Success Story

The Flying Nun, Oprah, and Me – by John Riddle

March 28, 2019

The Flying Nun, Oprah, and Me – by John Riddle
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When I was 17 and a few months away from graduating HS in 1970, our family lived in public housing projects in Chester, PA. While watching an episode of “The Flying Nun” one night, I was intrigued by the closing credits that were dedicated to one of the writers who had passed away. Right then and there I prayed, and asked God if he wouldn’t mind making me a writer one day.

Moments later, I felt inspired to write my own episode. Using an old Royal Typewriter (with a few bent keys), I created eight pages of what I thought was “great material.” However, when I showed it to my English teacher at the Catholic HS I was attending, he told me it was “the worst piece of crap” (he used a different word) that he had ever read and that I should consider a career as a ditch digger.”

Right then and there I vowed that, one day, I would see my name on multiple covers of books and that I would travel the country, inspiring and teaching other people to follow their dream of writing. A few months later I enlisted in the Navy.

Fast forward through seven years of collecting rejection slips and I finally sold my first magazine article! I had arrived!!! With no college degree, but lots of clips, I could not get a job as a “real writer” so I drifted from being a payroll clerk at the Dupont Company (seven years) to a few part time jobs after I left there to pursue my writing dream.

A few years later, I found myself working as a Development Director in charge of fundraising and public relations at a local nonprofit agency. It was the best of both worlds, allowing me to use my gift of creative communication to write grant and fundraising letters, and to create special events. For example, I tried to set the Guinness Book of World Records by having the largest number of people dance the twist with Chubby Checker!

After seven years at one agency, I took another Development Director job at an agency closer to my home. I raised a boatload of money for them in the first 15 months or so and they rewarded me by laying me off.

As I sat home, licking my wounds, wondering where I was going to find another full-time job, etc., I remember watching the Oprah show one afternoon. She was going through the phase of the show where she would have self-help experts come on and tell people, “If you want it, make it happen, etc.”

I finally had my “light bulb moment!”

Why was I wasting my time looking for yet another full-time job when, by this time, I had tons of clips (The Washington Post, among others)? Thankfully, the Internet was still in the early stages and I started reaching out to editors online.

As of this date, I have written and sold 34 books to traditional publishers, and have worked as a ghostwriter on numerous projects. My byline has appeared in major publications all across the U.S., and I have written articles for over 200 Websites.

And I’m not done yet…

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John Riddle is a freelance writer, author, and ghostwriter from Bear, Delaware. His byline has appeared in major newspapers, magazines, websites and trade journals all across the country. He is the author of 34 books, including a few health and medical titles, and has worked as a ghostwriter on numerous projects. John is also the Founder of I Love To Write Day, a grassroots campaign he launched in 2002 to have people of all ages practice writing every November 15. Last year over 25,000 schools all across the United States held special I Love To Write Day events and activities. He is a frequent speaker at both Christian and secular writing conferences, and recently appeared at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. You can obtain a quote for John’s ghostwriting services here: https://marketplace.writersweekly.com/ghostwriters

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A NEW WAVE OF SCAM EMAILS IS TARGETING AUTHORS! “My book club wants to review your book!!”
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BOOKLOCKER’S 30%-OFF HALLOWEEN SALE IS IN EFFECT RIGHT NOW! Get your book published for $293 off!!! Details and the discount code are RIGHT HERE!

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 (click to enlarge):

 

 

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!!!

Oh, and here’s an email from a super lazy scammer! Unfortunately, authors are falling for this garbage, too!

Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:08:31 -0400
From: Asher Walter <asherwilliam407@gmail.com>

Hi Angela,

I came across your book and was impressed by your work. Many books go unseen simply because readers haven’t found them yet. Would you be interested to a quick chat about ways to help your book reach more readers?

I asked him what book he was referring to. His went online and found one of my books but, in his email, he misspelled the title.

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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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!



