Pressure to Sign Quickly

One of the telltale signs of shady operators is sales pressure, where authors are rushed to sign contracts or make payments without adequately checking the terms.

Lack of Verifiable Portfolio

Legitimate businesses can cite works that have already been published with genuine publishing. If they make statements such as, "hundreds of successful authors," without proof, they are also a red flag.

Unclear Fee Structures

Some companies are unclear about what authors will get paid until they get deep into the process and start charging them for services that should be part of the initial quote.

Due Diligence Steps

Check the references with any publishing company before you sign an agreement with them, and make sure that they have been registered as a business and that you read independent reviews of the company that don't appear on the company's website.