Knowledge is always your best defense. If you have a hunch that a particular publication isn’t up to par, you’re probably right. Watch for these signs:
- Editors who do not send you a contract.
- Editors who assign you several articles all at once. Prior to agreeing to take on much more work, make sure you get compensated for the first article. I’ve heard too numerous stories of writers who are owed thousands of dollars for multiple articles for 1 magazine;
If you haven’t been paid on time for your first piece, hold off on writing any further pieces until you’ve been paid. It’s also a red flag because editors should want to see how you’ll do on your first assignment before offering you more: An editor who wants you to write multiple pieces before having proof that you can deliver well may be desperate for writers for a bad reason such as that none of her previous writers will write for her again.
- Web sites that promise to pay you per “click”: Each time your article is read, you’ll be paid a few cents. Most will never generate you enough revenue to see a paycheck. (Read the terms very carefully, and with a jaundiced eye.)
- Anyone who is not forthcoming with clear answers to your reasonable questions. If you ask, “What kind of rights do you buy?” and get a vague reply, no reply, or “I’ll have to check with my superiors,” don’t do anything until you get a solid answer. Ditto for questions about payment, publication, etc.
- Publications that solicit writers all over the place. Reputable publications and editors are inundated with submissions. Most don’t need to advertise at all, except for listings in the Writer’s Market, unless they’re brand new and writers don’t know about them yet. If you see lots of headlines for one publication, especially including words like, “Want to see your work in print?” or “Make money off your writing today!,” watch out.
- Editors with totally free Internet email addresses (like Yahoo or Hotmail). Most publications have their own internet websites; even if they do not, editors should have Internet access via their office. Free email addresses are usually impossible to track, so you could be left within the dark if the user cancels her email and skips town.
- Any publication that is contingent upon your purchase of their product. This is known as subsidy or vanity publishing. The National Library of Poetry, for example, will guarantee to publish one of your poems, as long as you buy a copy of their anthology. Legitimate publishers pay you for your writing not the other way around!
- Anyone who charges a “reading” or “editing” fee. You ought to never have to pay for the opportunity to have your work study and considered for publication.
- Those who promise that they will become a paying marketplace in the future. This really is the carrot dangled by numerous new publications. They begin with the (occasionally honest) notion that once they get “really big,” they’ll be able to afford to pay writers. Unfortunately, they generally discover out two things: They are able to get writers to operate for free (why pay?) and they never get “really big.” On a number of occasions, I’ve told these start-up businesses that they can hold onto my rsum and samples, and I’d be happy to create for them as soon as they start paying. Despite a number of assurances, I’ve heard back from only 1 organization that made good on this promise.
Get involved with composing internet websites. You’ll find that many of them provide message boards where you are able to ask about publishers’ and editors’ credibility. If you ever encounter a writing scam or deadbeat publisher, be sure to let other writers know via these boards, as well. The much more writers share this type of information, the less likely it’s that the companies who prey off of naive writers will succeed.
If you want to read more writing related articles, check out Kyle’s website @ http://www.webworldarticles.com/
