{"id":811,"date":"2021-11-28T11:14:03","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T11:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bookdeal.com\/blog\/?p=811"},"modified":"2022-11-11T17:12:24","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T17:12:24","slug":"new-bookselling-scams-to-look-out-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bookdeal.com\/blog\/new-bookselling-scams-to-look-out-for\/","title":{"rendered":"6 New Bookselling Scams To Look Out For In 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American authors are losing an enormous amount of income to <\/span>bookselling scams<\/span><\/em>. And even though reputable online platforms such as Google, Amazon, and eBay are doing their best to bring these scammers down, the process is complicated. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, it can take a long time, sometimes even years, for authors’ earnings to be restored after the book sale scams are done. But what precisely is causing the bookselling scams? Who is to blame: the scammers or the publishing industry itself? And how can authors protect themselves? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide will show you everything you need to know. Let\u2019s begin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Frustrating Tactic In Bookselling Scams<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the <\/span>Authors Guild<\/span><\/a>, the authors\u2019 median income from writing has reduced by 42% in the last ten years. And one of the reasons why it has declined is due to plagiarism prevalent in the industry. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some instances, scammers reproduce the exact copy of the original and sell them directly to customers. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On other occasions, online platforms such as Google, eBay, and Amazon can’t tell the original books from <\/span>counterfeit<\/span><\/a> ones. And that’s because the scammers use the original author’s name. These bookselling scams are called doppelganging. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doppelganger is more challenging for these online platforms to find because algorithms usually can\u2019t identify nuanced distinctions between authors\u2019 names. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take an example. Author doppelganger is legal, the same way using the same title on a different book (title cloning) is legal. And that’s because, typically, you can’t copyright a person’s name or a title. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright Protections Seem Not To Work Against Bookselling Scams <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Even though authors have put in much effort to stop these book sale scams, they seem to be losing the battle. And despite authors seeking help from the law, hoping to get protection from scammers, it might not be working. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like what happens in academic publishing, the problem in the book-publishing industry comes from peer pressure. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishing houses catered to bookstores and libraries interested in buying only entire catalogs, thus began using self-publishing tools instead of focusing on readers. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though it gave authors more freedom, it also exposed them to book sale scams. And that’s because single authors don’t have the resources to monitor their <\/span>book sales activities online<\/span><\/a> or have the legal resources to track scammers. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, outdated intellectual property laws prohibit books and material production that should be readily available to the public. This move prevents publishing tools and presses from competing openly to suit customers\u2019 preferences because they can\u2019t provide different editions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, this puts much pressure on the author, which puts them at risk of losing their work to bookselling scams. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the next section, we\u2019ll show you the strategies these scammers use. That should help you be on the alert and take preventive measures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Bookselling Scams Work <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Using The Reputation Of Publishing Influencers <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These days, it’s easy to find publishing influencers online. Just search for the best sites for indie authors, and you’ll get loads of them. However, in between the real influencers, you’ll also find scam sites whose primary purpose is to con <\/span>new authors<\/span><\/a> to scammy vanity presses. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These scammy sites come up with compelling ways to make them look legit. They can include trusted names so that real influencers can share the list. So before you check out a publisher: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n