Book Publishers to Avoid, and How to Check Any Publisher

Searching for a list of book publishers to avoid makes sense, but scam companies change their names often, and a list can’t warn you about one that started last month. This guide shows the kinds of publishers to avoid, how to check any publisher in a few minutes, where the independent watchdogs keep their warnings, and what to do if you’ve already paid. If you’re comparing paid services, see our separate guide to self-publishing companies to avoid.

• Traditional publisher

  Publisherpays →You

  Pays you an advance and royalties, and pays for editing, cover and printing.

• Self-publishing

  Youpay →Services you choose

  You keep your rights and royalties, with every account in your name.

• Scam

  Youpay →Them

  They keep your rights, or deliver little or nothing.

7 kinds of book publishers to avoid

These are the patterns the watchdogs and US authorities warn about. Many scams mix two or three of them.

1. A “traditional” publisher that charges youIt accepts your book, then asks you to pay for editing, printing, marketing or copies. In traditional publishing, money flows to the author, so a “traditional” publisher that charges a fee isn’t one. It’s a vanity press, whatever it calls itself. Run our 10-question vanity press check on the offer.
2. Big Five impersonatorsAn email claims to come from an editor at a famous publisher or imprint, praises your book, and then asks for a fee. Penguin Random House and Hachette both warn that they never charge authors to consider a manuscript, and that their staff don’t email authors from free personal email accounts.
3. Fake literary agents and scoutsSomeone offers representation or a quick deal, then sends you to a paid “trusted” editor or asks for a reading fee. Writer Beware says a real agent earns only a commission on sales, and warns about agencies that steer writers to paid editing services.
4. Film, TV and “Hollywood” offersYou’re told a studio or streaming service has picked your book, and you must pay fees, taxes or “transaction fees” first. This was the pattern in the $48 million US case below.
5. “Republish or relaunch your book” callersThey contact self-published and small-press authors whose books are already out, offering a new edition, a “re-brand”, bookstore placement or a marketing campaign for a fee.
6. Bestseller and award packagesA company promises a bestseller list, a ranking or an award for a fee. Our advice: be wary of anyone who guarantees a list place. Writer Beware warns that some awards exist mainly to make money for their sponsors through entry fees, stickers and certificates.
7. Income-promise publishing coursesA program promises that publishing books online will earn you a set income. In July 2026, the FTC finalized a $1.5 million order against one seller of self-publishing programs over income claims it said were misleading.

Some scams also sell ghostwriting alongside publishing; see the red flags in our guide to finding a ghostwriter.

How to check if a publisher is legit

Run these 6 checks on any publisher, agent or offer before you sign or pay. It takes about ten minutes. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.

1. How did they find you? Real publishers and agents rarely approach writers out of the blue. Writer Beware notes that busy literary agents don’t generally cold-call writers. An agent who read your work in a contest or magazine may contact you; check them anyway.
2. Does the email match the company? If someone says they work for a known publisher or agency, compare the sender’s domain with the one on that company’s official site. Watch for free personal email accounts and look-alike spellings.
3. Are their books on sale? Look for other authors’ recent books they published or produced, sold through bookstores, libraries or major online stores, not only on their own site.
4. Can you verify the people? Look for full names and a work history you can confirm elsewhere, such as an old staff page or industry news.
5. Is publishing free for you? A traditional publisher pays you. If a “traditional” publisher or agent asks you to pay, it isn’t one, whatever the offer says. If you chose a paid service or hybrid on purpose, run our vanity press check on the offer instead.
6. What do others say? Search the company and the person’s name with words like “scam” or “complaint”, and check the watchdogs below. No warning doesn’t prove an offer is real, since a new scam may not be reported yet.

Where to find lists of publishers to avoid

We don’t publish our own list. Names change too fast for any list to stay accurate, and as a publishing service ourselves, we’d rather send you to independent watchdogs:

• Writer BewareScam warnings

  Sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), tracks scams aimed at writers on its blog and in its scam archive. It has taken its old “Thumbs Down” lists of agents and publishers offline, because many of the businesses on them have closed, so search its blog for the name you’re checking.

