Australian authors’ guide to avoiding self-publishing scams and fake companies!
AI has done a lot, but it’s also rapidly accelerated scams, and the Australian self-publishing industry is no exception.
Originally, I wasn’t planning to write about this topic, but after a quick Google search for newsworthy self-publishing topics in Australia, I noticed a new company at the top of the results and got curious enough to research it.
Now, having owned and operated Author Services Australia for over five years and interacted directly with other self-publishing companies, you get to know your competition and other self-publishing companies and providers. Of course, new companies start, and old companies shut down, but this one stood out, and not for the right reasons.
It takes a little bit of time to create a website, not as long as before AI, but still a little time, as well as creating articles, blogs, and content. This website, which I’m not going to mention to avoid giving it any additional traffic, was almost done overnight.
Let’s take a deeper look at the warning signs and how to spot and avoid publishing scams.
The Red Flags and Warning Signs – Fake Reviews
The first thing I do when I’m checking out any business is check out their reviews. Getting legitimate reviews is hard. For every 10 or so customers, 1 might leave you a review.
There are also different review sites, some easier to post a review on than others. For my business, I focus on Google Reviews. This business has no Google Reviews and no Google Business Profile, which is a red flag.
They do have some positive reviews on a couple of less legitimate review sites, so I checked them out. None of the ‘authors’ who left reviews have any available books published. No book titles are associated with their reviews, no books show up when you search for them, and the only record of them associated with an author is the review on this site.
Fake Books and Fake Portfolio Examples
Okay, so the reviews are a big red flag, but let’s check out some of their work. Throughout this website, they have images of books and authors that they ‘helped bring to life.’
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- Red Gum and Revolvers – Jarrad T. McClelland. No copies available anywhere online, and the only reference links back to this site.
- After the Flood, There were Maps – Eliza Mae Yarran. No copies available anywhere online, and the only reference links back to this site.
- Kookaburra at Dusk – Hankolina “Hank” Brimble. No copies available anywhere online, and the only reference links back to this site.
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So, every book on their portfolio page is fake. Fake books and fake authors. None are available for purchase online, and the only reference or link you can find online points back to their website.
About Page – Fake Staff Members and Photos
This one was really obvious, and I wanted to include a photo. Every staff member is an AI-generated image. I blurred out the logo/name of the company.
A quick LinkedIn search couldn’t find a single team member.
An AI analysis of the images confirms several indicators of AI generation, including skin texture, a blurred background effect, generic facial features across multiple people, and logo distortion. Some of these images are the same person…
Unrealistic Services and Timelines
Maybe they’re just that good, but in my professional opinion, I have never seen a book proofread, edited, cover designed, formatted, and published in 7 days.
No wonder they need such a big team! They must be working around the clock…
I also searched the Australian Government ABN website, and surprise: no ABN or listing under the business name.
7-days from draft to live listing and published. That’s some fast work!
Questions to Ask and Things to Look Out for!
Package Prices Sound Too Good or Too Easy to Be True!
If their packages sound too good to be true, ask for more information. It’s extremely difficult to offer comprehensive publishing services such as editing, proofreading, formatting, and cover design in a one-size-fits-all package. Books vary a lot. Length, genre, and layout, not to mention how much editing is required, make offering a package price extremely difficult.
Unrealistic Timelines!
Unrealistic timelines are a big red flag. It would be almost impossible to proofread and edit a manuscript, let alone the cover design, print and ebook formatting, uploading, and publishing in 7 days. Not only that, but if it’s only taking 7-days, what level of quality are you getting?
Fake Images, Fake Books, and Fake Customer Testimonials and Reviews
If a company has listed authors and books they’ve helped publish, do a quick Google search and see what pops up. You should be able to find at least some of the books available for purchase on sites such as Amazon, or on author websites and social media accounts.
Generic and Fake Website Images
Fake staff images and teams, like the image we posted above, are clear warning signs.
How to Avoid Publishing Scams in Australia | Conclusion
Okay, so to sum it up. We have fake reviews, fake authors, fake books, and fake images. Unrealistic timelines and no record of an ABN under the name of the business.
If you’re considering working with any publishing company, publisher, or self-publishing service provider, take the time to do some research. Email them, ask whether they’re a registered Australian business, and ask for their ABN.
If you have any questions about the self-publishing process, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
At Author Services Australia, we support Australian and New Zealand self-published authors and writers with a full range of affordable self-publishing services, including ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, ebook and paperback formatting, book cover design, children’s book illustrations, graphic design services, Amazon KDP Keyword and Category Research, animated book cover reveal videos, beta reading, and social media and marketing.
Clayton Hobbs, owner of Author Services Australia, has over a decade of experience in the self-publishing industry, assisting Australian authors with self-publishing services such as editing, cover design, formatting, and ghostwriting. Starting out as a freelance writer specializing in website content, articles, and guides, before switching to children’s picture and chapter books, Clayton is the author of the best-selling books Hockey Wars, Softball Strikeout, and The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey, writing under the pen name Ben Jackson, along with many other children’s books.
