Money goes FROM the publisher TO you, and never the other way around.
I can't say that often enough. Real publishers make their money from producing and selling quality books, not from charging "reading fees" or "expenses". If you're asked to pay them, run.
Don't believe me, do you? You're sure that that nice publisher who approached you is legit. After all, he's only going to charge you cost for your copy of the book he's buying and your manuscript only needs the $200 edit before it's ready to print...
C'mon, y'all, it's a scam. They might as well have promised to pull out in time, too. Do you really want to be "published" so badly that you're willing to get ripped off for a book that will never see a book store shelf? If you're asked to pay for services that are part of a legitimate publisher's operating expenses, such as editing, a contributor's copy, or distribution, you're not getting published as a real writer; you're getting scammed like an easy mark.
Please, before you sign that check, read these sites created by real publishers, editors, writers, and even a few lawyers:
Real book publishers pay you an advance. Real book publishers give you at least one copy of your book free of charge. Real book publishers never ever ever ask you for money for anything because their job is find a good manuscript (hopefully yours) and turn it into a book and then sell it. Their money comes from doing their job well, not from you.
Did I mention that legitimate publishers never charge you for anything, but pay you for the opportunity to make money by publishing and distributing your work?
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Comments: 7
It just makes me sad that a writer will spend months or years polishing a manuscript and refuses to spend an hour researching the company they're trusting with all that work.
The scamming comes in when sales people for these publishers (often calling themselves editors) convince the wanna-be writers that the world of print publishing is only after profit (like they're not) and that's why their terrific work is not recognized. They leave out the fact that there is little distribution and NO publicity for POD or epublishing, except what the author does. (Though it's true first-time authors don't get much publicity from print publishers either.)
I think book buyers need to watch out for scamming authors, though. There's a writer here on Gather, for example, who claims to have written a best seller because one of her titles was the best seller on her publisher's web site. Another's book jacket loudly proclaims it won a best mystery award, an award given by the book's publisher.
Here's some embarrassing full disclosure, though. I've been writing novels for over ten years. As much as anyone I want to see my novel in print. I want an advance, even a small one, and then I want to see the beautiful hard cover BOOK! However, it won't satisfy me if I have to pay to have it done myself. And I confess it drives me nuts to see all these writers--some of whom can't write a scene, some can't even write a sentence--showing their books to the world as if they've pulled off the trick I'm working so hard to manage. That's my deep dark secret. Please keep it to yourself.
And yeah, I've already seen a few of those people claiming to have a published book or "best seller".
POD or epublished books don't have to be poorly written, but without a gate keeper, there's no reason for readers to expect anything worth reading. I expect the next ten years will see the development of reviewers with some cred who can point to such publications worth buying. When that happens (or maybe first) some of these publishers will begin to compete for good works by paying advances instead of charging. But then your caution will still hold true. If they want you to pay, look somewhere else.