When I was 17, I sent off a bunch of queries to agents. One replied, offering to fix the manuscript for $ 2 per page. I was super excited and showed the letter to my dad, expecting him to run a check for me.
He laughed at the letter and told me it was a scam. I didn’t believe him and promptly threw a tantrum, then gave him the silent treatment for a few weeks, as one does at 17.
Considering the manuscript was over 400 pages, he sure saved himself a lot of money. And I learned a valuable lesson, but didn’t realize it until I was older and wiser.
The publishing industry has many genuine and supportive people, but also a steady stream of agencies, “marketing experts,” and self-publishing services created to separate writers from their money rather than help them succeed.
Before you pay a fee or sign anything, it’s worth checking out the person or company. Below are the best sites for vetting anyone who reaches out to you unsolicited and offers publishing help. I will update the list as new reliable resources are identified or recommended.
- Writer Beware: This site tracks fee-charging agents, vanity publishers, fake contests, and other scams.
- Association of American Literary Agents (AALA): A directory of legitimate agents who’ve agreed to a code of ethics that bans charging authors fees.
- Absolute Write Water Cooler: A long-running community where writers post first-hand experiences with specific agents/publishers/services. Requires registration for a free account.
- Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Watchdog Desk: Focused more on self-publishing services (vanity presses and author solutions companies) rather than agents, which is relevant since a lot of these predatory outfits blend agenting language with self-pub marketing packages.