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August 31, 2018

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Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience



 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brian Whiddon is the Managing Editor of WritersWeekly.com and the Operations Manager at BookLocker.com. An Army vet and former police officer, Brian is the author of Blue Lives Matter: The Heart behind the Badge. He's an avid sailor, having lived and worked aboard his 36-foot sailboat, the “Floggin’ Molly” for 9 years after finding her abandoned in a boat yard and re-building her himself. Now, in northern Georgia, when not working on WritersWeekly and BookLocker, he divides his off-time between hiking, hunting, and farming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Get 10% off "Query Letters That Worked" when you use the code below at checkout!


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“BOOK—HowMaster”



HowMaster: The Writer's Guide to Beautiful Word Crafting


Author Linda M. Gigliotti draws from years of practice as a private
writing tutor in the guidebook that teaches writers how to format visceral
writing that pulls readers into their book. She explains with instruction
and samples of published works how to craft writing that come to life in the reader's mind.





HowMaster is a wise choice for the writer who wants to weave words around the reader’s heart.


Author Linda M. Gigliotti draws from years of practice as a private
writing tutor in the guidebook that teaches writers how to format visceral
writing that pulls readers into their book. She explains with instruction
and samples of published works how to craft writing that come to life in the reader's mind.




Read more here:


http://booklocker.com/books/2304.html



 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK—Self-Syndication”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK—Re-Borning-Dolls”



How to Reborn a Doll in a Day


Angela Hoy's istructional guide to creating your own reborn doll!

Create your very own adorable reborn baby
in only one day, or craft a cherished keepsake as a gift
for a special child or grandchild!



Learn how to create your own realistic bundle of joy or how to start crafting reborns for profit! Angela Hoy's book will get you started!

Read more here:
http://booklocker.com/books/1670.html



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK–Homeschooling”



The Working Parent's Guide To Homeschooling


Dissatisfaction with public and private schools continues to grow, and with more and more acceptance of homeschoolers at colleges and universities, now is the time to encourage all those who are ready and willing, that they are able and qualified to teach their children, even and especially if they must continue working. The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling answers questions such as, “How can I work and homeschool?” by showing the reader how to find what works for them.



Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/7663.html









 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fall 2023 24 Hour Short Story Contest


 

 

 

 

 

 

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So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter - How To Make Money Writing Without a Byline


Many freelance writers find it difficult to break into the publishing world. What they don't know, however, is that there's a faster and easier way to see their words in print. It's called ghostwriting, and it's an extremely lucrative, fun, and challenging career.

But how do you get started as a ghostwriter? How do you find new clients who will pay you to write their material? How do you charge? And what kind of contracts do you need to succeed? All these questions and more are answered in So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter...How to Make Money Writing Without a Byline.

Read more here:
https://writersweekly.com/books/49.html





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK-WritingFast”



Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed


A systematic approach to writing that generates better quality quickly!


Chock full of ideas, tips, techniques and inspiration, this down-to-earth book is easy to read, and even easier to apply. Let author Jeff Bollow take you through a process that brings your ideas to the page faster, more powerfully and easier than ever before.




Read more here:
https://writersweekly.com/books/3695.html





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK-TheArtandCraft”



The Art and Craft of Writing and Editing


Writing is a constant dialogue between author and reader.



The craft of writing involves an interchange of emotions between an author and a reader. An author creates a story line, conflict, and characters, gives his characters words to speak, and then hands off these materials to a reader. This process results in a constant dialogue between the mental imagery produced by a reader and that proposed by the author.





Read more here:


https://writersweekly.com/books/6712.html





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“PubPreppers”

  • Do you want to REALLY keep 100% of your royalties?
  • Do you want to REALLY self-publish your book?
  • Do you want direct contracts with the world's largest Print on Demand printer as well as Ingram, the world's largest book distributor, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, and any other ebook retailer you choose?

All at a price LOWER than most POD publishers!
http://www.PubPreppers.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

“BOOK-7625STRATEGIES”



7.625 STRATEGIES IN EVERY BEST-SELLER - Revised and Expanded Edition


At this moment, thousands of would-be authors are slaving away on their keyboards, dreaming of literary success. But their efforts won’t count for much. Of all those manuscripts, trade book editors will sign up only a slim fraction.

And of those titles--ones that that editors paid thousands of dollars to contract, print and publicize--an unhealthy percentage never sell enough copies to earn back their advances. Two years later, most will be out of print!

