SCAM ALERT – The Newest Scam on the Market. Authors, Be Aware!

If you are an author with a book out in the world, you are going to get emails. Some are wonderful. Some are genuine opportunities. And some are designed to do one thing only. Separate you from your money, your time, or your personal information.

Right now, there is a newer scam spreading fast in the author world, and it is catching people off guard because it looks professional, flattering, and “personal.” That personal touch is the trap.

How the scam works

These scammers send emails that are almost always AI-generated. They are written to sound polished, enthusiastic, and specific to you. They often mention your name, your book title, your genre, or a detail from your book description, so it feels like someone actually read your work.

They did not.

They are pulling information from public listings, Amazon blurbs, social media, and author websites, then using AI to stitch it into a message that hits your ego in all the right places. The goal is to make you feel noticed, chosen, and validated, so you lower your guard.

That's the emotional hook: praise, promise, exposure

Most of these emails follow the same emotional formula.

First, they flatter you. They tell you your writing is “amazing,” your concept is “fresh,” your story is “exactly what readers want,” or that your book is “perfect for their audience.” They might even say they “found your book and couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Then they promise exposure. They offer to feature your book in a newsletter, on social media, in a “review campaign,” or in a “reader community.” They may claim they have a huge audience or a strong mailing list, and they often use vague numbers and big claims without real proof.

And then the scam splits into two common routes.

Scam route one: the link you should not click

In the first version, the email includes a link, usually framed as something harmless.

“Submit your details here.”

“Confirm your spot.”

“Fill out this quick form.”

“Click to see our packages.”

“Click to finalize your feature.”

Do not click it.

These links can lead to phishing pages, fake forms that harvest your information, or downloads that put your device and accounts at risk. Even if nothing obvious happens, you may be handing over your email, your passwords, your payment details, or access to accounts you use for your author business.

If you can’t verify a sender independently, do not interact with their links. Period.

Scam route two: the “small fee” you’ll never see again

The second version looks even more believable because it’s priced “low enough to be reasonable.”

They might say something like, “It’s only $19,” “a small admin fee,” “a tiny promotional cost,” or “just a quick payment to secure your slot.”

The amount is intentionally small because they want you to think, “Why not? It’s not that much.”

And once you pay, you either receive nothing at all, or you get a low-effort “feature” that doesn’t actually exist in front of real readers. Then the communication stops. No exposure. No results.

Sometimes they even come back later with another “upgrade” offer, trying to squeeze you twice.

Why is this scam dangerous for authors?

It targets the exact pressure points authors live with every day. The desire to be seen. The hope that the right feature will help your book take off. The dream of finding someone who “gets it” and wants to support your work.

Scammers know authors are used to marketing being hard. They know we want momentum. They know a little praise can feel like oxygen when you’ve been grinding alone.

That is why this works.

What to watch for?

If an email feels overly flattering, overly urgent, or strangely generic underneath the personal details, be cautious.

If they can’t clearly show who they are, what they’ve done, and who they’ve helped, that is a red flag.

If their “audience” and “results” are vague, that’s another one.

And if the email pushes you toward a link or a payment quickly, assume it’s not safe until proven otherwise.

Also, check the sender’s email address. If it’s coming from a Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc account instead of a real business domain, that’s highly suspicious, especially when combined with urgency, links, or payment requests.

How to protect yourself

Treat unsolicited offers like this as suspicious by default. Do not click links. Do not send money. Do not share personal details. Research the sender outside of the email. Look for a real website, real social proof, real engagement, and real authors who can confirm they got value.

If you’re unsure, ask other authors or reach out to a trusted platform or author community for a second opinion. A legitimate promoter will be transparent, verifiable, and comfortable answering questions. A scammer will push urgency, avoid details, and try to get you to act fast.

We’re seeing more and more of these messages lately, and the volume alone is a warning sign. AI has made it easy for scammers to send thousands of “personal” emails that look convincing at a glance.

Authors, please be careful. If it feels too flattering, too easy, or too good to be true, slow down. Your work deserves real opportunities, not scams dressed up as “exposure.”