2014:Self-Publishing: Avoiding Scams and Hidden Costs

Okay, to be very frank, this week has been frustrating. I feel I have entered the murky waters of the self-publishing world. I was told, not once, but several times by agents and publishers, "Don't pay anyone to publish your book!" Well, this week I took more time to read all the fine print and details of several self-publishing sites. Some sites lure you in with a short video telling you to write your book and make a cover and put it on their site. The hookis if you want to be distributed through their largest distribution network, the upgrade has a considerable dollar value. Other sites "advise you to use their "editors" While others outright charge you to format your document into the distribution format of their choices. There is the question of the cover. You can slap any cover you want on the site, but it won't make the "premium" catalogue. Some sites just come out and tell you they design the cover and how much it will cost