A friend of mine was contacted by a publishing company called "JustFiction! Edition" ( Link ). My friend had never heard of this company or contacted them beforehand. The stranger part... They sent her a Facebook message. Neither on her blog nor her twitter did she have a link to her Facebook page. Seem like a scam yet?
When reading through JustFiction's policy an alarm went off. They wanted you to sign over rights to epublishing, but were not offering a book contract. If there is no print contract, what is the need for a publisher? You can publish independently and sell your ebooks while holding all of the rights in your hand. Why have a middleman between you and your money?
Here's what Writer Beware had so say about JustFiction!: "I am getting so many emails about these solicitations! It's not a scam, but it is a ripoff--JustFiction is a branch of Verlag Dr. Mueller, a.k.a. Lambert Academic Publishing, an academic author mill that's notorious for cold-soliciting authors."
If you are contacted by a publishing company asking to publish your book. It sounds too good to be true. If they offer to do it for no money at all. It sounds too good to be true. If they contact you through an email or account that is not associated with your writing, it sounds too good to be true.
What's the moral of the story? If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
YOU NEED TO DO YOUR RESEARCH! Check Writer Beware and Preditors & Editors. If they mention a publisher of agent that you've contacted or been contacted by, stay away from them.
(Original Post on July 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers84 )
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