New Writers:
It’s hard to know who to trust when you’ve just arrived on the scene. However, when it comes to some of the major scams floating around out there, you can avoid many of them by remembering a few simple things.
- Commercial / Trade / Traditional publishers don’t cold call authors at random. Since they have waves of authors pounding down their doors to get book deals, there’s no reason for them to message you on Facebook, call your phone, or contact you via email. These spammy tactics are commonplace for bots, thieves, and vanity publishers.
- Book development takes time. If someone is offering to do the work of planning, writing, editing, designing, promoting, and publishing your work all in a matter of a few weeks instead of the multiple months of time those processes often take, they are likely taking advantage of you or are going to rush through the process.Years ago, I saw a newbie writer giddily posting about having submitted their 110,000-word manuscript for developmental editing and that they would have it back within two weeks. It might take a pro two weeks just to do the markup for a project of that size (IF you were their only client, and they were moving at a speed that could lower the quality of their service). So the idea that they would have completed all the heavy lifting that developmental editing entails in that tiny amount of time was a decent red flag that this author had been swindled. Fellow authors noted as much in the comments of that post. In other words, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- It’s okay to sleep on it. Most scammers prey on your excitement and enthusiasm about the idea of becoming a published author. This means they often try to rush you into signing a contract or paying them money immediately. But seasoned professionals who are focused on the quality of their work, not just how fast they can get your money, tend not to be so aggressive. If you say you need to think about it, they’ll understand and give you the time and space you need to make a calm, educated decision. They won’t try to bait you by saying you have to give them money or some other commitment immediately so you won’t “miss out” or “lose this opportunity.”
Keeping these ideas in mind can help you safeguard your project and protect your wallet as you go about your writing journey.
