Archway Publishing reviews (2026): what authors praise and complain about
Archway Publishing is a real company run by Author Solutions, and it is rated 3.8 out of 5 (Great) from 448 reviews on Trustpilot. Archway has no Better Business Bureau profile of its own: the BBB lists its parent company, Author Solutions, LLC, as A+ rated and accredited since 2010, with 73 complaints in 3 years (26 in the last 12 months) across the several imprints the parent runs, so that figure is not Archway's alone. Trustpilot shows a claimed profile on a paid subscription that asks customers to review, many recent reviews carry the Invited label, and it says the company replied to 94% of negative reviews, typically within 2 weeks. 65 reviews in the last 12 months. Below are the rating, what authors praise, what some authors report (19 one- to three-star Trustpilot reviews we logged, with dates and links), and what to ask any publisher before you sign.
The overall rating, on the day we read it
Trustpilot
3.8 out of 5 · “Great” · 448 reviews on Trustpilot
Read on 16 October 2026. We read the 10 most recent four- and five-star reviews and the 20 most recent one- to three-star reviews (19 logged; one was written by a reader, not an author): 9 × 5★, 1 × 4★, 6 × 3★, 3 × 2★, 11 × 1★.
Trustpilot shows a claimed profile on a paid subscription that asks customers to review, many recent reviews carry the Invited label, and it says the company replied to 94% of negative reviews, typically within 2 weeks. 65 reviews in the last 12 months.
What authors praise
For some authors it works. Reviewers report:
- Verified customer found staff easy to deal with and knowledgeable — “very easy to deal with and they know this stuff” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Quality of the book beat expectations and several staff were praised — “Quality of my book surpassed expectations. Several staff who helped were terrific.” (4★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author felt staff were interested in the project and set expectations — “made me feel they were genuinely interested in my project” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Professionalism praised at every level — “Professionalism on all levels.” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Staff described as professional, courteous and polite on the phone — “professional,courteous and polite to speak with!” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Staff manner and quick handling of return inquiries praised — “Your professionalism and bedside manner. And expediency with return inquiries” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- A three-book author praises the guidance and expertise — “the guidance, expertise and learning opportunities make Archway a wonderful publisher to work with” (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Two named staff members were described as wonderful (5★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- Quick, friendly service — “Quick friendly service.” (5★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author was kept informed and on track throughout — “Kept me on the right path and informed the entire time.” (5★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
We logged 10 four- and five-star Trustpilot reviews from the 10 most recent.
What authors complain about
Reviewers report the following, counted from the 19 Trustpilot reviews we logged: 13 of its 14 one- and two-star reviews, plus its 6 3-star reviews. The one left out was written by a reader of an Archway book, not by an author who used the service. Each line links to the source.
Marketing that did not deliver (6 reviews)
- A dealing with a marketing representative fell short of expectations — “my last dealings with a marketing rep was less than stellar” (2★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- The reviewer says the book is not promoted and the price for a publisher is high — “don't promote your book and are high price for publisher” (3★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- The marketing department is described as slow, with website delays — “I think the marketing department is slow and not connected.” (3★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author spent over $2,300 and reports no marketing support — “Spent over $2.3k and received zero marketing support.” (3★, August 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author says none of the purchased marketing services were received — “I have received 0 of those services.” (1★, June 2026, Trustpilot)
- The reviewer says the company does no marketing work (1★, March 2026, Trustpilot)
Service after the sale (5 reviews)
- The reviewer says staff passed the problem along instead of resolving it — “instead of just passing the buck” (1★, October 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author says everything falls on the author, including editing contact — “The onus for everything falls upon the author” (1★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- A different person for each phase, with cover and audiobook delays — “I had to speak with a different person for each phase or process” (2★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author had to chase staff on everything; the score was raised after a company reply — “I had to dog them, like I've had to do on everything” (3★, June 2026, Trustpilot)
- The author says the company stopped helping soon after payments were secured — “After securing my payments, Archway abandoned me almost immediately.” (1★, June 2026, Trustpilot)
Hidden or surprise charges (2 reviews)
- Marketing costs thousands more and this was not made clear; delays also reported — “It is not made clear that marketing will cost many thousands more.” (1★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- The reviewer says staff only asked for more money for small extras; a refund is mentioned — “they only asked for more money to do other little things” (1★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
Price (2 reviews)
- The finished quality is praised but the author could not afford the price — “I cannot afford the price” (3★, September 2026, Trustpilot)
- A general warning about spending large amounts, with no specifics (1★, January 2026, Trustpilot)
Print and proof errors (1 review)
- Pages in hardback editions were not cut, so they tear when opened — “pages not cut in hardbound editions so when opened the pages tear” (1★, August 2026, Trustpilot)
Rights, ISBN and leaving (1 review)
- A contract term lets Archway supply only PDF files — “Archway reserves the right to only supply .PDF files” (1★, April 2026, Trustpilot)
Process not explained (1 review)
- The final book is praised but the process was difficult because of poor communication — “the process to get there was difficult due to poor communication” (3★, August 2026, Trustpilot)
Refunds (1 review)
- A refund request for a marketing package got no refund and no response — “I still have not received a refund or a response from Archway.” (1★, April 2026, Trustpilot)
Questions to ask any publisher before you sign
- Is this a publisher that pays you, or a paid service? Ask for the full price in writing, what it covers, and whether more is added later.