• The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)Service ratings

  Rates self-publishing services in a public table. Ratings run from Excellent (Partner) and Recommended to Caution, Mixed and Watchdog Advisory (or Pending), and are the informed opinion of ALLi’s Watchdog Desk.

Use both for any company, and add a plain web search. Authors’ forums and groups help too, but treat one angry review, or one glowing one, with care.

Recent cases against publishing scams

Publishing scams are now big enough to reach federal courts. Three recent examples, as of October 2026:

1. 7 May 2026, US Department of JusticeOne defendant pleaded guilty in a scheme run from a call center that posed as literary agents and as staff of major publishers, film studios and streaming services. More than 800 authors, many of them seniors, lost over $48 million in fees for deals that didn’t exist. The US Attorney’s warning: “legitimate publishers and filmmakers do not demand upfront fees.”
2. July 2026, Federal Trade CommissionA final order against a seller of self-publishing programs, with $1.5 million to be paid. The FTC alleged that many buyers never earned the income the company promised, that refund conditions were buried in fine print, and that reviews didn’t disclose when they were written by employees or other interested people.
3. Ongoing, publishers’ own warningsLarge publishers, including Penguin Random House and Hachette, keep fraud notices on their websites about people using their names.

What reputable publishers look like

Reputable traditional publishers have four things in common:

• ✓Money flows to youAn advance, royalties or both, and no fee to be published.
• ✓A clear way inYou reach them through a literary agent or their published submission guidelines, not through a cold call.
• ✓Books in storesTheir recent books by other authors are sold through bookstores, libraries or major online stores.
• ✓A real contractIt states the rights you grant, your royalty rates, and when your rights return to you (a reversion or out-of-print clause).

For publishers that meet these, see our traditional publishers that never charge authors. Before you query, read the red flags when you query agents and publishers. Hybrid publishers do charge authors and some are reputable; our guide explains how hybrid publishing works.

If you’d rather publish yourself, in our view paying for help is normal, as long as the accounts, the ISBN and the royalties are in your name. That’s how our self-publishing services work.

If you’ve already paid

Act quickly, and don’t pay anything more, however urgent the next request sounds.

1. Stop paying. Scammers often follow one fee with another, such as “taxes”, “transaction fees” or a “security deposit”.
2. Call your bank or card issuer right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
3. Keep everything: emails, texts, contracts, receipts and the website address.
4. Report it in your country, and tell Writer Beware or ALLi’s Watchdog Desk so others are warned.

• United StatesFTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). If you’re 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311)
• United KingdomReport Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101
• CanadaCanadian Anti-Fraud Centre: report online through Report Cybercrime and Fraud (reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca) or call 1-888-495-8501, and contact your local police
• AustraliaYour bank first if you lost money, then ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au); Scamwatch to report the scam and warn others

Be careful of anyone who then offers to get your money back for a fee. The FTC warns that scammers target people who’ve already lost money, and says never to pay upfront to get your money back.

Publish safely with us

FAQ

Is there a list of book publishers to avoid?

Not one that stays complete. Writer Beware took its old lists offline because many of the businesses on them have closed, and new scams appear under new names. Instead, search its blog and ALLi’s public service ratings for the company you’re checking, add a web search with “scam”, and run the 6 checks in this guide.

How can I tell if a book publisher is legit?

Check that you found them, not the other way round; that their emails match their website; that other authors’ books from them are in real stores; that their staff can be verified; and that you pay nothing to be published. Then search the name with Writer Beware and ALLi. Any doubt is a reason to wait.

Do real book publishers ever charge authors?

Traditional publishers don’t: they pay you an advance or royalties and pay for editing, design and printing. Hybrid publishers and self-publishing services do charge, and some are reputable. Reputable ones state their fees up front and put costs, royalties and rights in a written contract. A publisher that offers a “traditional deal” and then asks for money is not traditional.

What should I do if a publisher contacts me first?

Don’t reply with money or personal details. Look up the publisher’s official website yourself, compare the email domain, and contact the company through the details on its own site to ask whether the offer is real. Publishers such as Penguin Random House and Hachette say they don’t charge authors or email from personal accounts.

Related reading

• What Is a Vanity Press?
• Best Self-Publishing Companies
• How to Get a Book Published