Authors: Beware of Publishing Scams!

Once you’ve finished your manuscript and start to research publishers, the scammers seem to come out of the weeds and start to contact you, or you find them online. These may be “real” publishers who take your money but also take your rights and royalties, prevent you from selling on any other platforms, and do nothing to help promote your title. Other scammers will start to work with you on editing and formatting, only to suddenly disappear, leaving you back where you started but with thousands less to spend. These companies will eventually gain a bad reputation or face legal action, which is why they are new scams and “publishers” popping up all the time to avoid detection. 

As a ghostwriter, book coach, and author champion, it truly pains me that so many book dreams are shattered by fraudsters. I want authors to be successful and have a chance to make a return on their investment! Below is a list of red flags to watch out for and things you can do to keep yourself safe. 

If you’re contacted out of the blue by a publisher. 

Publishers rarely have time to reach out to an unknown author begging to publish your book. If you are contacted by one, that’s a red flag right there. Also, look at the company name, email address, and signature block. If there isn’t even a signature block, or it’s just a name without a company title and contact information, that’s another red flag. Research the person, email address, and company. If the email is not associated with an organization (for example, it’s a Gmail or Yahoo address instead of a ‘name@publisher.com’ address), that’s another red flag.

If the publisher has bad reviews online.

Some publishing houses have been doing bad business long enough to gain a bad reputation online, and there will be warnings for other authors to stay away. If you’re unsure and you approach the supposed representative about any bad publicity, and they get “offended” or say, “all companies get bad reviews sometimes,” walk away. 

If the company website is impersonal. 

When you visit a publisher’s website, they’ll often have pictures of the books they published along with glowing reviews. Unfortunately, it can be easy to create a website that looks legitimate but isn’t. If all you see are published books and promises of success but no substance, be suspicious.

Most smaller publishers, as well as most hybrid publishers or self-publishing companies, will have one or more of the following on their website: a list of their employees or “team” in the “About Us” section of their website (often with photos) such as their editors, graphic designers, etc.; tell their origin story (often with a photo of the founder); talk about where they’re based (especially if they’re a regional publisher); and/or explain in detail their publishing process. 

A bigger, more traditional publisher and their many imprints may not have as much “personal” information on their website. But they will share an email address for queries and submissions, if they’re currently taking submissions. That means they will also have an author page on their website explaining what type of submissions they accept and (usually) what to include in a book proposal. If all you see is an email for more information, and no instructions on what they’re looking for, do NOT send them any information about your book. Ask them for information first.

If the company promises you a high return on your investment (or anything else for that matter).

There are no guarantees in the book business. None. 

The truth is that most authors do not make much money from book sales. Often that’s because most authors expect their publisher to do all the marketing for them, which publishers simply don’t do anymore. They may help, but they expect you to have a marketing plan ready and a network you can leverage as soon as your book goes on sale. Publishing is a risky business, and bestsellers are impossible to predict. (That’s why I help authors create a marketing plan so they’re more likely to sell more books.) 

If they’re pushy and want you to sign with them right away.

You should feel absolutely comfortable that your book will be in good hands. If anything feels off, don’t be pressured. It’s better to take your time and pick the right publishing path for you and your book than to be caught in a bad situation. 

If the company’s representative is vague about its process, price of services, author rights, royalties, etc.

A publishing company that’s good at what it does will explain everything. They have nothing to hide. Below is a rundown of what you should expect, so you’ll know when a publisher isn’t playing fair.

• A self-publishing company or “author service provider” should allow you to keep ALL the rights to your book, ALL proceeds from book sales, and should not dictate where or how you publish. They’re not really a publisher but are giving you a finished product that is formatted to be published on Amazon, IngramSpark, or wherever else your heart desires. Formerly known as “vanity presses,” not all self-publishing companies are bad. In fact, they’ve become commonplace and have allowed many great authors and great books to be published that may not have been accepted by a traditional publisher, simply because traditional publishing can be a long and difficult process. 

• A hybrid publishing company should also allow you to keep ALL the rights to your book, though you may share some profits with them. The split of royalties should be much more in the author’s favor, since you’re also paying up front for publishing services (as you do with a self-publishing company). Some hybrid publishers also help with marketing, usually for an extra fee. Hybrid publishers can place your book in more, ahem, places (including some brick-and-mortar stores), as opposed to self-publishing, where the distribution is on you.

• A traditional publisher, on the other hand, will retain some of the rights to your book, and will keep a greater share of the royalties. They may retain all proceeds until the advance they gave you has been paid back, and then you will earn your portion. The advantage with traditional publishing is you’ll get the best distribution and a guaranteed quality product. 

• A warning about Amazon: Basically, every book ever published is on Amazon, and you want to be there, too. And you will be, whether you publish with Amazon or not. But if you self-publish, make sure you purchase your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number, which I talked about in this post). If you don’t, Amazon will assign you an ISBN. This, however, may limit your author rights without your knowledge, and you might be unable to sell anywhere outside of Amazon, which severely limits your distribution and potential earnings.

• Speaking of ISBNs, if you ask any publisher or self-publishing company about how they assign ISBNs to books, their response may tell you a lot about how much they really know about the book business. 

Conclusion

New author scams are popping up all the time. But there are many wonderful publishing companies out there who want to help you. When in doubt, reach out to published authors and ask for their recommendations, or contact book professionals like me. I don’t want any author taken advantage of! 

If you liked this, subscribe to my blog and download my free e-booklet How to Write Your Book: Everything You Need for Your Legacy on my website https://andreakuhlman.com.