- Is marketing included, and what does it cost on top? Ask for a written list of every deliverable, its price and its date, before you pay for anything.
- Who is your point of contact, and will it be the same person from start to finish? What happens if that person leaves or is away?
- What file formats will you receive when the book is done, and who owns the files and the cover?
- Do you approve a proof before printing, and what happens if the printed book does not match it?
- Can you see your sales yourself? Who reports them, who pays you, and how often?
- What happens if you are unhappy: what is the refund position, and how do you ask for it?
- If you want to leave, what happens to the listings and the rights, and how long does it take?
How we handle each of these
We are a competing publisher, so weigh this accordingly. These are the points above where our own pages already say what we do:
- Marketing that did not deliver. We make no sales promises: no marketing service can promise sales or bestseller status. Each package lists the work it includes. Our marketing services, and what each package includes
- Hidden or surprise charges. Our prices are fixed. We don't run discounts or 'today only' offers, and the prices of our packages are listed before you talk to anyone. Our packages and their prices
- Refunds. Our refund policy is in writing before you pay. A refund can be requested before any work has started on your project; once work has begun, payments are non-refundable. We would rather you know that up front. Our refund policy
- Rights, ISBN and leaving. You publish on your own Amazon KDP account, keep 100% of your royalties and own all rights, so the book stays yours if you move. Our packages: 100% royalties and all rights stay with you
How this was researched
- We read the reviews of Archway Publishing on Trustpilot on 16 October 2026, and logged each review we used: its stars, its date and a theme, with a short paraphrase in our own words.
- A quotation, where we use one, is under 15 words, in quotation marks and linked. We do not edit reviews, write them, or ask for them to be written.
- Sources read so far: Trustpilot. We will add others and update this page, and the date above.
- We describe what reviewers report; we do not claim it is true of every author, and we have not tested the company's service ourselves.
If anything here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Archway Publishing legit?
It is a real company run by Author Solutions. On Trustpilot it shows 3.8 out of 5 from 448 reviews on a claimed profile that invites customers to review. The BBB profile is the parent company's, A+ rated and accredited since 2010, with 73 complaints in 3 years across its imprints. Both were read on 16 October 2026. Some authors report problems, listed on this page with dates and links.
What do authors praise about Archway Publishing?
Of the 10 four- and five-star Trustpilot reviews we logged, authors praise professional, courteous staff, communication through the process, and the quality of the finished book. Six of the ten carry Trustpilot's Invited or Verified label.
What do the unhappy authors complain about?
Among the 19 one- to three-star Trustpilot reviews we logged, the themes reviewers report most are marketing that did not deliver (6), service after the sale (5), hidden or surprise charges (2). Most concern marketing: what it cost, services not received and little promotion after purchase. On the BBB, the seven complaints we read that name Archway are mostly about marketing or fulfilment delays, and most are marked answered rather than resolved.
Whose BBB record is it?
Archway has no BBB profile of its own. The BBB lists its complaints under the parent company, Author Solutions, LLC, which runs several imprints, so its totals (73 complaints in 3 years) are not Archway's alone. Of the 50 most recent complaints we read, 7 named Archway.
How is Harmony Publishing different?
We are a competing publisher, so weigh this accordingly. What we can point to: you publish on your own Amazon KDP account and keep 100% of your royalties and rights, our prices are fixed and listed before you talk to anyone, our refund policy is in writing before you pay, and we make no sales promises about marketing. Each is linked on this page.