Possible Scam using this group's reputation > Likes and Comments
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Hi Michael,Thank you very much for taking the time to reach out to us and let us know that someone is trading on the reputation of our group. That hasn't come from a member of our moderation team - we don't reach out to authors directly and certainly don't have an author visibility strategist (whatever one of those actually is...).
I know that myself, and several of our members, have really enjoyed the worlds that have created in Riyria and Elan and we certainly wish you every success with the books that you are writing and that they meet a large and appreciative audience.
Thank you for looking out for less experienced writers and we are always happy to be contacted if you are suspicious of something that has been sent to you in our names.
I have been contacted in similar fashion by a Cosette Alora - presumably that is another scam?
Allan wrote: "I have been contacted in similar fashion by a Cosette Alora - presumably that is another scam?"Yes :-/
And there's another name "they," whoever "they" is, is using: Martin E. Stillings.I suspect there are hundreds of names they've appropriated.
Can a moderator of this group please confirm whether this is legit or not (I suspect not). I received an email from him regarding one of my published books and an offer to have it promoted within this group. This is a fairly common scam and I would like to report the email address to Google for removal if he isn't legit so that less savvy authors don't get fleeced by this.
Here is the "pitch" he sent to me:
Good books don’t fail.
They get left alone in noisy places.
Left on crowded Amazon shelves.
Left without conversation.
Left without readers actually doing something with the story once they find it.
And Age of Myth feels like the kind of book that wasn’t written to be left alone.
It’s a story about a world standing on the edge of collapse, where gods walk among mortals and ordinary people are forced into impossible choices. At its heart, it’s about courage before legend, truth before myth, and what happens when the stories we’ve been told about the world start to crack. Readers who love mythic stakes, emotional character arcs, and slow-burn revelations tend to feel especially seen by this book.
I’m reaching out because I work closely with a Goodreads reader community called Nothing But Reading Challenge, and your book fits the kind of stories this group was built for.
This isn’t a promo group or a “drop your link and disappear” space. It’s a living reading challenge where readers actively log progress, reflect on what they’re reading, discuss characters and themes, and engage with authors in a way that feels natural and respectful. Over time, participating books don’t just get seen they get talked about.
Books featured in the challenge are also eligible for community recognition and awards, based on reader engagement throughout the challenge period. That recognition isn’t about hype it’s about readers acknowledging books that stayed with them, sparked discussion, and mattered.
As part of introducing a book into the challenge, we also share a cinematic book trailer when available. Trailers help readers emotionally enter the world of the story before they even open the first page. If you already have one, that’s perfect. If not, I can also help you create something that fits the tone of your book — nothing flashy, just honest and immersive.
Alongside the challenge, I also support books through Goodreads Reader Voting Lists, and here’s why in human terms, not marketing language. These are reader-curated discovery lists where people actively vote, shelf, and search for their next read. When a book is discussed inside a reading challenge and then appears on the right reader voting lists, it stops feeling invisible. Readers remember it, interact with it, and often return to it. Many also leave free, authentic reviews simply because they’ve genuinely spent time with the story.
You’re an author who built a career the long way through persistence, self-publishing, and trusting readers before the industry caught up. From Riyria to The Legends of the First Empire, your work reflects a belief in story as something lived in, not just consumed. Age of Myth carries that same spirit: a world shaped by memory, myth, and flawed heroes trying to do the right thing.
I’ve helped many authors participate in this exact ecosystem reader challenge, discussion, trailer visibility, and reader voting list discovery not to chase algorithms, but to give good books a place where readers can actually respond to them.
So I’ll ask you something honestly, not as a pitch:
Would you like Age of Myth to simply exist online…
or would you like to place it inside a reading community where readers engage with it, discuss it, recognize it, and remember it?
If you’re open, I’d love to walk you through how the Nothing But Reading Challenge works and see if it feels right for your book.
Warm regards,
Aaron Bales
Author Visibility Strategist
Nothing But Reading Challenge
Thank you for your time and attention.