 The Koi Wonder |
 Warnings
About Literary Fraud and Other Schemes, Scams,
and Pitfalls That Target Writers
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About UsWriter Beware's MissionWho 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. |
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Writer BewareAlerts for WritersContests and Vanity Anthologies Copyright Electronic Publishing Independent Editors Literary Agents Print on Demand Services and Publishers Vanity and Subsidy Publishers Writers' Services |
Scams in ActionDetailed case studies of notable literary scams, including Edit Ink, Commonwealth Publications, Deering Literary Agency/Sovereign Publications, Martha Ivery/Press-Tige Publishing, and more.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 useful 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 QueryWriter Beware's "Thumbs Down" Agency ListWriter Beware's "Thumbs Down" Publisher List |
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Alerts for Writers Indiana
Attorney General files
suit against Airleaf, LLC (formerly BookMan Marketing) and
CEO Carl Lau. POD self-publishing service BookLocker files class action lawsuit
against Amazon / BookSurge. Washington State Attorney General's Office announces settlement with Mike and Kristina Canu
of The Empty Canoe, LLCThe
great PublishAmerica
hoax. Alert on Writers'
Literary Agency / WLA (a.k.a. WL Children's Agency, WL Poet's
Literary Agency, WL Screenplay
Agency, Writers' Literary & Publishing Services Company, and many
others). Alert for authors
published by American Book Publishing. |
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Have You Ever... Been charged an
upfront
fee by a literary agency? Received an agent's offer to read
your manuscript, only to be referred to an editor or editing service? Received a publication offer and discovered a fee was
required? Used a pay-to-publish service and been dissatisfied with
the results? Entered a contest and found out
you had to buy something in order to participate? Used a manuscript submission or book marketing
service and felt
it didn't live up to the hype? Encountered any kind of scam that targeted writers?Writer Beware wants to hear from you. 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. |
Writer Beware in the NewsSince its founding in 1998, Writer Beware has been featured in numerous national and international news stories, including articles in Publishers Weekly, the San Antonio Current, the Jerusalem Post, the Calgary Herald, Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, the UK's Guardian, Toronto's Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, the Washington Post again, the Albany Times-Union, Independent Publisher, SciFi.com, and syndicated Associated Press stories on fraudulent literary agents and dishonest vanity publishers. |
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The Writer Beware
website was created and is maintained by Victoria
Strauss (with
thanks to Brenda Clough
for the Koi
Wonder).
Please e-mail me with questions, feedback, suggestions, corrections, etc. It may take a few days, but I answer each and every email I receive. Heartfelt thanks to the many writers, editors, agents, and others who have helped Writer Beware by sharing their stories, sending documentation, providing warnings, and drawing my attention to links and other resources. |
| A.C. Crispin and
Victoria Strauss are writers too. |
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By Victoria Strauss: The Awakened City, sequel to The Burning Land |
By Ann Crispin: Storms of Destiny, Vol. 1 of The Exiles of Boq'urain |
Except for graphics, and where specifically indicated, all Writer Beware contents copyright © 1998-2008 Victoria Strauss