WRITERS’ VOICE
Buyer Beware
Martin Reed of the Society of Authors urges utmost caution if you’re considering paying to publish
Martin Reed
Find out what the SoA could do for you at www.societyofauthors.org and get 15 months for the price of 12 with the code WRITINGMAG
In partnership with the Writers Guild of Great Britain, the Society of Authors has launched a survey to gather evidence on the exploitative practises of certain publishers. They often describe themselves as ‘hybrid’, ‘contributory’ or ‘subsidy’ publishers. Others call them vanity publishers. The number of complaints we’re getting are on the rise. Many writers are paying to publish books, only realising far too late that it has been a costly mistake, and in many cases that they’ve surrendered disproportionate control over – and rights in – their work.