Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I want my royalty payment. They refuse to send me a check.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2025

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We understand the importance of receiving your royalty payments and take such concerns seriously.
  
  As previously communicated to you via both telephone and email by one of our managers, please be advised that we no longer issue royalty payments via check due to multiple incidents involving lost checks. This policy has been implemented to ensure a safer and more efficient payment process.
  
  It is important to note that during our recorded telephone conversations and documented email exchanges, you declined to cooperate and, on several occasions, terminated the calls prematurely.Furthermore, based on our internal review, you have not provided us with the necessary banking or ****** information required for us to remit your royalty payments.
  
  Pursuant to Section 3 of the agreement you executed with us, it is clearly stated that it is the author's responsibility to provide accurate and current payment information to facilitate the timely disbursement of royalties. In the absence of such information, we are unable to process payment.
  
  "You are responsible for supplying and maintaining with us complete and current personal information, including, but not limited to, your name, address, telephone number, email address, and bank information, *************************** reserve the right to place a hold on payment of Royalties if an electronic payment is rejected because the bank information you provided is no longer valid. We will continue to hold the Royalties until you provide us with accurate address and bank account information."
  
  Should you wish to receive your royalties; we request that you promptly provide the required payment details. We remain ready to remit the royalties once we are in receipt of the proper information in accordance with the terms of our agreement.
  
  We encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience so that we may reach an appropriate and mutually agreeable solution to your concern.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/25/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  No quarterly reports and royalty payments.Breach of *************** sales of seven copyrighted books sold globally.Lies re: questions per sales.Printed one of my books under Stellar Publishing without my knowledge or permission.Does not reply to emails, voicemail or certified letter addressed to owner of Stellar.Passed to three different **** during a 9 month period.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2024

  Dear ****,
  
  I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. Allow me to address each of your points in detail to provide clarity and resolve any misunderstandings:
  
  1. Royalty Reports
  Upon review, you have been provided with a login to access your royalty reports directly through our portal. The figures displayed in your account reflect the reported monthly book sales as provided by our distribution partners. This data is automatically generated and represents the actual number of copies sold. In short, the numbers you see in the portal are the verified sales figures reported by our partners.
  
  2. Permission to Print One of Your Books
  According to our records, all necessary authorizations for publishing your book were secured prior to proceeding. You signed a contract with us that clearly outlined your consent for us to publish and distribute your manuscript. If there are any specific concerns regarding this matter, I would be happy to review the details with you further.
  
  3. Response to Calls and Emails
  We have thoroughly investigated your concerns regarding communication. Our records show that our Author Relations Officer has consistently provided responses to your inquiries via email and phone. Additionally, our Operations Manager has also attempted to reach out to you, but these attempts were unfortunately directed to voicemail. Rest assured, we are committed to maintaining open and timely communication with all our authors.

  
  4. Book Marketing and Sales
  While we have provided marketing support for your book following its launch, its important to note that book performance in the market depends on a variety of factors. Active promotion by the author plays a critical role in maximizing reach and sales. We encourage you to consider additional marketing strategies to supplement our efforts, and we are here to provide guidance if needed.
  
  Please dont hesitate to contact our Author Relations team. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/28/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My father wrote a book in the last few years of his life, when he was suffering dementia. It was a poorly written autobiography full of factual errors and mixups regarding dates, locations and his wives. His original self publishing company appears to have forwarded his information, including my phone number, on to Stellar Literary Press, as well as other self publish marketers and they have hounded me for years. For the last year, at least, this publishing agency keeps calling me repeatedly, in a predatory and inconsiderate manner, regardless that each time I talk to them I tell them that my father is dead, and that his book is of no interest to anyone. I block their number and a month or two later I get another round of phone calls, the latest, this morning at 8am on October 28, 2024. My husband and I want these calls to STOP. We are frequently reassured that they will, only to have them resume a couple of months later. Every time we block the calls they just call from another phone number.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to express your concerns regarding the repeated and unwelcome phone calls you have been receiving. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the frustration, distress, and inconvenience caused to you and your family by these repeated contacts.
  
  We take complaints like yours very seriously and want to assure you that your request for these calls to stop is our highest priority. Here are the steps we are taking to address this issue:
  
  Immediate Action: We will remove your contact information from all our databases and ensure it is flagged as "Do Not Contact" to prevent any further outreach.
  
