Preditors and Editors ™
A guide to publishers and publishing services for serious writers since 1997
About Preditors and Editors
Headquartered in Petersburg, Virginia, USA since July 1997, this resource is intended as a simple compendium for the serious writer, composer, game designer, or artist to consult for information, regardless of genre. Even readers will find Preditors & Editors useful in locating reading material. As well, the listings may be freely copied and distributed without charge. After all, our aim is to assist. However, please secure permission from the appropriate authors before reproducing any of the opinions contained within Preditors & Editors as those are copyright protected material.
Many listings included quoted material. Some are attributed. In some instances, the contributor asked not to be identified. For some quotes, an author could not be identified because the quoted material came from a site description that in many instances P&E was asked to use. Those quotes are considered copyright of their respective sites. (added 1/13/04)
Similarly, trademarks when mentioned are the respective property of their owners.
- Names and terminology are highlighted in colors only for the ease of finding them. Not to distinguish them as good or bad. P&E uses plain text to indicate businesses it recommends or does not recommend. Underlined names and words in a color different from surrounding text are links to other pages or web sites. Entries in white are ghosts indicating publications or publishers that are no longer with us except in memory.
- Though it might be helpful to place a "New" graphic next to new entries, the scope of P&E's coverage is simply too great to permit this as it would double the work load. Instead, P&E lists new entries on a single page for up to one month before posting within the general listings.
- Though there are fancier interfaces used for other resources, Preditors & Editors has opted for the simpler format it uses. This is to assure that it is accessible regardless of the browser in use. Should any difficulty be experienced, please report the problem as soon as possible.
- To anyone wondering about the deliberate misspelling in the title, it's meant to be an obvious play on words as well as our trademark. It's supposed to remind writers that not all publishers or services are to be trusted implicitly. If you're uncertain about any publisher or service, contact a writer's organization and ask.
- Preditors & Editors' sole purpose is to provide writers with information and contacts for the purpose of seeking publication of their work. Because artists, composers, and game designers often face the same challenges, they have been included in our coverage. It's hoped that they won't take offense when we use the term "writer" most of the time.
- Preditors & Editors owes no allegiances to nor is it connected to any other commercial business or organization. It does not seek paid advertisements for itself nor offer advertising space for fees. The sole exceptions to this policy are the award rings to which it belongs as a member and the links attached to awards it has received. P&E does not require link-backs in return for its listings or any awards it grants. However, P&E will, as of 17 November 1997, use traded ad space for the purpose of reaching more writers.
- As stated elsewhere in this site, the awards that Preditors & Editors gives out are not an endorsement. Those are merely an acknowledgement of superior effort or achievement on the part of others. It is entirely possible for a business to have an award from P&E and yet not be recommended by P&E. Once given, an award will not be revoked even if the business later becomes a complete scam. (modified 9/24/06)
- Additionally, Preditors & Editors is actively managed on a weekly basis. This is not a site put up to look good and then be abandoned for months at a time. It's hoped that visitors will want to return to this site because it's constantly growing to present them with greater opportunity. As well, P&E will evolve until it presents the best possible interface for all visitors, regardless of the browser they use.
- After considerable thought, we realized that Preditors & Editors would perform a disservice to writers, artists, and composers if it does not warn them about known scams or problems within the industry. Consequently, the policy of not criticizing any publishers, publications, writing services, or resources was changed as of 28 September 1997. A new Warnings page can now be referenced by anyone interested in protecting himself. However, most warnings are posted beside the appropriate entries in the listings so that those can be found easier. Additionally, we are very interested in learning about anyone who treats writers shabbily, even if they don't have anything to do with writing.
Added 12/26/02: Preditors & Editors provides a service to writers. As such, it has a right to publish recommendations and make comments about those businesses servicing writers for which it has received complaints. P&E is not a court of law. It does not have to give anyone the right to confront a complainant when P&E makes a negative recommendation. Nor does it have to consult with anyone first before making its recommendations public. For those who do not understand this concept, it is the same as when a newspaper or magazine critic comments on a new film or book release. However, P&E's recommendations are based on behavior toward writers rather than content.
Unfortunately, too many past market books geared toward writers have failed to adequately warn writers about those outfits which were nothing more than scams. Consequently, P&E's ratings range from Highly recommended to Strongly not recommended. Neutral ratings consist of no editorial comment or the mild admonishment that some complaints have been received which is considered as neutral because nearly all publishers and agencies eventually generate complaints. P&E recognizes there is no way possible for anyone to always satisfy everyone. Regardless of any rating it awards, P&E does not apologize for being aggressively slanted in favor of writers.
- It has been mentioned that P&E lists known scam artists. This is true. However, if writers share their knowledge about known predators with us, we'll be only too happy to make a note next to their entries. No, we won't remove their entries since there are countless legitimate publishers, agents, and editing services that we don't have listed yet. Not listing known predators would be tantamount to giving the scam artists a license to steal once more by granting them anonymity and freedom to move among other unlisted publishers, agents, and editing services. It's far better to list them so people can judge for themselves.
- As of February 1999, P&E instituted its program of recommending web sites and businesses. P&E's recommendations are based upon our site visits or interaction with the businesses. Sites and businesses that impress us will receive our recommendation beside the entry for them in P&E.
On occasion, a business or site might not be recommended by P&E and yet have received an award from us. Quite simply, the business or site did something that impressed us enough to be given an award. At the same time, the reason for P&E recommending against the business might be that the business (using an agent, for example) charges a fee up front rather than a commission upon sale to a publisher of a writer's manuscript. We do not see an award and non-recommendation as a conflict since awards from P&E are not recommendations. P&E's awards are merely recognitions of an achievement. Nor will we recall an award later because we don't recommend the site or business. Recommendations, however, can be withdrawn at P&E's discretion without giving reason.
- As of April 2000, P&E instituted its program of announcing contest winners for other sites and publications upon written request. Unless stated by P&E, these announcements do not mean that P&E approves of or supports the contests. P&E reserves the right to limit the length and content of any contest announcements it chooses to accept and publish.
- As of January 2004, all ratings of "Not Recommended" are based on one or more of the criteria listed on the Rating Criteria page.
- Preditors & Editors does list a very few sites with adult content because those sites either offer legitimate publication opportunities to writers or feature worthwhile writing advice. When P&E is aware of any adult content for any listed sites within its pages, those listings are notated so that visitors will not be caught unaware.
P&E has since learned that some legitimate, non-adult-content sites are being hacked so that their links then send visitors to sites containing strong, graphic, adult content. P&E can only speculate that the reasons for this happening are for the purpose of embarrassing those legitimate sites and forcing them to close. Should any visitor to P&E experience any such redirection, please bring it to the editor's attention at once. Those links will be investigated immediately and dealt with appropriately. (added 5/27/01)
- Preditors & Editors reserves the right to reprint any letters or threats it receives. P&E will not publicize the names of those who forward complaints about alleged scams or mistreatment. Nor will their correspondence be reproduced in any manner that renders them identifiable. P&E recognizes that there is a journalistic responsibility to treat confidential sources as sacrosanct. No such promise is implied toward those who send threats.
David L. Kuzminski, Editor
About the Editor and Founder
David Kuzminski is, among other things, a published writer in the fields of both non-fiction and fiction, both on and off the Internet. He believes strongly in the future of the Internet as the media of choice for future publishing. Having faced the same challenges as others in seeking publication outlets, he created this site as a way of reaching out to other writers with information and words of encouragement.
Preditors & Editors supports the SFWA E-piracy Awareness Campaign.
