Book Publishers to Avoid: How to Dodge Shady Author Scams

I think we need to first distinguish between vanity presses and hybrid/independent publishers. There are legitimate publishers with a business model that includes an upfront payment from authors. This payment funds the production of the book, and then includes a royalty split in favor of the author, such as 70/30 or even 80/20.

Those are hybrid presses, which help keep much of the decision-making surrounding the book in the author's hands and provide a means for authors to benefit the most if the book sells well. They don't accept every book they are pitched, have quality standards that rival traditional publishers, and make money when more books are sold.

The hybrid model is different from a vanity press, which earns the bulk of its money from the pre-production and printing costs. Vanity presses rarely turn any author down who can pay for its services. Printing and design quality varies but you can still get a good-looking book from a vanity press, it will just be very expensive.

To know if you're dealing with a vanity press or a hybrid/independent press look for:

1. Writers guidelines. Do they have any guidelines or will they publish anything?
2. A sense of urgency. Vanity presses want to get you to commit and pay them money. This may lead to frequent emails, texts, and phone calls to inquire about the hold-up.
3. Distribution details. Once your book is printed, how will the publisher get it into bookstores and, ultimately, readers? They should have a distribution partner, such as Simon & Schuster.

In addition to vanity presses, there are many, many scam operations that have cropped up offering to ghostwrite and publish your book for a couple thousand dollars. Be aware that you will likely get nothing, or next to nothing. Avoid these at all costs.

Scammers may have a legit-sounding company name but will lack any information about the founders and the team members who will be doing the work. They will feature gorgeous cover photos of books they never had anything do with producing, but which look impressive. They will feature "testimonials" and A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) and TrustPilot ratings that are fake - type in the BBB and TrustPilot URLs yourself to check for the real reviews. And they, too, will hound you to sign on the dotted line and send them money.

If the deal being offered sounds too good to be true, it very likely is. Protect yourself.

But the reality is that few first-time authors will qualify for a traditional publishing deal that doesn't involve paying for production. This is because the Big 5 publishers are risk averse and want book deals from people who have huge platforms and social media follower counts. That is, they want to be almost assured that your book will be a bestseller, and few authors can guarantee that. Which is why hybrid publishing is a terrific alternative.

Unrealistic expectations. All vanity publishers can do is produce the physical book and get it onto sites like Amazon. They cannot guarantee any income from sales.

The easiest way to distinguish a scam publisher from a reputable hybrid publisher or self-publisher is PRICE. If a publishing firm quotes a fee of just a few thousand dollars for a service package that includes everything from copy editing, cover design, and layout to marketing and publicity—or even ghostwriting and developmental editing—you’re probably dealing with scammers. I know this from experience and from the fact that any single one of those services, when delivered by skilled and experienced professionals, usually costs more than a few thousand dollars. By contrast, the fees charged by the reputable hybrid publishers I know—companies with a track record of obtaining meaningful results for their authors—start in the $15,000 range. Several of my past clients made the mistake of opting for cut-rate vanity presses, and all of them came to regret it. When you hire a publisher that charges cut rates, you get cut-rate services in return.

The fact that they're a vanity press is the only red flag you need. 😉 Seriously, though, I'd aim for either traditional publishing or full-on self-publishing. These companies who want you to go in on the costs are generally more trouble than they're worth. Caveat emptor.

It's simple. If a "publisher" approaches you about "publishing" your work, and doesn't offer to write you a check, run away. Okay, that's a bit dramatic. But understand that a true publisher buys intellectual property from creators, Some authors choose to pay to have their book developed (cover, interior, ebook) for convenience. But be aware that you can find all those skills here on Reedsy for much less, and with more personal service.

Generally, a red flag is when anyone approaches you and asks for funds upfront. This can be an agent or publisher. In general, legitimate agents and publishers have enough people approaching them without them having to pound the pavement to look for authors.

Attending writing conferences is one of the best ways to interact with legitimate agents and publishers. This is where they try to connect with authors directly and will not ask for money from the author.

The first thing I consider in a manuscript is how well the first line caught my attention and made me truly care. Even if is subconscious, readers are passing judgement on a piece immediately. This is why the first line is absolutely vital to setting up a successful manuscript. Unfortunately, most people have a very short attention span, and over 500,000 new fiction books are published each year, leaving no shortage of choices for readers. If a writer is adept at capturing an audience in just one line, it tells me they likely understand storytelling and know how to craft a narrative with a compelling voice.