WE CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!! Scammer Words Stratum / wordsstratum.com Asks Us to Remove Warning about Another Scammer Because They’re Losing Money!!
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Q – 

——– Forwarded Message ——–
Subject: WRITERSWEEKLY QUESTION – Eddie Foster
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:42:22 +0000
Reply-To: sales@wordsstratum.com <sales@wordsstratum.com>

Hello Angela,

I hope you’re doing well. I’m reaching out on behalf of Words Stratum (https://www.wordsstratum.com) regarding the article published on your website titled:

“Scammer Word Stratum (wordstratum.com) Tries to Hoodwink Angela”
Article link: https://writersweekly.com/ask-the-expert/scammer-word-stratum-wordstratum-co-tries-to-hookwink-angela

It seems that our company, Words Stratum (with a double “s”), is being mistaken for the entity mentioned in that post, Word Stratum (single “s”). We are not associated in any way with that company. Unfortunately, the similarity in names has confused potential clients who come across that article when searching for us. This has led to repeated misunderstandings and, in some cases, direct financial impact.

Additionally, the domain wordstratum.com is now inactive and listed for sale, which further confirms that the company referenced in the article is no longer operational.

In light of this, we kindly request one of the following:

Either a clarification note at the beginning of the article, such as:

“Note: This article refers to wordstratum.com, not to wordsstratum.com, which is a separate and unrelated company.”

Or, if possible, a title/meta update (or removal) to help prevent ongoing confusion for readers and clients.

We’d deeply appreciate your help in clearing up this misunderstanding. Please let us know if you’d like any verification, company documentation, or further details from our side.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Warm regards,
Eddie Foster.
Team Words Stratum.

– Eddie Foster ( sales@wordsstratum.com )

A –

Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:41:08 -0400
To: sales@wordsstratum.com <sales@wordsstratum.com>

Oh, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie…

You’re going to be sorry you wasted my time and yours today.

Your website has been added to our list of scammers.

You weren’t even on our radar yet so thanks for the head’s up, buddy! And, we’re ALSO going to give you a VERY SPECIAL shout-out in this week’s issue of WritersWeekly! No, you don’t need to thank me but it’s very sweet of you to offer! You deserve it!

We’ll be sure to share that on our social media channels as well. From now on, when someone Google’s your company’s name, the warning about you is going to pop right up on top of the Google search engine results! Congrats!! It’s an honor to get so much visibility!!!

Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I already reported you to Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You’re welcome! 😉

Angela Hoy
Publisher
WritersWeekly.com, Inc.

READERS: Here are the two companies’ logos side by side. Whaddya think? Same company or not? 

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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!



 

Scammers are Highjacking Authors’ Accounts, and Then Blackmailing Them!
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Q – 

I just read your report regarding Timesbook Publishing. I paid them to publish two of my books. We have a contract stating I have 100% copyrights to my books but now I’m being asked for my KDP, Facebook, and Instagram credentials, which was a major red flag to me. That’s why I started searching them and found you.

Is there anyway I can get my books from them so I can have a legitimate publisher publish my books? I paid them to do my illustrations for my children’s book. I’m a new author and these are my first two books.

What can I do moving forward? I consider the $8,000+ a loss but what choices do I have regarding getting my books? Thank you for your advice and help. I greatly appreciate it.

A – 

Did they ever send you the illustrations? And, were they sized correctly, and 300 dpi?

Definitely do NOT give them your login credentials to any site whatsoever!!!

One of the foreign scammers recently hijacked an authors’ websites after she gave them access. She can’t get her websites back and they are trying to extort/blackmail money from her to give her access again (which they never will anyway). She’s now out of business.

UPDATE:

The author sent me two of the illustrations. First, they were clearly AI generated. Second, there is no bleed on the images so they can’t be used for printing. Essential parts of each illustration would get cut off. They’re worthless.

She needs to find a legitimate publisher that IS located in the U.S., and that isn’t a scammer.

And, she can find a vetted, REAL illustrator RIGHT HERE.

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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!



