Nearly every week I hear from an author who has a question for me because they’re in the process of being scammed. Publishing scams are RAMPANT. They have always existed, but they’ve reached epidemic status of late, along with America’s horrid overall scam culture.
There was finally some good news on this front as some of the most egregious publishing scammers were arrested recently, but those guys still represent only the tip of the iceberg. It hasn’t really stopped anything.
You’ve got to be careful out there. Here’s what to watch out for, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you get scammed.
How publishing scams work
Publishing scams are constantly evolving and have many permutations, but they all boil down to a few characteristic traits. Here’s, more or less, how they work:
- Authors land on an unscrupulous site or receive a message from a stranger pretending to be a publishing professional.
- Authors are asked for money to support their publishing venture and pay for services that either never arrive, or are vastly overcharged for products and services they don’t actually need.
These scams prey on:
- Authors’ genuine hopes and dreams (as well as their vanity). Of course people want an agent. Of course they want to be published. Of course they want to be bestsellers. These dreams can blind an author’s better judgment.
- Author’s unfamiliarity with industry customs and norms. The publishing industry is notoriously opaque, though good information is out there if you take the time to research.
The best defense against publishing scams is to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism about news that seems too good to be true, and to educate yourself on what’s customary in the business.
The information is out there if you just take the time to do your research, and please check out the resources below. Whatever you do, subscribe to the Writer Beware blog, a fantastic watchdog site run by Victoria Strauss and sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.
Recent publishing scam permutations
Publishing scams have gotten a lot more sophisticated lately, and as of this writing, they have evolved from service providers who simply drastically overcharge to full-on impersonation schemes with phone calls and multiple actors involved who reinforce each others’ message.
Scammers will sometimes create full websites that impersonate traditional publishers and literary agents, and/or they’ll spoof reputable industry professionals’ contact information. You might land on a website or receive phone calls from people who seem quite legit.
For the latest scams, again… please subscribe to the Writer Beware blog.
How to protect yourself against scams
The absolute best way to protect yourself against publishing scams is to educate yourself about the business. Scammers prey on lack of authors’ familiarity with how things usually work and what’s customary.
But these days, as the scammers grow more sophisticated, even people with a solid grasp of the industry can fall into the web. You need to be a little more careful and a little more sophisticated too.
Here are some tips:
Be very skeptical of anyone who reaches out to you out of the blue
This one’s admittedly a bit tricky because yes, reputable literary agents, publishers, and film people do sometimes reach out to authors out of the blue. And if it happens, it’s exciting!
But it’s so, so rare. This will only happen if/when you’ve become a genuinely hot commodity by going nationally viral, topping self-publishing bestseller lists, having a story published in a prominent publication.
It simply is not going to happen on a self-published book that has sold a handful of copies a while back or because someone saw online that you have a manuscript on submission. It’s just not.
If someone claiming to a publishing professional reaches out to you, start from a position of skepticism. They might be real! But probably not.
That means you have to…
Check a publishing professional’s bona fides
It’s not enough to simply Google someone to find out if they’re real. You hear me? You can’t rely on Google alone.
Scammers impersonate real people with solid reputations. They create websites that make their personas seem legit. You can’t just pop a name into Google and trust that you’re okay.
First, check the email address of anyone who reached out to you very, very carefully. A common trick scammers employ is to create an email extremely close to a real one and trust that the author won’t notice. Even very prominent publishing professionals were taken advantage of this way by the bizzarro Italian manuscript thief.
Even if you’ve double- and triple-checked that they’re real, contact them through a public channel. For instance, if you hear from an editor at HarperCollins, call HarperCollins and ask to be connected to the editor just to make sure you really did hear from them. (They won’t–or shouldn’t–think you’re crazy for doing so).
And if you’re contacted by a service provider you’ve never heard of, in addition to Writer Beware (you have subscribed already, yes?) a really great resource is the Absolute Write message board Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check. You can search for providers there and gauge other writers’ experiences.
Understand how literary agents and publishers make money
If you are hoping to find traditional publication, you shouldn’t need to pay a literary agent or publisher a cent. There are some very narrow, tiny exceptions here when it comes to reimbursing an agent for legitimate expenses like copying and postage to send out physical manuscripts (rarer these days), but that’s it.
They make money when you make money. Agents work on commission–they get 15%-20% if they sell your work, and publishers literally pay you.
Self-publishing is free via Kindle Direct Publishing and Ingram Spark. Yes, you might consider paying a service provider to help you with your design or copyediting, but the baseline for self-publishing is zero dollars.
Know your rights as an author, and understand how self-publishing and hybrid publishing work.
Okay you’ve been scammed, now what?
First off, I want to be extremely clear that I don’t think you should feel ashamed for getting scammed. It is a corrupt effing world out there, and there’s danger lurking around every online corner. If some of the most prominent people in publishing can be duped by an Italian guy who often had typos in his phishing attempts, so can you. It’s okay.
