The FTC announced this week that Publishing.com LLC and its two principals will pay $1.5 million to settle charges that the company misled consumers about the income they were likely to earn through its self-publishing programs. The case hits three distinct deception theories: false earnings claims, illusory refund guarantees, and undisclosed material connections in testimonials.
What Publishing.com Was Selling
Publishing.com sold online self-publishing programs and services, primarily two products: AI Publishing Academy (AIA), a self-publishing course priced at up to $1,995, and Publishing Accelerator, an add-on coaching program launched in 2022. The pitch was familiar: a foolproof passive income system through e-books and audiobooks, promoted via free online videos and personal success stories from the company's own founders. The FTC alleged that CEO Christian Mikkelsen and Chief Product Officer Rasmus Mikkelsen claimed that consumers could use these products to earn $1,000 to $3,000 per month in passive income. Most consumers who purchased the programs, the FTC alleged, never came close to those numbers.
Three Deception Theories
The complaint hits three pressure points that should be on every advertiser's radar.
First, earnings claims. The FTC's position is straightforward: if you are telling consumers they can make a specific amount of money using your product or service, you need a reasonable basis for that claim, and it needs to accurately reflect what a typical...
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