"Writer Beware"

[Bramblethorn]

Came across SFWA's Writer Beware website, which gives advice for established and aspiring writers on issues such as copyright, editing, agents, reviews, and scams. Might be of interest to some of y'all, especially those considering commercial publication.

 

[KeithD]

More than a decade ago, Writer Beware was all the rage on making writers warry of vanity packagers, especially Publish America. Two women operated it: A.C. Crispin, who was a successful fan fiction author, and Victoria Strauss. They got powerful enough, though, that they began making judgments without bothering to do full research and they knocked down several people who were not doing the evil Writer Beware claimed they were. A.C. Crispin was particularly hard on the attack. She died, though, and Victoria Strauss operating alone has been better. I think Publish America finally stopped scamming people and went away. It actually had a good thing going with writers. It would print anything, including your laundry list (and this was tested out), but it had such a large number of writers that it put into a club and some of the writers did OK in sales because they were selling to each other.

 

[Bramblethorn]

More than a decade ago, Writer Beware was all the rage on making writers warry of vanity packagers, especially Publish America. Two women operated it: A.C. Crispin, who was a successful fan fiction author, and Victoria Strauss. They got powerful enough, though, that they began making judgments without bothering to do full research and they knocked down several people who were not doing the evil Writer Beware claimed they were. A.C. Crispin was particularly hard on the attack. She died, though, and Victoria Strauss operating alone has been better. I think Publish America finally stopped scamming people and went away. It actually had a good thing going with writers. It would print anything, including your laundry list (and this was tested out), but it had such a large number of writers that it put into a club and some of the writers did OK in sales because they were selling to each other.

Looks as if Strauss now has a couple of new helpers, but the copyright notice suggests that she's still running the show: http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/about/

Yeah, I think trying to maintain a blacklist of known scammers is a losing game. It's just too easy for the scammers to resurface under a new name, a lot of work for the maintainers to get it right, and a risk of getting sued if they don't. Academia used to have Beall's List and that closed down for the same kind of reasons.

Rather than looking to sites like these for a list of specific scammers, it's probably more helpful for authors to read their material on how to spot a scam and then apply that guidance when checking out publishers/etc.

 

[TadOverdon]

N/a...

 

[MillieDynamite]

A publishing company here in Oklahoma scammed their writers big time. They swindled their clients out of more than 800,000 dollars. Eventually they were caught, but they didn't spend a day in jail. Writers paid for the privilege of them publishing their book, then were to receive royalties. They under reported sales to more than 2000 writers, paying less than half the royalty to the authors.

Even independent small publishers aren't above skimming from their writers. My father's work was picked up one such publisher out of Texas. Dad became suspicious when one month would net him over thousand dollars, the next month a few hundred or none, while his books rankings didn't alter enough to account for the discrepancy. He asked to be released for his contract. They do so immediately. They paid thirty days after Amazon paid them, so there were two or three months that hadn't yet been paid. But the company refused to pay him any more royalties.

About three months later the company disappeared and resurfaced as new company. They contacted dad again, claiming an employee had mismanaged payments and they'd like him back. He declined and has stayed in self publishing.

 

[TadOverdon]

Only one rule: never pay someone upfront to market or publish your work. They get a percentage, period.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Only one rule: never pay someone upfront to market or publish your work. They get a percentage, period.

One version I've heard of this is "money should always flow in the direction of the writer".

 

[TadOverdon]

One version I've heard of this is "money should always flow in the direction of the writer".

That works.

 

[KeithD]

One version I've heard of this is "money should always flow in the direction of the writer".

And the publisher and the editor and the cover designer and the distributor--cut any of those out of the profit chain, and your book project is dead on delivery. (Yes, this has been another demur on the "it's all about the author" concept.)

 

[TadOverdon]

You may well pay someone to edit or design a cover for your self-published work.

You don't pay fees to agents or publishers. If they're any good at their jobs they're making money the same way you are, by selling your work.

 

[Bramblethorn]

And the publisher and the editor and the cover designer and the distributor--cut any of those out of the profit chain, and your book project is dead on delivery. (Yes, this has been another demur on the "it's all about the author" concept.)

For clarity, "money flows toward the author" isn't saying that those other people don't get paid. It's saying that the author isn't the one who pays them. For instance, when I edit a book, it's not the author sending me a cheque; I get paid by the publisher.

There are occasional exceptions, in particular when "author" and "publisher" are one and the same. But it's a good starting point for spotting scams.

 

[KeithD]

For clarity, "money flows toward the author" isn't saying that those other people don't get paid. It's saying that the author isn't the one who pays them. For instance, when I edit a book, it's not the author sending me a cheque; I get paid by the publisher.

There are occasional exceptions, in particular when "author" and "publisher" are one and the same. But it's a good starting point for spotting scams.

I agree that money should flow to the author rather than the author paying for anything involved in the production, and I practice that. Not sure how many others here with works in the marketplace are doing that. I have found a whole lot of writers who don't understand that having works in the marketplace is a group ownership thing. The adage "money flows to the author" doesn't really clarify that for a lot of folks.

 

[Wifetheif]

Only one rule: never pay someone upfront to market or publish your work. They get a percentage, period.

I know we have some nonfiction authors among us. My warning is for Macfarland Press out of North Carolina. No advances, never seem to sell enough to get royalties despite popularity. Scam writers on things like reprint rights, split film rights 90/10 THEIR favor! It is a glorified vanity press that had no problem releasing, "Jewish Chess Masters On Stamps" to the world. "YES< that is a real book! What's the total global market? eighteen guys max?

