Are you a writer who has decided to self-pubish your own book to get your work on store shelves or in Amazon? If publishing houses have repeatedly rejected your hard work, but you still belive your book has potential and commercial value, then perhaps you should. Authors who self-publish increasingly have more freedom, a greater slice of book sales and ability to control their own product.
Despite the benefits offered by self-publishing, it is advisable to proceed with caution if you are new to this publishing strategy. Where you aware that there are a number of self-publishing scams out there? Typically, when somebody says scam or internet fraud, stories of dating scams or identity theft immediately come to mind. But there are also several publishing scams and is is what you will want to look out for:
If you are self-publishing a book, you should not have to sign any contracts, except for agreements to pay for services directly provided. The process you should start out with is to search for a printer that will turn your words into a real book and will accept printing in small runs. You do not need to sign any agreements or agree to give away your work for this to be done. In most cases, all you need to do is pay the already agreed upon fee. If you recieve an extensive contract for this service, then you are most likely dealing with a vanity publisher, as opposed to a printing company.
Whether you deal with vanity publishers or a genuine printer, be cautious of any recommendations that you receive. For example, if a sales representative says ‘I know a designer who can layout an incredible cover for your book’, proceed with caution. Of course, the individual or company in question is more than worth the look, but you should know that many companies do not recommend others out of the goodness of their hearts. Typically they will receive a percentage of each sale made by working as an affiliate and this could inflate the price compared to that if you shop around.
As for hiring the services of a professional editor, know who you are working with at all times. Do the proper amount of research first. You can honestly never tell if an editor actually reads your books and make changes. Be leery of anyone who says “everything looks good to me,” and then hands you a bill. It is also important to remember that when you hire an editor, you essentially hand them everything that you have worked on for the past year or months. Make sure you hire a trusted editor who will not run with your work and then later claim it as their own.
Tags: Self Publishing, self-publishing scams, vanity publisher, writing scams