Skyrider Publishing--Caveat Emptor

Recently, I needed a copy of the Pearl S. Buck novel, "Sons", and after a quick scan of available copies on Amazon I ordered a copy through Amazon which it turned out was printed, not published, by a somewhat shadowy organization called "Skyrider Publishing".  The book was labeled as "New" and when it arrived it appeared to be new based on a superficial examination.  The cover was plain with only a nondescript, remotely oriental looking symbol on the front cover between the title on the top and name of the author on the bottom.  But as I began to read it a week or two later, I realized that it had no publisher's page, prefatory material, copyright, or afterword of any kind.  The only way to know its origin is to the last page in the book, opposite the snow white, inside, rear cover where you find a bar code or UPC and the statement "Made In The USA Lexington, KY 31 March 2018".  The inside front cover is also snow white and opposite a title page which simply says in black letters "Sons By Pearl S. Buck".  When you turn the title page, the text begins immediately and proceeds throughout the book with no white space at the end of a chapter.  The next chapter is simply numbered in Roman numerals and begins with a paragraph break after the preceding chapter.  The text is rife with spelling and grammatical errors which I know  from reading other works by Pearl S. Buck would not be in an original copy from the legitimate publishers.  By the time I had discovered these serious flaws in the book, I had already had it for several days after I had received it.  Incidentally, I had ordered it on March 26, 2018, five days before the date listed on that back page. 

I did a Google Search that day for Skyrider Publishing and again today, May 29, 2018, as I am writing this blog post.  I can find almost nothing about Skyrider Publishing on the Internet where you can always find a plethora of information about even the most obscure of subjects.  There is a Facebook page for Skyrider Publishing which has almost no information on it and a blog which is loaded with old novels and other books which all appear to have been out of copyright when they were put on the blog.  This is only a guess but it appears that Skyrider Publishing is an arm of Amazon and used to rapidly reproduce out of copyright books, sell them as new, and turn a quick profit on legally and morally shaky work produced in a shoddy manner.  

I will never again knowingly purchase another book created by Skyrider Publishing and will strongly and eternally urge anyone I can influence to do the same. If I ever unknowingly purchase such a book, I will immediately return it to the seller and demand a refund. Caveat Emptor!  Let the buyer beware!  Always keep your eyes open when you are buying books and never knowingly or unknowingly support any organization which is reproducing formerly copyrighted work for a fast buck.