The Author Spam Checklist
How to spot publishing scams, suspicious emails and fake opportunities targeting authors
What’s covered in this post
-
Why authors are seeing more convincing and personalised spam
-
The kinds of fake opportunities currently targeting authors
-
Seven warning signs that an email or DM might not be genuine
-
How to check whether the person or company contacting you is legitimate
-
What to do if you’re still not sure whether an opportunity is real
​
The volume of spam hitting authors has ramped up, and it’s not as easy to spot any more. But scratch the surface and the same patterns keep appearing.
​
Over the past few months in the Savvy Writers’ Snug group I run on Facebook, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of ‘is this spam?’ posts. So much so, I’ve started deleting them because the posts about spam are starting to be a form of spam (sorry, Savsters!).
How to spot publishing scams, suspicious emails and fake opportunities targeting authors
No denying, there’s been a definite shift in the kind of messages authors are receiving. I’m getting them every day. It’s no longer the obvious, clumsy spam that I used to delete without thinking. Instead, I’m seeing emails and DMs that reference my specific books and mention the sub-genre. At first glance, they look like genuine opportunities. But because I’ve been around too damn long and am a cynical chick, I can usually spot them quickly.
They usually offer things like:
-
Inclusion in a “curated” or “exclusive” book club or reader group
-
Film or TV interest, or vague mentions of your book being “suited for adaptation”
-
Translation or foreign rights opportunities with little detail on territories or partners
-
Featured placement in newsletters, magazines or “top author” round-ups
-
Social media promotion to large but undefined audiences
-
Paid advertising packages dressed up as editorial features
-
Invitations to awards, showcases or “author spotlights” you haven’t heard of
-
Promises of boosting sales, visibility or rankings without explaining how
-
Individuals requesting signed copies of books for a charity
The biggest reason for this uptick is the advent of generative AI, which makes it super easy to generate personalised copy at scale. That means you end up with messages that feel tailored, but are actually built from scraped information and templates.
Once you start looking closely, though, the cracks do show. I’ve noticed obvious giveaways. Those giveaways aren’t necessarily proof of a scam. There are legitimate services out there and there are writers (like me) trained to write copy of all kinds so sometimes what we write can come across as ‘too slick’. But that’s when some clever Googling comes in.
How to spot a publishing scam: 7 warning signs for authors
So, let’s delve into the giveaways:
​
1. The message mentions your book, but gets the details wrong
It might mention your book but misrepresent the premise, or praise it in a way that feels oddly generic, as though the same sentence could be applied to ten different authors. That’s basically AI pulling surface-level details without any real understanding behind them.
2. The message sounds polished but says very little
The tone is another clue. These emails tend to be very polished, very smooth, but also strangely empty. There’s a lot of talk about “exciting opportunities”, “growing your audience” or “global reach”, but very little in the way of concrete detail.
3. The ‘opportunity’ starts moving towards a fee
Sometimes, the message will move towards money or access. That might be a paid promotional slot, a marketing package, or a request for files or rights. Sometimes it’s framed subtly, sometimes more directly, but the direction is usually the same.
4. The sender’s email doesn’t match the company’s website
One easy check is the email address itself. If it’s coming from a generic Gmail or Outlook account, or a slightly off version of the real company name rather than a domain linked to a company website, it’s worth pausing.
That doesn’t automatically mean it’s a scam - there are legitimate individuals who use personal emails - but most established businesses, agencies or platforms will use a professional domain.
This is particularly useful as a check if the scammer is borrowing the names of legitimate companies, platforms or even individuals to make the email feel credible. At a glance, it can look like it’s come from somewhere you recognise, which lowers your guard straight away. But when you look closer, the giveaway is usually in the email address.
Worth noting: some email addresses will look legit but when you hover over them — but don’t click — you’ll see the actual address it’s been sent from.
​
5. A sense of urgency
It’s also worth paying attention to how quickly the message tries to push you forward. A sense of urgency or exclusivity is often baked in, whether that’s “limited slots” or “we’ve selected you”.
​
It plays directly into something many authors feel at various points in their career, which is the desire to be seen and chosen. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does make this kind of outreach more effective than it should be.
6. Random timing
Timing is another giveaway that’s easy to overlook at first. You might get a message praising or promoting a book you published years ago, while completely ignoring your more recent work.
​
On the surface, it can feel flattering that someone has “found” an older title, but when you think about how legitimate industry professionals operate, it doesn’t quite add up. Most genuine opportunities tend to centre around current releases, upcoming books, or at least your latest activity.
When the focus is oddly out of date, it’s often a sign the information has been scraped from somewhere and dropped into a template, rather than coming from someone who actually understands your backlist or career.
7. You can’t easily verify the company or person online
Legitimate businesses leave a trail. If something looks even slightly off, take two minutes to Google the company and name of the person who messaged to check:
-
Does the company have a proper website, and does it look established rather than thrown together?
-
Is there a clear explanation of what they do, who they work with, and how their services actually function?
-
Do they have active social media accounts, and do those accounts show genuine engagement rather than a handful of posts and no interaction?
-
Can you find authors talking about them outside of their own site, ideally in a neutral or positive way?
-
Are there verifiable testimonials, or do they all read as vague, interchangeable praise?
-
Google the name of the person writing it and apply the same questions as above.
Remember: some scammers pretend to be from a legit company and ‘steal’ a legit name. But that domain check I mention above will help.
Honestly, this tip is the best one. Just google them. Use your common sense. If you’re really still unsure, email them via their legit website.
QUICK CHECK
Could this author email be spam?
Before responding, look for these seven warning signs:
-
It mentions your book but gets important details wrong
-
It sounds polished but says very little
-
The ‘opportunity’ starts moving towards a fee
-
The sender’s email doesn’t match the company they claim to represent
-
There’s pressure or urgency to respond
-
They’ve contacted you about an oddly old or irrelevant book
-
You can’t easily verify the company or person online
One of these alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with a scam. But if several are appearing together, it’s worth doing some digging before you reply, click or hand anything over.
​
What to do if you’re not sure an author email is genuine
Don’t click anything just yet. Check the actual email address the message has come from and search for the company independently rather than relying on the links they’ve sent you.
​
Look up the person who contacted you too. Do they genuinely appear to work for that organisation? Can you find evidence of them or the company elsewhere online? Are other authors talking about them?
And if you’re still not sure, go directly to the company’s legitimate website and contact them using the details listed there.
A genuine opportunity will still be there after you’ve taken a few minutes to check it out.
​
A few common questions about author spam and publishing scams
Why are authors getting so many convincing spam emails?
Generative AI has made it much easier to create personalised messages at scale. Scammers can use publicly available information about your books, genre and author career to produce an email that appears to have been written specifically for you. Tracy has seen messages that reference particular books and sub-genres while still showing the tell-tale signs of templated outreach.
How do scammers know the name of my book?
Information about authors and their books is readily available online. A message knowing your title doesn't, by itself, demonstrate that the sender has actually read it. One warning sign is when an email mentions the correct book but misunderstands its premise or offers praise that could apply to almost any novel.
How can I check whether a publishing email is genuine?
Check the sender’s actual email address, search independently for both the company and the person contacting you, and look for an established online presence and experiences from other authors. If you're still unsure, contact the organisation through the details on its legitimate website rather than replying to the original message.
Does being asked for money mean an author opportunity is a scam?
Not necessarily. There are legitimate paid services for authors. A request for money is a reason to look more closely at what is actually being offered, particularly when it appears alongside other warning signs such as vague promises, urgency or difficulty verifying the business. Tracy specifically cautions that individual giveaways aren't necessarily proof of a scam.