Writers Who Want to Publish a Book, Please Be Cautious

A Dream For Many

The vision of one's name emblazoned as an author across a glossy book cover is a fantasy for many on their writing journey. 

It may be less heady than a neon-lit moniker on a gleaming marquee. Nevertheless, a book cover might signify the pinnacle of having arrived as a writer. Finally, family members and friends may realize writing indeed is a bona fide career path. 

After all, most people consider a "writer" to be a "published author." I embarrassingly admit having given scarce thought myself most of my life to the breadth of how writers' work impacts nearly all aspects of our world.

Stats

It is claimed that 81% of Americans want to write a book.¹ Most likely, similar statistics exist throughout the globe. Why not -- writing a book is after all simple, right? 

That only 3% of those who set out to complete a novel finish it is a testament to the substantial challenge of bringing such a dream to fruition.²

Mostly, the difficulty is you know - the heavy lifting aspect, the work aspect, the actual putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard aspect, the rewriting and refining and polishing and proofreading and editing aspect, and the numerous months or years to complete it aspect.

The writing part…

[Although I frequently carp about artificial intelligence, aka machine learning, and its abhorrent proliferation into the content realm, I shall not address it here. Those churning out AI-generated goop are no more "writers" than your pet dogs or cats. End of rant].

Publishing Options

Essentially, three book publishing alternatives exist…four if you happen to own an enterprise personally.

The first is the traditional publishing house route (the familiar, such as HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and smaller shops). The second is self-publishing (such as through Amazon Kindle Direct [KDP], Kobo, and many others³). The third is with a hybrid publisher,⁴ a combination of traditional and self-publishing services. 

Snagging a contract with a traditional house is challenging for unknown writers or those lacking an established relationship with a publisher. Hence, their choices typically default to either self-publishing or using a hybrid shop. 

Pros and cons exist for both avenues. Scads of articles are available online; several have been published on Medium and other sites about the issues surrounding each option.

The process for authors not working with a traditional house can be time-intensive and laborious. As an example, I am currently on the 26th round of proofreading and editing the manuscript for my third book. 

Omg, you might ask, "Why?" A few reasons: 1) I am a perfectionist by nature, 2) The more one writes, the increasingly self-critical and demanding one becomes, and 3) I do not want to expend the hefty sum to hire a professional editor [always recommended by the way] because whether it sells one or one thousand copies is irrelevant to me. 

Logistics of Self-Publishing and Scammers

Unless an individual has unlimited available time (how many folks fall within that realm?) or is exceptionally adept with technology, computer systems, software, art, graphics design, formatting, and the like - all required to finalize a quality book  -  it can be tempting to seek out expert assistance. 

The myriad tasks provide opportunities for scammers, faux publishers, bogus literary agents, fake movie producers, and more. 

I receive at least one email solicitation weekly. Because I have two books for sale through Amazon, however, I am not a convenient target for the charlatans who yearn to impel me into a best-selling author through the simple swiping of a credit card to separate me from a healthy chunk of moola. 

Noooo! Instead, they desire to make a fabulous movie from my fantastic book. 

Spoiler alert: Movie production companies don't solicit books unless they have sold a gazillion copies or made the New York Times Best Sellers List. Then, occasionally an agent might contact an author. However, that prospect is statistically less likely than being struck by a comet.

Nevertheless, pros, con artists, and grifters well understand human nature, ego, and vanity. The quote attributed to P.T. Barnum⁵ (which he may not have uttered) still rings true, "There's a sucker born every minute." 

The intricacies of moving from an initial draft manuscript to a completed book are why business is booming for fraudsters and scammers. Multiple millions of dollars are pocketed, usually through corporations operating outside the United States or other countries with legal systems that might provide remedies for victims.

"Writer Beware" Blog and Website

Author Victoria Strauss maintains a blog and website - a gold mine of information -  where she unabashedly calls out the myriad publishing scammers who prey on naive and innocent writers.

https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/

How many unpublished writers are savvy about the ins and outs of publishing? I certainly wasn't. Gratefully, I did substantial research - and my books were published several years ago- before the exploding number of today's scam artists. However, despite in-depth research, I barely scratched the surface regarding the dozens of issues writers face. 

Victoria sends warning emails to alert about new scams. A recent one⁶ prompted me to pen this article. 

In it, she writes:

The vast bulk of the publishing/marketing/fake literary agency/impersonation scams on which I've expended so many words are based in the Philippines (though they do their best to make themselves look local to their preferred American and Canadian victims by maintaining fake business addresses and phone numbers)….

