Can anyone Give me advice on book scams carried out by deceptive Publishing companies?
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Guest
I'm venturing into the world of publishing, and I've heard about authors falling victim to scams by predatory publishing companies. I'm keen on being cautious and well-informed. Would anyone be able to provide guidance or share their experiences regarding deceptive practices carried out by such publishers? Specifically, I'm looking for advice on red flags to watch out for and how to differentiate between legitimate publishers and those that might take advantage of new or unsuspecting authors.
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Joe
Not all Hybrid publishers are a scam, but you have to do your research. Yes, sticking your book on Amazon etc. is free. Getting to that stage IS NOT. You have to pay someone. Are you up to managing the process on your own?
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David
Basically, if anyone asks you for money up front to publish your book promising sales, don't give it to them.
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Kathleen
Check the from email address. If it's Gmail it's a scam.
Check the grammar. If it's bad it's a scam.
If the email is a domain name, type it into a search with the word scam or review next to it to see what others say about the company.
Go to whois and check to see how long the domain name has been live.
If they are contacting you about a specific book that has been out for a while, it's a scam.
They're contacting you out of the blue, and you haven't sent them a query letter, it's a scam.
If it is a literary agent asking for money it's a scam. If it is a literary agent you didn't contact, it's likely a scam.
If they are offering a marketing package, It is likely a scam. You can write your own press releases and distribute them through PR sites. You can create your own author website. You can have somebody create your own book trailer. And you can do your own Google, Facebook, Amazon ads. PS paid ads are the only guarantees that you will get top listings on searches, but absolutely nothing can guarantee you sales. Anybody who suggests that they can guarantee you sales, are either lying, or are charging you and exorbitant amount of money to purchase a bunch of your books. That does not mean that those are sales from actual readers..
You do not need to hire somebody to do all of that for you, it's still going to cost you the same money, but you'll cut out the middleman. I just got off the phone with a quote unquote publishing company, and that is what they offered. If you are going to self-publish, do it yourself. If you want to be traditionally published, it will cost you no money out of pocket. If you need help self-publishing, then that is when you hire somebody to help you. It is not a scam if you contact them. It is, if they are charging an exorbitant amount of money to do that task!
PS, as soon as you do a copyright, your name is on the list for those scammers to contact you. And the reason why they're usually contacting you about an older book, is because they bought an older mailing list. It is not because the book caught their attention. The only reason why a traditional publishing company would be interested in your book after you have self-published it is if it is doing incredibly well, has thousands of reviews and purchases, and if that's the case... Why would you want them to republish it and buy the rights to your story? This is a philosophical question you would want to answer yourself.
This industry is very dirty, and you have to find somebody that you can trust.
Check the grammar. If it's bad it's a scam.
If the email is a domain name, type it into a search with the word scam or review next to it to see what others say about the company.
Go to whois and check to see how long the domain name has been live.
If they are contacting you about a specific book that has been out for a while, it's a scam.
They're contacting you out of the blue, and you haven't sent them a query letter, it's a scam.
If it is a literary agent asking for money it's a scam. If it is a literary agent you didn't contact, it's likely a scam.
If they are offering a marketing package, It is likely a scam. You can write your own press releases and distribute them through PR sites. You can create your own author website. You can have somebody create your own book trailer. And you can do your own Google, Facebook, Amazon ads. PS paid ads are the only guarantees that you will get top listings on searches, but absolutely nothing can guarantee you sales. Anybody who suggests that they can guarantee you sales, are either lying, or are charging you and exorbitant amount of money to purchase a bunch of your books. That does not mean that those are sales from actual readers..
You do not need to hire somebody to do all of that for you, it's still going to cost you the same money, but you'll cut out the middleman. I just got off the phone with a quote unquote publishing company, and that is what they offered. If you are going to self-publish, do it yourself. If you want to be traditionally published, it will cost you no money out of pocket. If you need help self-publishing, then that is when you hire somebody to help you. It is not a scam if you contact them. It is, if they are charging an exorbitant amount of money to do that task!
PS, as soon as you do a copyright, your name is on the list for those scammers to contact you. And the reason why they're usually contacting you about an older book, is because they bought an older mailing list. It is not because the book caught their attention. The only reason why a traditional publishing company would be interested in your book after you have self-published it is if it is doing incredibly well, has thousands of reviews and purchases, and if that's the case... Why would you want them to republish it and buy the rights to your story? This is a philosophical question you would want to answer yourself.
This industry is very dirty, and you have to find somebody that you can trust.
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Em Buckman
If it looks too good to be true...
If they keep badgering you...
If they ask for money...
Do lots of research on any publisher you might be contacting.
If they keep badgering you...
If they ask for money...
Do lots of research on any publisher you might be contacting.
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Brad
I would not deal with anyone claiming to be a publisher who makes money off of anything other then selling books. If you want to pay someone for editing services, that is fine but know what you are getting.
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Erik
I will continue to warn people to avoid IngramSpark for self-publishing. No, I won't elaborate; just look up "IngramSpark scam/ripoff/other similar wording".
Offset printers can be your friends -- if you find a good one, and you're self- or indie-publishing. You pay for the print run, but you know what you're getting, and any good company will send you inexpensive proofs first. Since vanity presses hardly promote you, you may as well go Offset, since you'll be self-promoting anyway.
Offset printers can be your friends -- if you find a good one, and you're self- or indie-publishing. You pay for the print run, but you know what you're getting, and any good company will send you inexpensive proofs first. Since vanity presses hardly promote you, you may as well go Offset, since you'll be self-promoting anyway.
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Martin
What I was told - and it holds true to this day - is that money should only flow in one direction, and that’s from the publisher (or agent) to you.
There seems to be a huge industry now that recognises authors will part with money if they think it’s going to help get their book getting out there, especially when it comes to marketing, reviewing (people offering paid reviews I find particularly offensive) and general promotion.
There are things you’ll have to pay for if you want a professional looking product - cover design, an editor, possibly formatting if you can’t crack it yourself - but my advice is to be very pragmatic about people offering peripheral paid services and especialy publishers and agents who ask for any money - after all it’s their job to make that for you!
There seems to be a huge industry now that recognises authors will part with money if they think it’s going to help get their book getting out there, especially when it comes to marketing, reviewing (people offering paid reviews I find particularly offensive) and general promotion.
There are things you’ll have to pay for if you want a professional looking product - cover design, an editor, possibly formatting if you can’t crack it yourself - but my advice is to be very pragmatic about people offering peripheral paid services and especialy publishers and agents who ask for any money - after all it’s their job to make that for you!
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Joseph
The scammers have an edge in that people who want to be writers can be enticed by the idea of a publisher wanting to work with them. Getting a legit agent and real publishing house that pays YOU for your work is how this is done. Self publishing is a different route, but if you have a really great story and a good way to self promote it, you can get a start. In short, if they want money from you, they are playing on your hopes and dreams.
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