Harmony Publishing vs Author Solutions
Author Solutions is the company behind several author-services brands, including AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Xlibris.
Short version. Author Solutions and we both sell publishing packages. Its pages were unavailable when we checked, so we can only say what its imprints page lists: the brands. Prices, royalties and who is the publisher of record are set by the brand you choose, so ask for each in writing before you sign, whoever you choose.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
Choose Author Solutions if…
- You want a choice of brands: Author Solutions lists AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris and others under one company. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want a provider that describes its brands as 'the best supported self-publishing brands in the industry' and are happy to compare their quotes. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is published under one of its brands and you are content with the terms you signed: check them first, then decide if a new edition is worth it.
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | Author Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service publisher that also prints | A company that runs several author-services brands, with AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Xlibris listed as core self-publishing brands (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Brands | One team, one set of terms | Its imprints page also lists Archway, Balboa Press, LifeRich and Palibrio, among others (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Prices | Published on our cost page and in the calculator | Not stated in the excerpts we could read (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Royalties and publisher of record | You keep 100%; you are the publisher of record | Not stated in the excerpts we could read: ask the brand you are considering (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want one team and prices shown up front | Authors who want to choose among several established brands (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the cost page.
The same book, priced on both
One book, priced the same way on both sides: a 6×9 inch paperback, 200 pages, black and white interior on 60lb natural paper, gloss cover, perfect bound, with print-ready files supplied. Printing only, delivered to ZIP code 10001 (New York, NY), Economy delivery.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | Author Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (authorsolutions.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| 1,000 | $6,623.74 = $6,140.40 printing + $483.34 freight$6.62 per copy, deliveredSee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (authorsolutions.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With Author Solutions
- Choose one of its brands, then request that brand's plan and price. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- Agree the terms in writing, including the royalty rate and whose name the ISBN is in. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- You supply:
- Not stated in the excerpts we could read. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- A book published under the brand you choose; the terms depend on the brand. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- Not stated in the excerpts we could read. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
Moving a book to Harmony from an Author Solutions brand
Each brand has its own agreement, so start with yours. This is the order that keeps the book available while you move.
What moves with you
- Your manuscript and any final files you hold. Keep your own copies.
What does not
- The ISBN, if the brand issued it. The excerpts we could read do not say whose name it is registered in: check your agreement. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Read your agreement for the terms on ending it, and leave the listing live while you move. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then ask the brand to withdraw the old edition.
What to check first
- Which brand published the book, and what does your agreement say about ending it? (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- Whose name is the ISBN registered in? (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
- Do you hold the final interior and cover files?
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
Three questions to ask any provider
Including us. The answers decide more about value than the headline price:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- Author Solutions's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Author Solutions' own pages returned 503 when fetched, so the statements about it come from search-result excerpts and are marked as such in the research sheet.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- www.authorsolutions.com/our-imprints/ — checked 15 October 2026
- www.authorsolutions.com/ — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is Author Solutions cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
We cannot say: no prices were stated in the excerpts we could read. Ask the brand for the plan price in writing and compare what each includes. Our prices are on the cost page. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
Which brands does Author Solutions run?
Its imprints page lists AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Xlibris as core self-publishing brands, along with Archway, Balboa Press, LifeRich and Palibrio, among others. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
Who owns the ISBN and the rights?
That depends on the brand and your agreement; the excerpts we could read do not state it. With us you are the publisher of record and keep full rights. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I move a book from an Author Solutions brand to Harmony?
Yes. Read your agreement, keep your final files, order a proof, publish with us, and only then end the old listing. (authorsolutions.com/our-imprints, checked 15 October 2026)