Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
By Marissa DeCuir
Recently one of our Books Forward authors Susan Fletcher received
a strange email from someone she didn’t recognize, which began:
Subject: A captivating retelling of The Little
Mermaid, let’s help it shine on Goodreads
Hi Susan,
Sea Change is a gorgeously layered YA romance
that explores identity, love, and the courage to make impossible choices.
Turtle’s struggle between her Mer life and her growing connection with Kai
feels so authentic and achingly relatable, especially for readers navigating
their own sense of belonging. The novel’s world-building and ethical questions
about genetic evolution are equally compelling, elevating it beyond a love
story into something much more resonant.
As a professional book marketer who works
closely with YA and middle-grade authors, I’d love to help extend the reach of Sea
Change. At Boundless Book Promotion, my campaigns focus on long-term
discovery, high-engagement spaces like Goodreads, and community placements that
connect with readers, both young and adult, hungry for books like yours…
The email went on to outline a “tailored
visibility strategy”, and was signed by “Jenny J. Conwell - Founder, Boundless
Book Promotion”, with a Gmail address.
A quick Google search led to a barren website
(little more than a Wordpress “Contact” page) and a Reddit
thread which seemed to confirm what Susan suspected: Boundless Book
Promotion is part of the new wave of AI scammers aggressively targeting
authors.
The most common type of AI scams we’ve been seeing
include:
And that’s not even scratching the surface of
indie authors who hire an editor, cover artist, or audiobook voice actor, only
to receive AI-generated results in return.
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
So how do you protect yourself from the AI scam
onslaught?
1). Be wary of unsolicited emails or DMs from
publicists, reviewers, and publishing executives.
Real publicists and publishing execs don’t
cold-message authors in order to represent them (in fact, it’s the other way
around!). Book reviewers are sent dozens of books every week; they don’t have
to chase authors. If you receive an unsolicited message, don’t click on
attachments or links (google their website instead). And if the sender starts
asking for money (a fee, a tip, etc) then that’s a HUGE red flag!
2). Do some sleuthing to make sure the person
who is contacting you is who they say they are.
Impersonations can be convincing. See if you can
independently verify the sender’s contact details by googling them before you
respond. Professional publishing execs and publicists do not email authors from
generic Gmail accounts. If you do respond, remember that book clubs, agents,
publishers, and event organizers will not require a fee for working with you.
If they mention a fee, you are most likely dealing with a scammer!
3). Check their website to confirm which
authors they’ve worked with.
Publicists and publishing professionals will
usually list which authors they’re working with, or have worked with the past.
And they’ll often showcase their authors’ testimonials, case studies, news updates, event
notices, or social
media tags. If they claim to represent certain authors, double check those
authors’ social media pages to confirm they are real, and that the relationship
is legitimate.
Photo by Shahadat Rahman on Unsplash
4). Check the sender’s social media and tags
for recent and authentic activity.
Have they tagged or been tagged by real author
accounts? Do their posts feature photos of real people and books? Do they have
engagement (comments, etc) from real accounts? A quick check through their
social media will give you a better sense of who you’re dealing with!
5). Set up a call.
A short video call can help you confirm the
person’s identity, and give you a better sense of whether they are
legitimate.
AI scams can be hard to spot at first glance. But
with a little caution and savviness, you can spot them, protect your money and
time, and ensure that your book ends up where it belongs: in the hands of
authentic readers and advocates who want to celebrate your work.
Marissa
DeCuir is a real person, as far as she knows. She’s the president of Books Forward, a veteran author publicity
and book marketing firm that represents real bestselling and debut
authors from all over the world. As a former award-winning journalist, she
approaches book promotion with a reporter’s mindset—and feels particularly
passionate about helping authors differentiate fact from fiction.
