5 Questions Every Author Should Ask Before Hiring a Self-Publishing Company

 

The self-publishing world has grown fast, and unfortunately, so has the number of companies preying on first-time authors. If you've ever searched "self-publishing scams," you know the stories: authors who paid upfront and got nothing back, fake testimonials, book covers that were never really theirs.

Rather than list scammer names (there's no shortage of sites doing that already), I want to focus on something more useful: the exact questions you should be asking before you sign a contract or pay a deposit. Ask these five, and you'll filter out almost every bad actor in the industry.

1. "Can I see my book listed under your name on Amazon?"

This is the single fastest way to separate real publishers from fake ones. A legitimate company will have a track record of actual published books, and you can verify it yourself, search any title they showcase and check who's listed as the publisher on the Amazon product page.

If a company can't point you to real, verifiable listings, that's the end of the conversation.

2. "What's your actual business registration number?"

Real publishing companies are registered businesses. They should be able to give you a business registration number and, ideally, a D-U-N-S Number (verified through Dun & Bradstreet) without hesitation. Both of these are public records you can look up independently, they're not something a company can fake convincingly.

3. "What exactly happens to my royalties?"

Be wary of anyone who says you'll "keep 100% of your royalties." It sounds great, but it's misleading, retailers and distributors always take a cut before money reaches the author. That's simply how the industry works. A trustworthy company explains their actual fee structure clearly instead of leading with a number that sounds too good to be true.

4. "Where is your office, really?"

Ask directly, then check it yourself. A quick Google Maps search of the address a company provides will often tell you whether it's a real office, a shared workspace, or just a mailbox. If the address on their website doesn't match what's listed on their Facebook page, that's a red flag worth taking seriously.

5. "Can I talk to a past author?"

Testimonials on a website are easy to fabricate, stock photos, vague quotes, no book titles. A company confident in its work will happily connect you with a past client, or at minimum, point you to reviews that include full names and identifiable book titles you can cross-check.

Putting It Into Practice

I ran through this exact list myself before publishing with Pacific Publishing. Their books check out on Amazon under their name, they were upfront with their Business Registration Number (15892153) and D-U-N-S Number (136995456), and their author testimonials include real names and titles I could verify independently.

None of that guarantees a perfect experience, no company is flawless,  but it's the difference between a legitimate business and the kind of operation that disappears the moment your payment clears.

If you're evaluating a publisher right now, don't skip this step. Twenty minutes of questions can save you months of frustration and thousands of dollars.