Raider International Publishing – The Endgame | The Independent Publishing Magazine

We have been following Raider International Publishing even before the start of POD, Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing. Here is the latest feedback from a contracted Raider author I received in what is now becoming a very long list of disgruntled authors. (Raider Review)

“This is to mirror all comments above. I purchased the gold package plus paid an additional £700 for the fast track publishing. This was promised before christmas in time for christmas market sales. On 9th Dec had final edit manuscript through for approval. As stated from other comments it was appalling . I HAD TO RE EDIT ALL AGAIN MYSELF I SENT TO THEM AND NOTHING HAS NOW BEEN DONE. I HAVE WRITTEN TO them asking for clarification of date of release and all the other things that went with gold package deal plus my 700 paid back as they failed to meet deadline to no avail and no reply.I had also stated I wa svisiting New York over the new year and would like to meet with them. They state dit would nopt be convenient to meet. I have now threatened them with legal action and still no response what makes this firm think they can get away with this. There must be something we could all do to get together in one big case and completely take this firm to task to get money back and/or a satisfactory result.”

I’ve been following Raider for quite some time – since late 2006. It is genuinely sad to see such a promising and developing publishing service end up where Raider is now.

Neither did I take any joy in December in making them the first publishing service this site does not recommend. Even some of the poorest companies we reviewed here – including PublishAmerica – never reached the point of us openly having to ‘not recommend’. I felt with companies like PublishAmerica – if the author was prepared to stick their check out into the wind and say ‘slap me’, then they could not complain about being slapped pretty hard. Raider was different – the company really started out with a great deal of promise, and the approach and ideas remained fresh, and at times, innovative – but the execution of approach and innovation over the past eighteen months has been – well – appalling.

In response to the comment from the above author on their experience with Raider:

At the time of review and even in subsequent updates, the ‘expedited’ publishing service with Raider was around the $250 mark. I’m staggered you paid £700 – just for that – that’s well over $1000 alone.

At the time of writing – Raider has been very quite after Christmas in regards to Raider Broadcasting. If memory serves me correctly, around this time last year, Adam Salviani was apologizing about some of the acknowledged shortcomings of the company in a podcast. That podcast is worth another listen now in light of the continued negative feedback I am continually receiving. You can follow almost all of the coverage and analysis we have provided on Raider over the past three plus years by visiting this link.

A year ago, I suggested Raider should withdraw the expedited service – simply because they were clearly not delivering on it – certainly not well-edited and formatted books for their authors. That never happened, and when things start to go pear-shaped in a developing business – it’s generally good sense to address the cracks, consolidate and improve the business you already have, rather than continue to push an already creaking structure. That’s pretty basic stuff and doesn’t require aggrieved customers or a Donald Trump at the helm to do just that.

It’s not my style to point fingers or run down publishing services. I try to review and analyse with a professional eye as best I can. I have highlighted Raider’s freshness and innovation over time as much as I have sincerely underlined the deep concerns I now have about Raider in delivering what they claim to deliver. For me, in December, we reached the endgame. It would take some extraordinary turnaround for Adam Salviani to reignite what was once a top-ten publishing service in my eyes. (Raider is now listed no. 40 as of January 2011 in the Self-Publishing Index)

Even I get it wrong sometimes no matter what time, analysis and effort I put in to nailing down how good a publishing service is. It’s time for Raider and Adam Salviani to acknowledge the same conclusion.