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Indie Publishing: Beware of Scams

Writer's picture: Jesse LawrenceJesse Lawrence

The publishing world is full of opportunities, but unfortunately, it’s also rife with scams targeting authors at all levels. Whether you’re self-publishing, seeking publication with an indie publisher, or navigating the traditional route, understanding how to identify and avoid scams is a must.


The hardest part of writing this post was staying cool-headed and keeping it informative rather than full of anger. Scammers make many millions of dollars from hopeful authors every year. Not only does it steal money from creative people like us, it is demoralizing and can squelch our desire to write.


(None of the links seen here are sponsored.)


This is perhaps the best video on the emotional and financial toll scammers can have on authors. I highly recommend a watch.

A very personal author story.
A very personal author story.

THE WHY

It is often unclear why someone would go through the effort of scamming authors. In general, we aren't a rich demographic. Most scams target early-career authors, so our manuscripts aren't worth a ton of money. It would make sense to shake down J.K. Rowling or Margaret Atwood, but the small fish like me?

The answer is that many authors are desperate to see their masterpieces succeed. Some will pay a little. Others will pay a lot. Sometimes, they boil the frog slowly, adding up fees over time.


THE SCAMS

Authors, who often manage the entire publishing process themselves, are frequent targets due to their hands-on approach and willingness to invest in their books. In a world where established, traditionally published authors are susceptible to scams, you can imagine the challenges indie/self-publishing authors face. Common scams include:

Bogus Marketing Services: For example, services like Author Solutions have been accused of charging exorbitant fees for ineffective or non-existent marketing.

Fake Publishing Platforms: Fraudulent sites offering distribution but disappearing after collecting fees. Always verify the legitimacy of lesser-known platforms.

Predatory Vanity Presses: Companies like Page Publishing have faced criticism for charging authors thousands for services that reputable publishers offer for free or at minimal cost.

Paid Reviews Scams: Services offering paid reviews violate the terms of platforms like Amazon, which can lead to account suspensions.

Editing/Formatting Frauds: Freelancers on platforms like X, Facebook, and Fiverr may promise professional editing services but deliver low-quality work. Always vet freelancers through reviews and sample work.

Social Media Scams: Direct messages promising features on “bestseller lists” for a fee. For example, scammers on Instagram frequently promise "Top 100" placement in fake anthologies.

Fake Agents: Scammers pose as agents and ask for upfront reading fees, which is a practice no legitimate agent would engage in. For example, The TWS Literary Agency was exposed as a scam.

Influential People: Some of them will build deep fake identities of influential people to lure you in.

Award Scams: Some Awards like the Purple Dragonfly Award charge hefty entry fees but offer no real prestige or marketing benefits. (Source)

Copyright Theft: Fraudsters may ask for full manuscripts to "review" and then steal or plagiarize your work. This is especially common with unsolicited emails from fake publishing companies.

Writing Coaches: There are a lot of writing coaches who are legit, but there are even more scammers out there who will provide bad advice and do nothing to help you progress toward your goals. Here’s a post on spotting bad coaches

Pay Before Delivery: If they won't give you a finished product before you pay, back out. If you use Fiverr, do not approve the completion of the service until you have the finished product. Report scams and give 1-star reviews.

Remember: Scammers prey on our insecurities and hopes. It is natural to be drawn in by them. Authors are more prone to scams because of how attached we are to our work.

 

Example: A backfiring paid review

Don’t get involved. If you do, document everything. (Annonamys, X)
Don’t get involved. If you do, document everything. (Annonamys, X)
 

SPOTTING SCAMS

There are plenty of red flags that authors need to look for before engaging anyone online. Here are a few things to look for:

Too Good to Be True: Be wary of services that promise overnight success or guaranteed results. There are no guarantees in publishing. Even well-known authors published by the largest traditional publishers have flopped.

Upfront Fees: Reputable agents and publishers earn a commission from sales, not upfront payments. This is a sure sign that you’re being hustled.

Displayed Costs: The more reputable service providers display the cost of services upfront on their websites. Less reputable ones won't, so they can get you talking privately.

