Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, CONSUMER PROTECTION NEWS: Self-publishing company to pay $1.5 million to settle FTC charges of deceptive earning claims, (Apr 14, 2026)

By Jody Coultas, J.D.

Publishing.com allegedly falsely claimed that purchasers of its e-book publishing courses would earn up to $3000 in passive income and $10,000 in royalties.

The FTC announced that it has reached an agreement with a self-publishing company to settle charges that it falsely advertised the potential earnings users of its programs could earn and made it difficult for users to obtain refunds despite a “100% money back guarantee.” Publishing.com, LLC offered programs that purported to help users self-publish online books and audiobooks that would earn thousands in passive income and royalties. However, many users did not earn any money and were denied refunds. The company also allegedly failed to disclose that reviews and testimonials were incentivized. In addition to the monetary relief, the proposed order bars Publishing.com from making earnings claims without adequate support and from failing to clearly disclose the terms of its refund policy (In the Matter of Publishing.com, LLC, FTC File No. 242-3055, Apr. 13, 2026)).

Since 2018, Publishing.com has offered programs and services that purport to provide education, mentorship, tools, and technology to allow consumers to earn a substantial income by publishing e-books and audiobooks online. The program, AI Publishing Academy (AIA), was a self-publishing course. The Publishing Accelerator was sold as an add-on program that included additional coaching and other services, including access to Publishing.com’s AI software, Publishing.ai. Publishing.ai generates book outlines, manuscripts, and book drafts that consumers can use to quickly publish books and audiobooks. The AIA program cost $1,995, while the Publishing Accelerator program sold for $9,800. The programs were advertised using videos posted on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

Publishing.com advertised that consumers who purchased its programs could earn substantial passive income by utilizing its methods and AI software to write popular books. Many of the ads claimed users earned between $1000 and $3000 per month in passive income after using the program. Also, Publishing.com claimed that, with little or no startup cost, purchasers could earn substantial royalties by selling their books on Amazon and other platforms. One ad claimed that its coaches that used the same 7-day, 7-step process to publish their own books make over $10k/month in royalties. The company promised a 12-month money-back guarantee. One video said: “[w]e also offer a 12 month 100% money back guarantee (no questions asked).”

In an administrative complaint, the FTC alleged that many Publishing.com users made no profits after using the program and that they actually incurred additional unexpected startup costs. Also, many consumers that sought refunds pursuant to the “no questions asked” refund guarantee found that that Publishing.com imposed many additional conditions that consumers must meet in order to receive a refund that were buried the additional details in its voluminous Terms of Service. For Publishing Accelerator purchasers to qualify for a refund, Publishing.com required the consumers to complete a six-month membership, attend at least six coaching calls and ten workshop sessions, and use the Publishing.ai software to create a book outline.

The complaint also alleged that Publishing.com’s “thousands of positive reviews averaging 4.6/5 stars” were unlawfully incentivized and often written by employees. Publishing.com offered consumers free one-on-one coaching in exchange for giving Publishing.com a five-star review on Trustpilot. The company’s website featured over 200 video testimonials, many that were made by employees of the company or someone with a material connection to company employees. Also, consumers were offered prizes, including merchandise and cash, in exchange for providing a positive video testimonial. At times, Publishing.com has even conditioned refunds on consumers providing positive testimonials.

The proposed order imposes a $1.5 million monetary penalty and addresses the deceptive conduct alleged in the complaint. Publishing.com and its offers will be barred from: (1) making earnings claims unless they are not misleading and they have a reasonable basis to support them; (2) making the specific misrepresentations detailed in the complaint, as well as misrepresentations concerning material facts in the sale of any product or service; (3) failing to disclose terms and conditions of any cancellation or refund policy or failing to promptly honor consumers’ cancellation or refund request in accordance with company policies; and (4) making misrepresentations regarding endorsements and reviews. The order also requires the company to disclose any unexpected material connections with endorsers or reviewers and any payments or other incentives for posting reviews.

Attorneys: Christian Glover for the FTC. Leonard L. Gordon (Venable LLP) for Publishing.com, LLC f/k/a PublishingLife.com, LLC, Christian Mikkelsen and Rasmus Mikkelsen.

Companies: Publishing.com, LLC f/k/a PublishingLife.com, LLC

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