She paid $8000 to a publishing scam
|
Hi Reader, “I just paid $8000 to publish my book. Was that a scam?” That’s what an author asked me three weeks ago. She’d found “IngramSpark Book Publishers” online—it looked legitimate, professional, trustworthy. She handed over her money gratefully. The site was a complete fake. A lookalike designed to trap authors who don’t know what questions to ask. Her edited manuscript came back sloppy and amateurish. Her “satisfaction guaranteed” refund request? Ignored. The $8000? Gone. I reported the site to Ingram, Writer Beware, and ALLi. It’s disappeared now, but these scams resurface constantly with new names and new targets. Here’s what makes me angry: This author isn’t naive. She’s smart, she did research, she tried to make a good decision. But nobody ever taught her what to look for. That’s exactly why I’m teaching this free class on December 9th. In 60 minutes, you’ll learn:
This is the practical knowledge I’ve gained from 25+ years in publishing—the kind of information that saves authors thousands of dollars and months of heartbreak. → Reserve your free spot for December 9th here At the end, I'll introduce my six-week Publishing 101 master course in January for authors who want a complete roadmap—marketing strategy, publishing essentials, and promotion tactics that actually work. But this free class stands on its own. You'll walk away with the tools to protect yourself and make smart decisions, whether you join the course or not. You’ve worked too hard on your book to hand it over to the wrong people. See you December 9th! Carla PS: If this email made you think of an author friend or writing group who needs this info, please pass it along. Here's the link to share: https://bit.ly/pub2026class |
Carla King
Adventures in travel, writing, and publishing.
Hi Reader, I'm thrilled to be offering this class with my longtime colleague and friend Linda Joy Myers at the National Association of Memoir Writers. If you've ever felt stuck staring at your manuscript wondering where to begin—or begin again—this class is for you. Here's what I've learned from years on the road and on the page: the big story gets clearer when you write the small ones first. One scene. One memory. One true moment. That's the mini-memoir approach, and in two hours Linda Joy...
Hi Reader, Before anything else, I want you to know this: you currently have full access to Author Friendly, my writing and publishing Substack as a thank-you gift from me. It’s equivalent to an $80 annual subscription, and it’s my way of saying thank you to longtime subscribers who’ve been reading, learning, and showing up over the years. There’s nothing you need to do to receive it. AUTHOR FRIENDLY: PUBLISHING HELP FOR WRITERS ON SUBSTACK I also wanted to take a moment to explain how Author...
Hi Reader, Publishing 101 begins this Tuesday, January 20 and, just a heads up, I won't be opening enrollment again until next year. If you're working on a memoir, novel, or any fiction or nonfiction book, and you want to finish it with confidence and professional publishing standards, this is the moment to join. Publishing 101 is designed to support you while you draft or revise, so publishing decisions don't become a confusing slog after your manuscript is finished. This program isn't about...