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If you’re an aspiring writer, it means you have a big dream that’s going to be a challenge to achieve.  Sometimes it seems your higher your hopes, the lower the chances of your realizing them.  It’s hard enough to stay determined with these odds, and then along comes someone hell bent on making things even worse for you.

The Publishing Shyster.

In the publishing world there are all manner of Shysters prowling to use your eagerness to be published against you, and technological advances have just given him more tools.  As tough going as we writers have, it really irks me that around every web-corner their lurks another Shyster.  This point was driven home to me this past week in yet another way.

Recently I served as a judge in a writing contest, and my favorite author in the competition won second place.  I emailed him to send him some extra words of encouragement, as this guy really has talent.  He wrote back that he was working with a literary agency, which he named, and he was hopeful these agents would get him his big break.

I was very excited to hear this, and googled the agency to learn more about them.  The first page of hits on Google turned up nothing but warnings; it seems that last year this agency made a prominent “20 Worst Literary Agents” list!  I sent the links to my new friend and he took the news stoically, grateful for the warning.  He passed my email on to the author who had first referred him to this agency; her reply was that she had lost all respect for him and he should never email her again!

You see, there are two kinds of aspiring authors out there.  People like my new friend recognize the pitfalls of freelancing and keep their eyes open.  People like his associate are so desperate for success that they will bite at the first Shyster bait that comes their way, and won’t let go of that fishhook even when they see what they’ve done.

In a similar vein, I recently ran into a long blog discussion concerning a prominent romance publisher.  Some authors came forward with horror stories which I doubt they invented purely from imagination.  Others stood up for the publisher, many saying “all publishers pull this stuff, authors just need to accept it.”  Again, some are willing to accept there are a lot of people in the game interested in taking advantage; while others are so glad to have ANY contract, they close their eyes and hope for the best.

So which type are you, dear aspiring writer?

I’ve gone through life VERY cautious about the schemes of others, and still been victimized or nearly victimized time and again.  So I can give you some hints from experience of what to watch out for.  Here are just a few:

1.  When you get an offer from a publisher, agent, PR person, promotional radio show, etc. that you did not query first, GOOGLE THEM.  Nowadays, thankfully, most Shysters are reported on or blogged about after they commit their crimes.  See anything sketchy in the reports?  Run away!

2.  Beware anyone who charges a fee.  That includes agents, publishers, and others who by rights ought to make their money when and only if you succeed.  If the system is set up so they win even if you lose, run away!

3.  Beware anyone who offers services you cannot measure.  There are gazillions of promoters out there who promise they will get your site listed on search engines, get your book on bookstore shelves, send out 200 press releases about you, etc. for a fee.  But you will have to take on faith that they are doing these things, so odds are good they’re taking your money and doing little or nothing for it.

4.  Even if a service or individual seems respectable, get references–at least three, and ask for detailed information.  I once paid to be part of a promotional website on the basis of another author telling me they’d done a great job for her.  Maybe they did in that one case, but I got almost nothing for my money.

5.  Before you pay someone to do something for you, see if you can’t do it yourself.  That goes for running your website, writing and distributing your press releases, and even trying to find a publisher directly without an agent.  Technology today provides ordinary individuals with the tools to do literally everything involved in writing, printing, distributing, and promoting a book, it’s just a matter of what you feel up to handling.  Even if you decide to hire out the service, looking into how it’s done may help you realize it shouldn’t cost as much to outsource as you were once willing to spend.

6.  Beware anyone who approaches you by flattering your ego.  For example, tons of Shysters today approach authors by telling them how they would be perfect to appear on some “popular radio interview show.”  The Shyster who does this actually knows nothing about you except that you wrote a book and are desperate to promote it.  He just wants the fee you’ll be required to pay to be on the show.

7.  If the opportunity actually seems to indicate that YOU will be paid, get everything in writing and read the fine print.  Don’t get yourself in any situation where you will have to commit a lot of time, effort, travel, copies of books, etc. without guarantee of return for your labors.

8.  Never get yourself involved in a contract that will be hard to get out of.  If you sign on with a publisher, no matter how legitimate, check into your ability to terminate with them if it turns out they do a bad job for you.  Make sure the term isn’t too long (I’d say no more than a year), you retain your copyrights, and you can disengage from them with a minimum of hassle.  The company expects lifelong rights to you or one of your works?  Run away!

9.  If you do decide to part with your money, BE PREPARED TO LOSE IT ALL.  Sometimes your research will indicate it’s worth a shot, and it may well be.  But if you went into the deal with eyes wide open and prepared to kiss that money goodbye, you’ll feel a lot better about yourself if things end up that way.  You may be out your money, but you’ll have your pride.

10.  Sure, there are legitimate business people out there–good publishers, reputable agents, hard-working PR people–but they are so outnumbered by the bad that you should always assume a person is trying to rip you off until proven differently.  Honest business people will understand and respect your caution and skepticism and be able to prove their worth to you.  If they show any reluctance in that regard, RUN AWAY!

Do I sound jaded?  You bet I am!  I’ve seen Shysters preying on authors ever since the days of the Selectric typewriter.  But now we authors are armed with weapons like Google, Preditors & Editors, writers’ forums, the Better Business Bureau online, and countless other easy ways to help protect each other from those who would victimize us.

I’ve found some legitimate businesses and people along the way who have helped me succeed, and by keeping your eyes open, you can too.

eRead on,

Diana

Diana Laurence is the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of erotic romance fiction, and released her new paperback “Soulful Sex: The Paranormal, Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection” in March. Diana’s works are published by Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com.) Visit her at www.dianalaurence.com or enjoy her blog at www.eroticawithsoul.blogspot.com.

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