Acquisition Editor Tam Mossman shares seven essentials every book needs to stay in print, and sell!



Read more here:


https://writersweekly.com/books/5635.html



 

 

 

 

 

 

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“RichardLongBio”

Involved in Internet marketing since 1995 (when it officially became a profession), Richard Hoy advises on, and helps execute, Internet marketing efforts for solopreneurs and clients of digital marketing agencies. His current focus is search engine optimization for books on Amazon and for local businesses on Google.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“BOOK-thereporter”



Named a "Hot New Release" by Amazon, and ranked #7 in the Metaphysical Fiction category less than a week after release!



The Reporter: Part I - Rise and Fall and The Reporter: Part II - Redemption

"A real page turner. I can't wait to read the next installment."
-Debbie Martindale Behrends, The Elburn Herald

Nic Pappas, a reporter with the Palatine Star newspaper, is assigned to cover a cold murder case known as The Brown's Chicken Massacre. Pappas meets, and falls in love with, Mary Jane Santos, who lost her brother, Roland, Jr., in the tragedy, tempting Pappas to violate the ethics of the reporter-source relationship. Believing the only way to end his dilemma is to solve the case, Pappas and Santos make a pledge to catch the killers...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FREE ADVERTISING!!


DO YOU PAY WRITERS? We'll post your ad for free (provided you pay respectable wages). Send your ad to Angela here: https://writersweekly.com/contact-angela

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Have a Freelance Success Story to share? We pay $40 on acceptance, non-exclusive electronic rights only. Success stories run around 300 words but we're very flexible. Our guidelines are here:

https://writersweekly.com/writersweekly-com-writers-guidelines

>>>Read More Success Stories<<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ask Angela About Self-Publishing

Angela Hoy is not only publisher of WritersWeekly.com, she's also co-owner of self-publishing services firm BookLocker.com and works directly with each author.

That's right, you work directly with the owner of BookLocker. No revolving customer service reps, no layers of bureaucracy to navigate, and absolutely no outsourcing to low-paying overseas call centers. We don't use call centers or telemarketing at all. You will never be shuffled from one "customer service rep" to another because we don't have any of those.
You will communicate directly with Angela about any needs you have at all, as well as Richard (book marketing advice), Brian (ebooks and technical issues), Ali (print formatting), Gwen (color-interior books) and Todd or Nancy (our awesome cover designers).


Since we are selective about which books we publish, we are able to work with every author one-on-one. In the past 18 years, BookLocker has published more than 9,000 titles.


Angela's been in the print-on-demand and self-publishing business for nearly two decades. She's seen it all, and is a great source of information. To ask her anything click here.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters



I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.



I understand the challenges your characters face, their triumphs, their hopes and their fears, because I've lived them. I work with people who have varying degrees of blindness every day, so I've seen every challenge, every situation you could imagine.



Let me share my knowledge to improve your writing. You can create blind characters that readers will fall in love with.

~Stephanie Green

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AVOID Amazon Writing and Publishers / AmazonWritingAndPublishers.com!
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ALERT!!! THE SUMMER, 2025 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST IS ONLY 1 WEEK AWAY! Only 500 participants are permitted so SIGN UP TODAY if you want to play!

An author wrote in who had already sent money to Amazon Writing and Publishers / Amazon Writing & Publishers / AmazonWritingAndPublishers.com.

Here’s what I sent to him: 

1. AmazonWritingAndPublishers.com is not Amazon (you probably already know that). That is trademark infringement.

2. Their website was registered in Iceland. There is a company there known for allowing scammers to register their websites.

3. They have logos on their site for companies they’ve never worked with. The website has the same look/feel as the other scam sites we’ve been exposing. That is fraud.

4. They have “awards” on their website dated years before this company’s website existed. That is also fraud.

5. They have the same “model” on their website that we’ve seen on other websites. Exact same guy (he has his arms crossed). He’s listed next to their “testimonials.”

6. They claim to have 10K+ books on the market. HA HA HA! That’s a lie!

7. The covers I researched on their website are fake (books are not on the market).

8. When using Advanced Search on Amazon, and searching for their name in the “publisher” box, only one book pops up but their name is not the publisher on that listing.

9. Their “U.S. address” appears to be a UPS store.

10. Their description on Trustpilot, which they wrote, has syntax errors:
“We are establishing an story line to your eBook, simply by creating an idea and by chosen the right words.”