 

DON’T BE FOOLED! How AI Helps Scammers Write “False Praise” about Your Book!
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We’re all being inundated with spam, unsolicited social media messages, and marketing phone calls from scammers right now. We are receiving DOZENS of forwarded scam emails from authors daily!

Many authors are flummoxed by the extremely accurate book descriptions the scammers are using when contacting authors with (false!) praise about their books.

Q – 

I received an email today from someone calling herself Marilyn E. Smith. The note is very flattering, well-written, and offers to help promote my book but it comes from a generic Gmail address, and gives no (verifiable) business information. No company name, website, location, or a way to contact other than by “reply”.

I did find an Amazon author page linked to Marilyn E. Smith with one book, in a similar genre to mine, but that’s all. I don’t know if the solicitation is legitimate, but I figured that if I’m already more visible online than she is, she’s probably not the marketing strategist for me. Nevertheless, the email was polished and persuasive enough that I wonder if I’m just being too paranoid, and I might be missing out on a legitimate service by not responding. The email is tailored to my book’s content and voice, but could have been assembled automatically. Can A.I. scan a book’s online information and produce a personalized-sounding sales pitch? Is this a thing?

A – 

It’s a scam.If you do ask them for a website, they will either tell you it’s only for their “members” (you have to pay first to get that!), or they will send you a webpage link that’s using a free service (like scammer-page.wix-vibe.com). No legitimate company uses a free site like that.

We’re receiving reports of this exact same scam several times every day now. James M. Walsh, Esq. is currently writing an article for us about the influx of Gmail Email Scammers. Any legitimate company has their own website, and an email address that uses that domain (i.e. angela@writersweekly.com). Any so-called company contacting you from a Gmail email address should be avoided at all costs. Gmail has lost control over the number of scammers using their service. It’s likely well into the millions, if not more. Why would a scammer bother to put up a website when they can hoodwink thousands of authors with false praise that was written using AI?

Yes, they’re absolutely using A.I. to write those pitches! It’s not hard. They pull the book’s description from Amazon, and possibly even the excerpt of a book they found online. They then copy and paste that into an AI program, which instantly creates a convincing description of the book. They can even ask AI specifically to create (false!) praise for your book! Then, they use a search engine to find the author’s contact information. Some scammers, after failing to contact the author directly, will reach out to the author’s relatives online, telling them they MUST have the author contact them (the scammers) RIGHT AWAY! Talk about desperate marketing!!

THE AUTHOR REPLIED:

Wow. Creepy! I’m disappointed it wasn’t real, and really grateful to you. You’ve saved me time & money and prevented shame and embarrassment.

Thank you!

MY REPLY: 

Just doing my job! 🙂 I’m so glad I could help! So many authors do NOT do their research and they’re getting scammed left and right. 🙁

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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!



“Who can I trust?!” This is a Question We’re Receiving from Authors DAILY Now!
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Authors, need your book published in time for the Christmas shopping season? Contact us RIGHT AWAY and get $125 off at BookLocker! Details and the discount code are RIGHT HERE. 

Q –

How can I get my book published without being scammed?

A – 

The good news is that more and more authors are waking up, and avoiding getting scammed by the thousands of fake publishing websites that are operating now in Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, and India.

However, authors are gun-shy about signing up with anyone because there are seemingly now far more fake “publishers” than there are legitimate ones. They are EVERYWHERE! And, Meta (the owner of Facebook and Instagram) keeps accepting paid ads from them, making the scam operations look legitimate.

The publishers at the link below ARE located in the U.S.:

https://writersweekly.com/compare

If you hire a publisher who is actually located in the U.S., you have an excellent chance of getting your money back if things go awry. Remember that all of the scam publishers have fake U.S. addresses!

Also, remember to ALWAYS pay with a credit card. Never, EVER pay with a bank transfer or any electronic service. If you do, you’ll never get your money back. All legitimate companies accept credit card payments. Also, remember to avoid anyone who contacts you out of the blue on any forum, including via email and by cold calling you.

Spammers are scammers!

If you are shopping for a publisher, you MUST read this list!