Personal Email: They may be scammers If they email you from a personal account rather than a professional account. This is usually from a Gmail or, worse, a Yahoo account.

Pressure Tactics: Scammers often pressure you to act quickly or risk losing an opportunity. Take your time and verify their credibility before signing on with any service.

Tickets: Some scammers request that authors pay for tickets (and or travel) in in exchange for promoting your book at an author event.

High ISBN Prices: New authors may be daunted by getting ISBN codes required for identifying/publishing your specific book. These scammers charge hefty prices to get you ISBNs. See this easy how-too on ISBNs (no ads, no services offered).

Negging: Many scammers will tell you that your book or cover isn’t good enough up front and offer to help you fix problems. Don’t fall for it.

Lack of Transparency: A legitimate service will provide clear terms and a proven track record.

Community: The author community is amazing. Make friends. Rely on us to help you vet services.


 

There is big money in author scams.

Sophisticated author scams fleece authors of millions.
Sophisticated author scams fleece authors of millions.
 

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Check Reviews: Make sure services have reliable reviews and independent testimonials. Many services fake their reviews. Any review on their website or social profile is suspect.

Verify Credentials: Research agents, publishers, or service providers on platforms like Writer Beware or Editors and Predators.

Ask for Samples: If hiring an editor or designer, ask for a portfolio or sample work. If they don’t provide any, you have no reason to believe they will do a good job.

Ask Other Authors: Plenty of authors are happy to help you figure out if a service is a scam. They are also willing to help you find one. Of course, you have to be careful they aren’t scammers in disguise.

Suggestion: Find trustworthy author friends by engaging authors who follow fewer people than follow them. These people are selective and have practice at weeding out the bad ones.


SOCIAL MEDIA SCAMS

Avoid Direct Messages: Scammers often reach out via direct messaging on X, Facebook, Threads, and every platform. If they operated out in the open, other authors would call them on their BS. By chatting with you via DM, they can pray on your hopes and dreams.

Hint: Block anyone who direct messages you without engaging you in meaningful conversation on social media platforms.

AI Bots: With the rise of artificial intelligence, bots are getting more and more sophisticated. They craft convincing fake messages using all the tactics human scammers use. This means you need to sift through that many more scams.


 

Example Starter.

Their Goal: Get you talking alone. (From Blue Sky)
Their Goal: Get you talking alone. (From Blue Sky)
 

New Profiles: Check if the profile is new. Scammers often need new profiles because other authors out them.

Too Few Posts: If they don’t post their own material and only repost other people’s work, they are likely a bot. It is harder to train bots to post original content.

Too Few Followers: If a profile follows far more people than follow them, it’s a red flag. They’re attempting to scoop up followers as fast as they can. 

Hint: Before getting too involved, go to the author/agent/publisher's website and follow their social media link(s). If the accounts don't match up, it's a scam.


 

Example: An effective direct message opener

A direct message scam
Their Goal: Gain your trust. They try every angle. This one apologized for contacting me on X.
 

PROTECT YOUR WORK

Losing rights to your own work is a serious slap in the face. There are legal and illegal ways scammers may accomplish this without you even realizing it.

Disreputable Presses: If you sign your book’s copyright over to a press, they pretty much own the manuscript. They can legally publish the manuscript without you. Keep your copyrights.

Copyright Your Manuscript: Always register your copyright so nobody else can claim copyright. They can threaten you with legal action or publish your work until you pay them.

FYI: Copyright your work in your own country. In the US you can find it here.

Careful With Sharing: As authors, we rely on the help of others. This means sharing our manuscripts with others. Make sure you work with friends, a writer’s circle, vetted readers, and professionals.

Note: It can take a long time to prove a manuscript was plagiarized, especially if they use AI to tweak your sentences here and there.


 

Threat to Take All Rights

"[Y]ou have made several threats to publish false and defamatory comments...on social media. If you do...you will lose all rights to your book, and you will also be sued." (Facebook. Writers Beware.)
"[Y]ou have made several threats to publish false and defamatory comments...on social media. If you do...you will lose all rights to your book, and you will also be sued." (Facebook. Writers Beware.)
 