We have added them to A List of Publishers and Services That ALL Authors Should AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

You can easily do your own research (it just takes a few minutes!) to determine if a company is a scammer: 

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!



Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles



HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY


Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!


Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!



Angela Hoy's book will get you started!



  • Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
  • Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
  • Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
  • Also works for biographies and memoirs!

Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/4764.html



90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy

Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.

We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!

Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor, which makes it fun for creative folks like you!

Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!

Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience



A reader wants to know why my social media “picture” is a sketch…
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ALERT!!! THE SUMMER, 2025 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST IS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY! Only 500 participants are permitted so SIGN UP TODAY if you want to play!

QUESTION SUBMITTED VIA FACEBOOK:

Angela, is there a story you care to tell as to why the pencil sketch portrait instead of a photo? I’ve always wondered.
-C.M.

A –

He was referring to this ad:

May be an image of text that says 'Stop paying so much... Join the BookLocker family! -Family owned in the U.S. -No customer service reps or call centers. You deal directly with us. Fast turnaround 1 month! No upselling of worthless marketing gimmicks"! -Our 26th year! Compare our rates to the "Author Meat Markets" at Writers itersWeekly.com/compare. Weekly.c w Come see us at publishing.BookLocker.com. Or, email Angela directly at angela@booklocker.com. BookLocker ocker Bookl'

MY RESPONSE:

Happy to answer. 🙂 I have been receiving death threats for years because of the criminals we have exposed on WritersWeekly.com. One guy threatened to hire a hit man to “take care of me,” and also threatened to kidnap our children. (By the way, he later sued us for exposing his scam and he lost. The judge threw it out of court.) I’ve also had a few stalkers over the years.

Several years ago, we decided to limit the number of photos of me that appear online so I’d be more difficult to recognize out in public. Good thing we did that because, with the international publishing crime cartel we’ve been exposing over the past several months, the number of death threats has sky-rocketed.

For any scammer reading this: My husband is ex-Army and an ex-cop (and he’s currently head of security at our church), we are locked and loaded (I also carry 24/7), and we have a HUGE dog. Things won’t go well for you if you show up here.

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!



Out of the Blue, Did a Complete Stranger Create a “Free” Website or Logo for You?
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ALERT! ONLY 3 WEEKS UNTIL START-TIME FOR THE SUMMER, 2025 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST! Only 500 participants permitted so sign up today if you want to play!

Q – 

Hi Angela,

Somebody contacted me on Facebook saying he’d created a website for me for “free.” He gave me the link. It was under his domain (i.e. https://[my-name].[his-domain].com). It even had my book cover on it, and an old picture of me that he obviously got from Facebook. 

It looked really professional. When I asked him how I can use it, he told me I’d need to pay him a fee to move it to another host (like GoDaddy). $3500! I can’t afford that but I really like the website. Then, he offered to accept payments, saying he’d transfer it after I made my final payment. He also created a logo for me that looks really neat but that was going to cost me an extra $300. He also wrote a book review and put it on “my” website. But, I knew after reading the review that he never read my book.

Should I start sending him payments? I really like the website he made!

P.C.

A –

Scammers are getting so desperate that they’re doing work up front, unsolicited, and then requiring lots of money if the authors want to use what the scammers created. That is the exact situation you are in. IMMEDIATELY STOP RESPONDING TO HIM!

I recently heard a disturbingly similar story from a woman who liked the pre-designed website so much that, not only did she pay big bucks for it, but the guy also convinced her to move all of her domains to “his” hosting service. He told her that the hosting contract required, by law, that she provide her social security number and banking information.

You can tell where this is going, right? As of today, the victim has spent thousands of dollars trying to simply get her own websites back. The crook keeps asking for more and more money, each time promising this is the “last time,” and giving bogus excuses why it’s going to cost more. And, it’s never going to end.

The scammer not only took her websites hostage, but is now also blackmailing her. Yep! Since she refuses to pay him anything else to get her websites back, now he’s threatening to sell her social security number and banking information on the dark web. Since he’s in Pakistan, there is literally NOTHING she can do about it (except to change bank accounts!). Even if she had the money, he’d never give her websites back to her anyway. She is literally out of business.

What were her mistakes?