11 Ways to Know If a “Publisher” or Other Service Provider is an Overseas Scammer (You’ll probably only need to check #1 to prove it!)

RELATED



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!



 

 

Could The Publishing Scammer I Foolishly Hired Steal My Manuscript?
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Q – 

I have given money to one of these scammers. I feel very foolish… Hemingway Publishers. I realized that everything they are promising is unrealistic. My concerns are that they have a copy of my almost completed book. Can they steal my book? That’s almost more important to me than stealing my identity. Thank you so much for your time and your website!

A – 

I get that question a lot. It’s doubtful they’re going to steal your manuscript. They’re making FAR too much money ripping off authors with fake services than they would by actually publishing authors’ manuscripts.

For our readers:

Hemingway Publishers/ hemingwaypublishers.com
Committing violations on THIS LIST. They even have their own name appearing incorrectly on their website. According to Facebook, they have page managers in PAKISTAN. The showcased book on their cover design page, Viagem ao Centro da Terra, was published by another company (exact same cover!) seven years before this firm’s website existed. We also found scathing reviews about them online.

RELATED



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!



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WARNING from $40,000 Elderly Victim of The Book Professionals / TheBookProfessionals.com
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This author contacted Angela for advice about a scammer. Then, she courageously has agreed to share her story with all of us! 🙂

I just read the article about an elderly gentleman who was scammed by an illegitimate publisher. My story is similar, however, with a different publisher based in Pakistan. Unfortunately, I do not have the means to pursue this further, except to expose this scam through a platform such as yours.

In early September of 2024, I contacted The Book Professionals (TheBookProfessionals.com) through their website to inquire about publishing my memoir manuscript. They were happy to have my business, and immediately placed me in touch with their marketing manager, “Chris Morris.” He wasted no time advising me on the best and most expensive marketing and publishing packages available, and, for the benefit and success of my book, convinced me to opt for the costliest option: the Premium Package. Although I felt he might be taking advantage of my naivety, inexperience, and age, he smoothly persuaded me to trust his expertise and experience, and to move forward.

I made it clear that I did not have disposable income; I live on a fixed income, have good credit, and no savings. Chris repeatedly told me not to worry because authors don’t need credit cards; in other words, my royalties would give me plenty of money to live on. “Just trust me,” Chris kept telling me. Like me, he believed in God (or at least he said he did), and we had to think He would provide for us.

After two months, when I realized my book project was not advancing, and I was not being allowed to review the work I had paid for in advance, I began to doubt the legitimacy of the company. At this point, I had nothing to show for my time spent with the publisher: a phone call from Chris each morning, but deceit, unfulfilled promises, and an investment of over $40,000, which I had paid in advance for services that I never received.

My two adult daughters, recognizing the flaws in this arrangement, decided to investigate further, without my knowledge, including communicating with the FBI, which confirmed that this company was indeed on the FBI’s radar.

Ultimately, after reporting my predicament to the appropriate local authorities and the FBI, I am left owing over $25,000 in credit card debt. I have had to enter a debt relief program, which has detrimentally affected my previously excellent credit, not to mention my self-loathing and embarrassment. I am learning that these tactics are prevalent within the scammers in the publishing industry, and my experience is not isolated.

EDITOR’S NOTES ABOUT COMMON TACTICS USED BY THIS SCAMMER AND OTHERS:

  • “Just trust me…” is a common scammer statement.
  • They initially ask what your religion is, and then they pretend to be the same.
  • They use fake American names. Many of them don’t understand English names, and use two English first names.
  • You can find more common practices that scammers targeting authors use RIGHT HERE.

RELATED

Janet Ruiz Martin-McCoey, 83, published her first book, a memoir, in January 2025 (not with the company named above!), titled “Sudden Death, Grief, and Miracles: How to survive after loss.” Her story is one of resilience and fortitude as she faced many losses in her life, especially those of her 16-year-old son and 12-year-old grandson. She formed and led a grief group for eight years, “Parents Sharing the Loss of a Child,” in conjunction with the Mental Health Association of Yolo County, in the early 1980s.

