The autumn scam avoidance series continues today with a look at subsidy publishing. Not all subsidy publishing is a scam–but in today’s publishing world, “vanity press”-style subsidy publishing is a terrible deal for the author. Legitimate self-publishing options have eliminated authors’ need to pay exorbitant fees to see their work in published formats. There’s no longer any need to pay a vanity press unreasonable fees to publish (or market) your work–so don’t do it. Let’s look at some tips for identifying (and avoiding) “vanity presses” and unreasonable subsidy publishing deals. 1. Legitimate presses almost never approach an author directly. Yes, exceptions do exist, but a publisher approaching
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Tips for Avoiding Popular Freelance Writing Issues
Scammers and the unscrupulous flourish where dreams and business intersect, and writing is no exception. Many authors take on freelance writing opportunities to supplement longer-format writing. Here are some tips for avoiding some of the common writing-related scams and “opportunities” that cost you more than they benefit: 1. When freelancing or writing for third-party publications, always get a written contract BEFORE you write the piece. Many times, writers agree to work “on a handshake,” only to discover that the deal terms were not what they expected. Make sure you understand the terms, and have a written agreement (preferably a real contract, but
Read moreSummer Scams, Part 2: Scams in Writing Contests
Today we’re continuing our summer series on writing-related scams and how to avoid them with another re-post from early 2012. Remember: a refresher course in scam avoidance keeps your instincts sharp and your writing secure! Last week we talked about unscrupulous agents and publishers. Today we’ll discuss a scam that hides among legitimate opportunities, making itself more difficult to spot. Scam #2: Overreaching in Writing and Poetry Contests. Legitimate writing contests represent valuable opportunities for authors to obtain review and critique of their work. These contests are a real asset to the writing community, and in particular to pre-published authors.
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