Alberta author urges caution after book publishing deal cost him more than $40,000

Two years after publication, Charles Schroder says his book is apparently discontinued

An Edmonton-area writer who spent more than $40,000 on a publishing service is urging other aspiring authors to be cautious when looking to put out a book.

Charles Schroder, an 88-year-old writer whose gardening column is a regular feature of the St. Albert Gazette newspaper, told CBC it’s not even possible anymore to buy a copy of his book Urban Gardening: Planning to Preserving, which was published in April 2024.

“As far as I know, Amazon has discontinued it,” Schroder told CBC News this week. “I'm not sure about Barnes and Noble, and I have received no inquiries from any other booksellers.”

Schroder used a Florida-based company called Writers Clique, which he learned about from a friend. He put together a draft, made up of his columns, and submitted it.

"They gave it to one of their writers who wrote an absolutely beautiful review of the book,” Schroder said. “I thought it'd be a bestseller. She had written [the review] so well. And so I was hooked.”

He told CBC News that his first invoice was about $8,000, agreed upon verbally and by email. The original purchase included social media accounts, email marketing and press releases promoting the book, said Schroder.

More invoices followed, which he also paid, and the book was eventually released to Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as had been agreed in the contract.

Schroder said he estimates he spent about $42,000 Cdn on publishing services provided by Writers Clique.

However, many of the promises made by Writers Clique were not fulfilled, according to Schroder, such as a book index that did not function properly and an audiobook that was not narrated by the person he was promised would do it.

To date, Schroder has received $550 Cdn in royalties.

A spokesperson for the company told CBC News in a phone interview that Writers Clique delivered on what it had promised.

Mike Foster, identified as a procurement officer for Writers Clique, added that the company is aware of Schroder’s concerns.

Navigating the world of self-publishing

Experts encourage authors to undertake some due diligence when exploring options to self-publish a book.

“Check out [the company’s] back catalogue, look at the books they have published. If you're able to contact some authors who have been published through them, ask what their experience was like and if they got sales that they were promised,” said Giorgia Severini, executive director of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta.

Contracts should be carefully scrutinized to ensure you’re able to get out of it, she said. “It's also a red flag if they give you a quote and then add additional charges that were not in the original quote."

Authors who have entered into a deal with a traditional publisher generally submit manuscript. If selected for publication, there are no associated fees and authors receive a royalty based on a percentage of book sales, according to the Canadian Authors Association website.

Self-publishing, on the other hand, means the author is responsible for all aspects of book production. The author pays to have the book published, often using a self-publishing company that offers services like editing, cover design, marketing and production, the website adds. All proceeds from a self-published book go directly to the author.

But Severini said authors may also encounter vanity publishers, in which authors pay upfront fees but may not maintain their rights to the books and may only be paid a royalty percentage.

“Technically it is vanity publishing if an author is paying a company to handle all aspects of book production,” Severini said. “But the term 'vanity publishing' is falling out of favour with the advent of self-publishing services that are up front about what they are.”

“These days ‘vanity publishing’ is usually used to refer to a company that pretends to operate like a traditional publisher, gives the impression they have a selection process, but really publishes anyone who is willing to pay,” she said.

Severini noted it is good practice to copyright your work and get an International Standard Book Number or ISBN. The 13-digit number acts like a fingerprint for an author’s book and are provided for free in Canada to eligible publishers and publications.

Saige Caljouw, who writes under the name S. Victoria Nakamun, is an Edmonton author who independently published a fantasy novel called When Two Roads Meet in 2023.

Caljouw said it was an excellent experience.

“I absolutely love the complete freedom that I have to create a brand that's entirely mine. I can put out art without asking for permission,” said Caljouw, who earned about $700 from the book.

“I love that self-publishing allows authors to familiarize themselves with the industry, create an online presence, gather connections, and showcase dedication to their craft before showcasing themselves to the big names.”

Morgan Black is a reporter with CBC News in Edmonton. She is passionate about daily news as well as long-form journalism. In 2025, she received an Edward R. Murrow Award for news documentary and a National Radio Television Digital News Association award for best local enterprise journalism. You can reach her at morgan.black@cbc.ca

With files from Brennan Klak and Jessica Campbell