There’s a new TV commercial that makes me want to scream at the screen. You may have seen it. It’s from a company that claims it will publish your book and get it into book stores. Wham bam thank you ma’m. A little research into the company shows they are a scam, intent on hooking naïve writers with great dreams.

Until now, such misleading sleazy sales pitches to authors have been limited to the internet and some magazines. These shysters used to be referred to as Vanity Press but now hide under the growing umbrella of self-publishing services.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in self-publishing. In fact, I helped a friend of mine self-publish a collector’s quality limited edition book in 2014 that was enthusiastically received. There are excellent self-publishing services from reputable companies. A growing number of established authors have moved from traditional publishers to self-publishing and found it lucrative. Conversely, some wildly successful self-published authors have gone on to impressive book deals with major publishing houses.

Here’s the issue: If you don’t know what you’re getting into with self-publishing, you can easily fall into one of the many sinkholes that dot the landscape. Unfortunately, you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s why I regularly write about the business of publishing, including self-publishing. As I always say, “There’s good news and bad news for authors and that news is the same: Today, anyone who wants to get published can get published.” Doesn’t mean your book is going anywhere… unless you get serious about the business side of writing.

Lines are blurring between what an author may get from a traditional publisher or a self-publishing company. Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! Whichever route you take, you need to understand the entire process. What was once dessert has become the appetizer. The end goal is no longer just getting your book produced. There are also distribution, marketing and public relations considerations, with side orders of copyrights, contracts, price points and profit margins.

Most authors prefer to spend their time writing rather than tending to business. There are people who would be happy to handle the business end for authors … for a price. Traditional publishers cover copyrights, distribution and some degree of marketing but the effort varies from contract to contract, which is where a good agent and literary attorney are your best allies. I have many author friends who have excellent relationships with the major houses that publish their books, no doubt established through a good contract.

With self-publishing, you have more of an a la carte menu of services, although you may be offered a prix fixe package. You don’t need an agent or a literary attorney to be self-published; you do have to understand what is required to succeed, decide who will handle those requirements, how to get reliable, reasonably priced services and what to expect.

Begin your education by going to trusted resources that have no financial interest in your book. I like Writer’s Digest and Poets & Writers to keep me current on changes and opportunities in self-publishing (they also do a great job on traditional publishing). Attend major conferences, workshops and retreats offered by trade such education and trade organizations as AWP and BEA (and specialized groups based on genre, geographical region, etc.). Books on the subject are helpful but may not be current in the ever-changing publishing world. The best source is a guide who is thoroughly familiar with the industry and understands your particular needs and wants; a source who will keep you based in reality as you make your choices.

A friend of mine, whose earlier books were traditionally published but decided to go the self-published route with her latest book, chose a well-known company that would get her books distributed nationally and internationally, through brick and mortar bookstores as well as through Amazon. Until she found that they couldn’t get into brick and mortar stores. They have posted her book on Amazon but have not created any publicity to draw people to her title. Thousands of dollars into her investment, it is now up to her to find every book store and other venue to carry her book or host a book signing, to seek her own promotions. I could have told her this would happen but she never asked. I wish she had.