1. THE BIG ONE! Responding to a random person who contacted her on social media.

2. Not thoroughly researching everything about that person (it’s not hard!).

3. Sending that person everything he needed to steal her identity. I’m still shaking my head over that!

4. Transferring all of her other websites to someone she clearly had not researched.

Never, ever, EVER respond to people who contact you on social media, or who spam you, or who call you on the phone. THEY ARE ALL CRIMINALS!

You can save a lot of money by simply creating your own website. There are countless websites and videos on how to do that.

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!



Do You Have Publishing Questions for an Attorney?
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This weekend, we are recording a new episode of the WritersWeekly Podcast. We are soliciting legal questions from authors and writers about publishing because our special guest will be attorney James M. Walsh.

You can type your questions in the comments box below or you can use our Contact Us link. If your question is chosen, we will only use your first name in the podcast. 🙂

All of the articles below were written by James.

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!



Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles

 

Yet ANOTHER “Book Fair” Scam!
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Q – 

I was contacted by email by (name removed). The company promises to display my book in a famous annual book fair. Don’t know if they are peddling services or are legit or not? 

T.B.

A – 

First, remember that, these days, ANYBODY who contacts you unsolicited (through social media, email, by mail, or on the phone) is a scammer. It is imperative to remember that. If somebody needs to use these methods to promote their own (fake!) services, how can you trust them to promote your book?!

Second, the only people who make money at real book fairs are the companies hosting the fairs, and the companies that claim to get books into those book fairs. These clowns are quoting authors hundreds to thousands of dollars. And, the reality is your book is very likely NOT going to be displayed at all!

One author contacted me recently, saying she paid $1500 to have her book was displayed at a book fair but they never provided her proof that her book was displayed there. They were supposed to send her a photo. They didn’t. In fact, after they received her money, they disappeared. Their emails looked legit! They had stolen a logo from a well-known book fair, and even photos from the previous event. They actually had nothing at all to do with the book fair. They were just part of the overseas crime cartel we’ve been covering.

Another author had a similar experience. However, she DID receive a photo. So, what was the problem? Her book was clearly (and very badly) Photoshopped into a stolen photo. They did such a bad job with it that it was laughable. The book was far larger than books in the actual photograph, it was the only one facing forward, and it was crooked and pixelated. The scammers just pulled up a photo of books on a shelf, and Photoshopped her book’s cover onto it.

Another way they get more money out of authors is they tell the author that they (the scammer) MUST republish the book in order for the book fair to accept the book. They then hoodwink their victims into paying for editing, cover design, interior formatting, a new ISBN, a barcode, etc. However, none of the services are performed and, of course, no books will be displayed at any book fair.

If you think about it really hard, spending hundreds to thousands (or more!) to have perhaps one copy of your book on a table or on a bookshelf at a book fair, surrounded by thousands of other books, is NOT going to get you a return on your investment. Even if they offer to display dozens of copies (that’s a lie, too), even if you did sell that many, you’re still not getting your investment back. Not even close.

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!





7.625 STRATEGIES IN EVERY BEST-SELLER - Revised and Expanded Edition


At this moment, thousands of would-be authors are slaving away on their keyboards, dreaming of literary success. But their efforts won’t count for much. Of all those manuscripts, trade book editors will sign up only a slim fraction.

And of those titles--ones that that editors paid thousands of dollars to contract, print and publicize--an unhealthy percentage never sell enough copies to earn back their advances. Two years later, most will be out of print!

Acquisition Editor Tam Mossman shares seven essentials every book needs to stay in print, and sell!



Read more here:


https://writersweekly.com/books/5635.html



“Should I put ‘by’ in front of my name on my front cover?”
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Q –

Hi Angela,

Should I put “a novel” on the cover of my book under the title? 

I have another question. Should I have “by” in front of my name on the front cover of my book?

Thanks!

Olive G.

A – 

1. Unless you truly believe that someone might mistake your novel for being non-fiction, I do not recommend putting “a novel” on the front cover.

The book I’m featuring here appears to be non-fiction but it’s not. It’s actually historical fiction. That’s why the author put “a novel” at the bottom of the cover. By the way, Pawnee Prisoner is BookLocker’s #1 best seller right now! 🙂

Pawnee Prisoner: The Story of Jane Gotcher Crawford by Vivian McCullough

A tale of survival, set in the 1830s, and based on the true story of the daughter of Texas pioneer James Gotcher and widow of Alamo defender Lemuel Crawford.

The book below is clearly a novel so the author did not add “a novel” under the title:

From Texas, With Love by Lewis Allen Lambert

A rags to riches relationship born in west Texas, incubated during the Vietnam War, and culminated in California.