Don’t let the scammers get away with it by clamming up and feeling embarrassed. It’s okay. It happens. The best way to make lemonade from lemons is to report them and help others avoid the same fate.
Here’s a comprehensive post from (who else) Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware on what to do if you’ve been scammed:
More resources to avoid getting scammed
These scams evolve fast, and I’m sure this post will swiftly be out of date. But educating yourself and remaining vigilant will give you the best shot at staying ahead of the scammers. Here are some resources:
Industry watchdogs
- Writer Beware – A truly indispensable resource full of what to watch out for and information about the latest scams.
- Absolute Write Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check – A terrific compendium of writers’ experiences with agents, publishers, and publishing professionals.
- Association of American Literary Agents (formerly the AAR) – Agents in the AALA abide by a canon of ethics that should give you a good sense of what to expect from a reputable agent.
Industry resources
- Jane Friedman – Jane has an awesome site full of great resources about how the publishing industry works, as well as a terrific newsletter that I’d highly recommend subscribing to.
- Publishers Marketplace – Another indispensable place for industry news as well as checking out the backgrounds of publishing professionals.
From my site
- Publishing Advice – A pretty comprehensive page full of advice on how literary agents and publishers work, how self-publishing and hybrid publishing work, and lots more. If you have a general industry question, start here.
- Know your rights as an author – Understand what’s customary!
- Should writers pay for editing? – If you’re wondering whether you should pay someone to edit your work, start here.
Have any questions I haven’t addressed here? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me directly, and I’ll get back to you and/or update the post as needed.
Stay safe out there!
Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!
For my best advice, check out my online classes, my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.
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Art: Das süsse Schläfchen by Emanuel Spitzer
I recently spent three days selling books at a Comic Convention. It’s common to have a young aspiring author visit and ask for advice, often accompanied by a parent. A young girl (in her early twenties) with her mom came by and asked if I knew about Viking Press because she was determined to get her 50,000-word novel published by them. She said they offer different packages but that she wanted the most comprehensive one that would cost $5000. Instead of just saying, “No! Don’t do it!” I broke down how much I spent for all four of my books (covers, editing, and formatting) to hopefully give her a comparison that five grand was a crap ton of money. I don’t think I swayed her—she seemed determined to pay to publish her book. I gave them my email if they needed any advice or help. Unfortunately, I didn’t get their info. When I got home, I googled: Does it cost money to publish with Viking? And it turns out Viking is a traditional publisher and not a vanity press. My heart sank, wishing I had a way to warn them. I’m hoping the mom can talk some sense into her daughter.
This is a very common version of the scam. They adopt the name of a reputable publisher (or one that’s only slightly different) and try to charge people exorbitant amounts of money to have their books published, hoping people don’t know that Viking Press would *pay you* to publish your book if it were a real publishing deal.
Another version is when [fake publisher] says you need to pay to have a “query” or “treatment” written to facilitate a film deal, which a real traditional publisher would never ask you to pay for.
It’s sadly very true that scammers are targeting writers. I can’t believe how many literary agencies have warnings on their sites that their agents have been impersonated. I see them all the time when I search for agents to interview or update my agent database at Literary Rambles.
Vagueness is a red flag. A FB comment or friend request (can’t remember which) from an “agent”. A pleasant- and professional-looking woman of a medium age. What kind of agent? Whatever kind you want I guess. Literary, if that’s what you’re looking for! Beware!
Thank you Nathan! The information you provide in this blog is important. I lead a writing group, and the question of scams comes up often–how to know if an opportunity is legit. I’m urging everyone on our mailing list to read your blog and check the resources you provide.
Thank you, again
Carol Phillips
I have a rules that work in almost all cases.
1. If they contacted you, send it to spam. It’s a scam.
2. If they want to you pay to play–it’s a scam, send to spam.
3. Never answer or engage with a person who looks legit. Go to the website of the agency to see if they are employed there. Double check you have the correct website. If you don’t see their name listed–scam. Report them. (I had one that looked legit but the agency was misspelled.)
4. Look at the email. If it is from gmail/yahoo/or someother common email–scam. And check the more legit looking email–go to the website of the purported agency (do not click on any links in the email). Check the agency out. I had one guy who was using a real movie company but–and this was funny, it was Canadian and in bankruptcy. Like I’d take a contract with a bankrupt company.
I’ve probably seen them all in the last 10 years. Generally I won’t open the email and send it to spam. Unless you contacted them–then you should know if they are above board.
I’d say a good 80% of the ones I get are from an Author Solutions spin off. And almost all of them are using gmail, yahoo, outlook, or a cable email. If you go to a literary agency, look at the email they use. Most of the time that is the give away of it being a scam.
I got caught once and learned that legitimate places/agents do not ask for money. And remember, publicity doesn’t sell books, so don’t pay for it, and those expensive packages–you can do it all yourself for a whole lot less and have more success than they would for that 5-15K they want you to pay. I refuse to fall for those types of scams again. Once was enough.
This is great advice. I did my research before going to an independent publisher – who did not solicit me. If it sounds too good to be true, I probably is!