The Worldâs Most Expensive Publishing Lesson
The Worldâs Most Expensive Publishing Lesson
When I first discovered Global Publishing Agency (previously referred to as âAmazon Publishing Agencyâ), their website promised what many authors dream of â transparency, partnership, professional editing, tailored marketing, global exposure, bookstore placement, film outreach, and a team dedicated to the success of my books and author journey.
The language presented a picture of a full-service publishing and promotional campaign: strategic marketing, book-to-screen opportunities, professional editing, and personalized author support. What was sold to me was the hope of a long-term partnership and a shared vision for the future of my work.
However â in my experience â the reality did not reflect the promises made on their site or in multiple conversations.
Review:
In my personal experience, Global Publishing Agency (previously referred to as âAmazon Publishing Agencyâ) was less a publishing service and more a relentless request line for additional payments. Each phone call seemed to introduce a new âopportunity,â âupgrade,â or âurgent investment,â which, over time, cost me nearly $100,000 USD.
I later realized the individuals I was communicating with were not located in the United States as presented. I also came to believe the names used may not have been genuine, which created even greater confusion and distress regarding who I was actually working with.
I deeply regret ever offering positive feedback in the past. What I thought was a professional relationship and even, at times, a personal connection, turned out to be emotionally manipulative and financially devastating.
Services that were promised â editing, marketing, consultations, deliverables â did not materialize in the manner or timeline presented to me. Instead, I found myself receiving repeated calls requesting further payments for additional promises.
In my view, clients should proceed with extreme caution, particularly if they are offered personal attention, emotional reassurance, or ongoing promises of future opportunities tied to new financial contributions.
If enthusiasm, persistence, and charm were published products, theyâd be bestsellers â but unfortunately, books arenât the thing being successfully delivered.
Spoiler: The only thing that seemed to move quickly was my money â and not in my direction.
P.S. â Ethical Reflection
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âDo for others what you would wish done for you.â
This is a universal teaching â and also a wisdom deeply rooted in Islam.
I came to understand that money gained through broken promises and unfulfilled agreements is considered haram â forbidden â and never blessed.
In my experience, I communicated with people using the names: Peter Wilburt, Ronald Grayson, and Ethan Williams (later referred to me as Zaeem). I cannot verify the accuracy of these identities, but they were the names presented to me during the business relationship.
I paid every invoice promptly. I kept every commitment I made. I trusted the individuals representing this company with my work, my campaigns, and my dreams. Yet many of the services I paid for were not delivered as promised or remain incomplete.
During conversations, I was led to believe that the company was not operating from Los Angeles as advertised, but from Pakistan. This added to my confusion and distress surrounding the transparency of our communication.
If the roles were reversed â if I had received money and delivered little or nothing in return â would that be considered fair? Honest? Just?
This is my lived experience and my personal opinion.
Others may choose to call it something stronger.
And in many faiths, including Islam, betrayal of trust is considered one of the gravest wrongs. ððâïž
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