“Impressive” credentials that authors secretly pay for
Publishing a book is a big accomplishment. Some authors feel a need to pay others to puff it up — and some of the “impressive” accomplishments that authors tout are just pay-for-play.
Here are some book credentials that may not be what they seem, how readers should think about them, and whether authors should pay for them.
Bestseller status
Did the author earn that or pay for it? Lots of authors claim to be bestsellers, even if they only appear briefly in a sub-sub-category of Amazon. But the spots on lists from major publications (like the New York Times) are coveted credentials. Some authors participate in “distributed buying programs” in which third-parties arrange for book purchases from various sources to attempt to deceive the list-makers. Any book that appears on a major bestseller list for only one week is suspect. And don’t be fooled by books that appear the same week on multiple lists — the same buying program will generate appearances across multiple lists.
Should you pay for this? No. It costs at least $25,000 to get a sham credential and doesn’t always work. If you get found out, you look crooked. (That said, bestseller status does supposedly help people get paid more for speeches.)
Should you be impressed by this? Generally, bestseller status isn’t a signifier of quality. So, no, you shouldn’t be impressed.
Appearing in airport bookstores or being featured in other stores
Did the author earn that or pay for it? All slots in airport stores are paid. If it’s a book you’ve never heard of, the author is probably paying; if not, the publisher is. Books that appear in stores like Barnes & Noble are there because a publisher sales rep convinced a bookstore buyer to stock them, but if they’re in a stack on a table, a publisher paid for that.
Should you pay for this? The cost is in the tens of thousands of dollars. Airport placement rarely pays for itself in sales. But I’ve heard authors report that it generated speaking gigs that paid for the cost.
Should you be impressed by this? No, it just shows someone spent money.
Foreword by a famous person
Did the author earn that or pay for it? The normal reason to ask someone else to write a foreword for your book is to get their name on the cover in the hopes to attract attention and sell books (“Foreword by Thomas L. Friedman”). There are two ways that happens. One is that the author is friends with the person who writes the foreword. The second is that it’s paid for. You won’t be able to tell the difference by looking.
Should you pay for this? Maybe. Certainly, if you’re friends with a famous person, you should consider it. If you have to pay, the cost will be in the low thousands. Really famous people never do this for money, so if you do pay, you’ll be retaining a mid-level influencer whose foreword won’t move many books.
Should you be impressed by this? Maybe. But consider whether you’d still be impressed if you found it was paid for.
Endorsements (blurbs)
Did the author earn that or pay for it? I’ve never heard of a paid blurb. They’re legit. (Sometimes it’s a quid pro quo because the author had previously blurbed another author’s book, but it’s never a cash payment.)
Should you pay for this? Never.
Should you be impressed by this? Yes. If the endorsement comes from someone you admire or trust, their opinion of the book matters.
Excerpts or bylined articles
Did the author earn that or pay for it? Articles that are paid for in legitimate content and information sites are clearly labelled “sponsored.” The rest appear because the author or a publicist convinced the publication that the content is worth publishing. In some cases, the author actually gets paid for contributing content or for the publication rights to the excerpt.
Should you pay for this? Paying for sponsored content might be worth it; evaluate it as an ad. As for free contributed articles, they’re absolutely worth pursuing. To pursue these efficiently, you’ll likely want help from a publicity firm that understands which publications might be receptive to your article or excerpt.
Should you be impressed by this? Don’t be impressed by the placement. But do be impressed if the content is interesting.
Awards
Did the author earn that or pay for it? There are countless book awards and prizes. They’re typically quite competitive. The author may have to pay an entry fee, but if the award is legit, you can’t pay to win. There are also sleazier pay-to-play awards as well.
Should you pay for this? Paying the entry fee is likely worth it. Pay-for-play awards aren’t.
Should you be impressed by this? Check out the awarding organization and past winners. If it’s legit, then yes, it is impressive. If you’ve never heard of the organization or the award, then not only should you not be impressed, you should be suspicious of the author’s motives.
What this means for authors
The number of people vying to take money out of authors pockets is constantly increasing.
Don’t pay for fake credentials.
Very wary of paying for any service for which the return is murky.
Finally, ask yourself this question. If the world knew you had paid for this, would you be alright with that?
Paying to ruin your own reputation is never a good idea.
I was considering working with a well-known speech coach until I read in his proposal his recommendation to use one of the services you mentioned to get on the NY Times best-seller list. At that point he lost credibility with me. He also lost me as a subscriber and potential customer. The risk to an author of being exposed as a fraud is too great to take a chance.
I have many colleagues who disagree with me on this point. And I have author friends that I respect who have used distributing buying services to get onto a bestseller list. My opinion is certainly not universal. But I haven’t changed my opinion on this and don’t expect to.
On LinkedIn, I came across the profile of a fellow technical writer who lists “recognition by the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors.” I had never heard of that group, so I Googled it. It’s a pay-to-play organization.
Paying to be in a membership organization is normal.
Bragging about it, not so much.
Josh, the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors is not a professional society, like the Society for Technical Communication. Its email address is at gmail.com. It holds no activities, issues no publications, offers no certs. According to many reviews, all it does is claim to show you job listings (available elsewhere) and then make it nearly impossible for you to quit and discontinue your monthly payment.
I am very particular about the book contests I enter. I am proud of the fact that I have one a few over the years from discerning organizations. You are absolutely right, though. You do have to pay to play. I like to think, however, that that does not diminish the quality of the awards. They do need to pay people to review books and incur other expenses.