Mascot Books - Herndon, Virginia

Casa Gala

Garbage company. Managenent a joke. Money hungry. Only looks out for their interests. Multiple editing errors. Constantly had to tell them over and over the errors they made. Overpriced "storage" fees. No back end support. Avoid at all costs. Not worth it. Use bookbaby instead or Hamilton.

Dawn McCarty

I have been working for seven years to realize my dream of publishing Mickie's story. After extensive research and a referral from an author who published with Mascot Books, I took the plunge. And I am very glad that I did. The team at Mascot Books is professional, patient and fabulous. They are partners as excited and dedicated to bringing your book to print as you are, communicating with and supporting you through the entire process. My debut children's book, Being Different Rocks!, was launched July 2018 and without Mascot Books I would not have launched my authorship career.

Lydia Cohn

For decades I've dreamed of having my mother's stories published but, I didn't know how to go about it. I needed an illustrator and I hadn't a clue how to find one. And I've heard that even if, on the rare chance a publisher likes your book, you lose all control. They basically own the rights so you don't have the final say in approving any of it! The title, the cover, even the words themselves can be changed.

I wanted my mom's stories to be published as she wrote them. Mascot Books took me by the hand, offered me a menu of services to choose from. They had me look at some of their illustrator's work and choose a few that I liked. I fell instantly in love with one illustrator in particular and she did a fantastic job creating characters to go with the story.

Mascot Book's staff is very knowledgeable and professional. They created marketing materials and used their contacts to get my book into Barnes & Noble, Books a Million and even Amazon. I found their pricing very reasonable and I love having the final say in the proof. Having their experienced team guide me through the publishing process is the only reason my book has a chance of being read by so many.

Bijal Shah

I published my first illustrated book, For the Love of Laxmi with Mascot Books, on February 1, 2022. We started working together on the book in June 2021 - I had already worked with an illustrator to get the designs done on my own, so I didn't end up using their design services, so I cannot entirely comment on that. I worked with Mascot on their publishing, distribution, and marketing options, and I admire them and their work. This was my first book ever, so I had a lot of anxiety about timing, quality, and ensuring we would have a good go-to-market strategy. I initially micromanaged with a million questions, which their team handled so gracefully. I do wish their team provided frequent communications and more face to face/zoom time to help reassure, but outside of that, they were always on top of things behind the scene - the book quality was stunning, the distribution was outstanding, and truly resulted in a great first release. I can't wait to work with them on the other project.

Nadia Evans

I could not be happier with my experience of Mascot Books! From the moment that I spoke to Kate McDaniel, I felt listened to, validated and really supported as I began the journey of having my children's book published. Susan Roberts in Production is a particular gem and helped to fine-tune my book, and made careful and thoughtful suggestions. She guided me to finding the perfect illustrator, and the whole process was lovely and effortless. This was an item on my bucket list, and I am thrilled to have partnered with Mascot to cross it off (and would do so again in a heartbeat). The final product is impeccable- a beautiful, brightly-colored book that I hope will engage children and their adults alike.
If you are hoping to publish a story or book that you have written, do NOT hesitate to reach out to them. You will be very happy at the care and attention that you receive!

j carterminor

I wanted to wait until my book was published so I could be so elated that I would forget what a horrible experience this has been. When I saw the recent flurry of positive reviews, mostly from children's book authors, I decided the time was right to share my experience. I assumed I was paying for expert publishing services to publish my memoir "Forward from the Sea; Journey of a Black Woman Oceanographer and Engineer".

If this were my business, the level of service I received from the production editor would be unacceptable. After several iterations of cover designs, I ended up contracting someone else to do the cover design. I presented a full manuscript in December. By April, I had to solicit someone else to manage the efforts of Mascot's production editor. We had to give him deadlines and hold him accountable. It is June and we could still be months away from a published book.

This has been a very disappointing experience, something that I would NOT tolerate in my own professional experience. I would be happy to share my experience with anyone thinking about doing business with Mascot. I am on all social media platforms.

Margaret Laborde

My friend Becky and I have co-authored a children's book which is being published by Mascot Books, with an official release date in October. The digital files have recently been sent to print, and hard copies should be delivered in August. My experience with Mascot to date has been exceptional. A team including editorial, design, marketing and accounting specialists was assigned to our project, and each and every one has been responsive, enthusiastic, competent, accommodating, and professional. I am very grateful to Mascot Books, and especially to Nina, Morgan, and Kate, for all of their assistance in helping us take our book across the finish line!

Douglas Killingtree

I've had an absolutely marvelous time working with Mascot. I'm currently publishing my second book with them, and both times have been really great experiences. They are extremely professional and helpful, checking in every step of the way. My editor, Daniel Wheatley, gives me excellent feedback and is always quick to respond if I have a question. Being new to the publishing world, I had a lot of questions and confusion going in, but they have been really great about guiding me through the process. Honestly, they made the whole thing feel like a breeze. I can't recommend them enough!