Rowanvale Books Reviews 

I am still early in the publishing journey, but I was delighted with the promptness and thoroughness of the Beta Reviews. My fear was that they might be rather cursory and formulaic, but they were anything but.
I was also very gratified by the comments themselves. None of the readers pulled punches – they all made the very fair point that the density of the historical detail was getting in the way of the narrative, something that led me to make some sweeping edits that have greatly improved the book. But they were also gratifyingly complimentary about other aspects of the work that matter to me, principally the quality of writing, the pace and the character development.
After being turned down or ghosted by large agents and publishers, it is very reviving to get honest feedback from real readers. It not only encourages one to keep going but also points out the areas to address.
I have been very impressed by the professionalism of Rowanvale so far and look forward to a successful launch of 'The Lion at the Threshold' early next year

As a debut author Rowanvale guided me through the publishing process with clarity, support, and a friendly, but professional air.

My questions were answered and I was given all the relevant information when needed and at the right stage each and every time. All fees were always made clear and totally transparent. I enjoyed working with my publishing and production team immensely and am very grateful to them for the wonderful experience.

I would recommend their services.

My first book was published and supported throughout the process by a dedicated, professional team at Rowanvale. No question went unanswered, and response times were timely. I intend to use this excellent indie publisher for at least two further books. Thank you, Rowanvale Books, and all the super members of your hard-working team.

I have just published my first novel and the whole team are so knowledgeable and helpful, from the editors to the designers to the publication team, it’s been a breeze. I would highly recommend Rowanvale

I found Rowanvale to be very professional and supportive, providing information and clearly setting out guidlines to lead you through the publication process. Communication was carried out in a timely manner and was always courteous.

Rowanvale were great from start to finish. Clear communication, no fuss, and everything delivered exactly as promised.

The team were professional, easy to deal with, and made the whole process feel straightforward.

Would happily recommend them.

Submitting a manuscript for editorial assessment can be a daunting feeling - however the advice I received was invaluable. The report was thorough, and the messages were delivered in a considerate manner that inspired me to revisit the manuscript, and made me excited about tackling the issues that were highlighted.

Everyone I worked with was informative, personable, and thorough. This was especially true of my project manager, Cat, whose attention to detail, kindness, realism, and reassurance really helped me throughout the publishing process.

I’ve just completed the editorial stage of my memoir with Rowanvale Books and found the process both rigorous and genuinely helpful. The editing sharpened the structure, clarified the timeline, and helped me see aspects of the manuscript I had become too close to notice on my own. Communication throughout was professional, responsive, and thoughtful, and I always felt supported rather than rushed. As an author, you still make the final decisions, but the guidance is intelligent and well judged. I’m very glad I went through this process and would happily work with the team again.

Overcharged for a very underwhelming service. I opted for an added extra that promised 'marketing and promotion' which never materialised, despite my persistence with following up. I was passed between members of staff and departments as if there was no intercommunication occurring at all. They then tried to blame me for 'misunderstanding' their services when it was set out in the contract and evidenced again in email conversations I had with various staff.
They feel they deserve a 30% cut of your royalties for answering some emails and using some software to format a document.
Not surprised that the one other person I know personally who has published they first through Rowanvale has since found greater success elsewhere.

Would not recommend, regardless of your genre or aims.

The staff I worked with were brilliant, very quick response times and answered all questions.

Writing fiction is necessarily a lonely endeavour, and it is immensely helpful to find a company which can make the process richer, more successful and less unitary.
Rowanvale provided all of this and a superb set of suggestions, all of which will improve my book. They were efficient, accurate, charming to work with and wonderful critics. I have no hesitation whatever in recommending them to every new writer. Get their help, and you will not look back. They are not a service - they are a springboard.

Once again, a fabulous Rowanvale Books review service. I had some cracking reviews from independent readers for my spy thriller, Agent Redruth. Check them out on Amazon and Goodreads. The latest one on Goodreads appeared on November 21`. Totally brilliant. Author, Michael Evans.

During the writing, editing, and self-publishing of my debut trilogy, I found the Rowanvale Books Beta-Reading service and the ARC service both best in class in connecting my work with genre-appropriate readers, a great proportion of whom were willing to provide honest and considered feedback. Within the broiling seas of clammering marketeers, I now consider Rowanvale as a trusted haven, a must-have in the editing/publishing arsenal for my books.

Beta-reading service. Connected me to a range of anonymous readers (I chose eight) at a competitive price. I gained a wealth of concise, impactful insights into how the story was being received, and two insights in particular led to significant changes to a main character arc. I strongly recommend including this service as part of your beta-reading programme as the anonymous nature lends itself to more open, unreserved critique.

ARC service. I used this excellent service on all three books in an effort to gain pre-publication reviews and hence (fingers-crossed!) early credibility on my work. The service does not, and cannot, guarantee reviews – that’s for the reader to decide – but I had a good conversion rate. Rowanvale also allowed me to try to retain the same readers for all three books; very important for me as books two and three of the trilogy are not standalone reads.

Bottom line: Rowanvale Books connects you with motivated readers at a competitive price.

Effie, Lila and the rest of the Rowanvale team provided a tailored, responsive and professional publishing service. The experience has been positive throughout and I won't hesitate to ask them to publish my next novel.

Rowanvale have just published my first book. As a new writer, with zero experience of the publishing jungle, I bought a package. This was 100% the right decision for me and I have found their service indispensable. From the start I received personal attention, detailed explanations and excellent advice. Rowanvale supported and led me through all the stages of the publishing process with great clarity, efficiency and understanding. Their excellent communication and prompt responsiveness, always within the timescale we had agreed, enabled us to navigate from an initial, exploratory video call to completed publication, in just 9 months. In addition to the standard publishing package I paid Rowanvale for a developmental edit which comes at a lower price and with a lighter touch than standard developmental edit services, and this was also very helpful. My only, minor disappointment was with the speed of response of Rowanvale's marketing and aftercare service, though I am convinced the staff did their best and their responses were thorough and helpful. If I publish another book Rowanvale will top my list. I can recommend them unreservedly, especially if you are a new author.

Excellent service throughout. Fast responses and first-rate end product. Highly recommended!

The Rowanvale team was a pleasure to work with. They are expert, responsive, and helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Overall, I found the experience of self-publishing through Rowanvale Books to be very satisfying. They offer an extremely professional service. Their communication is excellent, they are very efficient, and the quality of the work they produce is of a high standard. I found their pricing to be very reasonable too. The only thing I would say is that authors should be aware that extra costings can occur, for example if deadlines are missed or word counts are breached. However, Rowanvale Books are very transparent about this and make no effort to extract more money nor put any pressure on authors to purchase extra services, which can be an issue with other self-publishing companies.

Once a decision is made to publish and promote a book, it takes an efficient and professional publisher like Rowanvale Books to make it happen smoothly and enjoyably. They are both supportive and critical throughout the process, quick in their response times, and genuinely happy to see first time authors succeed, however modestly that turns out to be. Special mention to Cat and Ellie for improving my work, and guiding me towards launch. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone with an ambition to become a published author.