Writer Beware gets a ton of email. Reports of schemes, scams, and fee-charging, of course, but also questions about agents’ and publishers’ reputations, questions about the researching/querying/submitting/publishing process, requests for advice, requests for recommendations.
Requests to deny reality.
Say what? Well, a request to deny reality is when a writer sees something on this blog or on the Writer Beware website, doesn’t wish to believe it, and wants to be told that in his or her case, it’s just not true.
As in, “Your website says that agents shouldn’t charge upfront fees, but this agent who wants me to pay $500 is so nice, are they maybe legit anyway?”
Or, “Agent X is on your Thumbs Down list, but they want to represent me and their website looks professional, are they really so bad?”
Or, “I found your Alert that says Publisher Y is being sued, but they have books on Amazon, so couldn’t it all be a mistake?”
Or, “According to your blog there are lots of complaints about Publisher Z, but they’ve offered me a contract and they love my book, so maybe they’ll do a good job for me?”
Um. Maybe not.
What this is all about, usually, is a head-on collision between reality and every writer’s craving for validation and acceptance. Especially where the writer has been submitting for a long time without success, the faux validation provided by disreputable agents and publishers is as powerful as it is illusory. It can trump both good sense and actual facts, and it is very hard to relinquish. You don’t want it to be true–so there must, there just must be the possibility that it isn’t true, that just this once, and just for you, the rule doesn’t apply. That the person you contact for advice–because in fact your gut is telling you something, even if your heart doesn’t want to heed it–will eat their words and their warnings and give you their blessing.
I get it. I’ve been there; I think we all have. But facts are facts, and they don’t change just because you wish they would. Sometimes my correspondents get angry when I can’t tell them what they want to hear, and write back to challenge my expertise, or to demand that I give them the names of everyone who has complained (and to declare me non-credible when I refuse). Sometimes they thank me for saving them from a bad mistake. Most often, I never hear from them again, and can only wonder which impulse won out: the gut instinct that prompted them to contact me, or the hope and desire that made them want to believe the promises of a scammer.
Here’s how to avoid putting yourself in that position.
Know the business before you start submitting. Publishing is a confusing and complicated field, but it is possible to acquire enough basic knowledge to protect you from the most obvious schemes and scams. Knowledge is your greatest ally and your best defense. For some suggestions on acquiring it, see my blog post, Learning the Ropes.
Be careful of your information sources. Google is not necessarily your friend. There’s a lot of good information on the Internet, but even more bad, and unless you have a decent knowledge base, it’s hard to filter the information you find. For a more detailed discussion of these dangers, see my blog posts, The Perils of Searching For Publishers on the Internet and Using Caution on the Internet.
Research before you query. You can save yourself a huge amount of angst–and temptation–if you check reputations before you submit–not after you’ve sent the query letter, or, worse, after you’ve gotten an offer. For the consequences of not doing so, see my blog post, Lie Down With Dogs, Get Up With Fleas.
I appreciate all your efforts. I wish that there weren't scammers who go out of their way to prey on young writers' belief in themselves. So, there totally aren't, right?
I don't rely strictly on Google – I also check Yahoo and any other search engine I can access. Amazing what conflicting information you can turn up. I also check the library and speak with friends who are writers.
Great advice. It is so frustrating when you get burned like this, especially when you don't realize the agent you've submitted everything to — one who finally seems interested in what you write — is soon going to ask for a ton of money over and over again. You feel like you've gotten your foot in the door and good things are just around the corner, and then snap, the door was really a baited trap.
That's why I love sites like this. A few simple clicks and you can see if that agent or publisher that contacted you is legit and don't have to waste a lot of time (and maybe even some money) to find out.
You don't give the names of the complainants because the complaints you have on "file" are all fraudulent, like that Miss Snark hoax you pulled a while back.
HA HA HA HA I will never stop laughing. If this isn't meant to be a joke, you need to visit the chiropractor for a reality adjustment.
Also, did you miss the recent posts about court cases?
I use Writer Beware as my bible. Their advice is always sound, I would not think of approaching anyone that is on their "Thumbs Down" list, that person, publisher or agency has made enough errors to get caught in their radar, and as you will find out if you go against the advice given, there was in fact a valid reason.
Under the advice of Victoria I shelved a novel, this after months of banging my head with queries and subsequent rejections. This is a process people, and if you want to successfully go through the process and become a validated published author, take the advice of people who already went through it, and truly have your best interest in mind.
You don't give the names of the complainants because the complaints you have on "file" are all fraudulent, like that Miss Snark hoax you pulled a while back. If you had any legitimate complaints they would have been posted on your blog by now.
Sometimes, an Internet search can be fruitful in what it does not supply, such as in the case of a "fly-by-night" (for lack of a better term). Great, post, though, and thank you!
Great post–I've linked to it on my blog : )
There are just so many things we have to do, it can get pretty daunting to have to do it all. How many days/weeks/months must we search for reputable agents who will accept us, or if we skip the agent, it's the same thing looking for reputable publishers.
You're right; it's the need for validation that causes this, exacerbated by all the rejections. Some people just get so desperate to get published, they're willing to do anything, include throw all sense to the wind.
I see a similar effect when it comes to new computer games. It doesn't seem to matter that most companies have no clue how to put out a quality product any more, and a lot of people end up pre-buying crap. I wrote something about one of them on my site (www.mopjockey.com) the other day.
Most people have to get burned before they learn that when mama says "that pot will burn you", it means don't touch it.
As always, very good info.
Wishful thinking can get you into lots of too hot water.
I am just starting to do my research on agents that are the right fit for me and my work. Thank you for all your helpful info