Even with the timeline adjustment, they have failed to follow through on contracted services. Their inability to deliver on services is not due to my lack of involvement. On the contrary, I have followed through on all of my obligations in a timely matter. The challenges with Leaders Press is that they have over-promised on services they do not have the capacity or skill set to deliver, namely providing qualified and credible writers.

  
  

  My desired resolution is for the money I paid in full to receive professional writing services returned to me so I can hire my own writer.
  

  
  
  Regards,
  
  B*** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business response

  07/26/2022

  Leaders Press is an established hybrid publisher with a proven track record. We have published 198 authors to date who, by following our process, have become bestsellers on Amazon, the USA Today bestseller list, and/or the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.
  
  Our agreement with Ms. Ridley was originally begun with the understanding that she would provide her own manuscript; however, according to Ms. R****** her ghostwriter was unable to deliver the manuscript and she expanded her agreement with Leaders Press to include ghostwriting services. This necessitated a minimum additional five months of production time due to interviews and ghostwriting. 
  
  We acknowledge Ms. Ridley's concerns regarding her assigned writer; she was provided with samples by several professional ghostwriters in good faith and selected one. Unfortunately, that ghostwriter chose to pursue other opportunities without notice, a situation beyond Leaders Press's control. Ms. Ridley was provided with additional samples for an alternate selection. We only work with established and credible ghostwriters; we do not furnish their portfolios to clients. 
  
  Leaders Press has published books with 198 clients who have followed our process - successful completion of a book by professional ghostwriters (apart from the small minority of client-provided manuscripts) being the end result. We can provide the same for Ms. Ridley as we are well-equipped to deliver a ghostwritten book as agreed. 
  
  We have been working directly with Ms. Ridley to resolve this issue, and have conveyed that we are willing to put her in direct contact with her ghostwriter for the project as well as consider her recommendations for a revised agreement. If requested, we're happy to submit this correspondence. 

  Customer response

  07/27/2022

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 17510634, and am having my attorney draft terms to be memorialized in an updated agreement for myself and Leaders Press to sign which will hopefully resolve the issues in dispute.
  
  Regards,
  
  B*** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