“Will you buy an article I wrote about how to land a movie deal?” NO, and here’s why!
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Q – 

“In this article, I’ll talk about the visual aspects of a book, generating publicity, querying producers, paying for pitching networking services, and hiring a professional screenwriter, all of which are elements that are bound to set up any book for Hollywood success…”

A – 

There are so many book-to-film scams out there right now and the very poor advice in your article would lead authors right into those scammers’ clutches. A guy recently contacted me who was scammed out of $1M over time. They kept dangling that non-existent movie over his head…for years!

I was also interviewed by the Associated Press about scammers in the industry.

You mentioned “pitching services.” Those are a scam.

And, movie companies hire screenwriters; not authors.

Part of your pitch said you’ve done all of this yourself but you didn’t say anything about the book or the resulting movie, which tells me your efforts failed.

NOT INTERESTED!

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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!



 

 

“Why is Amazon Running Ads for Adult Products Under My Book?”
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Authors, need your book published in time for the Christmas shopping season? Contact us RIGHT AWAY and get $125 off at BookLocker! Details and the discount code are RIGHT HERE. 

Q – 

Angela, please help!

My book was just published. It’s on Amazon. However, whenever I look at my book’s page on their site, ads for “adult” products and books appear underneath my book.

I’m so embarrassed! I can’t send my friends and family to that link! I tried contacting Amazon but they just referred me back to my publisher, who said there’s nothing they can do, but didn’t explain why. 

A – 

Amazon’s employees (likely minimum wage workers located overseas) are REALLY good at passing the buck! Even when they know the answer, they’ll try to rid of you as quickly as possible.

I never publish the names of people contacting me for our Q&A column (unless they ask me to) and, today, you’ll be thankful that I don’t. You’ll be relieved to know that I have received this same question MANY times over the years.

The ads that appear on any product page on Amazon are the result of a multitude of factors, including, ummmm, your purchase and search history.

That means your friends and family are likely seeing completely different ads under your book. Well, unless they’ve been looking at “adult” products on Amazon. 😉

RELATED



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!



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Scammers Feigning Interest in Your Book?
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Q – 

Hi Angela,

I hope all is well with you! I’m kind of paranoid about scams these days, and I was wondering if you could give me some guidance on an email I received today. The sender is Rose Madison, who had emailed me and asked me to send her the Amazon link to my book. Are you aware of any scams where they do funky things with links to authors books? Maybe I’m overthinking this email, but I just wanted to run this by you just in case.

She wrote:

“I saw your book recently and really appreciated the way you’re putting your work into the world, it stood out to me. I wanted to ask you a quick question that I thought you might have a unique perspective on. I know your time is valuable, so no pressure at all, if this isn’t the right channel, I totally understand. But I figured I’d try, just in case. Here’s the question: Are your books available on Amazon? If so, could you please share the link?”

A – 

Yep, it’s a scam. “She” (likely a guy in the Pakistan, Nigeria, or the Philippines) was going to pretend to buy your book, lavish praise upon you, and then try to sell you services.

You can tell it’s a scam because:

1. The email is far too general, and doesn’t mention your book (or anything about it). Even if the email did mention something about your book (some scammers do a bit more homework than others), the rest of the email was just weird.

2. It says she (he!) needs your unique perspective on something, but doesn’t mention what that is.

3. He then just asks you for the Amazon link.

As you can see, none of it makes any sense.

A real customer (non-scammer) would have simply looked up your book on Amazon, and purchased it.

RELATED



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!







Ask The Expert Archives

2 Responses to "The Flying Nun, Oprah, and Me – by John Riddle"

  1. Amy Bartlett  May 4, 2019 at 2:46 am

    Great piece and great encouragement as always to keep the writer’s nose to the grindstone. Consistent message from one of the best freelance-process “coach”es in the biz.

  2. Roy Stevenson  March 30, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    Nice inspirational piece, John! Good for you, for keeping on. I’m wondering if the 200 websites you have written for all paid for your work, or if you wrote for some of them gratis?