  Third-Party Coordination: If the calls are originating from external marketing partners, we will communicate your request to them as well and demand that your information be removed from their records.
  
  Investigation: We will conduct a thorough review of our processes to identify how your contact information was shared and to prevent such incidents in the future.
  
  Confirmation: You will receive confirmation from us once all necessary steps have been completed to ensure you are no longer contacted.
  
  We deeply regret the impact this situation has had on you and your family, especially considering the sensitive circumstances surrounding your fathers book. Please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to prevent further calls.
  
  If you have any additional details or would like to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your patience as we work to ensure this does not happen again.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was contacted maybe early this year of 2024 from Stellar Literary Press & Media. I did not follow my initial instincts and research this company. I ****** Stellar Literary and then scam information came up and their numerous complaints with BBB. I signed a fraudulent contract with Stellar to ***ublish my book under my name as the publisher. I paid them $1300 for service they showed me on ****** that the book was out for sale. The *** convinced me to have the book removed from my original publisher. So now my book is in limbo because I don't believe what they showed me was real from ******. Once she presented to me that my book **** interest for a contract of 180k. I agreed to move forward and then like a week later she came back and told me though presenting my book. To "publishers" it **** much interest and then she proceeded to solicit me to rebrand my other book. The other book for the same amount of $1300. I didn't have the money but from there the scam came more out in her character change which was from that point became unprofessional. Laughably she began to parade of my dishonest for leading her on about the second deal. The phone conversation ended which was about two hours ago. I got online and found complaints posted to BBB. I don't imagine hearing from them again or see my $1300 back. I just want to log a formal compliant so that Stellar Literary Press & Media held accountable and exposed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/09/2024

  Dear Herbert,

  
  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We take all feedback seriously and want to address your situation with the utmost care.

  
  I sincerely apologize for the distress you have experienced with Stellar Literary Press & Media. It is concerning to hear about your negative experience, and I want to assure you that we are committed to resolving any issues related to our services.

  
  I understand that you signed a contract and paid for services that you now feel were not delivered as promised. We strive to maintain transparency in our communications and to provide our authors with the highest level of professionalism. I regret that you felt this was not your experience.

  
  Please allow us the opportunity to investigate your situation further. We want to ensure that we address your concerns properly and hold ourselves accountable. I encourage you to reach out directly to our customer service team [email protected] or 1-888-945-8513  so we can gather more details and work towards a resolution.

  In addition, you may check our disclaimer statement on this link: https://stellarliterary.com/disclaimer/

  
  Your feedback is invaluable to us as we aim to improve our processes and services. Thank you for your understanding, and I hope to hear from you soon.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order with Stellar ***************************************** LLC on the 26th of April 2024... I signed up for the custom illustration designs of around 20, and they promised to complete the project within 30 days. It's been more than 3 months now that not even completed 50% of it... I have health issues and want my book to be published as soon as possible. All the time when I call them they just provide me with excuses. Apart from that, all of the work they have provided is done through AI... No illustration is custom-created and according to my story. I have paid them $ 3000 for all the services and now I want my money back for which they are not responding to my calls. I have found a guy from Fivver and love his services but I don't have any more money to get my book completed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/09/2024

  Dear Lawrence,

  
  I hope this message finds you well. I want to sincerely apologize for the delay in the illustrations for your project. We understand how important this aspect is to you and appreciate your patience throughout this process.

  
  Based on our recent conversations with you and our Author Relations team, we have provided updates on the status of your illustrations. We also noted that you have approved some of the designs, which is a positive step forward.

  
  If you have any further questions or need additional updates, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to assist you and ensure the final product meets your vision.

  
  Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contracted Stellar literary Press and media in December 2023, for the republication of my book "****** the Odyssey"; specifically, to get a new ISBN. New Name of the Publisher as: ********** ******. and a retail price of $ *****. and the book to be published before 30th of March 2024. A contract was signed.For the services, a charge of $ ******. was agreed. I paid $ ****** in December 2023 by charging of my AMEX and the remaining $ ****** charged on My AmEx on 02-27-2024. As of today, the work is undone. Moreover, they are trying to publish the book under their label for a retail price of $ *****. This is deceitful and fraudulent. I need my money back.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/09/2024

  Dear Theckedath Mathew,

  
  Thank you for reaching out regarding your recent concerns expressed on the Better Business Bureau platform. We appreciate your feedback and understand the importance of pricing in the publication process.