2. I see many self-published authors putting “by” in front of their name on their cover. Do NOT do that. It makes a book look self-published (amateurish). 🙂

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!



Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles

 

Can you rewrite someone else’s book, and copyright it?
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Q –

I hope you can help me with this question. I’ve been providing (therapy to a) group using a booklet (manual) printed and distributed by (company name removed). The book they have is not copyright protected. After 10 years of providing this program I noticed the material in the booklet is outdated and is not therapeutic towards my clients. Therefore, I made some major changes to the booklet. The original book is 12 lessons. I changed it and (renamed it). This new manual is now 10 lessons. I made sometimes small changes in each lesson and sometimes major changes in each lesson. I felt all the changes were much more therapeutic and helpful to my client population.

Now, I asked (the company) if they wanted to continue to be on the book with current authors and I can simply add myself as an author or if I should remove (the company’s name) all together and just use my name as the author. By the way I’m also going to change the front cover scheme as well.

(The company) responded and said I am not allowed to make any changes to the book nor can I change the name. I believe this is incorrect because there is no copyright. Would I be advised to print my book and get it copyright protected to avoid (the company) from copyright protecting their book and blocking me from making the changes that I have made?

A –

I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. You should speak to an attorney but he/she will tell you the same thing so let me save you some money and a lot of heartache.

The organization is correct. They own the rights to the book. Just because it doesn’t have the word copyright in it, and even if they never registered the copyright, they still own it.

What you did is copyright infringement. If they sue, you would owe them thousands in penalties and you could be fined up to $250K.

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!



Read More "Ask The Expert" Articles

 

I got a call from CBS Radio! Or, did I???
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Q.

Hi Angela!

I just got a call from “CBS Radio” for an interview on one of their shows.

While on the phone with this representative, I googled the particular program he was pitching, and learned that it costs over $1000.00 to be on the show. When I brought this up to the rep, he said it was actually an investment and millions would be reached regarding my book.

I told him thanks, but no thanks, and that I couldn’t afford it. He kept pushing, so I suggested that he contact BookLocker’s Angela Hoy to discuss this opportunity for authors.

This information made him nervous, but he kept pushing. I told him that I was not interested, and hung up the phone.

Are you familiar with this scam?

Thanks for all you do to expose these people.

I.G.

A –

Of course, he never contacted me. Ha ha. 😉

Yes, it’s definitely a scam. It’s entirely likely that he wasn’t from CBS Radio at all. Some scammers pull this trick on authors, and collect the money and the author later finds out that person wasn’t with the organization at all. Even if it is a real show, it’s HIGHLY doubtful you’d earn your $1K back in book sales.

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Scammer Word Stratum / wordstratum.co / wordstratum.co.uk Tries to Hookwink Angela, and Gets Smacked HARD For Doing So!
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I guess this scammer missed attorney James M. Walsh’s article, Do NOT Complain to People Who Have Honestly Exposed Your Illegal Activities Online.

The scammer’s websites:

  • wordstratum.co
  • wordstratum.co.uk – This one still has fake book covers under the word “portfolio” as well as fake testimonials, etc. And, Google shows the address as being either a patch of woods with no home, or an apartment. We found fake “photos” of their “UK office” online as well! Don’t miss the big UPDATE under the post below!

The easiest way for us to do this is to simply share the email exchange. ENJOY! 🙂

——– Forwarded Message ——–
Subject: Re: WRITERSWEEKLY QUESTION – Sam K Wajih
Date: Tue, 6 May 2025 13:11:33 -0400
From: Angela @ WritersWeekly
To: notabot@wordstratum.co <notabot@wordstratum.co>

Hi Scam (I mean Sam),

I’m copying attorney James M. Walsh on this email.

This is what appears on our list of scammers:
Word Stratum / WordStratum / wordstratum.co
Trademark infringement. They have logos for two traditional publishers on their website. The book covers on their website don’t have author names. Classic error by scammers. They are FAKE books! Facebook says they’re in PAKISTAN. They have “testimonials” but the authors’ last names are missing and one is literally named John Doe. There are no book titles under the “testimonials.” It says they’ve published 13K books yet searching for their name as a publisher on Amazon shows NO RESULTS. The address on their website is missing the city, state, and zip code…because it’s FAKE. Googling their phone number brings up nothing. They’ve only been on Facebook since Oct. 2024. They have the CreateSpace logo on their website yet Amazon hasn’t used that name in years.

