Do Your Research Before You Commit and Pay
Don’t fall for a pay-to-publish scam
Recently a friend asked if I’d ever heard of a particular pay-to-publish company that someone she knew was considering as a publisher for a book.
I hadn’t, but I decided to see what I could find out.
So I Googled two phrases:
- [company name] scam
- [company name] reviews
In addition to the company’s website, I found a long list of Better Business Bureau complaints plus questionable comments about the company on publishing industry blogs.
Not long before that, another friend called me, bursting with excitement because a publisher told him they wanted to publish his book. When I started asking questions like what other authors they published and if they were going to do the deal on a royalty basis or if they were a pay-to-publish company, he had no idea. Turned out it was a pay-to-publish company with a minimal track record.
I am a huge supporter of self-publishing in all of its forms, from doing it all yourself to paying a company to do everything for you to anywhere in between. I’ve been self-publishing my own books and books for my clients…
