| For some reason the publishing industry seems to have more than its fair share of con artists and fraudsters. It must be said that the scams are only a tiny proportion of the industry, but their main target is new and inexperienced authors. The most likely reason is the vast number of new manuscripts and the relatively small number of genuine literary agents and publishers. Only the creme-de-la-creme make it through the screening process, so there is always a large number of authors who are desperate to get published.
Most of these fraudsters use the tactic of flattery, telling the first-time author that their new novel shows great promise, and that a movie deal may be just around the corner. After a long series of depressing rejections these words will be music to the ears of an aspiring author, and they know it. This gives them the opportunity to sell worthless editing services, overpriced poor quality printing services, or publicity and representation of dubious value. The spectrum includes outright fraud where money is obtained by deception at one extreme, to otherwise genuine publishing services that are just not very good value for money or innapropriate.
Before entering into an agreement or investing money in literary agents, editors or publishers, we suggest you check the excellent "Writer Beware" website of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc. |