Beware, Authors: The Scammers Are Getting Smarter

I've warned you before about bad actors in the publishing world. I told you the story of my friend Carl, who paid a ghostwriter $10,000 only to be, well, ghosted. YBB friend Shawnee Delaney wrote a guest newsletter last summer about PageTurner Press, which allegedly stole more than $44 million from over 800 writers by dangling fake Netflix deals in front of them.

Well, my dear authors…. Sad to say, The New York Times just published a new article,  "Hungry for Affirmation, Vulnerable to Scams," regaling us with more horror stories.

In it, author Dan Barry pulls back the curtain on a massive, AI-powered wave of fraud that is currently besieging the literary world. Scammers overseas are using artificial intelligence to impersonate real publishing figures, create fake websites, and send personalized, flattering emails to authors, all designed to lure writers into paying fees for services that will never materialize.

And they are targeting everyone. Not just first-time authors desperate for validation, but established, award-winning writers who should know better. (As Barry admits with disarming honesty, he nearly fell for one himself).

Just last month, the National Book Foundation discovered that someone had created a fraudulent website mimicking their organization, complete with a fake employee named "Jonathan Smith" who was collecting substantial fees from unsuspecting authors for marketing and proofreading services that the real foundation has never offered.

On a psychological level, these scams begin with flattery. They start by telling you how brilliant your work is, how underappreciated your writing has been, how they've been moved by themes in your book that they describe with just enough specificity to make you believe they've actually read it. 

Victoria Strauss, who co-founded the watchdog group Writer Beware back in 1998, told the Times that these scams exploit a fundamental truth about what it means to be a writer. As she put it, the deeper the scammer gets you invested in the conversation, the harder it becomes for you to say no, because saying no means admitting that the praise wasn't real. 

At Your Bestselling Book, I’m honored to work with aspiring authors who have spent years building the courage to share their stories, who are struggling to overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt in order to finally put their wisdom on the page. We’re all stuck navigating a publishing landscape that can feel bewildering, even without criminals lurking in our inboxes. The last thing I want is for any of you extraordinary people to have your dreams weaponized against you.

So please, my friends, be vigilant. Be skeptical of any unsolicited email that praises your work and anyone asking for money. Be suspicious of anyone claiming to represent a major publishing house, literary agency, or foundation who contacts you out of the blue. This doesn’t happen! If something feels too good to be true, trust that instinct. 

Have you received any suspicious emails lately? Hit Reply and tell me about it. I want to hear your stories so we can protect each other.

Aloha, MeiMei

TIP OF THE WEEK:

The 60-Second Scam Check

Before you respond to any unsolicited email about your writing, run through this quick checklist:

1. Google the sender's name along with the word "scam." You'd be amazed at what comes up.
2. Verify the website. If, for example, someone claims to represent the National Book Foundation, make sure you're looking at nationalbook.org, not nationalbookfoundation.com. One letter, one word, one subtle difference in a URL can be the difference between a real organization and a con artist's storefront.
3. Ask for references. Any legitimate professional will happily connect you with past clients. If they dodge the question or pressure you to act fast, walk away.
4. Never pay upfront fees for marketing, proofreading, or promotional services without thoroughly vetting the company.
5. Trust your gut. If praise feels too specific, too effusive, too perfectly tailored to your deepest insecurities about your writing career, that's not a coincidence. That's an algorithm.

And as always, you can reach out to us! We've spent years building a network of trusted publishing and PR professionals, including editors, hybrid publishers, audiobook producers, PR firms, and speaking coaches who do honest, excellent work.

Can't make this one? No problem. Join me on Friday, May 1st at 4pm ET / 1pm PT instead! Register Here