Beyond this, I see potential in consistency. By this, I mean I always look for consistency in the voice throughout a manuscript and for characters to remain consistent in their choices or motivations. If characters are constantly doing strange and out-of-character things, it tells me the work is not well planned or fully developed. I look for plot consistency as well: is the central problem remaining the central problem, or have things drastically shifted somewhere along the way? If it has shifted, it is a sign that the original plotline/idea may not have been strong enough to carry the story.

I hope this helps! There are quite a few other small things I look for, but these are the two biggest ones I can typically spot right away.

In short, volume. Literary agents receive hundreds, if not thousands, of queries a month. Editors, who are paid by publishing corporations, have jobs not only editing the books scheduled to publish every year, but they also have to liaise with production departments (the folks who work to turn a manuscript into a physical book), marketing and publicity teams, finance, art departments, etc.

And even with literary agents acting as a sort of "filter", editors still receive hundreds of potential books sent to them every year.

Literary agents also work for authors. Earlier, I mentioned that editors are paid by the companies they work for, that is publishers. Inherent in that dynamic, editors are paid to help find and bring books to the market that will make money for the company they work for. That means if there's a disagreement on what should happen with a specific book where the publishing company is on one side and the author is on the other, then the editor is biased (or at the very least can be pressured and influenced) to agree with the company paying them, not the author they're working with.

Literary agents fill that gap as publishing professionals who are author advocates. As an extension of having an entire role dedicated to author care, it makes sense to include working with authors at the earlier stages of writing a book, too.

Something I have seen quite a lot lately in the self-publishing world: trying to do everything by yourself. Thinking that you just need Photoshop to make a cover, spell-checking software to edit, a dictionary and a bit of knowledge to translate. Never underestimate the value of a human professional who has spent years studying and then honing their skills. There is more to translation than substituting one word with another, just as there is more to a cover than a bunch of drawings and a title.

Find the right professional for you and your project, and work closely with them; you won't regret the expense, I promise. Also, yes, some types of stories and tropes are very popular right now, and those seem like a safe bet, as far as marketing and selling go - but likely there are a lot of similar books out already. In traditional publishing, variety is sorely lacking, because a tried and tested product seems safer; let's avoid repeating that mistake. Write the story that's in your heart and then strategically find your niche audience. You'll find them starved for exactly your flavour of creativity.

One of the most common mistakes I see with self-published authors is setting unrealistic timelines for their publishing journey. Many writers plan their schedule far too tightly and only reach out to professionals—whether editors, designers, or marketers—at the very last minute.

This creates unnecessary stress on both sides: the author feels rushed and overwhelmed, while the professionals either have to decline the project or take it on under less-than-ideal conditions. In the worst case, authors struggle to even find available professionals because their preferred timeline doesn’t allow for the necessary lead time. Many professionals book out months in advance, so it’s wise to plan at least four months ahead—and in many cases, even that may not be enough time.

It’s also important to remember: as self-publishers, you are free to set your own pace. Unlike in traditional publishing, there is usually no external deadline or audience impatiently waiting for the book—especially when it’s a debut. That pressure often comes only from a self-imposed timeline. Instead of rushing, it’s far wiser to take the time to do everything properly, work with professionals without stress, and then launch the book when it’s truly ready.

Publishing a professional-quality book requires space for collaboration, revisions, and creative breathing room. When timelines are compressed, the process becomes about “getting it done” rather than “getting it right,” which can ultimately compromise the quality of the finished book. A thoughtful, realistic schedule not only reduces stress but also ensures that every stage of the process—from editing to design—has the attention it deserves.

One of the biggest traps authors fall into when self-publishing is thinking that the hard part ends once the book is written.

In reality, self-publishing is as much about production as it is about creativity, and overlooking that side can leave even the best manuscript looking unprofessional.

I’ve seen too many writers skip professional editing, try to design their own cover, or leave marketing as an afterthought, and the results are usually disappointing. But just as important, and often less discussed, are the mistakes around the actual printing and publishing process. Authors frequently go with the first printer they find rather than getting at least three quotes, which is a sure way to overpay.

Others don’t ask whether VAT will be added on top of the quoted price, only to discover the true cost later.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking mistake is not asking to see samples of the paper and materials being used; the author waits excitedly for their book to arrive, only to be handed a flimsy volume on cheap stock that feels nothing like the work they poured their heart into.

The truth is, self-publishing is about producing a product as much as sharing a story. Taking the time to ask questions, compare options, and insist on seeing exactly what you’ll be paying for can mean the difference between a book that looks like an amateur project and one you’re genuinely proud to hold in your hands and which reflects the hard work you have put in as well as the hopes, naturally enough, of your client to hold a book in their hands which is a quality item.

