A NEW WAVE OF SCAM EMAILS IS TARGETING AUTHORS! “My book club wants to review your book!!”

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Q –

Angela,

What do you know about this book club?

They asked me to pay 99 euros for developing information about my book. They also wanted a PDF which, I’m sure, they would run through AI to get all the info they want in about five minutes.

I asked for a sample of a previous write-up, and they refused to provide it, claiming it was only for their members. At that point, I stopped all communication.

If this is something new, it may be worthwhile to put out an alert. The first email I got was very convincing and flattering. They probably thought I would simply cough up the money without investigating.

A –

It’s definitely a scam. The scammers have seemingly overnight created a ton of fake book clubs to scam authors.

Here are the hallmark signs to look out for!

1. They SPAM YOU. Remember that SPAMMERS ARE SCAMMERS. Spam is when somebody approaches you unsolicited (through email, social media, or even your website), and tries to sell you services. NEVER, EVER respond to spammers or people who cold call you on the phone. If you respond, they will NEVER leave you alone! And, assume they are all scammers BECAUSE THEY ARE!

2. Most of them use Gmail email addresses. Even if they don’t, RUN!

3. They start out with incredible praise about your book…but it’s all FAKE. They use AI to create that in a nanosecond. We discussed this in detail on our last podcast episode. Here’s how fast it works. Go to chatgpt.com or another AI service. Type this into the search box: Write a complimentary email for (your name), about (his/her) book, (your book title).

Here’s an example: Write a complimentary email for Angela Hoy about her book, BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K – $100K Publishing Contracts

This is what was created in a nanosecond by deepai.org:

Subject: Congratulations on Your Inspiring Book, BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED!

Dear Angela,

I hope this message finds you well. I recently had the pleasure of reading your book, BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K – $100K Publishing Contracts, and I wanted to take a moment to commend you on such an insightful and empowering resource.

Your book offers invaluable guidance and real-world examples that truly demystify the process of securing publishing contracts. I appreciate the transparency and practical advice you provide, which I’m sure will inspire many writers to pursue their publishing dreams with confidence.

Thank you for sharing your expertise and success stories; your work is a wonderful contribution to the writing community. I look forward to seeing more of your impactful work in the future.

The scammer then adds some copied/pasted marketing verbiage underneath, trying to empty your wallet.

4. It’s ego marketing. According to Google: “Ego marketing is a strategy that appeals to a person’s sense of self-importance, status, and achievements, often by highlighting exclusivity or prestige.”

No matter how flattering the email, KNOW that the person (it’s most likely a bot) contacting you has NOT read your book. They are rubbing your ego (a very effective marketing technique!) to try to get your money. DON’T FALL FOR IT!!!

5. They make it sound super secret/exclusive. One actually told me I’d have to pay $20 just to get their website URL. She (I know it was a dude overseas) wouldn’t even tell me the name of the group. It was a big secret because they didn’t want “other authors pounding down their door.” Yeah, right… They were using a Gmail email address and, clearly, there was no actual website. Even if they do have a website, IT’S STILL A SCAM! Again, spammers are scammers! If they have to resort to spamming to get money, their business SUCKS and they are DESPERATE!

6. They may make it sound like it’s a group of friends who talk about, and then post reviews for authors’ book. IT’S NOT! It’s some dude in Nigeria, the Philippines, or elsewhere who just wants your MONEY. And, if you give them money, you’re never getting it back!

7. They want you to “tip” the reviewers. One asked me to send a check for $440 so the scammer could “tip” her “book club friends” $20 each. It took four emails for her to finally admit it was NOT free.

8. Unprofessional! Oddly, many of those fake book club emails are filled with very unprofessional emojis.

Here is an example of one I received this week:

They probably do that to fool authors into thinking it is just a real individual who likes books, and who has friends who like books. IT’S NOT!!!

9. It’s not a real person! They can create thousands (or more) of these fake emails with just a few clicks on a keyboard. Their computers can send them out en masse, playing the numbers game. They know a certain percentage of suckers will fall for it. DON’T BE A SUCKER!

We are hearing from dozens of authors each week about this scam. Please, please, please share this post with your author friends and groups so they won’t fall victim to this disgusting crime wave!

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