The publishing/writing industry is rife with scams and people who make promises they can’t keep (regardless of how pure their intentions may be). It breaks my heart every time I hear from a writer who has given money, or even simply their hopes to a scammer.

But there are a few basic red flags to look for to protect yourself.

Scammer Red Flags:

1. Guaranteed book sales. This is a big one, and can be applied to people who have the best of intentions as well as true scammers, but it’s a major red flag. Sales outcomes are almost impossible to guarantee, especially book sales. There are SO many factors that contribute to book sales: marketing budgets, author hustle, Amazon’s algorithm, topic, genre, writing style, writing quality, cover design, timeliness, and luck are just a few. A book released the day before a major world event could flounder because all anyone can talk about is that major event, but if that same book had been released two months earlier IT would have been what the world was talking about. There is simply no way that ANY person or company can ever guarantee books sales. Anyone who claims otherwise is untrustworthy. Instead, look for guarantees on activities: measurable and controllable actions that will be executed toward a goal of success. Activity = success.  But not everyone makes those promises with nefarious intentions. We’ve had prospective clients press us for promises about book sales or guarantees of a best seller if they work with us, and it’s a tempting promise to make to close a deal, but it’s not fair or ethical to do so.
2. Charging high fees for non-trackable activity. For example, someone offers you a place in an anthology for several hundred dollars with promises of guaranteed sales, fame and fortune. Not every company or person charging fees is a scam, but the fees should be connected to measurable activities, not promises about outcomes.  Fees for things like editing, layout, e-book conversion, consultation, cover design, specific marketing activities, creation of marketing materials, etc. are reasonable. If you are contemplating spending hundreds of dollars (or more) with a publishing or marketing company, demand a contract outlining the exact actions and activities related to the fees, and make sure you have recourse if they fail to deliver. (Also, see red flag #1: never accept promises of outcomes as explanation for fees.)
3. Lack of cohesive on-line presence. If you’re approached by someone who wants to publish or promote your book, do your homework. Google them, look for them on Linked-In, FB, Twitter, Instagram etc. You want to find a professional looking website – it doesn’t have to be fancy and elaborate – but more than a single page with slick marketing jargon. You also want to find some social media presence – they don’t have to be an Instagram influencer, but they should be on at least the major platforms and have authentic posts, regardless of volume. Be wary of anyone who has hundreds of thousands of followers but very few posts -that usually indicates an inauthentic account. You can also ask for testimonials, or former clients you can contact for references. Not having a strong on-line personality doesn’t automatically equal a scammer. It could be someone with the best of intentions, but no ability to follow through, which is almost as bad. The other advantage to doing this research is it will give you a good idea of the company’s personality and style, which may help you decide if you want to work with them anyway.
4. If it feels too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your gut. If you’ve been a writer for a while, if you interact with other writers and see what it takes for people to publish and sell a lot of books, then you know when something feels too easy. Everyone wants to believe they can win the lottery and just like *that*, all your dreams come true. But the odds of that actually happening are infinitesimal. So don’t fall for the seductive power of promises of fame, fortune and publishing ease, because more likely you’ll just be left poorer, and no closer to your goals.

If you’re ever stuck trying to figure out if someone is legit (in the publishing world), feel free to message me,  I’m happy to help if I can! The best ways to connect with me are: Facebook/EatonPress, via messenger or Instagram via direct message. (Please don’t make public posts questioning the legitimacy of a person or a business! We don’t want to hurt anyone’s reputations unfairly.)