The Agony of Being a Wordsmith
Some days it might feel as though there are more scammers than writers on the planet. Try these tips to protect yourself and your writing.
Does This Sound Familiar?
You receive an e-mail from an “agent” who is searching for new clients. The e-mail compliments you and volunteers to represent you. Oh, by the way, there’s an upfront fee required.
Or you receive an e-mail from a “publisher” who raves about your book but doesn’t mention it by name. They promise to publish it for you, but first they’ll need _________ [fill in monetary amount].
Someone contacts you via direct messaging or a comment on social media with a message like:
- Hi. [That’s it. No indication of who they are or what they want.]
- Are you an author [Duh. This was on a post in a book promotion group. Note missing question mark.]
- please contact on direct message forspecial book promotion [Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors.]
- Are you a book writer looking out to connect with a promoter for your book promotion in order to make your book reach it’s wider audience and increase its sales conversion rate [Note unusual construction, misspellings, and missing question mark.]
It’s highly unlikely that an agent or publisher will make initial contact, but highly likely that a book promoter will.
Help Is Here
This post barely scratches the surface of ways to identify and cope with scams. I invite your comments if you have anything to add.
Does the Agent, Publisher, or Promoter Have a Website?
The absence of a website should be your first warning.
If they do have one, hold old is it?
Just for illustration, let’s try DomainTools to find out more about goodreads.com.
- Enter goodreads.com in the search box.
- It shows that the domain was created on December 9, 2002; i.e., a stable and valid website.
No warnings. Good.
Several More Whois Resources
Does the Website Contain Full Contact Information?
Writers might opt to keep their location and contact information private, especially if they write under a penname. However, marketers, agents, and publishers should reveal enough information for people to establish a relationship and availability if/when problems occur.
Does the Website Read Like It Was Created by a Professional?
If a site contains awkward language, grammatical mistakes, and spelling errors, beware!
Reviews … Reviews … Reviews
A true promoter, agent, or publisher should provide authentic reviews. Warning signals:
- a glut of reviews published on or about the same date
- reviews written in poor English
- reviews written by people who appear to be fakes
Ask Your Friends and Business Contacts
Have they had dealings with the person or company you’re investigating?
Positive comments from someone you know is many times more valuable than comments from a nebulous person who may or may not exist.
Does the Agent or Promoter Have a Valid Profile Photo?
Many contacts via social media are initiated by scammers with no photos, cutesy cartoon avatars, or AI-generated headshots.
Sometimes scammers will pilfer a photo from a catalog and then Photoshop or AI-generate a new face. A Google reverse-image search can help you spot fakes.
The Writer’s Lexicon series
and additional resources on my Facebook page.
Does the Social Media Profile Contain Few/No Posts?
If the profile is empty, so is the person’s head. Or maybe the head is full of ways to scam you.
If you see suspicious posts, scrutinize them. Do they contain words or phrases such as the following?
- buy reviews
- digital creator
- digital marketer
- ecommerce
- free book reviews
- freelancer
- marketing strategy
- search engine optimization
- SEO
- social media marketing
- video marketing
More Warning Signs
- The social media profile or website may request money for medical procedures, a “friend” in need, or __________. Think thrice!
- The person may have few or no friends or followers; or some of the people who supposedly belong to the person’s social contacts may be fake celebrity accounts.
- The profile may be locked.
Phony Publishers
Publishing scams dupe many authors.
A few things to be wary of include the following.
The publisher:
- doesn’t reveal the payment structure upfront
- flatters you and/or your book(s) beyond believability
- demands a reading fee before reviewing your manuscript
- requires you to buy bulk copies of your own book once it’s published
- guarantees that your book will be a bestseller
- makes promises that don’t appear in the official contract
More Tips
- Set up an email address that you use only for dealing with these types of people and businesses.
- Look for a website contact form that allows you to send questions. How long does it take them to answer?
- Check the Better Business Bureau or its equivalent for information.
- Ask your social media contacts for feedback.
- Never reveal personal bank account information or passwords.
More Helpful Resources
Writer Beware provides several valuable resources, including:
- an overseas scams list
- fake literary agency scams
Be sure to check the following websites as well. Use their search capabilities to enter terms such as scams, fake book promoters, fake agents, etc.
And There’s So Much More You Can Do to Protect Yourself
These are the initial steps. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instinct and run in the opposite direction.
