Unfortunately, sharks and vultures exist in every aspect of the business world, and the publishing world is no different. They circle new, unsuspecting authors dangerously, plotting how they can use your naiveté to unfairly squeeze thousands of dollars out of you. While there are a lot of honest, ethical people in the publishing business, there are just as many crooked ones, and the best way to protect yourself from them is through two ways: 1) arm yourself with more knowledge about the publishing world (especially self-publishing), and 2) know how to identify the scams. The Internet is littered with companies...