by Diana Bocco
www.inkthinkerblog.com — The lure of a byline can be hard to resist, making novice writers easy victims to literary scams. While it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the shady companies popping up every day, there are some red flags to look out for when shopping a book around.
1. THINK AS A BUSINESS PERSON.
“I recommend authors think very seriously about publishing as a business because everyone else in the industry –agents, publishers, booksellers– do,” says Sharron Stockhausen, an award-winning member of the National Speakers Association and the author of more than 50 books, including 20 Things Every Successful Writer Knows.
And a business it is. The average traditional publisher pays an advance of $5,000 and spends $30,000 promoting a book. While it’s fine to write for the love of it, once you decide to sell your book, you should become a businessperson. Approach everything with a business mind — study the market, create a business plan, and research every publisher and agent before submitting.
2. EXPECT TO BE PAID, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
Vanity publishing, also known as book shepherding, is big business. “I have seen authors pay $20-30 thousand to a book shepherd and their sub-contractors before getting their book to print,” says Antoinette Kuritz, the host of Writer’s Roundtable radio show, and the founder and director of the annual La Jolla Writers Conference. “So many people dream of seeing their writing published — and many of them don’t understand what a vanity press is. Some believe they have been ‘chosen’ by such publishers.” Never pay to have your work published. The only beneficiary of such arrangement is the publisher.
3. BE SKEPTICAL.
“There’s no magic bullet when it comes to publishing,” says Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and the author of Get Published Today, From Book to Bestseller. “If an agent or publisher is promising fame or lots of money, run the other way. Just like when authors are shopping for publicists and find that they’re being promised “dates with Oprah” — no one in publishing can promise success, there’s no formula and no agent or publisher should pretend they have the magic solution.”
Promises come in many forms: shady publishers that pledge to buy your book if you “make it better” by paying a fee to an editor (usually one associated with them), agents who charge “reading fees” in exchange for feedback, and contests with exorbitant entry fees and basically no chance of winning. Be wary of anybody promising miracles.
4. DON’T GIVE YOUR WORK AWAY.
“Concentrate on paid offerings and avoid those websites that offer you a ‘clip’,” says Donald P. Mazzella, a veteran newspaper reporter and editor with work experience covering the globe for such organizations as AP, UPI and Copley. “Anyone who is running a professional operation can pay something…even $10. That also makes you a paid writer.” Don’t assume that the only way to get published it is to give your work away. Many publications, both online and print, welcome beginners. Do your research.
5. NEVER PAY AN AGENT TO READ YOUR WORK.
“If an agent can’t earn a living selling manuscripts, you shouldn’t be using him or her anyway,” says Tim Bete, the author of In The Beginning…There Were No Diapers and the director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. “Why would you want to use an agent who can’t survive selling manuscripts?” Most reputable agents absorb all expenses involved in marketing your manuscript, and then take a 10% to 15% commission when your book sells. There are some exceptions, like in the case of small agencies that charge their writers for postage/copying costs. These charges, however, usually come as reimbursements, after the book is sold.
Fee-charging agents, on the other hand, ask clients to pay expenses up front, before they even start shopping around for a publisher. This should always be a red flag. Many fraudulent agencies charge outrageous fees in the thousands of dollars and never actually send the manuscript out, since they’ve already made a profit by charging the writer.
When in doubt, remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Diana Bocco is a writer, artist, published author, online instructor, consultant, publisher, ESL teacher, and animal activist with a degree in nutrition. No, really. You can learn more about her by visiting www.dianabocco.wordpress.com.
Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.
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