The Writer’s Lexicon series
and additional resources on my Facebook page.
Discover more from KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers
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Thanks Kathy, my inbox is flooded with these requests and my book was published four years ago. I ignore them because I’m deeply involved in my next project and doubt that any “real” agent, etc., would be interested in old material. Also, thanks for “The Writer’s Lexicon” series. I have volumes 1 and 2, and the pages are dog-eared. Stay well and keep up the tips.
Thanks for popping by, Frank, and thanks for the compliments.
Yeah, the scammers are vultures preying on as many writers as they can dupe. Sad.
Yes, so true. I have a question that always pops into my head when I see these texts and emails. At 78, I’m a neophyte in this process. This may be obvious, but if a legitimate group wanted to contact me to publish or for film rights, how would they contact me? Through an agent? Clearing house? Or, as busy as I assume they are with the glut of authors and stories out there, would it be incumbent on me through an agent to sell my book to them. I think I answered my own question, but I would love to hear your comments. Thanks for taking the time to hear me out. Have a wonderful day.
Producers don’t contact authors, especially via e-mail. Agents contact producers. That’s how agents earn their percentage.
A warning sign is that the person sending the bogus e-mail might not know you by name or won’t know the name of your book. Asking for money upfront is a neon sign saying “SCAM. SCAM. SCAM.”
You’re right to be wary, Frank.
Good luck with your writing! It’s never too late to start.
Kathy,
Thank you for your ‘X’ (FKAT or Formerly Known as Twitter) Posts and newsletters. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me. I wanted to share the following with you. I probably should Block this person, but then I wouldn’t have the DM to share with you. (See Below). Maybe the company is legitimate, maybe not but they sure are acting scammy. Anyway. enjoy the read.
Z.
Go to hillshiremedia, keep 100%of all online book royalties, and learn more about eBook cards. Take your manuscript to the next level
Joined January 2023
·
416 Followers
Followed by Author Jordan K. Nightsage, ⚔️, and 75 others you follow
Hi there,
How are you doing today?
Thanks for connecting with me.
Your profile indicates that you are an Author. I’m just curious to know more about your publishing journey.
May I know how many books have you published under your name?
Jan 30, 2024, 2:51 PM
I’ve published one book, participated in two anthologies, and working on a sequel to my one book. I’ve started drafting a 3rd book and I’m working on a really bad coloring book.
Jan 30, 2024, 5:54 PM
That’s great!
Can I get the link to your published books?
Jan 30, 2024, 6:00 PM
From amazon.com
amazon.com
Once Upon a WolfPack: A #WolfPackAuthors Anthology
Jan 30, 2024, 6:23 PM
From amazon.com
Jan 30, 2024, 6:25 PM
I’ve extensively reviewed your profile across Amazon —it’s genuinely captivating. And I am genuinely impressed by the quality and depth of your writing. It’s clear that you’ve poured heart and soul into your books.
Your book, “Connor’s Gambit,” has received favorable ratings, yet its pricing at $0.99 may be limiting your potential earnings. Additionally, upon reviewing the two books you provided, I noticed a lack of promotional efforts. The discrepancy between the quality of your book and its reviews raises questions about your promotional and marketing strategies. Have you explored diverse avenues to enhance visibility and broaden the reach of your books?
One aspect I’d like to discuss is the potential endorsement of your book by well-known personalities, be it celebrities, movie stars, or singers. Such endorsements can significantly elevate a book’s profile. Additionally, have you considered featuring in podcasts? Sharing your journey as an author, discussing the nuances of writing and publishing can captivate a wide audience, further enhancing your book’s appeal.
If these strategies resonate with you, I’d love to discuss how we can collaborate to amplify the presence of your books in the market. We specialize in crafting tailored promotional and marketing strategies that can bring your work into the limelight it deserves.
Are you interested in exploring these possibilities further? I’d be more than happy to provide detailed insights into how we can elevate your books’ profiles.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
What are your thoughts on this approach?
Jan 30, 2024, 6:39 PM
I’m only interested if Taylor Swift is available to promote my book. Otherwise, sigh, it is what it is.
Jan 30, 2024, 6:44 PM
It will gonna cost you $50,000. If you are willing to invest this amount into your project so let me know we can help you out.
Jan 30, 2024, 6:52 PMI completely understand the financial constraints that come with retirement. I appreciate your honesty.
