Scams, Scams, and More Scams

 by Thomas Kies

I recently received these unsolicited emails. 

Hello Thomas,

I’m reaching out on behalf of The Great Books Society of Denver, a lively community of 680 readers who meet monthly in Englewood, Colorado.

Your work, Random Road, came up in one of our recent discussions, and in true book-lover fashion, we thought: why not go straight to the source? The gritty realism, layered mystery, and complex humanity in your novel resonated deeply with our members. We would love to feature your book as our monthly pick, giving it exposure to an engaged, thoughtful audience who are genuinely excited to read and discuss new works.

Featuring your book with us provides direct engagement with a dedicated community of readers who love to discuss and recommend books, increased visibility among literary enthusiasts who value discovery and thoughtful conversation, and the opportunity for your work to become a memorable part of a month-long reading experience.

If this sounds like your cup of tea (or glass of wine, we don’t judge), please let us know, and we’ll share the next steps to make it happen.

Warm regards,

Organizer | The Great Books Society of Denver

So many compliments. By the way, in a follow-up email, they listed a tiered list of prices for their services. This wouldn’t be a scam, would it?

Hello Thomas Kies

Your book Darkness Lane was recently highlighted by one of our club members. Would you let us know if it’s available for our 7 Day Read Along and upcoming Club Literary Prize?

Organizer, Vienna English Club

Author scams are rampant.  It was a topic of multiple discussions in San Francisco a few weeks ago while I was there attending Left Coast Crime. 

Dan Berry recently wrote a column for the New York Times Book Review talking about scams.  He said that one scammer had reached out to him claiming to be Margeret Atwood (full disclosure, I got one of those too).  Berry contacted Atwood’s agent who wrote back saying, “Oh, this is so terrible and mean. Preying upon people’s hunger for success and/or their hope to improve their writing.”

What are some of the most common author scams these days?

• Fake Literary Agents/Publishers: Scammers pose as legit agents, offering publishing contracts in exchange for upfront "reading" or "editing" fees. 

• Marketing and PR Scams: Companies promise Hollywood film adaptations, Netflix pitching, or massive marketing campaigns, often targeting indie authors. 

• Vanity Presses: These houses demand high fees to publish, promising success but providing little to no real editing or distribution. 

• Paid Review Scams: Offers to purchase "guaranteed" reviews on sites like Amazon or Goodreads, according to The Darling Axe.

• Impersonation Scams: Scammers use AI and LinkedIn/social media to impersonate well-known publishing professionals, often using using well-known, bestselling authors. 

• Award/Contest Scams: Fraudulent literary awards that charge hefty entry fees

Why are these SOBs targeting writers?  Dan Berry summed it up by saying, “…the victim’s vulnerability. A lonely heart yearns for love and companionship: an author yearns for sales and validation. 

Yes, I know this is the second time I’ve published a blog about scams.  I apologize.  It’s just that I know there are people being cheated and it really cheeses me off.   www.thomaskiesauthor.com 

Scams Targeting Writers

 by Thomas Kies

I was introduced to a new scam the other day. One that I came very near to falling for.  An email came to me out of the blue claiming to be from the organizer of a large book club (nearly 700 members).  He said they wanted to “feature” my book Random Road and he gave it, and me, effusive compliments. The entire club would be reading and discussing my novel.  

“Featuring your book with us provides direct engagement with a dedicated community of readers who love to discuss and recommend books, increased visibility among literary enthusiasts who value discovery and thoughtful conversation, and the opportunity for your work to become a memorable part of a month-long reading experience. Our meetings are always relaxed, thoughtful, and filled with conversations that remind us why we love books in the first place.”

I was so enthused I offered to fly out to meet with his book club.  He said that was not necessary.

I did some due diligence and looked the book club up online.  Yup, there it is.  Seems legit.

But then, the organizer sent me a tiered price list of how they wanted to feature my book.  That was a red flag.  I’ve spoken and interacted with dozens of book clubs.  Not one of them has asked me for money. 

