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Publishing Map

Before you sign or pay

Is this publishing offer legitimate?

First identify what is actually being offered. An agent earns commission after making a sale. A traditional publisher pays production costs. A hybrid or service provider takes your money and therefore needs a different check.

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Saveable summary

Four offers, four first checks

  1. Agent: no reading, representation, or required-service fee.[3][4]
  2. Publisher: they acquire the book and pay production costs.[3][11]
  3. Hybrid: all IBPA criteria must be met, not merely most of them.[5]
  4. Service provider: demand an itemised scope and retain your rights.[5][10]
  5. For every offer: verify independently before signing or paying.[10]

01

Agent and traditional offers

Legitimate literary agents work on commission, normally after selling rights. Traditional publishers acquire rights and fund the publication. Upfront fees, required paid services, pressure, and unverifiable sales records are warning signs.[3][4][10]

  • Confirm the agent's actual sales and the publisher's catalogue.
  • Check commission, rights granted, term, accounting, and termination.
  • Use independent watchdogs rather than the company's own testimonials.

02

Hybrid offers

A genuine hybrid publisher selects manuscripts, publishes under its own imprint and ISBNs, distributes professionally, demonstrates sales, and pays the author more than a standard royalty. Meeting only some criteria is not enough.[5][10]

  • Run all eleven IBPA criteria.
  • Compare the contract with an equivalent set of separately hired services.
  • Confirm exactly which rights return to you and when.

03

Paid publishing services

A service provider may be legitimate and useful, but it is selling work rather than acquiring your book. Assess it as a supplier: scope, samples, references, milestones, ownership, files, and remedy if delivery fails.[5][10]

  • Request itemised deliverables and prices.
  • Keep source files, accounts, metadata access, and rights in your control.
  • Walk away from pressure, vague distribution promises, or guaranteed sales.

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