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Question: Is this a scam for new authors!?
I'm attempting to become an author and a friend recommended the site lovereading!.co!.uk to me as a means of promoting any new books!. However when I looked at the small print lovereading make new authors pay a fee of ￡100-￡200 pounds to feature on their sister site lovewriting!.co!.uk!. They use slick wording but when I checked the alexa ranking of both sites lovereading came up as 249,000 but lovewriting came much lower at 3,460,000!.
Is this a scam!?
Are there other ways to promote a book online for new authors!?
Help!
Leonora xWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It isn't clear from what you've written if you have a product to promote or not!. If not then vanity publishing (which this site sounds like) publishes the book for you for a fee!. This means that in the end you will have a limited number of copies for sale and all the profits will be yours!. If you opt to have them advertise and sell them for you I'm sure that will be another fee or what would be the higher end of their fees!. This is in no way illegal and as long as they tell you whether small print or with slick words what they do and what they charge it isn't a scam!.
Taking that into account there are a multitude of vanity (otherwise known as self) publishers!. You should always compare and contrast before contracting with anyone!. The writersbeware website as well as the authors guild list vanity publishers who have very successful and honest business practices while also listing those who have had complaints lodged as well as just trying to get your money!.
If you already have a product (a book published with a regular publishing house) then they will do some promoting (especially if you are a new author) the rest falls to you!. I do blog tours where I look for sites that do guest-blogging and author interviews or chats!. On these I post things that would interest readers and writers alike!. I have recently done a live on-line interview, a live on-line poetry reading as well as a few other interviews, blogs and chats!.
I joined some writer's groups in order to share my experiences and learn about theirs and sell books of course!. On line I have a website as well as being advertised on B & N and Amazon where I also have a blog there!. You can also take your books to bookstores or if they sell them do booksignings!. I do workshops, library talks and career days, almost always free except for the opportunity to sell more books!.
There are also conferences and bookfairs but unless you have a publisher to pay for you then there is a fee for a table set up!.
J!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I don't think this is a scam!. You know up front what you would be signing in for!. Lovereading is free, but Lovewriting flat out tells you it's a promotional and networking service directed to those opting for self-publishing:
http://lovewriting!.coopa!.net/unpublished!.!.!.
http://www!.troubador!.co!.uk/image/news/Lo!.!.!.
Only use it if you intend to try self-publishing!. If that is not what you want, then definitely they are not for you, but that does not make them scammers!. They are quite clear as to what they offer and what their actual target market is: self-published authors or new authors opting for self-publishing!.
I am trying to find reviews for them!. Haven't found any warnings yet, and the Piers Anthony site doesn't have much on the service!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Certainly a scam!. If you publish with an actual publishing house and agent (as opposed to self publishing), they will help you promote your book!. If you have to go on your own (and most of the time an author must vigorously self-promote, even when officially published), I recommend a publicist or at least a consultation with one!. Your marketing department at your publisher will help you all the way!. I don't recommend this, OR self-publishing, if possible!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Promotion is a real hurdle for new authors!. www!.lulu!.com has reasonably priced promotion offers, but you're probably better off spending money on newspaper advertisements!. Most agents won't represent new authors because if the new author flops, it makes the agent look bad!.
However you can buy "Writer's Market", which publishes a new edition every year!. They list thousands of contacts!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com
I don't know much about promoting books on-line, but I DO know that on-line promotions contribute little to final book sales, and that you are better off finding a good, old-fashioned publisher who is willing to print 'hard-copy' of your work, and will pay you for the privilege to do so (i!.e!. royalties)!. Don't get sucked into paying anybody to read your work- reputable places do this for free!.
Best of luck!. It's hard to break in!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Scam!. You should look into the conventional ways of getting published -- find an agent, have him work to get you published and paid for it!
Since desktop publishing started in the 80's there has been a plethora of self-publishing houses, which gives lesser known (and lesser talented!?) writers get out there, but it also leads to unscrupulous folks victimizing those writers through this kind of scam!. Be careful! Www@QuestionHome@Com
There are many authors' guides available!.
There are good editing services available!. But there are also a lot of scams, so assume that any service that asks for money upfront is guilty until proven innocent!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Sell your books door to door!. If it was good enough for Walt Whitman then it's good enough for the likes of you!Www@QuestionHome@Com
Anything that asks you for a fee is a scam Www@QuestionHome@Com