I dug a little further online and found some complaints from writers who had also been approached and had fallen for it. Scam!  This email came from someone who had nothing to do with the actual book club.

Writers are dreamers.  If you’re an aspiring author, you’re hoping for that big break in a business that’s notoriously difficult to navigate.  If you’re a published author, your creativity is on the bookshelf and you’re looking for a way to break through a very competitive marketplace. Scammers know this. We’re red meat for predators. What are some other scams?

-Vanity presses who pass themselves off as traditional publishers. They flatter you, offer you a contract and then you get the fees…editing, marketing packages, printing costs, distribution fees, fees for reviews.  Traditional publishers don’t charge you. They pay you. 

The red flags here are they accept your manuscript suspiciously fast, they ask for an upfront payment, and their website makes vague promises without giving real titles they’ve produced. 

-Fake literary agents.  Real agents are selective….very, very selective. They don’t chase unpublished authors.  Fraudulent agents charge “reading fees” or “editing services” or promise access to publishers they really don’t have a relationship with. A legitimate agent never charges reading or submission fees. 

- Fraudulent contests or awards.  Writing contests can be a wonderful chance to showcase your work, but they can also be an opportunity for scammers to cheat you out of money. Some contests exist solely to collect entry fees and email addresses. Others give out hundreds of meaningless “awards,” then push overpriced trophies, certificates, or anthologies. Do your research.  Look up past winners and check out the organization’s past and reputation.  

- “Your book will make a great movie” scam. It usually starts with a flattering email claiming your book is “being considered by major film producers.” That will get your heart pumping. Who doesn't want to see their book turned into a movie?  Or a Netflix series? What the scammers really mean is: buy our expensive marketing package and we’ll pretend to pitch your book in Hollywood. Real film scouts do not cold-email indie authors. 

- Overpriced, overpromising marketing services. I see this one a lot! Marketing is an important part of being an author, but it’s easy to fall for false promises. Some companies sell “press releases,” “book trailers,” “social media placement,” “reviews “or “Amazon optimization” that do little or nothing.

In short, research the companies who claim they want to work with you. Talk with other writers. Trust your instincts. Unsolicited offers are a red flag. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! 

Fraud Mania

What on earth is going on? So many times lately I have opened my email and been greeted with another warning of a scam.

Last week, my church (St. Luke's Episcopal), cautioned the parishioners that someone was soliciting funds in the name of our priest.

Western Writers of America sent out a group email stating that someone named "Jacqueline" was fleecing members under the guise of our organization. My AARP bulletin has dire articles in both the magazine and the newsletter.

My week was capped with both a print and email warning from my local health organization about fake third-party billing.

Last year, I was invited to attend a conference in London (all expenses paid) and speak about my historical specialty: African American history. They were going to pay me $25,000. That was way too much money. Which I needed, but never mind. It was the wildly inflated amount that aroused my suspicions. If they had offered about $5000 for an overseas appearance I would have been inclined to take it seriously.

The letter was off. Just slightly. There were some phrases that were not constructed in accordance with standard American usage.

 Nevertheless, I was wistful enough to do some research. I was so happy, so flattered. They said such nice things about me. So I checked. The cathedral was real. The Bishop was real. And then I emailed the church secretary. Church secretaries know everything. It was a fraud. Their next step would have undoubtedly been the classic "ask" for my bank account number so they could mail my expense check.

I have no idea how beginning authors manage to pick their way around in the publishing industry. There were so many really crooked people when I was starting. It's a thousand fold now. There are fake agents who have never sold a book in their lives, fake publishers who expect authors to put up seed money, fake reviewers, fake publicists, etc. The list goes on and on.

I'm grateful for all the breaks I have received. Grateful for the wonderful friends I have made through the years. And more grateful than ever for stumbling onto a wonderful agency at the very beginning of my career who put me with editors who really care about books.