This article will be similar to our World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals column, and it will, of course, include my super snarky comments. 😉

Below are the subject lines from emails I’ve received from scammers in JUST THE PAST 3 DAYS!

After reading this, you’ll learn how you, too, can spot an email from a scammer within seconds. And, you might chuckle (or guffaw!) a few times along the way. 🙂

If you’re like me, you’re getting INUNDATED with emails from overseas scammers. Too many authors are falling for the fake (AI-generated) complimentary messages, fake service listings, fake low-ball prices, and fake promises of fame and fortune. In reality, they take your money and run (or they keep demanding more and more money for work they haven’t done yet…and that they will never do).

I save all of the scam emails I receive in a folder on my laptop. That way, when an author writes in to ask if that company is a scammer, I can easily search my folder to see if they’ve contacted me as well. Of course, I also research each company for each author who contacts me. I never charge one red cent to do that for folks. 🙂

So, are you ready? Here are the subject lines from scam emails I’ve received in JUST THE PAST 3 DAYS. Notice how some of them are CLEARLY marketing-related, but others look like it’s just someone who wants to ask you a question about your book. Those folks are NOT your friends! They are data mining (trying to determine if your email address is still active, and what they can try to sell you). Also, notice the other tricks I point out that they use to get you to click.

NOTE: Almost all of these came from Gmail email addresses. BUT, just because you might receive a similar email that is not from a Gmail email address, it will still be a scam. Remember, spammers are scammers!

The bold text at the top of each example is the subject line from the email. I’m only including a snippet from each email.

---

FAKE BOOK TO MOVIE DEALS AND FAKE LITERARY AGENTS

Literary Representation & Film Adaptation | Publishing & Writing Nonfiction |

“I recently came across your work, including your background as a publishing executive, writer, and author whose books focus on writing, publishing, book proposals, marketing, and practical guidance for authors, alongside your longstanding work in the publishing industry, and I wanted to reach out personally.”

So, you just googled my name, used an AI system’s answer (you clearly think you’re a GENIUS!), and then you just copied and pasted. Any scammer can do that! In fact, you ALL do it!

---

Author Opportunities | Literary Representation & Screen Adaptation

“We help authors explore two areas, literary agent representation and film or television adaptation opportunities.”

You can read exactly how that scam works here: AUTHOR ALMOST LOST $50K!! We Saved an Author from a FAKE “Fox” Movie Deal, Which is Connected to a Known Publishing Scammer!

---

Story Bridge

“Before I continue, am I speaking with the author associated with this email? Something has come up that requires your attention.”

Gosh, that sounds really important! Almost serious! Am I about to get sued??? You have to admit that’s a pretty creative way to get you to respond so they’ll have your active email address for data mining and scamming, right? DO NOT ENGAGE!

---

IMPERSONATION SCAMS

Editorial Support for your Manuscript

My name is Aimee Friedman, and I serve as a Senior Editor at Scholastic house.

Nobody working at Scholastic uses Gmail. They have email addresses using their own domain, Scholastic.com. Watch out for the THOUSANDS of scammers that are now impersonating legitimate businesses! On THIS PAGE, search for this: impersonation scams

---

FAKE MARKETING SERVICES

Subject line: Re:

Greetings ?? Can I have a brief discussion with this author?

Yes, the subject is: “Re:” Do you know how many people click on emails with subject lines like that, or emails with a blank subject line? Almost everybody clicks out of simple curiosity. We see these types of emails ALL the time. If you respond to even one of them, you will be FLOODED with emails from scammers day and night (just like me!) because they add you to a database and/or share/sell your email address with/to other scammers. I responded to a few early on for research (and to mess with them), and apparently I’m on EVERY scammer’s list now! 

---

Free Book Relaunching and Marketing Relaunch Program

This company did NOT use Gmail. They have a real domain. This scammer charges authors to republish their books (that is NOT necessary!), promising they can get the author’s books into 1,000 bookstores! However, the author was going to have to pay for the book copies. That’s not how it works in the industry! In reality, they were never going to republish the book, nor were they ever going to print any copies. They were going to steal the money from the author, and disappear into the night.

---

Question About the Audiobook Edition

He pretended he wanted to buy my audiobook on Amazon. It was a foreign scammer whose name I could never pronounce in this life, nor in the next one. He was going to pretend to buy my book, and then offer to review the book…for a fee, of course. Remember that, if you pay for book reviews, Amazon can ban your book (and you!) from their site permanently.

