John Dean – Crime Writer

I had quite a bit of feedback following my post about authors’ names being hijacked by scammers and it really does make for bleak reading. Scammers are pretending to be famous authors and adopting a subtle approach, asking for nothing up front, not offering their services, just saying they want a chat author-to author. Some will be genuine, but others are scams, devised to get hold of the victim’s money either through fake services that will never materialise or obtaining personal details.

Other scams include:

You are contacted by what appears to be a major publisher, using names and branding that closely mimic legitimate publishing houses to trick authors into paying fees for services that real publishers would never charge (mainstream publishers charge authors nothing, their income comes from deciding that their authors’ books are good enough to become popular)

With the rise of AI, scammers are now able to create highly personalised phishing emails that may reference specific details about an author’s work, which can be very flattering (to read my AI profile on the web you’d think I was Shakespeare!) These emails often lead to fraudulent offers or requests for personal information.

Some scammers pose as literary agents, offering to represent authors in exchange for upfront fees. Legitimate agents typically earn their income from commissions on sales, not upfront payments. There is a version of this that I suspect is also a scam: I was approached by a person allegedly working for a major publisher interested in helping me find a new outlet for my work. I was suspicious even though they initially asked for nothing. Eventually they offered paid-for services, namely writing letters which gave me more of a chance to impress agents. I still thought they were genuine even though I was not interested, because the company website included the person’s details. However, digging further, there were a number of online reports suggesting that scammers have created publishers’ websites and this was one of the most high-profile ones.

So what to do? Stay in bed and hide under the covers? Well, no, you just have to be sensible.

Be wary of unsolicited emails claiming to have read your work and offering publishing deals. Always research any publisher or agent before signing contracts or paying fees. Look for reviews and check their credentials. Legitimate publishers and agents do not typically charge authors upfront fees. Be suspicious of any entity that requests payment before providing services.

Keep up with the latest scams reported by organisations including the Authors Guild and the Society of Authors.

If an author approaches you, find a genuine email address for them and drop them a line (it might be you go through their website). However, such an approach is no guarantee that the website is genuine.

Do all that and you can protect yourself – and always trust your instincts. Sadly, the old adage is as true as ever – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so you may need to be brutal with yourself. Ask yourself, if you have spent years working in the shadows, is it likely that a major author who occupies the higher echelons of the publishing world will take an interest in you? They may well do, they may have been impressed by your book, but there’s a good chance that the only fiction in action here is the approach from the scammer!