My responses are by the **’s below.
_____________________________________________

–——- Forwarded Message ——–
Subject: WRITERSWEEKLY QUESTION – Sam K Wajih
Date: Tue, 6 May 2025 12:00:10 -0400
From: WritersWeekly.com
Reply-To: notabot@wordstratum.co <notabot@wordstratum.co>

Dear Angela,
 
I hope this message finds you well.
 
My name is Sam, and I am the founder of Word Stratum. I recently came across your article concerning my business, and while I appreciate your interest in holding companies accountable, I believe there are several misunderstandings that I’d like to address directly and transparently.
 
Firstly, I want to assure you that I’m building this business with genuine intent and a long-term vision. I have never scammed anyone, nor do I support the kind of unethical behavior that unfortunately plagues this industry. In fact, I’ve been a victim of such scams myself, and I’m working hard to offer authors an honest and supportive alternative.
 
Allow me to respond to the points raised in your article:

1. Use of Traditional Publisher Logos:
I do not use logos of traditional publishers on my website because it would be misleading and inappropriate unless there is a direct affiliation. I believe in maintaining clear and honest representation.

**Nice try. I have proof you were doing that to defraud authors into thinking you were doing business with those companies. See the screenshots.

Before you got caught, you had logos for Simon & Schuster, Macmillan Publishers, CreateSpace (again, see the screenshot), and the New York Times. You haven’t done business with any of those. Again, FRAUD!

2. Book Covers Without Author Names:
The covers displayed are concept samples used to showcase our creative process. They don’t carry author names intentionally, as they are accompanied by detailed descriptions of the design rationale.

**The covers make it appear you designed those covers, and published those books. There is nothing on your website saying those are samples. In fact, your website specifically said to check out your books FOR SALE with those covers next to the statement. (See the right side of the screenshot above.)

3. Facebook Pages Location:
Our Facebook pages indicate a Pakistan location because our marketing team operates from there. This decision is driven by practicality and
cost-effectiveness. I personally live in Germany, and hiring marketing talent locally or in the U.S. is not financially viable at this stage.

**Your previous address on your site said St. Petersburg, Florida (see the screenshot). Now you say you’re in Elmont, NY. You’re in neither of those places. Pretending to be located in the U.S. when you are not is fraud. You’re trying to trick U.S. authors into thinking you are located here.

4. False Claims & Attacks by Competitors:
My business has been targeted by competitors in unethical ways—site hacks, false claims, and even attempts to poach clients. For clarity, I have never claimed to have published 13,000 books, and there is no CreateSpace logo on my website. We simply list platforms we assist our clients with, like Amazon, Apple Books, and others.

**You’re a LIAR! Look at the first screenshot above and the one below!


5. Business Addresses and Legitimacy:
The addresses listed on my website are valid. I operate remotely, with legal LLC and INC registrations in the U.S., a remote team in Pakistan, and a business partner in the U.S. This global setup is not uncommon in today’s digital business landscape, especially in industries affected by
low-cost, scam-driven competition.

See my response under #3 above. Again, what you’re doing is FRAUD. You’re trying to trick authors into thinking YOU are located in the U.S. Otherwise, why simply tell them you are NOT?


6. Company Age and Page Creation Dates:
Our social media pages were created in October because that is when the company was launched. I’ve never claimed otherwise.

**Again, see the screenshots. You claimed to have published 183 books (a total lie) and that you had 165 clients (also a lie).

See the other screenshot above as well. On another page, you boasted 13K+ books published, 5K+ happy clients, etc. What a crock of BULL!


If I were running a scam, I wouldn’t be reaching out to you like this. I take pride in my work and want to build a sustainable, trustworthy
business. I also understand that skepticism is warranted in this space, but I hope you can see the difference between someone trying to con others and someone trying to grow an honest venture despite the odds.

**You have committed fraud and deception. You likely thought reaching out to me this way might give you the opportunity to hoodwink me. You’re hilarious! You got caught RED HANDED! Not only were you caught and exposed but, since you wasted my time (and yours!) today, I’m going to give you even more coverage on WritersWeekly.com and on our social media pages!

