Does anyone know anything about Maple Lane Books and their publishing contest? www.maplelanebooks.com/contest/

Is it legit? The rules and publicity look like a fishing expedition on their part.

--Peter

Hi, Peter

I went to the website in question, and read up about their contest. My conclusion is that it does sound a little farfetched.

For one, they say they critique the beginning of the manuscript, and that if they like the work, they'll publish it. But no reputable publisher would base their decision on the beginning of the manuscript only. Plus they charge a fee, which--although it's not uncommon in contests such as these--seems to suggest they're out for cash more than anything.

Second, the awards they offer the winner are rather tiny: every publishing company worth their salt do the same thing for free: Editing, Original Cover Design, Copyright, Interior Page Layout Design, ISBN and Barcode, Paperback and Ebook formats . . . EVERY REPUTABLE PUBLISHER DOES THIS FOR FREE!

And on their Books page, they only have two books listed. TWO. No more than that. For a publisher that's been out for more than three years, they don't seem to be working very hard to publish books.

This contest, and this publisher, sound an awful lot like a scam. I wouldn't trust it.

Amber

Thanks very much, Amber. You confirmed the feeling I got from the email ad and their website. 

Peter

You're welcome, Peter. Us writers have to look out for each other, right?

Yeah, those kinds of scams pop up a lot on the internet, focusing on those poor beginning writers who are seeking some form of 'you're doing good' praise. And as a newbie writer myself, I made it my business to brush up on the in's and out's of reputable publishing companies and contests, so I don't fall victim to such scams. We must be wary nowadays.

Happy Writing!