How to Spot an AI Publishing Scam

 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:

• Fake publicity firms with bogus marketing services (Victoria Strauss at Writers Beware has a great post on this, warning about LitFlare Marketing, Abdull Pro, and Book Niche)
• Fake Bookstagrammer accounts promising reviews (see my article in Writer’s Digest)
• Fake online book clubs that engage enthusiastically with authors but inevitably ask for money (author Jason Sanford wrote about witnessing this firsthand in his Genre Grapevine newsletter)
• Impersonations of real agents, editors, publishing executives, and even other authors (see Writers Beware’s report)

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.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group and the Secret to Stronger Scenes

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Melissa Maygrove, Cathrina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass!

April 1 question - If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?

Today we have a guest! Please welcome Angela Ackerman.

The Secret to Stronger Scenes:
Choosing the Right Fear Level

Fear isn’t pleasant, but it serves a clear purpose: keeping us safe. When a threat appears, the body shifts fast into survival mode. Adrenaline surges. Focus sharpens. The brain scans for danger and possible outcomes. Then we act: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.

Our characters also experience fear, and that’s a good thing. Not only will readers relate to a POV character’s immediate physical responses—a racing heartbeat, breath catching, muscles tensing, etc.—it also generates instant tension. Readers (like us) are hardwired for survival. When a character they care about is threatened, they grip the pages tighter and read faster.

Fear is a powerful element and can be used for so many reasons: to reveal a character’s vulnerabilities, strengthen stakes, steer motivation and plot, juice scenes with tension, and more. But fear isn’t one-size-fits-all. It comes in a range of intensity levels that can be used for different purposes.

In The Fear Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to What Holds Characters Back, Becca and I came up with the concept of the FEAR ELEVATOR to illustrate fear’s wide range.

Think of it as an elevator in the world’s worst apartment building, one housing all types of fears. It can stop on any floor, but the lower it goes, the darker and more destructive the fears get.

At the top of the building are Fleeting Fears, those brief spikes that pass quickly: Your character jumping at a boom of thunder or gasping at a near-miss when changes lanes. These work well when a scene needs a crackle of tension, foreshadowing, or redirect that doesn’t slow the pace.  

Mild Fears cause discomfort, say when your character is trying to muster up the nerve to ask someone out. These everyday fears show readers how your character is human and feels vulnerable at times.

Managed Fears are when old fears are triggered—being in a location where they were once mugged or running into their ex—but the character is able to master their emotions and stay in control. Use these to show a character’s growth and resilience!

Persistent Fears get in your character’s way. They steer behavior—your character avoid relationships after being dumped or they play it safe in life rather than risk more failures. Persistent fears show how your character is caught in a loop, facing the same problems, making the same fear-driven choices, and is unable to break free.

Phobias are life-altering. Classified as an anxiety disorder, a character’s fear of crowds, small spaces, open water, or other phobias send them into a state of panic even if no actual threat exists. These are a good option to show how a fear can limit and create monumental, lifelong challenges.  

In the basement with good reason, Deep Fears & Wounds are tied to past trauma. They negatively shape a character’s identity, beliefs, worldview and self-worth. This is the fear at the heart of most stories, the one that must be faced to change, grow, and achieve meaningful goals. It creates the biggest moments of inner conflict and will be the hardest type to confront.

Fear works best when you use it with purpose, so in ever scene, get clear on your goal. Do you need to provide a jolt of tension, a layer of unease, or triggers a cascade of fear-driven choices? Whatever it is, match your goal to the fear type that will best bring this about.

If the scene needs momentum, send the elevator to the upper floors. For character vulnerability and resilience, try the middle. If your goal is to reveal deeper struggles, go lower. And when you need to show a character’s greatest fear, the thing they must overcome to succeed, head to the basement.

Stories thrive on fear, so don’t be afraid to use it! And if you need more help, The Fear Thesaurus explores 80+ deep fears and shows you exactly how each can hold your character back.

Angela Ackerman is a story coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and its many sequels. Her guides are used by novelists, screenwriters, and editors around the world.