WRITER BEWARE ®
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/
From their site...
"Writer Beware is the public face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Committee on Writing Scams. We also receive sponsorship from the Mystery Writers of America. Like many genre-focused writers’ groups, SFWA and MWA are concerned not just with issues that affect professional authors, but with the problems and pitfalls that face aspiring writers. Writer Beware, founded in 1998, reflects that concern.
Although SFWA and MWA are US-based organizations of professional fiction authors, Writer Beware’s efforts aren’t limited by country, genre, or publication history. We’ve designed the Writer Beware website so it can be used by any writer, new or established, regardless of subject, style, genre, or nationality."
I urge anyone considering using any publisher that asks for any upfront fee to check out the site...I know there are quite a few writers these days going various self-publishing routes...and there are plenty of publishers out there willing to take a writer's money to put out a book...how much you actually get in return, especially after the check clears, is a whole other subject...
There have also been cases recently of publishers approaching authors with "deals" which are somewhat less than favorable to the writer...just the fact that a publisher sends you an offer should raise a red flag...legitimate publishers generally do not go out seeking out business, they have enough authors lined up it's hard enough for an unknown writer to get a manuscript read without an agent...
So...good luck...and better safe than sorry...
