Dorrance Publishing Avis 

I published my late husband's book posthumously. He had started the process but the responsibility was on me to finish it. I didn't really know what I was doing but Dorrance guided me every step of the way. Specifically Wylie Stephenson the project manager, took me under her wing. She was professional and yet kind. So easy to consult with when I had questions. She was very prompt and on top of things.

Dorrance has a very caring staff and has been very professional and conscientious publishing my book. It was a difficult time trying to get it published during Covid and they were very helpful and conscientious.

Overall, I found Dorrance Publishing to be organized. This was helpful because I had no previous knowledge of what to expect. My project manager, Wylie Stephenson, guided me through the process with my first book, so I was grateful to have her again for my second book. She answered all my questions thoroughly, always with kindness, and in a timely manner.

Everything I wanted to know about going forward with my books; also any question I had they all were there for me. Which made me feel very thankful..

My experience with Dorrance was excellent. Our contract spelled out everything very clearly and there were no unwanted surprises (e.g., extra charges, etc). My project manager at Dorrance was Wylie Stephenson. She was very helpful, responsive, efficient, polite and professional.

Dorrance staff guided through the publishing process with great advice and care. since my publication was my first, I had a lot of questions. Dorrance was very patient and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone. My daughter used them to publish her book from my experience with Dorrance. Thaank you Dorrance

I reached out to Dorrance Publishing as a path to communicate with single parents. My original desire was to illuminate the lives of people raising children alone, celebrate how powerful and successful they are and encourage them.

The Senior Project Manager, Wylie Stephenson has been so kind, responsive and helpful. And, the Consultant Team understood the mission, graciously embraced my intent and helped me create interactive books for this population. I am thankful for this incredible partnership and the opportunity through Dorrance Publishing to reach many. I hope that by focusing on the single parent as the key individual in the parenting experience inspires them to do the same, and to seek joy within the experience.

Working with Wylie and Amanda made my experience terrific! They are both amazing! Wylie has excellent project management and follow up skills. She gets to the bottom of any issues in a timely manner and keeps the project moving forward.
Amanda has excellent people and customer relations skills. Even though she has a heavy workload, she is always attentive and quick to respond to customer needs and questions. She has impeccable follow up skills.

This was my first 'rodeo' with Dorrance Publishing or of any self publishing establishment. They may be a little more on cost given the market times, but they have a long track record which I appreciated and I have two nice books in hardcover that address 'children' making decisions on how self control and cooperation can be a good in the long run. The staff were kind, helpful and gladly answered questions or when ironing out issues, especially Wylie Stephenson my contact organizer.

I was a total novice when it comes to book publishing and marketing. Wylie Stephenson became my best friend, walking me through every step in the process regarding my first book. While I was not often pleased with the timelines for every step, she still made me feel like I mattered.

Wylie Stephenson was always on top of her game when helping me. I would recommend her to everyone needing her skills.

Absolutely great to work with - personalized professional services - any questions I have had are addressed promptly - fantastic communication! Also very kind and compassionate team!
Wylie Stephenson, senior project manager, is amazing to work with - fantastic assistance every step of the way. Highly recommend Dorrance Publishing!

Wylie S. was so helpful & knowledgeable in everything. She helped even when things got tough to make it as easy as possible. I loved working with her & the rest of the stuff at Dorrance. I am even working on a new book & plan to go through them again!

Project managers at Dorance have been incredible. They have kept me up to date as my books have progressed through the system. I am grateful for their help and advice.
Thanks

🌟 The Ultimate Dream Team for Authors!
Bringing my book to life in April 2026 required a coordinated effort from a stellar lineup of publishing professionals. Here is the exceptional team that guided my manuscript from a raw draft to a polished, published reality:Benjamin Altomari (Senior Publishing Services Consultant): The vital first point of contact who went above and beyond. He stayed in constant communication during the final three months of my writing process, showing a genuine interest in my book's genre and target audience. The moment I submitted the manuscript, he immediately appointed the perfect project leader to take the reins.Jo Emanuelson (Assistant Editor & Project Manager): The core operational engine handpicked by Ben to run my project. She contacted me immediately to map out a clear, step-by-step plan of the publishing process. Through weekly progress reports, she kept me fully involved in every decision. Her lightning-fast response times—often answering emails the exact same day—made our collaboration incredibly warm, productive, and reassuring. Like Ben, Jo truly believed in my book. Jessica Stillwell (Author Services Director): The high-level strategist overseeing the entire project lifecycle, ensuring top-tier production standards from start to finish.The Creative Production Team: The specialized specialists operating smoothly under Jo's direct coordination:Cover Designer: Crafted the striking visual identity, spine layout, and back cover.Book Typographer & Typesetter: Perfected the interior font styles, sizes, and text readability.Layout Artist: Masterfully formatted the chapters, margins, headers, and footers.Editorial Crew: The meticulous copyeditors and proofreaders who polished every sentence.
In short, my search for the perfect publisher began with uncertainty, but it ended with the ultimate dream team: Ben, Jo, and the brilliant creative experts at Dorrance Publishing.