Considering your current situation, I’d like to present you with an alternative solution that aligns with your budget and goals. We have a specialized Best Seller Plan priced at $2,999, designed to offer significant value without straining your retirement funds.
This plan is strategically crafted to elevate the visibility of your book and build the notability you rightly pointed out as a key factor. By implementing targeted promotional strategies, we aim to generate a notable return on investment (ROI) for you. In fact, we are committed to a 250% ROI, ensuring that your investment yields tangible results.
Moreover, with the Best Seller Plan, we lay the groundwork for future opportunities, such as engaging well-known personalities like Taylor Swift for endorsements, once your book gains the visibility it deserves.
I understand the importance of making informed decisions, so I’m more than willing to provide you with additional details. Let’s discuss how this tailored approach can help you achieve your goals within your budgetary constraints.
Looking forward to your thoughts and the potential of collaborating on this exciting journey.
Wed 11:21 AM
How do you want to be paid? 250% ROI, requires 10K books to be sold for break even point. If I don’t reach that mark, then what?
Wed 12:17 PM
I should have added over what time period to you expect the 10k downloads?
Wed 12:22 PM
Replying to
How do you want to be paid? 250% ROI, requires 10K books to be sold for break even point. If I don’t reach that mark, then what?
We can be paid through Zelle or Direct Bank Transfer.
Regarding ROI we can guarantee 10k e-books sold in 9 month tenure and for our 6-month plan we will charge $3000 but if you choose our 9 Months plan it will cost you $4500 in which we can committee 250% ROI. We will add this clause in our NDA contract that if we don’t work as per to your requirements you have 100% right to take your money back.
Wed 12:33 PM
Shall we proceed?
Wed 12:59 PM
I’m not handing you 3k without references. Nor will I pay through Zell or direct transfer. It’s paypal or nothing. There is no guarantee with Zelle or Direct transfer, but there is with Paypal.
Wed 10:36 PM
Unfortunately, we can’t use PayPal, but you can easily pay through Stripe, which is a safe method that gives you full control over your money. Regarding references, sorry, but we can’t share them due to the confidentiality of our work under an NDA. Imagine if you were our client; you’d want your projects kept private too, right? so please understand this thing. We appreciate your understanding.
Thu 11:26 AM
Other companies have given references. Please consider our conversation done.
Thu 12:12 PM
I appreciate your perspective. While I understand that other companies may provide references, our business model prioritizes client confidentiality, especially under the terms of our NDA agreements. Having worked in the industry for nearly 7 years, I’ve found that this approach aligns with industry standards. We respect your decision on whether to proceed with the marketing project or not.
Thu 12:35 PM
Hi there,
How are you doing today?
Yesterday, 1:19 PM
Other than money I don’t have. What do you want?
Yesterday, 1:31 PM
Are you even the same person who wrote to me earlier and said you appreciate my perspective of wanting references, cheaper prices, using paypal?
Yesterday, 1:32 PM
Sorry, I didn’t get what you trying to ask?
Yesterday, 1:58 PM
No kidding. You or whoever is answering this DM, did not read the previous communication. I will not deal with your company because you don’t use paypal and will not provide references.
Yesterday, 2:01 PM
Let me discuss it with my senior and get back to you!
Yesterday, 2:18 PM
Could we schedule a call? One of our senior would like to speak with you over the phone.
Yesterday, 5:37 PM
I wish there were payphones for me to give that number. I am not giving my personal phone number to strangers. I get enough spam calls. I have a 99c ebook. I don’t make much money from it, when I do promotion, I’m careful because of the low ROI. Your senior is welcomed to email me at zgottliebbooks@gmail.com .
Yesterday, 10:50 PM
Oh. Wow. As soon as I saw $50,000, my eyes glazed over.
Thanks for the heads-up, Z.
An extremely valuable post. Many thanks.
However, as I’m an impoverished writer I don’t have the money in my writing account to pay, and I’m not going to use my ‘normal’ account for writing stuff. Consequently, I think I’ve been fairly well protected as I never respond to any contacts who ask for payment. I just ain’t got it!
If more people only used the money received from their sales for promotion etc, then fewer people would be scammed, I think. Anyone with large amounts from sales would be unlikely to need these fake agents, publishers or promoters as they are obviously doing it right.
Thanks for your thoughts, V.M.
Happy writing!