I have just finished publishing my EIGHTH title with Create Space -- the first being an anthology, the rest being an annual academic journal which is handed out to hundreds of members at our conferences--members who, it's worth noting, work in academia, are published themselves, and know the difference between quality and schlock. Our team has received nothing but glowing reviews of the books ever since we moved from a traditional off-set printer to Create Space seven issues ago. FWIW, we go with a 6x9 full color matte cover and b&w interior on cream stock, averaging around 130 pages, and have both dense textbocks and many photographs in every edition). I regularly recommend them, whether as a primary source of printing or as a means of keeping a back catalogue without dealing with excess inventory. The ease with which they integrate with Amazon sales, international distribution, sales to libraries/schools, etc., their FREE isbn assignment and bar code creation (unless you want a private one), AND how easy it is to switch over to Kindle, are simply amazing aspects of this company. Best POD publisher I've ever used.
I haven't used any of the formatting/editing/etc. services that the reviewer "Sidney S." mentioned, so I can't comment on that, but I CAN say that if you're coming into this with a decent background in book formatting and can provide a ready-to-go PDF, they are quick and high quality.
The MAIN reason I decided I needed to write a review, though, is to offer a different perspective than that given by the reviewer "S.S.," who made several strongly-worded claims. I want to emphasize that the experience they describe is polar opposite to mine.
The customer service I've received has constantly been top notch. Not only has literally EVERY order arrived earlier than quoted (despite us always ordering several hundred copies), but on the rare occassion that something has gone wrong, they've been absolutely wonderful.
Meanwhile, regarding their copyright/intellectual property rules: yes, it's true, they DO care about such things. The disgruntled reviewer felt that (s/he) was incorrectly trapped by a "bot," and unfairly targeted. Not having seen the submission, I honestly have no idea -- but here's what happened with my first book (again, an anthology): though they printed it at first, they pulled it down from Amazon fairly quickly, sending me a note stating they had intellectual property concerns. Since I'm a creator, I **LIKE** that! I contacted them, had a lovely conversation, and was able to show them the contracts we had in place to use those authors' works. They were perfectly happy and freed up the book to be sold again within an hour of our conversation. When I later went to them about moving our annual journal to Create Space, I carefully described what we'd be doing and the multitude of writers who would be submitting. They understood, and now we're able to publish yearly without a whisper of a problem.
Meanwhile, regarding being angry about Create Space saying that they couldn't publish the manuscript with "Social Security" on the cover? Perhaps, instead of blaming Create Space, the reviewer could just visit google (as I just did), in which case they would find the following on the Social Security Administration's website:
"PROHIBITION OF MISUSE OF SYMBOLS, EMBLEMS, OR NAMES IN REFERENCE TO SOCIAL SECURITY OR MEDICARE
Sec. 1140. [42 U.S.C. 1320b-10] (a)(1) No person may use, in connection with any item constituting an advertisement, solicitation, circular, book, pamphlet, or other communication (including any Internet or other electronic communication), or a play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, alone or with other words, letters, symbols, or emblems[123]--
(A) the words "Social Security", "Social Security Account", "Social Security System", "Social Security Administration", "Medicare", "Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services", "Department of Health and Human Services", "Health and Human Services", "Supplemental Security Income Program", or "Medicaid", the letters "SSA", "CMS", "DHHS", "HHS", or "SSI", or any other combination or variation of such words or letters, or
(B) a symbol or emblem of the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or Department of Health and Human Services (including the design of, or a reasonable facsimile of the design of, the social security card issued pursuant to section 205(c)(2)(F)"
I read that to mean: if the book suggested that it taught how to deal w/Social Security, or if anyone could possibly mistake it as being from the SSA office, OR if it in ANY way featured the SSA shield, it would be in violation of a federal statute. In other words, Create Space didn't screw the reviewer over -- they saved the reviewer from screwing themselves.
Some projects will always be more appropriate for off-set/traditional printing--but for POD, Create Space is the team you want on your side. read more