---

Quick Question About Your Books

“Dear author, I’m writing to ask you a quick question: Is any of your books available on Audible?”

Notice he didn’t use my name, and he has poor grammar. And, of course, he uses Gmail.

---

Author Angela: Giving Your Previously Published Books a Fresh Start

When they call you Author (Your Name), that’s always a huge red flag. This was another scammer who said my book would be “a great fit” with the current scam service they’re running (promoting older books).

---

Concerning your book

This came from a person pretending to be part of a large publishing company (another impersonation scam). And, yes, she used Gmail. (It’s almost always really a “he.” They sometimes use female names to make themselves look more trustworthy.) They tried to sell me an interview on their podcast (an interview that was never going to happen because the podcast is fake). Also beware of scammers selling interviews on real podcasts. The problem is, they’re not connected to that podcast at all. They take your money and vanish. When you later contact the real podcast, they’ll tell you that you’ve been scammed. 

---

A character idea for your story

“She” emailed me twice (they never give up!), trying to sell me “hand-drawn character designs.” Some spammers will send you free samples! But, you guessed it! It’s all AI. And, using AI in your book can result in the copyright office refusing to register your copyright. It can also get you sued because AI uses real copyrighted images and text created by humans. 

---

Bring Your Book Characters to Life

Sounds like the one above, right? Nope! It came from a different email address. They’re all using each other’s scam playbooks.

---

A few observations about your book

A scammer with a completely unrealistic name claimed to be an “ebook consultant.” She (he!) said she noticed some things in my book that needed improvement. The fact is, she’s never read my book. She wrote, “I thought it would be better to ask before sending you a long message with several points.” She was planning to send me a list written by AI. And, then she was going to quote me a fee to “fix” everything in the book. Again, she’s never read my book. 

---

Surprise!!!!!!

This scammer offered to use “targeted and ethical digital strategies to increase my reach and engagement.” Sounds impressive, right? It’s scammer gobbledygook. It’s always hilarious when scammers use the word “ethical.” They do that on purpose to try to convince you they’re honest folks. DON’T FALL FOR IT!

---

Is your book showing up when readers ask AI?

“I help authors make sure their books and profiles are structured in a way that gets picked up by these AI recommendation systems.”

No, you don’t!

---

A Proposal to Amplify [book title]

“Grace” (ha ha ha) sent an email to me about a completely different book. I didn’t write it, nor publish it. She wants me to respond so we can “move to the next step!“ Not on your life, scammer! Isn’t Grace a lovely name? It instills feelings of sweetness, goodness, and faith. Some scammers use those types of names on purpose in an attempt to instill trust. 

---

FAKE FACEBOOK AD BUYING

Re: 

The subject line was completely blank on this email. As I wrote above, many scammers do that to entice people to click.

“Hello, I help businesses and authors grow their revenue and visibility through highly targeted Facebook Ads. I offer a performance-based service where you only pay 7% of the sales generated from my campaigns—no upfront cost.”

Sure ya do, bud. You take their money and DISAPPEAR!

---

FAKE BOOK CLUBS!

We have covered fake book clubs extensively on WritersWeekly. Real book clubs never charge authors a penny! 

A Reader Focused Opportunity for Your Book

“We connect authors with engaged readers through book discussions, features, and community activities.”

No, you don’t!

---

Blank subject line

“Our branded literary lounge highlights standout authors to a targeted demographic of avid readers, book reviewers, and local media. We have been following the release of your book and believe it offers the exact narrative depth our audience seeks, providing direct access to Seattle’s core literary demographic.”

Total B.S. My last book was released three years ago. And notice, she never mentions the title… It’s AI-written garbage! 

---

CINEMATIC BOOK TRAILERS AND PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS (that will never get made)

Make your book stand out

“What if your book could make an impression before readers even turned the first page?”

What if you crawled under a rock and stopped stealing people’s money for a living? 

---

A short TikTok feature opportunity

“We’ll include a clean author/book closing screen at no additional cost.”

She offered this for only $15. WATCH OUT FOR ROCK-BOTTOM PRICES! If she can spam and scam enough authors, she could make a living on this…and it wouldn’t involve making any videos at all. She’ll simply collect the money and disappear. 

---

Re: Check this out before we conclude.

“I’m reaching out to invite you to consider a short TikTok feature for one of your books.”

Notice how the subject line might make someone click because they’ll think they’re already having a conversation with that person. Pretty clever, huh? Don’t fall for it!

