Red Flags in a Potential Publishing Partner

Finding the perfect publishing partner is hard. Not only are you looking for someone with the skills you need to reach your publishing goals, but you also want someone you can work easily alongside. While a general “vibe check” is always a great thing, it’s hard to know what things are just personality quirks or a different work style and what are legitimate red flags that are hinting at a terrible professional relationship. Obviously, every person’s needs and expectations are different, and just because you find a red flag in a potential publishing partner doesn’t mean it’s time to run. But it’s good to know what potentially problematic things to look for as you decide who you want to bring with you on your publishing journey. So here are some things to look out for that might be the red flag signaling it’s time to look for someone else.

An Agent Requiring You Pay Up Front

We’ve talked a bit about agents in the past, but this one is worth repeating. An agent should get paid when you get paid. If an agent requires you to pay up front, or they won’t work with you unless you sign up to take some paid course, that’s not just a big ol’ red flag. It’s a reason to stop the conversation and look for someone else.

Any Publisher Promising they Have the secret to a Best-seller

Here’s the honest truth: absolutely no one knows how to guarantee a book is a best-seller. Sure, there are things you can do to give a book the best chance possible, but ultimately publishers—from major publishers to boutique presses—are just giving an educated guess on what books will perform well in the marketplace. Ask anyone who has ever worked in publishing, and they will be able to tell you at least one story about a book that was positioned and expected to sell like crazy that didn’t, and a book that was expected to be a modest seller that sold like a wildfire. So if a publisher is promising that they have a secret to making best-sellers, proceed with extreme caution. There is no secret, and if a publisher says you should work with them simply because they are the keeper of this secret, it might be time to look elsewhere.

Editors Who See the Editorial Process As a Test or a Chance to Flex Their Ego

The editorial process is a collaboration. As a book’s editor, it’s their job to suggest ways to ensure an author has the best book possible, but ultimately it’s up to the author what edits they want to keep, tweak, or ignore. If you’re talking with an editor and they make it clear that they do not accept or entertain any pushback to their edits, if they expect you to agree with every edit or note they offer, that’s a big red flag. Not only will the editorial process likely feel quite oppressive, but the editor’s focus won’t be on making your book better, but boosting their ego. It might be time to explore other editors who have a more collaborative spirit.

Any Publishing Partner Who Discourages You From Shopping Around

We here at SPS think we’re great at what we do. We also know that we’re not the right publishing partner for everyone, so we always encourage our prospective clients to shop around and talk to other companies. If you’re talking with a potential publishing partner and they pressure you to sign before you’re ready and discourage you from exploring other professionals, that is a huge red flag. While any small-business person can feel frustrated when it feels like a potential client is dragging their heels or taking longer than necessary to make a decision, you ultimately want to work with someone who is fully on board with the collaboration. If any publishing partner discourages you from taking the time you need to explore, think, and decide, it might be time to cross them off your list or start exploring other options more seriously.

Publishing Partners Who Bad-Mouth Others In the Industry

It can feel good to share your work frustration with someone, but a publishing partner discussing their misgivings about a colleague in the field with a potential client is a huge red flag. Any potential publishing partner who tells you not to work with a particular professional or company and then proceeds to bad-mouth them nonstop is one you might not want to partner with. Similarly, a publishing partner that tells you they are the best person for you to work with because they, “can do it right, unlike [insert company name here]” is probably not going to bring the best vibes to your collaboration. While we all have bad days and say things we regret, this is definitely something to think about with any potential collaborators.

Any Publishing Partner That Refuses to Give References

Any potential publishing partner should be more than happy to offer you a reference (or even have an existing page on their website with reviews and references). If they refuse to let you speak with someone whom they’ve worked with in the past, it’s time to really drill down into what’s going on. While it might be something innocent (like a ghostwriter not being able to share with new clients whom they’ve worked with in the past because of an Non-Disclosure Agreement), it’ll become clear very quickly if there is something a little more sketchy going on.

But with any publishing arrangement, it’s important to do your research and take your time to sort out what you need from a publishing partner. We offer a free, one-hour consultation to help you see if we might be a good fit for you, as well as a free, sample edit if you’re looking for editorial services. If you’d like to see if we might be a good professional fit, don’t hesitate to reach out!