Scammers and fraudulent publishers are waiting to take the money from amateur writers and those first time authors who can't wait to see their books in print.
Recently I met a man in a waiting room at my physical therapists office."I have just published a children's book, he said.
I asked how much it cost him as I was quickly aware he was not an experienced writer.
"Just four thousand dollars," he said. "I think that's reasonable for all they will do for me."
"Will they market your book"? I asked.
"Yes. They will give me a page on their website."
When he told me the enormous number of books he had to have printed, I knew he had been taken for a ride. He will sell copies to his friends and family and no one will ever see his page on his website because no one will know to go there to buy his books.
A friend recently told me of another first time writer who bought one thousand copies of her children's book from the publisher (the company which had the book printed for her). This new author has no idea how long it will take to sell one thousand books, if ever.
Sad to say, many people who want to publish a book have been told by friends and family that their book is wonderful and they should have no problem selling it. Friends and family quickly buy books from the new author, the man or woman they like and maybe love. But once they all have a book, the author is lucky to have sold 150 books. The average number of books sold by a self-published author is about one hundred fifty books.
Authors are not book salesmen and therefore, when they receive hundreds of books, they soon become overwhelmed and realize that it is unlikely they will ever sell them all.
One man bought 1500 copies of his book. He likes to write and doesn't do readings or book signings. He has his 1500 books stored in a warehouse. Some fraudulent company took advantage of this man, I think. But, like with any product, it is buyer beware or in this case, writer beware.
When I write about the pitfalls of publishing, I speak from my own experience. I wrote a family history book and published through Genealogy Publishing company in Sylva, NC in 1998. It is a beautiful, hard back book, nicely printed with black and white photos of my ancestors, my parents and aunts and uncles.
In 1998, four thousand dollars was about average cost to publish this type of book. Many county histories were published this way. After all, no New York traditional publishers would make money on books that only appealed to a very small niche. In my case, I still have some of those two hundred books which I sold to all the family members who were interested in family history. I occasionally, even now, get an order for one of the books. But the niche for family histories is not large. Those researching your family name on Ancestry might want a copy. Last year a third and a fourth cousin ordered my book, Profiles and Pedigrees; Descendants of Thomas Charles Council, (1858-1911).
In today's world, a self-published book with photos can be published for around one thousand dollars if the author is aware and willing to do what he must do and where he must go to get the best advice and the best service. Better than forking over thousands of dollars, the writer would do best to hire someone to format the book and insert pictures where they should go. This is not terribly expensive if your manuscript has been proofed and edited several times. Ask other writers and talk to a number of people who have experience in self-publishing.
If a writer is taken in by an ad in a magazine, and he knows nothing about the company he is doing business with, he is like a hungry fish grabbing a worm on a hook.
A few years ago, a young widow came to me with a rough manuscript she had sent to a Christian Publishing Company. She had paid them two thousand dollars upfront. I asked what the company did for the two thousand dollars. She said they sent the manuscript back to her and told her she needed to hire an editor to get the book ready for printing, and then they would look at it again.
I was appalled at this and advised this young woman to contact that company and ask for her money back now. First of all, it was too soon to hire an editor to help her. She needed writing classes. She needed to do research on the kind of book she wanted to write. She had no idea who would read her book and none of it was original. She had simply taken verses from the bible and organized them in ways that meant something to her.
Beware of Christian Publishing companies. They use the word Christian to lure in good people who feel that it is safe to do business with anyone who is "Christian."
I will never forget one of my students who published a book about his exciting life as a minister working in third world countries. His goal? Publish this book. It wasn't long before I heard from him.
"I have two hundred books in my basement. What should I do next?"
Relieved that he only had two hundred books, I gave him my best advice on marketing. But he had not given one thought as to how he would sell his books once they were in print. He did not know his audience or how to reach them. That seems to be the way with most first-time self-published authors.
Some resources to check out before self-publishing. Scamming writers is going on and will go on, but writers can be aware and learn what to watch out for.
The best article on scamming in 2019
Writers Beware - Writers Beware was founded in 1998 and is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, with additional support from the Mystery Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Like many genre-focused writers’ groups, SFWA, MWA, HWA, and ASJA are concerned with not only well-published writers, but also the fate of aspiring writers, first time authors who are anxious to see their books in print. Check with Writer Beware before signing a contract with any publisher.
https://accrispin.blogspot.com/p/about-writer-beware.html
Reedsy.com
https://blog.reedsy.com/scams-and-publishing-companies-to-avoid/
