Fool Me Once

In the United states authors have traditionally relied on agents to help them get published.  Though, I know this is changing.  Less and less authors are using agents as epublishing becomes so popular.  I don’t know specifics about how it is done in other countries. I know some countries rely on agents and in others literary agents are almost unheard of. 

Kristin at Pub Rants has a post that links to an article about the sudden upswing in scam agents in India. To quote Kristin   Great. One of the things I'd prefer not to be an American export….    We have a lot of information available to us here about how to avoid scams and bad business practices.  In India there isn’t as much information because this is something new they are dealing with.  If the amount of information is any indication of trouble then we have trouble with a capital T. 

I don’t know why there are so many scams around.  So many phishing emails, letters from royalty in Nigeria, you get the picture. This is something we have dealt with in our adoptions too.  It’s so hard to believe but there are people who will contact adoptive couples pretending to be pregnant, string them along for several months slowly bleeding them of money, then disappear into the night.  (this has not happened to us personally)

I think that scams like this and in the publishing world are worse because they play on people’s dreams and hopes.  I also think that’s why they work.  We’re blinded by our hope and we want it so bad we’re willing to take the risk that it’s a scam.  I don’t know many people who get scammed twice though.  The consequences have a way of waking you up.  I think it’s so sad for people to take advantage of others.  Yet, I think it’s amazing that we live in a world where it’s possible that our dreams will come true, where we have choices and options. 

Just make sure you study your choices before making a decision.