# Publishing Scams



## Black Dragon (Jan 9, 2012)

Hey guys,

In case you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out our recent interview with legendary fantasy author James D. Macdonald:

Publishing Perils - Interview with James D. Macdonald

In it he talks about his own writing process, as well as his efforts to fight literary scams.  I think that you'll really enjoy what he has to say.


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## The Blue Lotus (Jan 9, 2012)

OMG I love him!  Thanks! And yea scammers are everywhere! I have yet to find a rock they have not slithered out from under.


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## Giant (Jan 9, 2012)

Excellent article. A lot of good insight for us newbies.


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## grahamguitarman (Jan 10, 2012)

Very interesting, and very informative.

I'm not surprised that this sort of thing happens though - you get the exact same thing in the Art world.  There are scam galleries that expect you to pay to be exhibited (and some that don't even exist yet still con artists out of money).  I don't know about the writing world, but in the 'serious' art circles not only do you lose money, but you lose all credibility as an artist.  No decent gallery or art agent will touch you with a bargepole if you have these scam galleries on your CV!

Doesn't matter what field you are in the money should only flow towards the creator not the other way (unless you are doing charity work).


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## writeshiek33 (Jan 10, 2012)

i find the article interesting because i have potential publisher that making me pay everything but in the end i get 100% profits i only pay for services and distribution printing separate cost but it offset . they also getting me into book fairs and if i get a bigger publisher interested in me then they won't hold my manuscript at random


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## The Blue Lotus (Jan 10, 2012)

writeshiek33 said:


> i find the article interesting because i have potential publisher that making me pay everything but in the end i get 100% profits i only pay for services and distribution printing separate cost but it offset . they also getting me into book fairs and if i get a bigger publisher interested in me then they won't hold my manuscript at random



Really who is that might I ask?


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## zizban (Jan 11, 2012)

I hate to ask as well. Who is this publisher?


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## boboratory (Jan 11, 2012)

As a Publisher, this made me cringe a little, just so you know...

It's a very simple question, if you pay for everything up front, and the Publisher doesn't have their money tied at all (think about that for a minute) to the performance of the book, what's their incentive to actually do anything? Even if they are at book faires, what's their motivation to engage the attendees and talk about your book? Not knowing who it is, I won't pass judgement, but the job of the publisher is to publish and sell books, that's how they should earn a living, off the writing, not the writer.





writeshiek33 said:


> i find the article interesting because i have potential publisher that making me pay everything but in the end i get 100% profits i only pay for services and distribution printing separate cost but it offset . they also getting me into book fairs and if i get a bigger publisher interested in me then they won't hold my manuscript at random


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## grahamguitarman (Jan 11, 2012)

writeshiek33 said:


> i find the article interesting because i have potential publisher that making me pay everything but in the end i get 100% profits i only pay for services and distribution printing separate cost but it offset . they also getting me into book fairs and if i get a bigger publisher interested in me then they won't hold my manuscript at random



Sorry but that sounds like a scam to me


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## zizban (Jan 11, 2012)

boboratory said:


> As a Publisher, this made me cringe a little, just so you know...
> 
> It's a very simple question, if you pay for everything up front, and the Publisher doesn't have their money tied at all (think about that for a minute) to the performance of the book, what's their incentive to actually do anything? Even if they are at book faires, what's their motivation to engage the attendees and talk about your book? Not knowing who it is, I won't pass judgement, but the job of the publisher is to publish and sell books, that's how they should earn a living, off the writing, not the writer.



Amen brother.


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## writeshiek33 (Jan 12, 2012)

will let you guys know true it does sound like one but it seems legit to me after looking into the folk involved so far it seems legit even though it small company


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## Butterfly (Jan 12, 2012)

Have you checked them on the Writer Beware site?

You haven't mentioned who they are, so I don't know if they're listed.

here's the link, if you haven't.

WRITER BEWARE Â®


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## writeshiek33 (Jan 12, 2012)

actually first thing i did as well meeting the individual that head of company trindie  i know at least two of the authors that signed with them plus they told if i am not happy with the printing price i could (my family owns a small printing press company) if my family insist do through ours and save on that


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## zizban (Jan 12, 2012)

Whether Trindle is good or bad (Man, their website has more red flags than Nascar) is not as unimportant as this: did shop your book to anyone else? Did you start at the top and work your way down? If you didn't, you are selling yourself short. You put time and effort into your work, don't you deserve to be paid for your work?


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