  
  Following our investigation into your case, we are pleased to inform you that your book is ready for publication. However, we have concerns regarding your proposed pricing of $22.50. Given that your book consists of 652 pages in full color, the printing costs exceed this price point.

  
  During your previous discussions with our Author Relations team, we offered solutions to address this issue, including converting the book to black and white or dividing it into two volumes. These options would help align the pricing more closely with your expectations while maintaining the quality of your work.

  
  We understand your concerns and want to emphasize that while we strive to accommodate your preferences, our pricing must reflect the actual costs of printing and distribution.

  
  Please feel free to reach out to us directly so we can explore additional options together and ensure your book reaches the market in a manner that meets your needs.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  For $750 Stellar representatives promised me to print my book and get a contract with a big name publisher for proper distribution. The book is also to be available on Amazon. The book has been printed without proper margins so it looks poor quality. The book cannot be found on Amazon. And they said ********* wants another $500 to do a mass emailing. I asked to see a copy of *********'s proposal. They also suggested the big company wants $1000 to do a website but that was to make the mass emailing sound better. No paperwork from ********* was shown to me. The whole idea was to get a traditional publisher. That was the promise. My agent was *********************. This has occurred in the last twelve months.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention through the BBB. After carefully reviewing your complaint, we would like to address the points you raised.
  Firstly, we acknowledge that your book has indeed been successfully published on Amazon, which was part of the service you paid $750 for. We have not received any additional payments beyond that amount from you. Therefore, we are unsure about the $500 and $1000 you mentioned in your complaint, as we have no record of such transactions.
  Furthermore, it is important to clarify that we do not make any guarantees about being contacted by ********* or any other big publishers. Our services include assisting authors in creating query letters and providing guidance on the publishing process. While we strive to help our clients achieve their goals, we cannot promise or predict specific outcomes, such as securing a deal with a major publishing house.
  We genuinely value your satisfaction and would like to work towards resolving this matter. We kindly request you to provide us with additional information regarding the alleged payments of $500 and $1000 so that we can investigate the matter thoroughly.
  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to resolving this issue promptly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was contacted by Stellar who pretended to be a well-established literary agency. I didn't realize that literary agents don't make cold calls. A woman named **** told me that if I let them "re-publish" my books through them, they would present them to a traditional publisher. I didn't know that literary agents don't work in this way. When I agreed to try one of my books, she convinced me to give them access to all of my books by saying that ********* wanted to purchase all of the books for a very large amount. She quoted huge figures for each book in a supposed contract that they had given her. My daughter-in-law tried to convince me from the beginning that Stellar was a scam. She even contacted *********'s department that deals with scams, and was told that they had never done business with Stellar and that the offer was not legitimate. Unforunately, I had already agreed to pay close to $20,000 to Stellar for illustrations, and marketing. I sent an initial email saying I wanted to break the contract, but **** would keep calling and convince me of their lies. I finally saw that what my family was saying about the company was true, and I sent an email saying to cease and desist communication and that I retain all of the rights to my books. My daughter-in-law blocked their number so that **** would be forced to admit her lies in writing. She sent an email after I told them to stop communication with me in which she said, "My company is not a self-publishing company." Then wny did I pay them so much money to re-publish my books in my own name? I am most concerned that she said in that email that she plans to move forward with our phone discussion even after receiving my email to cease all communication and that I want to stop this. I never gave final approval on any of the work, and I'm scared that they will use my manuscripts for their own ends without my permission. I want in writing that they will not use any of the content from my books for any reason.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2023

  We appreciate the feedback and would like to address the concerns raised in the complaint. Our client has been with us since May, and we have maintained a positive working relationship with her throughout that time. Our transactions have been smooth, with clear communication and satisfactory services provided.
  However, it is important to note that the negative statements made about our company were initiated by the client's daughter-in-law, who is not our client and has never had any direct experience with our services. We find it unfortunate that someone unrelated to the business transaction has chosen to voice their dissatisfaction through the BBB.
  Regarding the amount mentioned, it is crucial to clarify that these funds were allocated for marketing and publishing services, as agreed upon in our contract. We are more than willing to provide receipts and documentation to substantiate these transactions.
  Furthermore, we would like to emphasize that our company does not guarantee the success of marketing campaigns or any specific outcomes. This information is explicitly stated in our contract and is a standard practice within the industry.
  We value the trust and satisfaction of our clients, and we regret any misunderstanding that *** have occurred. We remain committed to providing excellent services and maintaining open lines of communication with our clients. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to resolve this matter.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/13/2023

