Typical Writing Scams & Rip-Offs

If you're a writer, chances are, you may have fallen for one of these gimmicks a time or two. They're fairly common and they net fresh, naive talent every day. Why? Because, when you're just starting out, sometimes you're over-eager, publicity-hungry, egocentric, or have otherwise clouded judgment when it comes to accepting gigs. It sounds good, so you go for it.

I have no way of knowing every scam or rip-off that there is out there, but there are a few "oldie-but-goodie" (note the sarcasm) scams and rip-offs that can be spotted a mile away. Stay away from these:

• The "poetry anthology" scam. These jokers encourage you to submit your poetry for inclusion in their anthology. When they accept you (and they always do, no matter your level of talent), they ask that you pay them X amount of money and they'll send you a copy of the anthology with your work printed in it. So, basically, they've just gotten you to pay them for printing your poem in a book along with thousands of other poems of people who also paid them. The book never ends up on shelves in bookstores and is not, in fact, for sale anywhere. So, sadly, the only people who will read the book that your prized poem is featured in are you and the other victims.
• The websites who want you write "academic" material for them. These websites take what you write and sell it to students who will pass your papers off as their own. Not only is the work dishonest, but several of these sites have been notorious for either not paying their writers or paying less than the agreed-upon amount. ALWAYS search for information on a company before writing for them. (What I do is type the company name in Google with the word "scam" and see what pops up.) As a good rule of thumb, though, stay away from term paper mills. Don't let someone get a degree riding on the back of all of your hard work.
• Any company that wants you to purchase materials or lessons from them before you start work for them. NEVER pay to work. Beware of the adds targeting stay-at-home-moms or college students where the main emphasis is on working from home. Those ads almost always have a catch.
• The people/websites that want you to write for them for "exposure." Basically, they want something for nothing. You wouldn't hire a roofer to come over and fix your roof and offer to pay him or her with a good recommendation to your friends, would you? It's the same with writing. People and companies who offer to pay a writer with exposure are counting on the writer being naive and desperate to get noticed. Yes, you can get clips through these people, but you can also get clips through people who are willing to pay you for your work. It all comes down to exercising some patience (realizing that a writing career won't happen overnight) and selectiveness in who you decide to take on as a client. Set your standards and do not compromise.
• The "steal this blog" sites that set up tons of blogs on different subjects and then tell you to "steal this blog" for free! The idea is that you'll have a free blog . . . just. like. this. one. Only, it's already been started and may have an audience so, according to them, the hard work has already been done. Anyway, the CATCH is that the blogs are covered with advertisements that you don't get paid for. But, guess who does? That's rii-iiight . . . the person(s) who set up all of these blogs in the first place. He or she is rolling in the dough because you're writing free material for them, generating an audience that will click on advertisements that they'll get the money for. You never see a dime. Don't be a sucker.