 

[TxRad]

Kieth, I never intended to sell any of my porn, uh, erotica. It was on lit for people to read if they wanted to. I gave several stories and a poem to the old charity books we put together here in the AH. The Coming Together series. They made a lot of money for a number of charities over the years.

Later, a friend of mine owned a small print shop and her sister was a retired English teacher. Over about five years, we sold a ton of books through lingerie shops and novelty/sex toy shops in four states. We would probably continued but the lady doing the printing died and the print shop was sold. The living sister moved to North Texas to be closer to family.

After that, I went back to just posting here on Lit.

And then I went mainstream. Not my idea but it has worked out well. I write and do some rewrites. Thy handle everything else. The only way to go in my opinion. It sure gives you more time to write and far fewer headaches.

 

[MillieDynamite]

In essence, the writer pays for everything, printing cost are recovered from sales, advertising as well, editing, the cost of the cover, are all paid for by sales of the writers work, and the writer gets whatever they get via their own royalties. Most often, in the brick and mortar world of publishing, the writer gets the smallest percentage from digital sells which has the smallest input of capital.

I'm not saying it isn't fair, though I think on the traditionally publishing house the digital having the lowest royalty to the writer is unfair. The whole thing is a symbiotic relationship. Large or small, the publishers can't publish with out writers. If you self publish, your the whole enchilada or have to buy the ingredients for the enchilada.

 

[yowser]

I know we have some nonfiction authors among us. My warning is for Macfarland Press out of North Carolina. No advances, never seem to sell enough to get royalties despite popularity. Scam writers on things like reprint rights, split film rights 90/10 THEIR favor! It is a glorified vanity press that had no problem releasing, "Jewish Chess Masters On Stamps" to the world. "YES< that is a real book! What's the total global market? eighteen guys max?

I would not describe Macfarland as a 'glorified vanity press.' They are small (not the only publisher who doesn't give an author advance), and quality varies widely, but they have a mid-level reputation in academe and market mostly to libraries. A book aimed at that segment will generate decent royalties.

I cannot answer to film rights, etc. but will note that there are plenty of odd books published out there in the world that have an audience for some niche or another.

 

[KeithD]

In essence, the writer pays for everything, printing cost are recovered from sales, advertising as well, editing, the cost of

I don't. I use legitimate publishers. I pay for nothing. I get less back in royalties, it would seem. But not really. Self-publishers don't always give full measure to what they've invested off the top, which must be deducted from royalties at the other end. I think I come out ahead on the profit angle, even using publishers, because, as TxRad noted, by letting someone else do all of the work except the writing I can produce three or four times more works in the time a self-publisher manages to write and take one work to market and then keep track of it afterward.

If someone else isn't will to invest in my work, I can't feel it is worth offering to the public.

 

[TxRad]

Most often, in the brick and mortar world of publishing, the writer gets the smallest percentage from digital sells which has the smallest input of capital.

I'm not saying it isn't fair, though I think on the traditionally publishing house the digital having the lowest royalty to the writer is unfair.

Actually, my royalties on hardcover, paperback, and digital are all the same.

 

[Wifetheif]

I would not describe Macfarland as a 'glorified vanity press.' They are small (not the only publisher who doesn't give an author advance), and quality varies widely, but they have a mid-level reputation in academe and market mostly to libraries. A book aimed at that segment will generate decent royalties.

I cannot answer to film rights, etc. but will note that there are plenty of odd books published out there in the world that have an audience for some niche or another.

The film rights things was in the contract they offered me that I laughingly turned down. I took my book to the University of Nebraska. Nice advance. Terrific publicity push, decent sales, Reviews in journals large and small. I would have received NONE of that with Macfarland. They tend to be the publishing bastion of last resort for academic publishing. The academic authors who publish there usually don't have tenure and many of their books lacking because of that. They will not make a scholar's reputation but they MAY impair it! There are other academic presses like Scarecrow and Bowling Green that have a much higher reputation. Macfarland treats its authors like crap. A friend of mine wrote me a note. Part of his book had been reprinted. With a reputable publisher, reprint rights go to the author. Macfarland took HALF! They gouge from their authors every possible way they can. He is very unhappy that he went with Macfarland. I was contacted by another author on the verge of tears. His Macfarland book was a great topic with theoretical built-in sales in all fifty states. Sounds like a winner, right? They slapped a NINTY-FIVE dollar price tag on it! My author friend can't even afford to buy his own book at the author's discount. He was so disappointed he has pretty much given up on writing. Great job Macfarland!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Actually, my royalties on hardcover, paperback, and digital are all the same.

Good for you, hang on to that publisher. I wasn't really talking about all publisher, just some publishers. There are several thousand small to large publishers in America and I'm certain most are reputable, and treat their writers well.

 

[yowser]

They tend to be the publishing bastion of last resort for academic publishing. The academic authors who publish there usually don't have tenure and many of their books lacking because of that. They will not make a scholar's reputation but they MAY impair it! There are other academic presses like Scarecrow and Bowling Green that have a much higher reputation.

Sounds like you had a bad experience, and I am glad you found a publisher that suited you better.

McFarland is hardly a last resort, their rep is in the same ballpark as Scarecrow's (where MF's owner formerly worked as an editor) although it depends a little on the discipline. I would put SUNY far below either of these.

It is not an easy time to be a publishing house, and consequently that translates into difficulties for an author. I am not sure this is worth an extended discussion but I disagree with your assessment of McFarland.