From Loss to Liberation: Florida Author Rebuilds Success After a Vanity Publishing Trap

The Challenge

Jessica Brown, a wellness coach from Florida, thought she had found her dream publisher. The “bestseller package” promised editing, marketing, and guaranteed sales. She paid $4,800 upfront.

Then silence.
No ISBN, no listings, no communication.
The so-called “publisher” vanished.

Jessica felt devastated. She had invested both her savings and her confidence. When she contacted Estorytellers, she had only a PDF draft and a lingering sense of betrayal.

Our Approach

Estorytellers began by auditing her existing materials to understand what could be salvaged. Our team rebuilt her project with professionalism and transparency.

1. Rights Restoration:
   We verified that her earlier “publisher” had no registered ISBN or distribution claim, confirming she retained full rights.

2. Professional Relaunch Strategy:
   Her book, Well Within: Small Habits for a Big Life, was redesigned with a fresh cover, clean interior layout, and a verified ISBN under Estorytellers’ hybrid model.

3. Marketing Rebuild:
   Estorytellers focused on organic digital promotion, genre-specific blogger reviews, and Amazon SEO alignment.
   No fake promises—just actionable visibility strategies.

The Outcome

Within six weeks:

• Jessica’s relaunch achieved 10x more sales than her original attempt.

• Her royalties were 100% hers, with Estorytellers taking no backend cuts.

• She received verified reader testimonials from three wellness blogs and local book clubs.

• Her confidence, once shaken, returned stronger than ever.

The Takeaway

Scams in publishing happen every day. The difference lies in how fast you recover.
Jessica’s story showed that transparency, ownership, and data-backed marketing can restore both trust and success.

She now calls Estorytellers her “creative safety net,” and we take pride in that.