My sister is so cool!

Alix, my 17 year old brat-ish sister is a fanfic writer and poet, and a while ago she sent off some poems of hers to a publisher. Now they've replied and said they want to publish her, for which I am very proud, but they need money to do it. And she is uneasy about whether or not this is the real deal or some sort of scam.

Do any of you have any advice, questions, comments?