On the heels of our May 7th post on Scams and Scoundrels, we thought it would be useful to provide some tips to avoid some of the common traps we see new and aspiring authors fall into when seeking to publish and promote their work.

1. Search for what other authors and author advocacy groups have to say online. Chances are, if a company has dealt unfairly with authors, they’ve shared their experience to warn off others. Popular sites to look include:

• Preditors and Editors: Especially visit their Warning List that offers two comprehensive lists of how to spot a scam publisher and a scam literary agency.
• Writer Beware: This site, from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) isn’t limited by country, genre, or publication history, and includes lots of information on everything from dishonest agents to dubious author services.

2. Ask LOTS of questions. Be prepared before you engage with your potential service provider. What will they provide? What’s the timeline? What are the costs? How do they expect to be paid? Watch for red flags like asking for all the money up front or vague answers about services.

3. Get it in writing. I was recently solicited by one of the many “International Who’s Who” scams. I let him go through his pitch, at the end of which he offered “a great lifetime deal” that was upwards of $700. I told the salesman that sounded just fine (ha) but that I’d need to see all of what he’d just said in writing. He told me they “didn’t do that.” I reiterated that I didn’t do business over the phone and would need to see the benefits in writing.

His answer? “Well, then here’s what you get – nothing.” And he hung up on me! I’m guessing I could’ve given him my credit card info and still been left wondering what benefits (if any) would ever materialize after he hung up.

4. Research the company’s website. You can learn a lot about a company from their own site:

• Do they include testimonials? Do those testimonials include names/emails or other contact info of the supposed clients? (We invite our clients to leave their own comments so the words are all theirs.)
• Is there adequate contact info provided, i.e. a physical address and a working phone number? Scammers will typically make sure it’s difficult to contact them once they’re done with you.
• Are service prices listed somewhere near the actual services on the site? Nowadays reputable companies will be as transparent as possible about their pricing. If you have to call to learn about the pricing, and it’s not in writing on their site, you have to wonder if they’re quoting you the same price they’re quoting others.
  The exception to this rule is editing services. While an editor should be willing give an idea of their price range, this CAN vary dependent on the level of work submitted; The good ones will ask for a sample of your work to properly evaluate the time they’ll put in, and they’ll mark that sample for you, too so you can evaluate THEM!

5. Here’s a trick publicists use to get intel on any bad customer relations that may be lurking out there online for a client. Type “company name sucks” into your search window and see what results come back.

In example, since Author Solutions is a hot topic among unhappy authors these days, we typed their name in and were shown quite a few articles and reports, including several negative comments at Ripoff Report, a pretty good indicator that at the very least they’re not satisfying customer complaints.

Think about it: If you had trouble with a company, wouldn’t you have to be quite disgruntled and unsatisfied to seek out places to complain about your experience? Big red flags.

6. Finally, before and after your research, trust your gut, not your ego. We know it can be flattering to have someone tell you you’re going to be a best-seller, and maybe you are. But if the offer seems to good to be true, it may be. Do your best to take all the emotion out of the equation and judge each offer strictl on its own merit.

And, keep in mind that agents and editors aren’t the only ones out to part authors from their cash. Website designers, publicists, social media trainers and other coaches need to be held to the same careful scrutiny. We welcome it; so should anyone who wants to conduct legitimate business with you!

Creator of Where Writers Win, Shari Stauch has been involved in publishing, marketing and PR for 30 years. She is a past producer of the South Carolina Writers Workshop (SCWW) Conference and current Co-Director of Programming for Words & Music: A Literary Feast in New Orleans. She is also the principal author of the WWW blog, and speaks at conferences around the country. The Where Writers Win team’s newest collaboration is The Winner Circle – vetted book review directories, book clubs and other cultivated resources for emerging authors. (Graphic courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net)