Regrettable Experience with Amazon Publishing (formerly Amazon Publishing Assistant)
I am writing to share my experience with Amazon Publishing, previously, to my knowledge, known as Amazon Publishing Assistant (APA), which is no longer available and whose website is now closed.
In November 2024, I contracted with Amazon Publishing (AP), then called Amazon Publishing Assistant (APA), for a Complete Authors Package, with a target publication date of December 10, 2024. Additionally, on November 27, 2024, I contracted with APA for a Book Marketing Plan with a six-month term, including a provision for a three-month extension if certain revenue benchmarks were not met. A key element of our agreement was updating my author website and implementing other marketing strategies.
My book was eventually published on January 13, 2025, missing a critical holiday sales period, without any explanation for the delay. Throughout the process, my marketing project was transferred between different teams and project managers, who were replaced rapidly. The new managers often appeared unfamiliar with the details of our contract and failed to plan to meet our contract terms for the services promised. My requests for progress benchmarks were frequently dismissed with vague responses such as "I have forwarded your message to my team," or "I will inform them ..." Finally, when I recognized their failure and requested a refund, I was told, “I have forwarded your request to Finance.”
Currently, my fourth project manager (since June 24, 2025) is unresponsive to my communication attempts.
Furthermore, based on advice from APA and its claims of “compatibility issues”, I upgraded my website, incurring additional costs and losing data and time. However, I later discovered that APA was unable to utilize my website as intended. To date, no sales have been generated, nor have any active marketing efforts been undertaken. Now, after recognizing its own shortcomings, APA has refused to issue a refund or deliver any of its promised services.
My experience with Amazon Publishing (AP or APA) has been disappointing and has adversely impacted my project. I have lost confidence in their ability to fulfill their commitments, and the lack of accountability and professionalism has led me to regret this partnership.
I advise other authors to exercise caution when considering working with Amazon Publishing or its associated services.