Reputable Publishing Industry Resources

Recently in an online writers’ group I follow, an author posted about a bad experience she’d had with a publisher to warn others. Writers were grateful for the warning, but a couple commenters piped up saying that the publisher’s reputation had been well known for years and encouraged writers to educate themselves before signing up with any company.

No one wants to fall for a scam that wastes money and precious time and doesn’t yield results. Yes, educate yourself. Great advice. But how do you do that?

• Network with other writers in person and online
• Attend writers conferences, workshops, and writers group meetings
• Read books, magazine articles, and blogs about the publishing industry
• Google

Searching the web for information about a company you’re about to do business with is an absolute must. Start by searching “[name of company] and scam.” You’ll get a lot of hits right away if the company is trouble.

But web search results can become overwhelming. How do you know who to trust on the world wild web?

Way before you get close to  paying out money to make your publishing dreams come true, you should be educating yourself about standard publishing industry practices and soaking up all the good information that’s out there, all the good common knowledge.

Here’s a list of reputable industry voices. Read their blogs, subscribe to their newsletters, and  follow them on social media. Search their websites for information to particular questions you may have, but read them on a regular basis, too. These are people who are truly current and in-the-know. You can benefit from their wisdom.

It’s wonderful to have dreams, but brush the stars from your eyes and read up. Knowledge is power.

• Jane Friedman: http://janefriedman.com/
• David Gaughran: https://davidgaughran.wordpress.com
• Mick Rooney: http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/
• Penny Sansevieri: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/
• Victoria Strauss: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/
• Writers Beware: http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/