Between You, Me and the Lamp Post
Day 51: Ken D. Foster - Scammer?
Most writers who are serious about their craft are constantly
looking for ways to improve their writing, market their books, sell more copies,
or how to find a publisher. When I noticed this ad, I have to admit, my interest was peaked.
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I signed up for a
series of online sessions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the first two
sessions because of work. According to Ken Foster this was not a problem as the
videos could be watched at any time.
Then yesterday I received an email from him that changed
everything. The email read …
- The most important thing to do
before you write a single word!
- How to write your book in 90
days or less
- Should you self-publish or go
with a traditional publisher?
- 12 Stupid Mistakes made by
Wannabe Authors
Right there and then I knew I was dealing with a phony. If there’s
one thing that angers me it’s people telling other people they can write a book
in 90 days or less. I emailed Ken Foster and shared my opinion with him.
One can write a short story or even a novella in 90 days or less,
but a book … no. This is one of the reasons there is so much trash online.
Anyone and everyone, even children, can write something, publish it and voila
it’s available on Amazon and other sites. In the process, self-publishing has received
a bad reputation.
As for Ken’s question to go with a traditional publisher or to
self-publish, I told him that any writer worth his sold would prefer a
mainstream publisher vs. self-publishing. After all, if a mainstream publisher
accepts a manuscript, everything is taken care of by the publisher: editing,
layout, cover design and marketing/selling the book. Not to mention that the
author receives an advance and regular royalties.
Ken Foster responded that I had a lot to learn about the
publishing industry. He stated that he had a friend who was accepted by a
mainstream publisher and received a $300,000 advance.
I nearly burst out laughing. Having been in the publishing
industry for years I know several best-selling authors and none of them have
ever received a $300,000 advance. First time authors receive between $5,000 and
$10,000 while the more established authors receive between $25,000 to $75,000
but none of them, absolutely none of them ever received more than a quarter of
a million.
It would appear that Ken Foster doesn’t know much about the
publishing industry either. He calls himself a best-selling author, but he’s
nothing more than a self-published writer. It’s not because he’s written a few books,
that he’s a best-selling author. By definition, a best-selling author is
someone whose book was listed on the New York Times bestselling list. If not on
that list, then anyone claiming to be a best-selling author is putting on airs
and graces.
If any of you gets contacted by Ken Foster, be wary of him. He
has a hidden agenda.
The only other "industry" that has this huge of a demand for new "workers" is the military! To get started writing you just need to be 18 and willing to work, no experience required for many cases, although obviously some employers will require experience or a particular area of expertise. Believe me, writing a few articles is not only fun when it is something you are interested in, but it is also a lot easier than going through boot camp!
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