Elderly authors are easy marks for scammers and thieves. Today, I’ll share the stories of several (semi-)fictional victims. These represent a combination of horror stories we’ve heard over the years.
Author Andy was so excited! His new book was finished and he’d just approved his print galley. It was time to start selling books! His publishing company put his book up for sale on their website and sent him the URL where he could send people who wanted to purchase his book.
Andy didn’t have his own website or blog, but he didn’t think that would be a problem. Unfortunately, it was, on several fronts. And, while Andy and the other authors below are fictitious, the scenarios are based on real complaints we’ve received from authors over the years. In every case, had the author had their own website or blog, he or she would have lost few, if any, sales.
They are simply luring in authors, and then upselling them on worthless services.
Authors must pay more than $1,000 to be included. It costs even more if the author wants his or her name on the cover…
I received an unsolicited phone call from a senior marketing consultant at a company that displays books at book fairs. She said her company was only taking 10 books to a book fair in Europe and they chose mine…
Amazon censors another book…and then changes its mind; Big 5 publishers become 4 as Penguin buys Simon & Schuster; More censorship by Amazon; Can AI distinguish between conspiracy throery and truth?; Amazon gives new workers bonuses and old workers turkey vouchsters; The Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing pay $3M settlement after paying white males more than other journalists; Hilton Head magazine company ordered to pay to printer
“They’re quoting me hundreds of dollars to reproduce the text in my book. But, there are countless websites that have already quoted this exact text by that author…”
PLUS: The Oklahoma Attorney General’s files about Tate Publishing have “mysteriously” vanished in the past week! Why?!
MORE: Book sales higher than in the past decade?; “Wealthy” bookstore owner asks customers to save her own store?; Author shares her story about BookWhip Marketing, LLC; Victoria Strauss does NOT recommend EMP Entertainment, A&D Entertainment, nor T.A. Barron’s Once Upon a Villain Flash Fiction Contest; Consumer review of Write Your Best Book / Christina Kaye; Indie bookstores are still struggling and here’s how you can help!; 149-year old Salt Lake Tribune moving from daily to weekly + massive layoffs; and Pay for an ebook from Amazon…but you might lose it later!
“I was able to break the contract before they went out of business. However, my book is still advertised on Amazon Children’s Books, with all of the previous information, pricing, etc…”