WARN OTHER AUTHORS

Sharing your experience is a powerful way to combat scams in the writing community. It can be embarrassing to admit you’ve been scammed, but all of us in the writing community rely on each other. Here’s how you can help:

Post Warnings: Use social media or blogs to share details of scams you’ve encountered. This can feel like exposing a dirty little secret. You’ll find that the community will rally behind you and do whatever we can to support you.

Fact: You are not alone. Plenty of authors have fallen subject to scams. Commiserating with them can help.

One-Star Ratings: If you hire a service on Fiverr, a book cover site, or other, leave one-star reviews in response.

Contact Platform: Let platforms like Fiverr know about the scams.

Support Watchdog Organizations: Contribute to or follow groups like Writer Beware and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). The Better Business Bureau looks into complaints and will post results anonymously.

Remember: You are not alone. Don't isolate yourself from honest conversations out in the open. Be careful in


 

Their Accounts Get Deleted

Most DMs are scams. These DM accounts are often deleted on Blue Sky.
Most DMs are scams. These DM accounts are often deleted on Blue Sky.
 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially with the growth of AI bots that can generate convincing interactions that pull you in. By staying informed, vigilant, and proactive, you can protect yourself and your work. Most importantly, remember the strength of the writing community—when authors look out for each other, we can collectively reduce the impact of these bad actors.

Stay safe, share your experiences, and help make the publishing world a scam-free zone for all authors.


IN THE NEWS


An interesting read in The New York Times.
An interesting read in The New York Times.

 

No genre is immune to scams. (University Affairs)
No genre is immune to scams. (University Affairs)

 

Authors may try to tank their "competition's" books. Look into systematic negative reviews. (Business Insider)
Authors may try to tank their "competition's" books. Look into systematic negative reviews. (Business Insider)

 

SHARED BY COMMUNITY

The following are examples of scams, warnings, feedback, and posts about scams that were brought to my attention while researching this post.


Example: Scammers insist on communicating their way.

This author wisely asked about alternate communication methods. (Facebook Scam)
This author wisely asked about alternate communication methods. (Facebook Scam)

 

A Personal Account

Another author who spread the word. (Blog Post)
Another author who spread the word. (Blog Post)

 

Author Remarks

This is a standard story for how scams start. (From X)
This is a standard story for how scams start. (From X)

 

Physical Violence?

This one threatened physical violence. (@JRWhiteAuthor)
This one threatened physical violence. (@JRWhiteAuthor)


 

Stay Positive

This author uses humor to stay positive. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh. (From X)
This author uses humor to stay positive. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh. (From X)

 

Changed Profile

This profile pretended to be a famous female author to gain followers, then switched to providing a service. (Shared from Facebook)
This profile pretended to be a famous female author to gain followers, then switched to providing a service. (Shared from Facebook)

 

Piling On Fees

This is another case where a scammer took advantage of a new authors, charging for unnecessary fees. (Ken Hughes on FB)
This is another case where a scammer took advantage of a new authors, charging for unnecessary fees. (Ken Hughes on FB)

 

Standard Scamming Techniques

Scammers use similar tactics to rob people in all aspects of life and business. (@SandraEManning)
Scammers use similar tactics to rob people in all aspects of life and business. (@SandraEManning)

 

No Follow Through

No actual publication after paying for service. (X)
No actual publication after paying for service. (X)

 

Author Sentiment

I agree with this response. (@hatfield23686)
I agree with this response. (@hatfield23686)

 

Get The Finished Product

Don't pay/approve until you get the final result. (X)
Don't pay/approve until you get the final result. (X)

 

Stupid Fakes

The ones who get your name wrong are easy to spot. (X)
The ones who get your name wrong are easy to spot. (X)

 

Deep Fakes

Beware of being contacted by famous/influential figures. (X)
Beware of being contacted by famous/influential figures. (X)


 

As always, I appreciate your support of indie authors. In the name of putting myself out there, here are a few of my works.



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