Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of scammers out there targeting authors with false claims and promises, and some even pretending to be someone they are not. So, how can you tell the difference between a scam and a legitimate opportunity for your book?
In this session, ALC President Keith Ogorek gives you sure-fire ways to immediately recognize a scammer by the claims and promises they make, the job titles they use, and whom they say they represent. In addition, he explains how the publishing industry and Hollywood companies actually work so you can tell if the person contacting you is offering a legitimate opportunity or just trying to scam you.
Here is the handout referenced in the session:ALC-Publishing Scams Handout 2025.pdfAbout the Presenter:
As the President of the Author Learning Center and an industry thought leader, Keith has helped drive a number of significant innovations in the self-publishing industry and is featured in the book, 'Innovation--How Innovators Think, Act and Change Our World'. He has helped launch and operate supported self-publishing imprints for traditional publishers and Fuzeframe, which identifies and options self-published books for development in Hollywood. Keith has authored five books and has written a number of helpful white papers including ‘The POEM Method of Book Marketing’, the '4 Paths to Publishing' and 'Three Phases of an Effective Book Marketing Campaign'. You will also find him speaking at leading industry events such as Singapore Writer’s Festival, The Havana Book Fair, GenreLA, and California Creative Writers Conference, just to name a few. In addition, he is a regular webinar presenter for The Author Learning Center.
I will see if I can forward this to someone at WestBow to get back to you.
Hi Keith, I'm a writer who's soon to publish her first book, but am now having concerns about the publishing company I've signed up with. Is there an email address that I can reach you in consulting about this matter?
Thank you for your quick response. An administrator contacted from Westbow Press within minutes from my comment. He answered all my questions and directed me through the steps with my agent. We collaborated on a story which is now published. We are now working on a book series with a theme. Thank you for all the assistance with the Author Learning Center and Westbow Press.
Sent you an email with my contact info. Glad to help you evaluate your publishing path.
How can I find funding without all the scammers looking to gain off my helplessness ???