Dan Evans, Author of Dan's Way
Available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Dorrance Publishing makes the publishing process clear and manageable from start to finish. Their team is professional, supportive, and responsive. They provide guidance throughout each stage because they really care about bringing books to life. Becoming a published author is an exciting and rewarding experience. I would recommend Dorrance Publishing to authors looking for knowledgeable support throughout their publishing journey.

It is one of one of the worst I mean literally the worst publishing company. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to work with them. They are a scammers. They will just take your money and do really literally nothing and I’m saying that because I have worked with them and I haven’t seen my book and I haven’t seen a dime and they barely even respond to me so please don’t work with them and if you want your money to be stolen by them they lake integrity they lake value and they’re like authenticity.

I've been wondering why Dorrance Publishing (Rose Dog Books) has stopped sending me sales information on my Book. My book was published 2012 (My Poetic Composition). I used to get emails for what was bought, royjalties; etc. and book shows but, they stopped coming a couple of years ago and I had just noticed this. My name is Daniel Z. Jones and I would like a reponse.

I submitted a manuscript to this publisher for evaluation. And was informed the manuscript had been accepted. Where I signed an e-contract for 25 books and distribution. Initially I fell behind on payment. Due to a personal matter. But paid the balance of the contract in full. Five months ahead of schedule. Concerning editing. The contract specified ‘mechanical’ (or grammatical) editing only by the publisher. And no recommendations for style. Nevertheless, when I received the editor’s draft. The style had been changed. Where the publisher had represented: ‘Your talent. Your book. Your style.’

The publisher specifies any special issues with a manuscript. Be advised at initial submission. But style did not become an issue until I received the editor’s draft. That I had been given no reason to anticipate such changes. Rather the opposite. Noticing the changes. I notified the project manager. And was advised by a replacement project manager. To submit a list of the changes and the pages they appeared on. Which I did. It was agreed that a fee for the author correcting the editor’s draft would be waived. And I thought the problem was resolved. A new project manager was assigned. Where I resubmitted the list of changes. That my corrections wouldn’t be changed again. And asked that it be forwarded to the designer.

My corrections were correctly included in the proof I received. But there were other problems that were my responsibility. And I requested to submit a revised manuscript. For a $150 redesign fee. Which was agreed. But when the new proof came back. Certain corrections had been changed again. When I asked the project manager about this. I received a response from the designer. Indicating they were previously unaware of the issue. Which led me to believe. The project manager failed to forward the correction document. Or the designer had overlooked it. The publisher represents they will correct their errors free of charge. And will “…work with the author to achieve the final product that they want.” But when I asked if the changes could be corrected. The publisher stopped responding to my communications.

I have tried contacting the publisher by email. Telephone. Leaving a message. And two-day tracked mail. To the Author Services Director. Offering to pay for the corrections myself. With the intention to complete the contract. But no response. While they kept my payment in full. For no books published. The publisher represents they are trusted by authors. But anyone who takes your money. Fails to provide an acceptable product. And disappears. Should not be trusted. Not recommended. Thank you.

About this time last year I completed by first manuscript and submitted it to Brenda McDonald with Dorrance Publishing. She was very convincing that they could edit and publish my book to make it a huge first attempt. We agreed on a soft cover approach and I paid, in advance, for it to be published as an eBook as well. She offered, and I accepted, to add an auditory version as well as now cost. Because it was an anniversary year, she also offered 103 copies of the book to me at no charge to use during book signing. I fell for a very large sales pitch that included marketing, developing leads, promoting and scheduling book signings, they would contact media outlets, solicit displays with major booksellers (BooksAMillion, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart), list the book through distribution hub Ingram, promote it through Publishers Weekly, yada yada. What I got what a really nice looking book and cover, a poorly edited product, ZERO distribution effort, and a product only available as a PRINT ON DEMAND product that booksellers refuse to stock or display. Why? They would have not investment in the book and no incentive to sell in their stores. Dorrance has nothing invested in the process. I wound up being 100% responsible for cost and 100% vested. We had a non-traditional VANITY agreement for what turned out to be a self-publishing project, they simply provided incomplete editing and nothing else. You would think that a company in business for over 100 years would be much more reputable and truthful. Everything looked legit, I was entirely sucked in. Ms McDonald no longer answer any emails. The company President, David Zeolla, will not answer me. We submitted multiple complaints, request for our money back (at least the marketing and promotions portion or 50%) and they refused. This is a huge and incredibly elaborate SCAM. Between this company and my attempts at starting an internet and getting scammed last year we have lost in excess of $10,000 in 2024. If you are looking for a publisher - DO NOT accept anything short of a hybrid contract where the publisher is at least 50% vested in the process. You are at a HUGE disadvantage. Dorrance is a VANITY publishing company. They have NO vested interested in book sales, they make their money off YOU. Good luck.