33 Comments

  1. I love this post! Yes, it IS OK to say, “No” (politely) to any offer, no matter the reason. It should always be about what works for you right now. That’s why I don’t blame agents and editors for saying “not right for my list” in their form rejections.

  2. Bravo!! Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do. Money is not everything and you can not buy what you have. Integrity.

  3. Thankfully, I think the “you’ll never work again in this town” attitude toward those published by vanity presses has gone the way of the dodo bird. Agents and editors understand that many talented authors are scammed by those sharks.

    Good on you for turning them down. A UK vanity press also offered me a contract a few years back. Wonder if it was the same one? It sucks to get all excited about an offer, only to realize it’s a fraud.

    • Oh I hope so – it’s so easy to get suckered in when you’re new to the industry and just excited to have someone respond positively.

      It probably was if it was a similar offer – I know I was really excited about it and then when I found out what they were it was kind of gutting!

  4. I’d never heard of vanity publishers before. Thanks for highlighting them. I bet a lot of people get conned this way. Totally agree it’s good to say no to opportunities that you don’t agree with. I’ve had a few come my way.

  5. Kate

    Good advice. It sounds like you did the right thing morally (which must have been a difficult decision to wrestle with). #AnythingGoes

  6. I have turned down offers although they haven’t been huge. I just think if something is not right for my blog then I shouldn’t publish it. I think you did the right thing.
    #AnythingGoes

  7. I started blogging after a “friend” of mine told me about all the money he was making. He remembered my writing from when I used to write sports articles for a now defunct fantasy sports web site. It turned out that for $30 a month I could use their platform and promotion services and the way I’d make that back was to get others to join up. Total pyramid scheme and when I called him out on it and said I’d just go my own way, I was told I’d never make it. My blog started out of spite to prove that I could. Good for you for sticking to your principles and congrats on all the success you’ve had with your writing

  8. Pen

    Hi Debbie,

    I have just read this post and also your post on vanity publishers. It had never even occurred to me that this might be a way to scam money from people. Thank you for your posts. You’ve certainly educated and informed me. I just feel really sorry for all of those aspiring authors who will have fallen foul to these scams.

    Pen x #AnythingGoes

    • I came so close to being suckered in by one of them with my first book that I try to warn others away from them! I was lucky that I stumbled across a site that lists dodgy publishers and the one I was talking to was flagged up! x

  9. Great read Debbie. The cheek of some of the people who have been in touch with me has been quite ridiculous. Just today I had the response ‘we are looking to work with companies and bloggers who won’t charge a fee’ – my response was quite simply ‘best of luck!’

  10. Such good advice. I am sick of being approached to do ‘free’ advertising on my blog. Why would I do that? If you like my blog and think I (my blog is me) can be of value to you, then I should be paid for that. I also 100% agree with you on only taking jobs that are ethically in line with what my blog. I’m not in the business of selling mattresses.
    #anythinggoes

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