I respect your voice as a writer and your role in advocating for integrity in publishing. If you have suggestions for how we can further improve our transparency or practices, I am open to hearing them. That said, I kindly ask that you reconsider the article currently published on your site. It contains inaccuracies that are harmful to the reputation I’ve worked hard to build, and I believe addressing those concerns, as I’ve done here, warrants a fair review.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’d be happy to speak further if you have any questions or need clarification on anything mentioned.
 
Warm regards,
Sam K Wajih
Founder, Word Stratum
 
– Sam K Wajih ( notabot@wordstratum.co )

**Oh, we gave you a fair review alright!!

You ARE a scammer!

Angela Hoy, Publisher
WritersWeekly.com

UPDATE! The scammer immediately responded with cockamamie excuses we’ve heard before, like that those were all “mistakes” on an earlier version of their website. Here’s the hilarious part. He said he created the business in October and that the things we caught him doing above were “placeholder content.” He said they then fixed the problems. We didn’t get our screenshots until the last week of December! So, from October to at least December (when we added his crappy website to our scam list!), he was scamming people with the items described above. KNOW WHAT’S EVEN BETTER! He has a site in the UK that has many of the same fraudulent things on it and he apparently forgot to “fix” that before contacting us! What a MORON!! (Yes, we have screenshots of that one, too!!!)

Here is my response:

Hi Sam,

In your first email, you wrote:

1. Use of Traditional Publisher Logos:
I do not use logos of traditional publishers on my website because it would be misleading and inappropriate unless there is a direct affiliation. I believe in maintaining clear and honest representation.

Now, you’re saying you DID do that and that is was a “mistake.” And, now you’re trying to mislead ME. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. That is a classic response we hear from scammers after they GOT CAUGHT.

Everything about your website was an attempt to trick people into thinking you had affiliations with traditional publishers, that you’d published those books, that those were real author testimonials, that you were located in the U.S., etc., etc. You’re backtracking now because you were exposed. There were no “mistakes.” It was intent to deceive, which is illegal.

I have already reported you to the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations.

Angela Hoy, Publisher

WritersWeekly.com

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HA HA HA! When Scammers Pitch Article Ideas to WritersWeekly…
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This isn’t really a Q&A format but I think you’ll forgive me for that this week.

I sure get a chuckle out of people who think, after more than 25 years in the business, that I just fell off the turnip truck. Here’s an example of a scammer who wanted to submit an article to us that pitched his own scam book-to-movie services:

Hello,

So many writers dream of becoming authors but some also dream about their story becoming a movie. They want their story to be in the bright lights of Hollywood! Remember (famous author name removed)? His novel was turned into a film.

Authors don’t really know how to make that happen. My article will teach authors how to make that happen. I’ve done it for authors before and I can teach them what I know.

He goes on to say he’ll teach authors how to “pay” for pitching services. Ha ha ha. Also, he’ll teach authors how to hire a good screenwriter. He also claims he can set “any book” up for movie-making success. Total B.S.

My response:

Pitching services are a scam and studios hire screenwriters. Authors should NEVER pay for screenwriting services. Don’t contact me again.

This incident reminded me when we exposed Publishing Mojo’s illegal activities and they then emailed me twice. They wanted me to buy an article from them that was purportedly going to teach authors how to get published. Seriously. How STUPID do these people think I am?

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Got questions about Print On Demand and Self-publishing? Ask Angela Hoy.

About The Author

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Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).

Angela has lived and traveled across the U.S. with her kids in an RV, settled in a river-side home in Bradenton, FL, and lived on a 52 ft Irwin sailboat. Angela now resides on a mountaintop in Northwest Georgia, where she plans to spend the rest of her days bird watching, gardening, hiking, and taking in all of the amazing sunrises.

WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.

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Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.

Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)


See BookLocker's publishing packages HERE.


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HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY


Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!


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Write It and Publish It
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Angela Hoy's book will get you started!



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  • If you are an author, you are an authority--an expert in your field.
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The FINE PRINT of Self-Publishing - Fifth Edition - by Mark Levine



The Fine Print of Self-Publishing has been lauded by many experts as the Consumer Reports of the self-publishing industry. This book has helped thousands of authors choose the right self-publishing company and avoid the ones with unfair contracts or low-quality services.

"If you're considering paying a company to publish your book, don't do anything until you read The Fine Print and consider the alternatives. It will save you a lot of time, money, and heartache." -Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy



Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!

BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy

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We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!

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Ever wish you could have your favorite blog in book form? There's nothing like flipping through the pages and reading helpful snippets here and there.

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