Letters and Comments for 10/26/17
Comments about Publisher Ponzi Schemes and yet another complaint about Balboa Press!
writing scams
“Did you sell my phone number to a scammer?!” No, but your phone company probably did!
Scammers can EASILY find authors’ names and phone numbers on the Internet! Hang up on them!!
When a Vanity Publisher…Pretends To Be Traditional
I have been offered a contract by a regular publisher but, because I am not a known author, they want me to commit to purchasing copies up front for a total of $4200. I realize that they want to get all of their costs back up front but that seems kind of high to me. What do you think?
A Newspaper Stole My Last Idea and Assigned It to Someone Else! What Can I Do?
Recently I submitted a 1,400-word interview to a local newspaper after confirming that the editor would like to see it. I did not hear back from them for six weeks, and sent a polite e-mail last week asking if he still wanted to use the story. I received no reply. Today, a story ran about the same person, written by someone else…
Busted! I Caught a Writer Trying to Sell a Stolen Article!! By Angela Hoy
Not often does a scammer try to bamboozle me but it does happen on occasion. Luckily, after so many years, I can usually easily spot the scum.
Is This Guy About to Scam Me?!
A guy wants me to write an article daily. He’ll take full rights and he sells articles to other sites. And, he says he’ll pay me in a week. I requested a retainer but he declined. He hasn’t asked to see any of my work …
How I Got Screwed After Writing 50 Articles for a Website by Rachel Woodruff
When training was complete, the editors bragged about how much money I could make. I would have to be available for weekly meetings with the editors where we would discuss upcoming articles. My writing would have to stay above par …
The Scam That Got Its Dirty Little Hooks In Me By Sam Priddy
I have written as a ghostwriter a few times and usually the contract that I enter into is held with respect by both parties. In this instance it was not. Watch out for scammers that will literally steal your work!
Are Bloodsuckers Trying To Steal Your Writing Talent? By Tom Douglas
The recent Writers Weekly article, Great Writing Gig Or A Scam?, got me thinking about all the deadbeat editors I’ve met in my long freelancing career and how I’ve answered some of their “scams.”
A Writer’s Revenge: A Dish Best Served Cold By David Wilkening
As an underpaid adjunct English-Journalism professor, I always looked desperately for concrete examples to enlighten my students why good grammar was not just a theory in principle but actually paid off. Little did I know then that I would need to heed my own advice. Not only did my own suggestions help me avoid cheats but I also got some revenge (a mild dish served sort of like a cold turkey sandwich)…