Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

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SFWA

Writer Beware

Warnings About Literary Fraud and the Schemes, Scams, and Pitfalls That Target Writers

ALERT:

Writers’ Literary Agency, Global Book Agency, Strategic Book Publishing, Eloquent Books, AEG Publishing Group, Strategic Book Group

About Us

Writer Beware’s Mission
Who we are, what we do, and why. Includes information on how to contact us.

Overview
An introduction to the problems discussed on this website, plus links to general resources about literary scams. Includes a section on legal recourse for writers who feel they’ve been defrauded.

Writer Beware

Scams in Action

Detailed case studies of notable literary scams, including Edit Ink, Commonwealth Publications, Deering Literary Agency, Martha Ivery/Press-Tige Publishing, and more.

The Truth About Literary Agents’ Fees

What you need to know about fee-charging literary agents.

Writer Beware Blogs!

To complement the general advice and warnings on the Writer Beware website, Writer Beware’s blog provides up-to-the-minute information on specific scams and schemes–along with advice for writers, industry news, and a special focus on the weird and wacky stuff that happens at the fringes of the publishing world.

Whom Not to Query

Writer Beware’s “Thumbs Down” Agency List
Writer Beware’s “Thumbs Down” Publisher List

Writer Beware is actively seeking documentation.

We maintain an extensive archive of documentation on literary agents, independent editors, vanity publishers, self-publishing services, small presses, and others that engage in the questionable practices we warn about in these pages. If you have letters, contracts, brochures or other material you think we would like to see, please help us build our database by sending them to:

Victoria Strauss
PO Box 1216
Amherst MA 01004

or e-mail us.

Except for graphics, and where specifically indicated, all Writer Beware contents copyright © 1998-2009 Victoria Strauss