I've heard from hundreds and hundreds of writers who've lost money to such scams - from relatively small three-figure amounts to truly eye-popping sums (the largest: over $500,000, with the bulk of that being for a completely fake movie deal). Apart from disputing credit card charges, there's not much authors can do to get redress. Thanks to the diffuse nature of the scams--hundreds of different business names, operating in every US state and Canada, and to a much lesser extent the UK--they tend to fly below the radar of local and national law enforcement, and pursuing them in their home country is complicated and expensive, especially since it isn't always easy to trace the scam back to its parent.

Reading it made me sick to my stomach. $500,000 lost?!

Perhaps some of the thousands conned could absorb their losses without devastating impact. But I would bet many suffered serious financial hardships. Not to mention the demoralization of having been bamboozled while excited and hopeful about one's upcoming published book.

Caveat Emptor

These fly-by-night operators exist because they are exceedingly profitable. People fall for the hype. People want to fulfill their dreams. 

There's a sucker born every minute.

If you are contacted by a company or individual offering publishing or agent services whom you suspect might be fraudulent, Victoria's website is an excellent place to commence your research. She identifies companies and agents that she knows are not bona fide. 

Often, the swindlers hijack the names of well-known publishers or movie companies that you may be familiar with.

Hooks

How fraudsters attempt to snare writers is by offering to save time and effort providing bogus services while promising fantastic results. 

The scams change and mutate, but some of the proferred assistance includes the following. None are real or necessary: 1) Book returns insurance; 2) Intellectual property lawyer; 3) Book licensing; 4) International seal; 5) Relicensing; 6) Republishing; and 7) Enhanced cover design. 

Pricey packages ranging as high as thousands of dollars for faux services are offered. Once a fish is on the line, the individual is urged to purchase additional services, for, of course, more moola. And, the grift continues on. Once the mark has been hit up for the max cash and expects results, the writer's calls and emails go unanswered.

This is just one example of a phony offer:⁷

Grand Proposal Book Endorsement. If your book is selected, our partners - the major publishing houses big and small will work with you to develop your manuscript into the most excellent book it can be and offer you a book contract. A professional literary registrar must process and issue all legal documents included in a Grand Proposal for your book project. It should have your book's International Literary Registration Seal, Bookstore Access Code, Literary Lawyer license, and legal stamps for all the registrations of your book.

Educate Yourself and Do Research

The following is excellent advice from an earlier email⁸ from Victoria Strauss/Writer Beware. She sends periodic missives when alerted to a new tact or company for snagging unsuspecting authors.

Educate yourself. Whether you're self-publishing or seeking traditional publication, knowledge is your greatest ally and your best defense. I'm not minimizing how complicated, confusing, and opaque the publishing industry is; but so many authors dive into the publishing process without taking the time to do even the most minimal learning, and as the emails I receive every day attest, trying to learn on the fly is a recipe for getting scammed. The Writer Beware website (as distinct from this blog) is a good place to start.

Just as important, in this era of solicitation scams: beware of out-of-the-blue emails and phone calls! Solicitation is the main way scammers like the ones mentioned above acquire clients, and any publishing- or movie rights-related email or phone call that isn't directly traceable to a query or contact you yourself made should be treated with extreme caution. Book licensing scams are exclusively the province of companies on my Overseas Scams List; check it to see if the company that contacted you is included.

Book licensing scams are often a component of impersonation scams. My impersonation list identifies people and companies that are frequently impersonated; if the person or company that just emailed or called you is on it, be wary.

If you're still in doubt, email me; I'll tell you if I have anything helpful in my files.

This link is from Victoria Strauss' recent email. Finally, one fraudulent operation has been shut down in the Philippines.

www.sunstar.com.ph

Conclusion 

If you contemplate obtaining assistance in publishing a book, do research. Then, do additional research. Most importantly, listen to your gut instinct, that little inner voice, your sixth sense. If it in any manner is warning you, please pay heed.

References:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/28/opinion/think-you-have-a-book-in-you-think-again.html#:~:text=81%20percent%20of%20Americans

2. https://oliviablacke.com/what-are-the-odds

3. https://blog.reedsy.com/best-self-publishing-companies/

4. https://www.robinwaite.com/blog/unveiling-the-best-hybrid-book-publishing-companies-in-the-us

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_sucker_born_every_minute

6. Email dated October 11, 2024, from Victoria Strauss, Writer Beware

7. Id.

8. Email dated April 6, 2024, from Victoria Strauss, Writer Beware

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Your time is valuable. I'm honored you chose to spend some of it here. Victoria🙏😎

© Victoria Kjos. All Rights Reserved. 2024.