Dear Nerds,

I’m not sure how many of you reading this are interested in writing or publishing a novel, but I thought I’d write this post about money traps you should never fall into when publishing your own novel. There are things you should pay for (in order to get quality work done) and things you should not pay for. When you’re new to the publishing game, it’s tough to navigate what’s worth your money and what isn’t. A lot of it also depends on your goals and preferences. Are you trying to maximize sales online? Get your book into libraries? Just get put it out there to say you wrote a book? All of these are things you should consider when you determine how to spend your money. However, there are some absolutes out there that you should be aware of that all (credible) writers and publishers will agree on. In this post we will delve into people and companies you should not be giving your money to.

I’ve split my paragraphs up by sections that deal with traditional publishing and sections that deal with self-publishing. If you are unfamiliar with the difference, traditional publishing is when a company publishes your book for you. They edit, design, print, and market it. Self-publishing is when you do that all yourself, generally using platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing or IngramSpark.

Who Not To Pay in Traditional Publishing

Publishers

Yes, you read that right! Authors should never pay publishers to publish their books; that’s simply not how the publishing industry works. Credible publishers get their money from royalties. This means they get a percentage of all your sales. Hence, their pickiness when it comes to choosing which books they publish–your success is their success, your failure is their failure. If you come across a publishing company that is offering a deal for a certain amount of money, that is called a “vanity publisher.” These publishers will publish your book, but they charge outrageous prices for very few sales. You’re better off self-publishing at that point.

*Important theme that you will see throughout this article – If you are being approached by someone in the publishing industry, it’s typically a scam. This sounds harsh, but if it’s your first book you are nobody, and no one is going to be seeking you out. Publishing is INCREDIBLY competitive. Legitimate publishers don’t need to seek out authors because they are being bombarded by hundreds of agents and authors every month. They aren’t going to waste time reaching out to an author who hasn’t already made a name for themself. This is the same for pretty much anyone or anything to do with writing or publishing.*

Agents

If you’re not familiar with the role of an agent, they are the ones that pitch your book to publishers. Authors don’t typically approach publishers directly unless it is a very small publishing company. Most publishing companies do not accept queries from authors. They want to deal with professional agents who have already vetted your manuscript and determined it worth publishing.

Now that you know what an agent is, apply everything I just said about publishers to this section. If an agent is asking you to pay them, they are scamming you. Their payment is supposed to be through royalties, just like the publisher. Which is also why it’s so hard to get an agent–they are incredibly picky because their success depends on your success.

Who Not To Pay in Self-Publishing

Book Promotors

Once you start self-publishing, you’re going to get emails from book promotors that will flatter you and your writing until you’re blushing, and then ask you for money to promote your book for you. They’ll mention their social media success and how millions of people follow them, and if you use their advertising or marketing service then your book will be spread all over the internet, increasing sales exponentially. There may be some book promotors out there who genuinely do have a strong following and would help increase your sales. However, those people aren’t going to approach you directly. (Sounding familiar?) Again, reputable sponsors, promotors, and reviewers are too successful to bother with you. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. They don’t know you and they don’t need you. Authors approach them. If you get emails from anyone offering you some kind of marketing package, that stinks of desperation. If they’re reaching out to you to ask you for money, they aren’t making any, and your money will be better spent elsewhere.

Sponsored Reviews

This one is iffy . . . Many authors disagree on this one, and I’ve played both sides of this argument. You can submit your manuscript before publication to companies that review books and promote it online and in magazines. In fact, this is definitely a step you should take if you’re trying to promote your book. Some examples of these companies you might have heard of are New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, etc. Well . . . broken record here . . . reputable companies don’t need your money. Their money comes from magazine and online subscriptions. The most legitimate companies will allow you to submit your manuscript for free, then they will decide if they want to review it or not.

There are A LOT of companies out there looking to scam desperate self-published authors who are looking to feel important by having a special review to slap on their book. Here’s where it gets sticky though . . . generally if people know you paid for that review, it’s not going to sound quite as impressive, is it? Yet, there are big name companies out there that do charge. Kirkus, for example, charges about $400 per review (a review that may end up negative), and yet, how often do you see Kirkus reviews on the back of a book? All the time! So having a Kirkus review would make you seem pretty legit, right? Maybe, but is it worth it? I have definitely paid for reviews before, but I have never found that they have increased sales. The amount that some of the companies out there charge is outrageous–generally hundreds of dollars that you will never earn back through sales! To me, that sounds like they are taking advantage of authors that think they need them. Don’t fall into this trap like I did. Best to approach reviewers that won’t charge you.

Book Contests

Winning an award that you can slap on the cover of your book is a great way to show that your book is worth reading. There are a lot of contests out there that you can submit your manuscript to for the purpose of possibly winning an award. Some of these are free; many are not. Look out for those that are not free.  If there’s a fee of, like, $15, it’s up to you if you think it’s worth it. But DO NOT fall for contests that charge $75 just to enter for a chance to win. Their sticker is not worth that much, and if they are that desperate for the money of a newbie self-published author, they obviously aren’t a very successful organization.

Well, that’s all for now! Maybe my next post will be on what you SHOULD spend your money on.

Happy writing! 🙂

-Anni Sezate