True crime has come to the world of indie publishing—and we’re not talking about a book genre. We’re talking about accusations that thieves are using self-published books to launder money. According to this article Writer’s Relief found in Fortune:
Some authors on Amazon’s self-publishing print book service have had their identities stolen and then used to launder money, according to cybercrime reporter Brian Krebs. The crooks upload phony but expensive paperback titles to the stolen authors’ accounts via Amazon’s CreateSpace service and then “buy” dozens of books, transferring funds to legitimate bank accounts, he reports. Amazon typically pays authors 60% of a book’s list price on CreateSpace after deducting production and other charges.
Read more about money laundering and self-publishing here.
I’m being approached by Book Writing Maestro’s to publish my non-Fiction Manuscript. Ever heard of them. They’re inexpensive, which causes me concern. 🙂
But, they sound legit and have a decent website and collection of publications.
Hi Scott,
We are not familiar with this company, so cannot offer any insights. However, a quick look at their website seems to indicate that they will simply self-publish your book on Amazon for you for a fee. If that’s what you’re interested in, you might want to compare our similar services at Self-Publishing Relief to see how the prices and client testimonials compare: https://selfpublishingrelief.com/