Financially speaking, the publishing industry is a goldmine--for con artists. There are a lot of different scams out that prey on new/aspiring writers. All of the scams are not illegal, but they are all designed to give you false hope and empty your wallet.

The other resources section has some great links to information about scams; however, here are a few tips to keep you from becoming a victim.

1. You should NOT have to pay out of pocket to be represented by an agent or get published in a book/magazine (unless you have decided to self publish).
   • You don't need an agent if you are trying to place a short story or poem in a magazine or book anthology. Real agents make money off the sale of your work to a publisher (they get a small percentage). Magazines & anthologies do not pay contributors a lot (some pay with copies instead of cash). There is no reason a legitimate agent would focus on story submissions--it wouldn't be profitable. Supposed "agents" who offer to find a home for your individual story or poem are trying to take advantage of you. You may send them the story for free, but suddenly find yourself having to pay strange fees (marketing fee, promoting fee, etc.).
   • You should not have to pay an upfront "reading fee" to get an agent to read your novel. Anyone can call herself an agent and charge a reading fee; she would get paid for reading manuscripts and wouldn't have to actually accept a client or sell anything to a publisher.
   • If a publisher offers to print your story/poem in an anthology and tells you that you must buy the issue/book the work appears in, it is just another effort designed to shake you down. If a legit publisher can not afford to pay contributors in cash, they at the very least give you a copy or two of the book/magazine for free. If you have to buy the book yourself, it usually means that:
     1. The book is not going to actually be available for sale in bookstore, etc.
     2. Only the writers who paid for the book will have copies.
     This scam usually sucks people in by starting out as a "contest" and then offering a chance to get published to EVERYONE who sent in an entry.
2. Do some research before entering a writing contest or seeking out editorial/agenting services.
   • Don't assume that every service or contest advertised in a writing magazine, bulletin board, and newsletter is legitimate. Good magazines try to avoid accepting ads from scam artists, but they are not 100% successful.
   • At the very least, do a Google search with the company's name and the word "scam" ( for example: see what pops up for poetry.com scam ).
   • If you are part of a writing community/message board, you can ask if others have had experience with the business and get their feedback.