Publishing scams and red flags for writers

The core rule

In traditional publishing, money flows to the writer. Agents are paid a commission only when they sell your work; publishers pay you an advance and royalties and cover editing, design, printing, and distribution themselves. Anyone in that chain who asks you for money up front is either not what they say they are or is running a different kind of business. That doesn't mean every paid service is a scam — self-publishing writers pay editors and designers all the time — but it should never be disguised as an agent or a traditional deal.

Fake agents

Signs that an "agent" is not legitimate:

• They charge reading fees, submission fees, "evaluation" fees, or office fees.
• They offer representation but require you to buy editing from a specific service first.
• They contacted you out of the blue, especially about a book you self-published years ago.
• You can't find verifiable recent sales to known publishers. Check the publishers named actually exist and the books are real.
• Their "clients" are mostly published by vanity presses or by the agency's own imprint.
• They push you to sign quickly or say the offer expires.

The agent research guide covers how to vet an agent you're thinking of querying.

Vanity presses and "hybrid" publishers

A vanity press charges the author to publish and makes its money from authors rather than readers. Often the fees are presented as a "contribution", a "co-investment", or a package of services. Typical warning signs: acceptance of almost everything submitted, praise that could apply to any book, packages costing thousands, and little evidence of books in actual bookshops.

Some legitimate hybrid publishers do charge authors and publish professionally. The Independent Book Publishers Association publishes criteria for what a reputable hybrid publisher should meet, including a defined editorial vision, selective acceptance, industry-standard production, real distribution, and higher-than-standard royalties to the author. If a company asking for money can't show it meets criteria like these, treat it as a vanity press. See trad vs. self-publishing for a fuller comparison.

Impersonation and unsolicited offers

A growing category of scams impersonates real people and companies: emails claiming to be from a well-known agent, a major publisher, a film studio wanting to "adapt" your book, or a bookseller offering a "placement" programme. They usually end in a request for payment for something — a "screenplay conversion", a "book review package", or "re-publication".

• Real publishers and studios don't cold-email authors asking them to pay for a deal.
• Check the sender's actual email address and domain, not just the display name.
• Contact the real company through the details on its official website and ask.
• Be particularly wary if you are self-published and the offer is to "relaunch" or "traditionally republish" an older title.

Contests, awards, and anthologies

Plenty of reputable contests charge an entry fee. Problems arise when the contest exists mainly to collect fees: dozens of categories so nearly everyone "wins", winners asked to pay for stickers, certificates, or a ceremony, or anthology "acceptance" followed by a requirement to buy copies. Before entering, check who the judges are, who has won before, and what the rights terms are. Writer Beware maintains information on contests to watch out for.

Marketing and "rebranding" offers

Unsolicited offers to get your book "in front of millions of readers", into "Hollywood", onto bestseller lists, or into airport bookshops are almost always worth ignoring. Legitimate marketing services exist, but they rarely find you by cold email, and none can guarantee sales or bestseller status.

How to check before you pay

• Writer Beware, sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, documents scams and questionable agents, publishers, and contests.
• The Alliance of Independent Authors rates self-publishing services and keeps a watchdog list.
• The Authors Guild and the Society of Authors (UK) offer contract review to members.
• Search the company's name with "scam", "complaints", or "Writer Beware". Look for patterns rather than a single angry review.
• Ask a simple question: who pays whom? If the answer is "you pay them" and they're calling themselves an agent or a traditional publisher, walk away.

If you have already paid a scammer, report it to the platform used, to your bank or card issuer, and (in the US) to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the equivalent consumer protection body where you live. Writer Beware also welcomes reports.