How to Avoid Online Publishing and Instant Book Publishing Scams

Being scammed by online publishers and instant book publishing can be avoided if the author his homework before agreeing to publish a book online with a company.

After pouring heart and soul into a manuscript, an author can be easily scammed when trying to publish a book online or with instant book publishing, because they want the book published so badly they overlooks warning signs. It is important to take a breath and follow these tips before signing a publishing contract.

Research

Online publishing and instant book publishing is fraught with "publishing companies" that often appear promising, but are only out to take the author’s money and offer little in return.

The first step to researching an online publisher is entering the company’s name in quotation marks with +scam into a search engine. This is a sure-fire way to see if any writers have had problems with the company.

The author can also use online newsletters, forums and blogs to get the scoop on nefarious online and traditional publishers. Here are a few:

• Angela Hoy's newsletter entitled “Writer's Weekly” has weekly updates on scam artist publishers.
• Bewares and Background Check Forums Board on Absolute Write.com can provide additional insight into scams or authors can ask questions about particular publishers.
• The Writer Beware Blogs, written by authors A.C. Crispin, Richard White and Victoria Strauss, provide in-depth information on the best and the worst publishers.

The Common Sense Online Publisher Test

The author can use basic common sense strategies to determine if a "publisher" is trying to scam them. Here are some key criteria:

• Real publishers don’t ask for start-up money, money to publish the book, or money for any services.
• A legitimate publisher will never pester an author with spam emails or letters urging them to buy extra copies of the books for friends and family.
• Real publishers don’t ask an author to buy illustration and editing services from the publisher or from the publisher’s list of referrals.
• Professional publishing companies always use contracts for book deals. If the company balks at the idea of a contract, the writer should walk away. If they don’t have the time or the money for contracts, then they shouldn’t be running a business, scam or not.

Look for publishers that offer real up-front advances or no up-front advances. Companies that offer $1 up-front payments are used to draw in people that are desperate to get their work published. Many people think that getting something is better than getting nothing, even if it is only a dollar. The dollar isn’t to help the author, though. It is to make the contact more binding in the court of law.

Call the number listed on the publisher's website to see if it is a real company.

Most importantly, an author should have a qualified lawyer look over any publishing contract. Legal speak is hard for anyone to figure out, so it is important to get qualified help.

An author should always go with his gut. Fraudulent online publishers and instant book publishers are everywhere and the smart author must be vigilant to protect themselves.