---

FAKE INTERVIEW OFFERS

You have been selected for a special Author Global Press interview

“I recently came across your book and was genuinely impressed by the message behind it. It’s clear that a lot of thought and purpose went into the work, and that’s what caught my attention.”

Check out that generic word salad! This came from a chap named Emmanuel. You would not BELIEVE how many scammers use that name! I guess because it sounds Biblical and innocent? Anyway, Emmanuel knows NOTHING about any of my books. 

---

REPUBLISHING/RELICENSING SCAMS

Stay small enough long enough and you will be big enough soon enough!

The first line of the email: Peace and goodness be with you.

The first red flag was the subject line. I mean…what??? The second red flag was that greeting! If you’ve been around the block a few times, you know that American companies don’t use that type of wording…but some foreigners from WAY across the pond do. They wanted to charge THOUSANDS to republish a book. One of our authors fell for this type of scam not long ago. She asked us to terminate her book, and insisted she’d found a “traditional publisher.” I tried to convince her it was a scam. She refused to listen to me. She came back a few months later. She paid thousands to the scammers, and the book was never republished. The scammers made the deal sound simply “too good to be true!” That company, with a U.S. address on their website, is actually located in Zimbabwe.

---

FAKE LITERARY AGENTS

Literary Agent Connection | Nonfiction and Publishing

These scoundrels claim to connect authors with literary agents…for a fee, of course. That is NOT how the industry works!

---

A Quick Introduction

“Sophie” hit me up three times, asking if I’m already working with a literary agent. “She” works for a scammer that was already on our list.

---

Inquiry Regarding Your Work and Current Manuscripts

This one came from the EXACT same company as the one directly above. However, the person sending it used a different name.

---

Quick question about your current draft

This scammer was reaching for EVERYTHING! He offered to edit, offer feedback, and to be my literary agent. Real literary agents don’t use Gmail!

---

FAKE BOOK REVIEW OFFERS!

Angela Hoy, ever wonder if your reviews are getting noticed?

He was offering to boost my book reviews on Amazon. He wasn’t going to do jack you-know-what!

---

Which Book Should I Start With?

“I’m currently reviewing a selection of independently published books and setting aside a few that I believe deserve a closer look.”

Sure you are, lady (I mean dude). Had I replied, she (again, HE!) was going to quote me a hefty price after sending a few emails to try to convince me she/he is legitimate. They will literally say ANYTHING to get your money!

---

Angela

Yep, they just used my first name in the subject line. It worked. I opened it.

“Our community has 5,000+ Instagram followers and 1,000+ TikTok followers, and we’re introducing selected books to those audiences.”

No, it doesn’t!

---

Dear Angela

“Are your books listed on Goodreads?”

There they go just using my name again in the email subject line! At least they added the word “dear.” I knew where that would go if I replied. I would receive a long, impressive, AI-written email promising me the world…if only I would send her a few hundred bucks. I ignored it. Then, she spammed me AGAIN!

---

FAKE BOOK CONTESTS AND LITERARY AWARDS

Recognition for Your Work

“Hi Author, I hope you are doing well? I wanted to get in touch about something that could give your work another avenue for recognition. Book awards and literary competitions can provide authors with opportunities to have their work formally recognized, whether through a finalist or shortlist placement…”

BLAH BLAH BLAH! They want authors to pay THEM to submit the authors’ books for awards. Of course, they’ll quote you hundreds (or even thousands) in entry fees, PLUS they’ll charge you for their services. And, then they’ll disappear with your dough. They won’t submit your book for any awards. And those contest fees? They’ll keep that money as well, of course!

---

Well, I hope this has been educational and entertaining for you guys and gals. I have literally thousands of emails from scammers in my “WARNINGS!” email folder. If you are approached by someone you don’t know, remember that spammers are scammers. Legitimate companies aren’t spamming authors. Save yourself a lot of time, heartache, stress, and MONEY by simply deleting those emails, and blocking the senders!

RELATED

• NEW SCAM! “Pay us $26K and we’ll stock 3,500 copies of your book in 150 stores!”
• Is Your Favorite Writing Group on Facebook Being Moderated by a Scammer?
• How We Successfully Scambaited “Icky-Chuck-You” from Nigeria After He Got Furious and Cast Voodoo Spells on Angela!
• Scammers Impersonating Amazon are Charging Authors THOUSANDS to Get Their FAKE Amazon Accounts Back!
• Shameless Scammer Publishing Mojo is at it again!!!
• What Do These Scam Emails ALL Have in Common?

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?

Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.

ASK ANGELA!