Crestwood Publications Verified Company

I chose Crestwood Publications because I believed they had the expertise to help launch my first cookbook, The Balanced Plate Cookbook: Healthy Recipes with Keto Alternatives by Monika L Jensen. As a first-time author, I wanted a company that could provide professional publishing support and a comprehensive marketing strategy so I could focus on writing and creating recipes. The marketing proposal was impressive. It included a nine-month campaign with 15 on-site blog posts and 15 off-site articles each month, 12 press releases, two social media posts per week, monthly performance reports, SEO services, a live television interview, and marketing projections suggesting a significant return on investment. The agreement also included a 100% satisfaction guarantee if the contractual obligations were not fulfilled or if I was dissatisfied with the services. Unfortunately, my experience was very different. Throughout the contract, I carefully tracked the work being completed. According to my records, I identified only 20 on-site blog posts instead of the 135 contemplated by the agreement. I was only able to identify two press releases. Despite repeated requests, I was never provided documentation identifying the off-site articles that were supposed to be published, making it impossible for me to verify whether those deliverables had been completed. I also never received the monthly performance reports or the live television interview referenced in the agreement. As someone with SEO experience, I was also surprised to find numerous website optimization issues that I ultimately corrected myself, including metadata, structured data, and other SEO improvements. Many of the blogs published during the campaign had poor optimization and minimal tagging, while the content I later created myself achieved significantly better SEO scores. The most disappointing outcome was the lack of measurable results. Approximately sixteen months after signing the agreement, I am not aware of any book sales generated through the company's marketing efforts. The only sales I can attribute were through my own promotion, Amazon, my website, and purchases from friends and family. I made every effort to resolve my concerns professionally before considering legal action. I sent multiple emails requesting clarification, documentation, and ultimately a refund under the satisfaction guarantee described in the contract. I also requested the company's correct legal business information after a courier package requiring a signature, sent to the address listed in the agreement, was returned undeliverable. Despite repeated requests, I did not receive the information I was seeking. While every business relationship can have challenges, I believe communication and accountability are essential. My experience left me feeling that my concerns were not adequately addressed despite numerous attempts to resolve them directly. My advice to any author considering a publishing or marketing company is simple: perform your own due diligence. Verify the company's legal business information, ask for measurable deliverables, request regular reports, monitor the work throughout the contract, and keep detailed records of every communication. Publishing a book is a significant investment, and it's important to ensure that the services promised are clearly documented and delivered. I sincerely hope my experience helps other authors ask the right questions before signing a contract.