  I've asked more than once via email that you stop all work on this project. Please honor my request! I do not want you to have access to any of my book content, and I want to be sure that you do not try to publish any of my content yourselves. This comes back to the same thing. You promised over the phone over and over that you had received a contract from Macmmillan. You quoted specific amounts that they promised for each book. You said that they loved my books and wanted to publish all of them and that you were talking to them daily. My daughter-in-law contacted them, and they have no record of ever doing any business with you. I really should get my money back, but all I'm asking is that you say here that you will stop all work on my book. In the last email you sent, you said that you are not a self-publishing company. I just spent a lot of money for you to re-publish my books because you convinced me that this was what I needed to do. I now know that this isn't true, but I don't want you to try publishing these on Amazon without my permission. I just want this to be clearly said that you will not use any of my work. I can't talk on the phone with you. It is too difficult for me emotionally after all you have put me through. I really believed that **** cared about me. I don't want to have to deal with this any more!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding the cancellation of your services. We understand that you had initially requested a refund, despite the considerable work and progress made on your book, as we were moving towards publication. We have made multiple attempts to reach out to you and explain that we are a legitimate company dedicated to ensuring the success of your book.

  
  We would like to assure you that we value your satisfaction and have put your account on hold while we work towards resolving this matter. However, if you still insist on canceling the services, we can give it you however we regret to inform you that we cannot offer a refund at this stage. Extensive time and resources have already been invested in your project.
  We remain committed to resolving this complaint to the best of our abilities. Please feel free to provide any additional information or suggestions for a resolution.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/23/2023

  I just want confirmation that you are completely cancelling this project and will do nothing further with my books. Please confirm here that no more work will be done on and that you will not use the content from my books in any form in the future.

  *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 7/15/22, ***************************** and I, *****************************, agreed that I would have Stellar Literary publish one book in my name, and republish two books in my name for the price of $2000.00. I made a payment of $2000.00 on 7/15/22. When I did not receive a receipt or any response after I sent the payment, I filed a dispute with my credit card company on 7/22/22. I received a receipt on 7/22/22. I cancelled the dispute. On 7/29/22, ***************************** informed me that $2000.00 was not enough to cover the cost to have all three books done. I agreed to pay an additional $900.00 to cover the cost of all three books. The total amount of $2900.00 paid for the "Bronze publishing package $799 + Ebook Availability $250 + Hardcopy Availability $250," ($1299) and two "Rebranding | $800" packages ($1600). On 9/1/22, **************** took my $900.00 payment. On or about 11/16/22, I received two DocuSign agreements; a "Card Authorization Form" and a "Service and Distribution Agreement" from ******************************************************* Both forms were associated with the "Republication Gold" package for the publication of one book, "Don't Turn Your Back III." I did NOT sign them. On 11/23/22, I responded to the Email of DocuSign agreements sent by ******************************************************* stating that the wrong contract had been sent. I detailed the reasons why. I did NOT receive a response. From November 2022, till 3/16/23, I continued working with ******************* to prepare all three books for completion. On 3/16/23. I signed DocuSign agreements for all three books authorizing Stellar Literary Press & Media to proceed with the publication of my three books. On 4/26/23, I called ******************* and asked the status of my books. She stated they were waiting for me to sign the "Reproduction Gold" contract. **************** refuses to addressed the contract error. I have made every effort to resolve this matter amicably. Stellar Literary Press & Media have not honored our agreement. I want my books published as requested or a full refund, $2900.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/15/2023

  We already resolve this issue with the customer. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  August 8 2022, I submitted $1200 to this company for their Gold Republication package.Nothing was ever done for my deposit. Talked to **** the manager in November and since nothing was done she was retiring my deposit. Since I have not been able to get a response when calling and leaving my phone number, I wonder if they are even open!I don't want to hire an attorney. As an 88 year old widow, author, I feel I need help! Trying you for that help.