Writers, beware of these publishing predators!

[P.N.]

It's a good idea to follow Writer Beware's posts and get word out to the greater community about the bad guys looking to rip off unwary authors.

https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2019/0...

"Given how fast the scams are proliferating (I learn about a new one every few weeks), I thought it would be helpful to gather all the information I've put together about them in one place."

WB on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WriterBeware/

[Ron]

I got one for ya that I can't find any information on TCK Publishing? I can't find anything on them negative or positive. Their site looks legit but the lack of information from the internet makes me think its shady.

[P.N.]

They need not be shady to still be a rip off. There is quite a lot on them at Absolute Write's thread in the Forums section.

If you are not already a member (it's free) join up. AW is like having 7K friends watching your back.

https://absolutewrite.com/forums/show...

"TCK is deducting expenses from gross profit, and therefore TCK's declaration that it pays 50% royalties on print is misleading, especially for inexperienced/unrepresented authors. Both company and authors would be better off with a lower percentage based on cover price, to avoid confusion and the errors that will no doubt result from figuring a royalty split based on fluctuating expenses. "

In my experience NEVER agree to any payment based on net over gross, since many books don't earn back their production costs. Remember the movie Forrest Gump? After the bean counters were done, it did not show a profit.
http://www.redballoon.net/humor/gump.txt

Are their books IN STORES? That is what separates small press from the big guns that have real distribution. The big guns have the resources for that and to pay writers a proper advance against royalties. They have the resources to take a chance on a debut writer. Small presses do not.

A 50% royalty rate is no good if you only sell a dozen copies via online sellers.

Bottom line: Their website is geared toward selling themselves to writers, not selling books to readers. That's a big red flag.

You won't find any of the Big Five (and their many subdivisions) soliciting for authors. They don't have to since writers come to them in droves.

Run away.

Join Absolute Write and follow Writer Beware on Facebook and the SFWA site.

To find a legit house, go to a bookstore, check for books like yours, for writers who do similar works. Who published those books? Those will be prospective publishers to check out. You can look them up in THE WRITERS MARKET 2019. Most libraries have a copy in the reference section or the 808 section.

WM is careful to list only legit houses but research anyway. You cannot be too careful. My first novel was accepted by a legit small press that went bankrupt just before I could sign a contract. That was a dodged bullet!

What agents rep for those writers--authors usually say who their agent is on their websites. If you get an agent interested in your book, they'll make sure it gets in front of the right editors.

Publishing is a crazy business and aspiring writers need to submit their work to the biggest houses on Publishers' Row and work their way down. You never start at the bottom and work up!