Thread: Publishing Scams?

Okay. Thanks.

Let's talk about Copyright laws. Do writers usually get their stuff copyrighted before or after they submit them to publishing companies?

Always check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org/us/) to see if there are a lot of outstanding complaints against the company you are considering working with. A few cured complaints is not a problem. Any business that works with hundreds if not thousands of clients is likely to have some complaints from the egomaniacs and crazies out there. Also check with the attorney general in your state. These places can protect you against book scams. Avoid (LOL) taking the advice in online forums too seriously. A lot of companies use forums to scam and plant false complaints against their competitors. The Internet is one big pot of lies.

Publishing is rapidly changing. With the huge popularity of Kindle and ebooks, which has created easy and cheap distribution, the need for publishers and agents might be coming to an end. Imagine a world where consumers and reviewers have the last word on what should be published and not just the literary power brokers.

Originally Posted by Dreamworx95

Okay. Thanks.

Let's talk about Copyright laws. Do writers usually get their stuff copyrighted before or after they submit them to publishing companies?

Anything you publish is automatically copyrighted, even if you don't go to an official government office. Say you post some artwork you made on the internet, or in a magazine, its automatically copyrighted.

Hey. I don't log in for a couple of months and now your ready to publish? Congratulations.

Walk into you local bookstore. If you can't find a book from the publisher you're considering...

Don't worry too much about copyright laws. Unless someone makes millions from stealing your book you can't do anything about it. Do be smart with your work. Don't distribute elctronic copies. Publishers can't make much money off something freely avalible on the net. And if they don't make money they can't pay you. Remember what happened to 'Midnight Sun'?