Writer Beware

Latest Posts

Copyright Claims Board: Mid-January Update

JAN 13, 2023January 16, 20230 COMMENT

The Copyright Claims Board, the new tribunal for small copyright claims in the Copyright Office, started accepting claims last June 16. As of January 11, there have been 281 claims filed (plus seven so far in 2023.) Of those filed, there have been 145 orders from the Board dismissing the claim, 84 amended claims, and 16 opt-outs.

Significantly, there have only been eleven Scheduling Orders – cases declared active by the Board - most within the last month. This is the first step in a case after the claimant has successfully jumped through all the hoops necessary to follow the Board’s procedures (including paying the full $100 fee.) The order schedules a timetable for the next steps, starting with the respondent’s response to the claim.

Things move slowly at the Copyright Clearance Board, but that’s actually the way it was designed. Both claimants and respondents have plenty of time to act, and, at least theoretically, everyone should have enough time to take the actions that are required of them in the process.

BEST OF WRITER BEWARE: YEAR IN REVIEW

The Best of Writer Beware: 2022 in Review

Header image: the number 2022 in neon on a black backround

JAN 6, 2023January 19, 202325 COMMENTS

As 2023 gets underway, it's time again for Writer Beware's annual look back at all the schemes, scams, pitfalls, and publishing industry craziness we covered in 2022.

A New Home for the Writer Beware Blog: After many years, Blogger (our previous home) finally got too small for us, and we transitioned to Wordpress. How that came about--and the benefits thereof.

Some important publishing industry initiatives kicked off in 2022.

WRITER BEWARE

Happy Holidays

Header image: candles burning in the snow

DEC 23, 2022December 23, 20225 COMMENTS

I can't believe it's the end of another year--where did the time go?

From Michael, Rich, and me, best wishes for a healthy, safe, and joyful holiday season, however you choose to celebrate it. Heartfelt thanks, also, to the many readers, writers, and industry professionals who share their stories with us and help to spread the word about Writer Beware. We couldn't do it without you.

We'll see you in January!

OVERSEAS SCAMS

The “Mexican Film Director” Scam

Solicitation email supposedly from Guillermo del Toro offering to buy movie rights

DEC 16, 2022June 7, 202454 COMMENTS

If a rash of solicitations over the past few months are to be believed, there's a major rush down in Mexico to acquire film rights to books.

These virtually identical emails are, of course, laughably bogus--from the peculiar capitalizations, to the anonymous "Hollywood Movie Agents", to the implausibility of these supposed directors bollixing up their own movie titles, to the unlikelihood of famous film folks personally soliciting authors via funny-looking Gmail accounts--but they have been briskly doing the rounds since this past summer, and I've collected quite a trove of them thanks to the many authors who've sent them to me.

Obviously a scam, in other words. But what's the endgame?

BUSINESS OF WRITING

Why You Might Not Want to Use Wire Transfer or Payment Apps to Pay For Publishing Services

Header image: Zigzags of yellow Caution tape on a white background (credit: heromen30 / Shutterstock.com)

DEC 9, 2022November 3, 202312 COMMENTS

One of the few remedies available for writers who've been ripped off by scammers is to file a payment dispute.

This is possible if you've used a credit card or PayPal, and are within the window of time in which a dispute is permitted. In the USA, credit card companies are required by law to give consumers up 60 days from the time they receive their bill to dispute a charge, though many companies allow for a longer 120-day period (the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains a database of US credit card company agreements where you can look up your company and see what their policy is). They also cap consumer liability at $50. Protections for UK credit card users are similar.

For PayPal, the dispute window is within 180 days of purchase.

CONTRACTS

How to (Maybe) Get Out of Your Contract When Your Scam Re-Publisher Ghosts You

Header image: shirt and hat with no person inside

DEC 2, 2022October 16, 202317 COMMENTS

Last year, I published a post about a growing problem for self-published writers who've bought into a "re-publishing" offer (always received out of the blue) from a company that promises it can do a better job, or provide more marketing, or facilitate a transition to traditional publishing.

Such offers can seem attractive, especially to writers trapped in the Author Solutions ecosystem, where customer service is poor, book prices are often non-competitive, and low sales and obscurity are all but assured. Often the offer is reasonably priced (as a loss leader to get writers in the door so they can be pressured to buy more expensive services), or includes tempting features like marketing campaigns or (supposed) literary representation.

Unfortunately, most of these companies are scams (see this list), and signing with them carries serious risk--from relentless upselling pressure, to substandard services, to fake trad pub or movie rights proposals involving enormous fees, to simply taking the cash and running.