Angela Hoy with Writers Weekly has compiled a list of “publishers” and service providers that all authors should avoid

I wrote Simple Facts About Self-Publishing after seeing too many aspiring authors get ripped off by “publishers” who charge a lot of money and deliver poor quality work or no work at all.

Even though I think everyone should read my book before they make a decision on how to publish, I know they won’t. 😊

But if you’re considering paying to have your book published, due diligence is essential. A quick and easy way to check out a company is to see if it made Angela Hoy’s list of publishers to avoid. Read that list here:

A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

If the company is on that list, stop right there. Tell them no, block them, and look elsewhere.

If the company isn’t on that list, continue with your due diligence.

Ask the questions in my ebook, How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by a Publisher. By the way, the full text of that ebook and more tips for screening pay-to-publish companies are in Simple Facts About Self-Publishing.

As part of her list of publishers to avoid, Angela has included a list of red flags to watch for and what to do if you are a victim of a publishing scam.

These cautions apply to any company that you might do business with as part of getting your book published. The scammers are everywhere—in addition to social media and other online ads, they pop up in online writing and publishing groups regularly offering to “help” you with a challenge you’ve posted about. Some of them are obvious frauds, but many are pretty slick.

Don’t let your dream of writing and publishing a book die because you got scammed. In this industry, suspicious is smart.