What You’ll Find on This Website There are sharks in the literary waters. Deceptions abound, from fee-charging literary agents, to dishonest freelance editors, to predatory vanity publishers, to fake contests, to imposter scams, to ripoff schemes targeted at self-published authors. Add to that the complications of copyright, the plethora of dubious writers’ services, and the […]

Avalon Associates/Media Arts International/Robin Price Commonwealth Publications of Canada Deering Literary Agency Edit Ink Helping Hand Literary Services Martha Ivery, a.k.a. Kelly O’Donnell / Press-Tige Publishing Melanie Mills, a.k.a. Elisabeth von Hullessem, a.k.a. Lisa Hackney Northwest Publishing PublishAmerica / America Star Books SBPRA (Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency) / Publish On Demand Global Woodside […]

Who Is Writer Beware®? What Does Writer Beware® Do? Contact Writer Beware® What’s Questionable? Who Is Writer Beware®? Writer Beware® is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA®). Like many genre-focused writers’ groups, SFWA® is concerned not just with issues that affect professional authors, but with the problems and pitfalls that face […]

Page updated/Links checked 12/20/23 The Contest Scheme “Contributor” Anthologies Resources A pay-to-play anthology is an anthology where the writer must hand over money in some form in order to be included–whether handing over a fee, buying copies, or purchasing some other good or service. No reputable anthologist or publisher has such requirements. Because their profit […]

A Massachusetts Superior Court judge has awarded costs and attorneys’ fees to Ann Crispin and Victoria Strauss, the principal operators of the Writer Beware website, soundly rejecting a frivolous lawsuit filed by a purported literary agent.

Page updated/links checked 12/28/23 Copyright Registration and Timestamp Services Manuscript Pitch Websites/Electronic Slush Piles Pre-Publication Publicity Query and Submission Services Publicists Marketing and Promotion Paid Book Reviews Vanity Radio and TV Book Fair Display Bookstores and Paid Shelf Space Enormous numbers of people are writing and trying to publish books. This vast universe of aspiring […]

Page updated/links checked 12/3/23 Definitions Is There a Difference Between Vanity and Subsidy Publishing? The Pitfalls of Vanity Publishing Vanity Publishers in Sheep’s Clothing Hybrid Publishers Alternatives Due Diligence Warning Signs Resources Definitions Traditional publishers, subsidy publishers, vanity publishers, hybrid publishers, self-publishing–what’s the difference? Some loose definitions: – A traditional publisher (also known as a […]

Page updated/links checked:5/24/24 Submitting to a Small Press: Issues to Consider Evaluating a Small Press Hybrid Publishers Vanity Publishers in Small Press Clothing A Special Warning: Solicitation by Publishing and Marketing Scams Resources Small presses offer an important alternative to the Big 5 publishers (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, etc.) and larger independents (Sourcebooks, Kensington, etc.), most […]

Page updated/links checked: 2/22/2025 Overview: The Evolution of Self-Publishing Issues to Consider The Challenges of Print Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing? Bad Reasons to Choose Self-Publishing Cautions A Special Warning: Publishing Scams From Overseas Resources Overview: The Evolution of Self-Publishing * Until relatively recently, if you wanted to self-publish, you faced a labor-intensive and costly process. […]

Page updated/links checked 5/9/25 Copyright Basics Moral Rights To Register or Not? Registration Services For US Writers: The Copyright Claims Board Common Copyright Myths Resources Copyright Basics Copyright, literally, is “the right to copy.” It guarantees the authors of creative works–including books, stories, artworks, films, recordings, and photographs–the exclusive right for a set period of […]