When those “dreams come true” are publishing scams…
Because I have a lot of articles out there on publishing scams, I get frequent messages from writers who fear they’ve been ensnared by a scammer.
I hear even more often from their friends. These friends or relatives see something iffy going on, but don’t want to be the Debbie Downer who brings unnecessary negativity into a hopeful writer’s life.
The friend usually has a reason for being suspicious. Whether the “dream project” is a dodgy anthology, an overpriced no-name contest, a vanity press masquerading as a real publisher, or a junk marketing scheme, a lot of people will have a feeling the project isn’t passing the smell test.
But if they don’t know much about the publishing industry themselves, they hesitate to rain on a newbie writer’s publishing-fantasy parade.
Their writer friend is happy for the first time in forever, floating around on Cloud Nine, sure they’re about to realize their life-long goal of being a successful writer.
So the friend emails me and asks — what should a friend do?
I say if you’re close enough to that person to have their trust, then you need to tell them about your doubts. If you don’t think they’ll believe you, a mutual friend might help you convey the message.
You also can break it to them gently by urging them to do some research on their own. Here are some things you can suggest. Remember Google (or your favorite search engine) is your friend. 😊
Reblogged this on Just Can't Help Writing and commented:
I often see social-media posts from people who want to know how to get their books published. How NOT to get “published,” as explained by Anne R. Allen in this vital post, is where they should start.
So, if you know folks who are working on a book but are new to publishing, send them this article. Now.
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Thanks, Anne, an excellent post about a really important topic. My only comment would be that while ‘hybrid publishers’ may well exist, finding a legit one still sounds about as easy as winning tattslotto. I suspect they’re also outnumbered 100:1 by the scammers.
I wish we could start a self-publishing university to save new authors from the snakeoil salesmen. 😦
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Many thanks for the shout-out, Chris. Let’s get this info out there and maybe save some newbies from getting scammed!
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I hope so too, Anne 🤗
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Lovely posts, i love ur blog
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Glad you enjoy it, Hannah 🤗
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