Preying on Authors

If you are reading this, you may likely be an author interested in tips and tricks about writing, or learning what to do (or better yet, what not to do) from my experiences so far. Even if you are not, there is an important issue in the publishing community that needs to be addressed:

Scam marketing.

Perhaps there’s a better term for it, but it is no less prevalent in popular social media platforms used by authors, including LinkedIn and Instagram.

Ever since I announced the publication of my novel, The Beaumont Egalitarian Society, on my LinkedIn account, I have received hundreds of unsolicited messages from ‘connections’ advertising their services. You may be wondering what the big deal is; after all, with the economy the way it is, shouldn’t we be supportive of small businesses and at least hear them out? Most of us are in the same boat, hoping to make a connection with another person in the industry who will boost our work.

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I’d like to make it clear that I am more than happy to support small businesses. I may not always be in the position of hiring a new expert, but I don’t mind sharing websites or informing fellow authors of someone’s work IF I believe they are genuine and knowledgeable. I don’t mind when people tell me what they do or offer a service in passing; pushing it and trying to make me believe I will fail without it is not okay.

The messages I’ve received—and from the multiple posts popping up lately, the messages received by other authors—are different.

How to spot a money-grabber

The first red flag that appears is when the message comes as soon as you accept a connection request; from the text, it is clear that the person has only added you because you have written ‘author’ in your page bio or occupation title. They may take an extra few seconds to look up the name of your book, but more often than not, the only effort made is writing your name in the greeting of the message.

The second red flag, which goes hand-in-hand with this, is the message containing a poorly re-worded version of offers made by other people offering the same services. Usually, it is written as follows:

‘Hello [insert author name],
I saw that you are an author. May I have a link to your book?’

Or

‘Hello author!
Thank you for connecting. Congratulations on your new book!
I am a marketer. Do you have any new books out?’

Maybe they’ll add in a few compliments, suggest that they’ve read your work or followed your writing. I’m sorry to say, dear writer, but that is not the case. As much as it may seem they’re interested in your work, they are hoping flattery will lure you to spending money on something you can easily do yourself, or better yet, that a true professional can help you with (and get actual results!)

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I’d like to think both messages are quite obvious in their intent, particularly when each author’s LinkedIn profile clearly contains information about their books (including links!), yet the amount of so-called ‘marketers’ and ‘reviewers’ (no, I will NOT pay for a book review; I want honest opinions from actual readers, thank you) continuing to use the same format astounds me.

I’d love to know who encourages marketers to use this in their business addresses; not only is it a waste of your clients’ time, but it is insulting to authors. I am sick of receiving these messages, insisting that we give our hard-earned money away to someone who fakes a billboard post (yeah, we’ve all seen that poorly-edited picture you claim is you advertising a novel) or requires your life savings to do a few simple Instagram posts.

For the people behind the messages who are trying to run a legitimate business, I have to wonder in what world you think being so disrespectful will help you build your clientele? What gives you the right to barge into somebody’s private inbox demanding they give their attention and projects to you?

The third red flag is, of course, when you inevitably deny their services and find yourself deleted from their connections list. It may be obvious to most, but if you haven’t given them what they wanted (money!), you are no longer needed.

It makes the true service providers stand out; the ones who not only have proven experience, but who continue to foster your dreams and stick around even when you decline their services. These are the people who will inevitably get my business.

Protecting yourself

Questioning a potential scammer about the content of your book is one way to go. Ask them who their favourite character is, what they thought about something that didn’t actually happen in the book. You’ll soon sift through who is eager for your business and who is guided by their bank account. But time is precious and who has enough of it to waste on something like that?

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If you do anything at all, do your research before handing over bank or other personal details. Check the person’s qualifications (if via LinkedIn, qualifications are usually listed in their profile and can easily be cross-checked), their past clients, their client history, their website (if applicable), their connections list, and any potential reviews that may have already made their way to the web. Those first starting out may not have had the opportunity to have networked and built up an exhaustive list; however, you can get a fair idea about their legitimacy from how they interact with others.

An excellent site shared with me by the fabulous ghost-writer, publisher, and editor extraordinaire Nicole Jobe is: Writer Beware. This site lists known scammers in the industry, provides helpful tips on how to avoid being scammed (including by so-called ‘producers’ who promise the adaptation of your novel into a movie or television series), and regularly-updated articles on everything you need to know about the industry.

Other things you can do to protect yourself:

Set up a separate bank account specifically to be used for novel-based transactions. Only ever have the amount of money you intend to pay for the service in that account and always be on the lookout for unexplained transactions. Contact your bank immediately if you suspect any transfer you have not made (even the tiny amounts; scammers will assume you won’t notice a few dollars missing here and there to begin with).Insist on safe third party sites such as PayPal. Whilst the onus is still on you to be sure you’re handing over money to someone legitimate, PayPal provides safety nets for both you and your client to ensure the transaction is completed.Report suspicious activity to the relevant authority. Now, accusing someone of wrongdoing if they are in fact innocent is never recommended (let’s all avoid defamation cases and ruining reputations). However, if you do have a legitimate belief that someone is a scammer, however, you can report their account.Ask them about what they intend to provide. Request as much information as you can about their services/ products. If they’re hesitant to answer, you have a right to assume something fishy may be going on.Remember: No one is entitled to your money. You do not HAVE to accept their service if you do not want it. If something doesn’t feel right, or even is just out of your budget for now, do not feel guilty for saying ‘no.’ Block, report, disconnect if you must. You may even fear retribution via perhaps negative reviews or comments, but trust your gut; your work will speak for itself.Calling out scammers

It infuriates me that these sort of scammers are willing to prey on vulnerable authors, particularly indie authors who are new to the industry. It is harming the trust built between authors and other members of the publishing world who are genuine with their skills and services; authors are now questioning the motives behind everyone they speak to, often losing out on golden opportunities because they’ve been hit with these sort of advertisements before. For those running genuine businesses, they are losing out on clientele they deserve to have.

It has got to stop. Enough is enough.

I will no longer entertain the idea of politely replying to anyone who fits this bill. In the past, I would gently remind them I am not the author for them, in the knowledge that perhaps they’ve been taught the wrong way to go about things and don’t know any better. Now, however, my patience is wavering.

I want to make genuine connections with fellow authors, proofreaders, editors, artists, and marketers. I want to navigate LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook without my inbox being flooded with poorly-edited advertisements. I want to ensure other authors don’t get dragged into paying for something they neither need nor want.

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To help prevent this, I’m aiming to build up a comprehensive resource list of trusted editors and artists, etc. These people have proven track records (some even tested by myself, others with a claim to fame). They have not paid or or provided any other compensation for being included on the list and have been carefully selected based on merit. However, as this will take time to complete, you can always ask me directly if you are unsure if someone is legitimate or not.

Advice with grain of salt

As always, it is up to you as an author to implement common sense and your own judgement when deciding whether or not to trust someone. A little research will go a long way to ensuring you and your novel is given the fair chance that you deserve.

My advice is just that: advice.

As someone who knows the struggles of running a small business let alone breaking into the publishing world, the last thing I want for anyone trying to do the same is being taken advantage of.

If you have advice or your own or would like to share your experiences with people preying on authors, please don’t hesitate to let us know below! The writing community needs to stick together.

~Jennifer x

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