Author Scam
Read all about it!
Sure, I’m happy to share my book, but, um, not this way.
I have talked to other authors who have seen similar scams, but this was especially egregious because it targeted my book, Meredith & Me, a memoir about raising my daughter with special needs. I mean, come on.
The scam offers to increase my presence in certain markets by featuring my book in gatherings at the Books & Bites Club in Seattle and the Broadbeach Library Club in Australia. For a “spotlight package” of $250, $340 or $420, I am guaranteed a prominent spot at their get togethers. Both the Books & Bites Club and the Broadbeach Library are legitimate groups now caught up in this scam as well. The email is not signed by a human, so AI is almost certainly involved.
Like so many scams, they tried to pull me in with flattery.
“Your memoir, Meredith & Me: A Mother and Daughter on a Profoundly Different Journey, immediately captured our selection committee’s attention with its deeply moving narrative of love, resilience, and the transformative power of parenthood. Your honest portrayal of receiving a life-altering diagnosis for your daughter—and the way your family learned to navigate uncertainty with courage, humor, and determination—creates a story that is both heart-wrenching and profoundly uplifting.”
“We would be honored to feature Meredith & Me as a highlighted selection in an upcoming Books & Bites Bookclub Seattle session focused on inspiring memoirs and stories that celebrate resilience in the face of adversity. If you are open to it, we would also welcome the possibility of optional author participation, such as a brief written reflection or Q&A discussing your journey, what inspired you to share your family’s story, and the message of hope you wish readers to carry forward. Please let us know if this invitation aligns with your interests.
Warm regards,
Books & Bites Bookclub Seattle
Yeah, no thanks. But what about my fellow authors – and there are many – who have spent years writing about their family in hopes of changing misperceptions about children with disabilities. For those parents who might accept this pitch in hopes of gaining a greater audience, this scam is particularly cruel.
So, whoever you are, crawl back into your hole.
Warm regards,
Sarah Barnes
I got an email April 6 from someone who promised to promote my book of poems through a club of some sort, for a fee, which was not specified. I declined right away but he wouldn't give up, kept emailing through May 2, though I only replied to decline. Name was Philip Ray Wills. Could have been legit but it felt, from the persistence, not so much. Thanks for writing about your experience.
Warm Regards!! Ha! I love it. Stick it to them sister. OOOOH I hate the scammers. I got a scam wedding request today to be held at “a house in Dallas.” Yeah, an empty house that’s for sale. I don’t think so.