Part 2: Author Beware – Recognizing Publishing Scams, Bad Advice, Myths, and False Promises
In last week’s Blog, I began discussing different publishing scams. This week, I am continuing to discuss these issues that sometimes, as authors, we run into. With any of the red flags that I discussed last week, watch out for unrealistic sales promises. This holds true whether it is searching for a POD company to marketing your book and selling your book. Companies that promise to do things that are too good to be true, or promise you that your book (if you go with them) will sell thousands of copies within a few weeks, are companies to steer away from. Publishing success typically takes time. Even well-written and professionally produced books require consistent marketing and reader discovery. Rapid overnight success is rare. Most of the time, these companies are out to get your money, and once they have it, there is rarely a chance to get that money back.
I’m also always leery of companies telling me that they are going to make me their “number one priority.” If they are promising me that, you know that they are promising others that too. No company can make you their “number one priority.” They can certainly promise a great experience or great customer service to answer any of your questions or help with formatting, for example, and if they are a reputable company, they will stand by their promises. However, notice that they are not promising you will be “number one”, because you are not the only customer that they have. To me, a company that promises you are “number one” is a red flag because what other things will they “promise” me that sound good enough to win my business, but that are not true? A question I would like to ask these companies when they make this type of promise is, “Am I your only customer? And if that’s the case, I would be very skeptical of the quality and how they are even in business! Or, do they have enough employees that each customer has someone working strictly with them and no one else, which is highly unlikely. It is important to discern between companies that offer things that can be easily achieved when it comes to your book and companies that make false promises or promises that cannot be achieved.
Another red flag is excessive fees. If a company makes all kinds of promises, as well as publishing your book, and the amount is extraordinary, take heed. Granted, having a book published or printed through a printing company is “expensive,” and some companies are more reasonable than others, but if they are relatively comparable, have great reviews, and are well-known companies and, more importantly, transparent, then these companies are legitimate. However, if the amount is over-the-top expensive, like $10,000 – $15,000, do not fall for it. But it can also go the other way, too. If a company offers to publish your book, and makes other promises, along with extra charges that are usually separate costs, for a low amount of money (under $1,000 and definitely $500.00 or under), I would be very wary as to what type of quality the book is going to be.
Loss of rights is yet another red flag. Research and know your rights as an author. If you are presented with a contract, the best advice I can give you is to ask a contract or a specialized contractual attorney to look it over before you sign it. A lot of times, contracts are written with a lot of legalese ( a lot of legal terms) that really only an attorney is able to understand. They will be able to tell you in layman’s terms what the contract really says, so that you are not signing your rights away. With that said, watch out and read the Terms and Conditions policies on POD websites, as well as other publishing platforms. Again, a specialized attorney would be able to tell you what all of those fifty thousand pages (Well, maybe not that many! But you get the picture.) mean. Some companies also tell you that you do not need to pay for an ISBN because they offer you one for free. Some companies do this, but again, just be aware that if you take them up on their offer for a “free” ISBN, you are giving up your imprint for your book as discussed in an earlier chapter. In my opinion, spend the money that Bawker charges and get your own. You will be happier if you do.
If a company reaches out to you out of the blue and tells you that they want to publish your next book, or makes unrealistic promises and then asks you for money, this is a red flag. I know that this may seem very flattering that they reached out to you, but legitimate companies do not reach out to you out of the blue. Oftentimes, these types of companies buy a list, or they stumble upon your name as an author, creep onto your website, and then they send you an email about how impressed they are with your website and your book. As flattering as it may be, do not listen to them! It’s a trap!
Another red flag that corresponds with almost all of these is the old saying, “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” Listen to your gut. You’ve got great instincts. For instance, if a company says that they can publish a book for you in a week (although that sounds amazing), it is unrealistic. The whole process takes at least three months, even if you go with a printing company. If it takes less than that, including them sending you back a proof before the final printing, I would question the quality of the book. Serious authors take pride in their books, and they want their books to be the best quality they can be, so most would tell you that if it takes less than three months for the entire process, you probably are not going to be happy with the outcome.
The final red flag would be a company promising that they can get your book (manuscript) to a traditional publisher. One of the biggest takeaways in this Blog is that there are no promises. If a company tells you that they have a traditional publisher to publish your book in exchange for money, be aware that traditional publishers do not do book deals in exchange for money. Traditional publishers have a business model based on investing in books they believe will sell, not charging others to publish them.
In traditional publishing:
- The publisher pays the author (often an advance)
- The publisher covers editing, design, printing, and distribution
- The publisher takes on the financial risk
- The publisher earns money through book sales
If a publisher were paid upfront by another company (or by the author), that would shift the model away from traditional publishing and toward what is often called vanity publishing (companies that may or may not be legitimate) or POD companies.
Why traditional publishers avoid this model:
1. They rely on sales, not fees
Traditional publishers make money when readers buy books. Their success depends on selecting manuscripts they believe will perform well in the market.
2. It protects credibility and quality
If publishers accepted money to publish books, it could lower quality standards as a traditional publisher. By choosing books based on merit and market potential, they maintain their reputation.
3. They take on the financial risk
Because they are paying for production and distribution, they are selective. They are essentially investing in the author’s work.
4. It avoids conflicts of interest
If money influenced which books were published, it could create ethical concerns about fairness and trust in the industry.
Just to recap, always protect yourself as an author. There are several practical steps you can take to protect yourself from scams, misleading offers, and false promises. As discussed before, the first thing you want to do is research every company thoroughly. Look for independent reviews, author testimonials, and discussions in writing communities.
Second, take your time before making financial decisions. Scammers often use urgency to pressure authors into quick payments. Sometimes, it is easy to feel a sense of urgency when you are trying to get your book out to the public, and you feel overwhelmed. Do not let this pressure sway you towards making poor decisions.
Third, compare services and pricing. If a package costs thousands of dollars, investigate whether you could hire freelancers directly for the same work, or how hard it would be to do the work yourself.
Finally, trust your instincts. If something feels overly aggressive, vague, or unrealistic, it is worth taking a step back and asking more questions. If you are talking to a company and you ask them a specific question and they do not directly answer the question, or they go around the question, take note of this. Restate the question, and if you still do not get a clear answer more often than not, this is a red flag. For me, one red flag is enough to move on to a different company. There are too many great companies to turn to, to let one red flag not be enough to say no.
Knowledge is your best defense! Publishing is an exciting journey, and many reputable professionals truly enjoy helping authors succeed. However, not every opportunity is legitimate, and not every piece of advice is accurate. By learning to recognize scams, myths, and false promises, you can make informed decisions that protect both your book and your investment.
Your writing deserves thoughtful care, honest guidance, and genuine support. The more informed you become, the more confidently you can navigate the publishing world and focus on what matters most: sharing your story with readers.
I hope this article has been enlightening and informative. That’s one of the many reasons why I like Blogging. After years of research, I feel that if I can at least help one person through this process, it is worth sharing. As always, thank you for reading my Blog and continuing to follow me. Please share my website with your friends and family. We authors rely on many ways to get our names, websites, and books out there, and word-of-mouth does way more than people imagine! Also, if you haven’t done so already, go to the Store tab on my website and take a look at the digital products I have created! I will continue to add digital products to my website (mostly for authors), and I am also working on adding some digital products that specifically go with my book (mostly for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents who want supplements to use, along with my book).