I've read a fair number of self-published books, and one thing I have noticed is that an unprofessional interior book design does impact my reading experience.

Interior book design is about all that invisible work that makes a book visually pleasant to read. If the lines break poorly, if the font is too big or too small, if the line spacing is too tight or too loose, if the font selection is one that's difficult on the eyes, especially after reading for a long time--all of this will subtly make your reader tired while reading, and, perhaps subconsciously, less likely to enjoy reading your book. They might not even know why! And by the end, they may be left with this feeling that they didn't want to pick up the book to read it as much as they have other books, which is not a feeling you want your readers to have, especially for something so easily fixable.

A well typeset book is unnoticeable. That's the point! Your reader doesn't notice the words on the page. Instead, they glide over them, immersed in the story. But a poorly typeset book stands out. Your reader's attention is pulled from the story again and again because the words are too squished together to read easily, or because there was one dangling line all by itself on the last page of a chapter and that looked odd, or because the font for the text messages was inconsistently applied.

Interior book design is an important part of the publishing process that I think a lot of self-publishing authors overlook.

Two mistakes I've encountered through my work with self-publishing authors are definitely common, but perhaps not super obvious at first thought.

Mistake #1: Hoping to ultimately publish with a traditional publisher, but self-publishing first as a means to “test things out.”

Self-publishing should be a conscious and very intentional choice that you make because the process appeals to you, not something you do as a test drive. Once it’s published, it’s published. In fact, as a former slush pile evaluator, I quickly learned that a previously-self-published submitted manuscript was often a no-go for the publisher I worked with. Why? Well, any self-published copies of the book that had been already sold are sales the publisher might have otherwise been able to count on — chances are, if you’ve self-published your book, you’ve already gotten all your friends and family to purchase a copy. Those are all opportunities for sales no longer open to the publisher. So, if you want to self-publish, that's great! But make sure that, whatever you decide on, you're making an intentional and conscious choice.

Mistake #2: Consider your use of copyrighted works and get permission!

This applies to nonfiction and fiction works alike: If you are including previously published content in your book, do your research and understand what may require permission to use. If you're including lengthy quotations or extracts from books, short quotations to open your book chapters (i.e., epigraphs), song lyrics (yes, even just one line of a song), poetry, or photographs/artwork, you will need to seek permission clearance from the copyright holder to legally include that content in nearly all cases. I can tell you, based on several years of experience in permissions editing, that the process of figuring out who the copyright holder is, applying for clearance, hearing back, and finalizing the clearance can take MONTHS. And you may not even be granted permission, after all that effort! It can also be very expensive — publishing companies and record labels especially will charge you per usage and based on the amount you've used. So, do your research, know the risks, and decide accordingly.

The most common mistakes authors make when self-publishing are: 1) Not focus-group testing yout title and subtitle, Check with Amazon for duplicate titles, and ask friends/colleagues 2) Not obtaining at least 2 endorsements, for front and back cover. 3) Not creating a publisher name for themselves Amazon. If you publish under your personal Amazon account, the "publisher" will be listed as "independently published," which can erode credibility. Instead, set up your KDP account in the name of a publisher you invent. There are many more, like poorly-designed covers and interiors, but these are of the most overlooked.

Common mistakes:

Unrealistic or distorted view of public interest (Harsh, I know.)

Family and friends aren't fans--neither are paid reviews. It is important to be as objective as possible when assessing your book's popularity. I say this because many indie and early-stage authors believe they need what NY Times BEst Selling authors need, and that can lead to a lot of wasted time and money.

Acting as your own publishing company

It may seem like creating a separate name as your "publishing company" but the reality is, you don't yet have a company. This can be misleading to actual publishers that may be interested or contribute to the mistake mentioned above. These days, authentically doing everything on your own is more appealing to readers and publishers than the "fake it 'til you make it" strategy.

Starting a blog

If you aren't ready to commit to a regular schedule or writing blogs in batches, you don't need a blog on your website. Focus more on a simple and clear website and point of sale, then drive traffic to it. A blog isn't going to get you traffic unless you treat the blog itself as a business of its own.

Professional research is absolutely necessary to determine whether an agent is a strong fit. What authors do they already represent? What books have they landed successful deals with recently? If they have a professional social media account, they are likely posting the types of books they like to read or advice about how to reach out to them. This is all healthy, necessary background research to ensure you're not wasting your time or theirs. They likely receive hundreds if not thousands of manuscripts, so if they're talking about how to stand out from the crowd, you should be listening.

But boundaries certainly exist and people will establish them intentionally; if their social media account is private, for example, it's likely wise that you don't request to follow if you don't know them personally!