I am the most awesome, fabulous writer! I must be, judging by the many emails I receive telling me how great I am. Recently, books of mine have been called "compelling," "mesmerizing," "transforming," with "memorable characters" and "deep understanding of the human condition." What's more, I've received two movie possibilities, offers to improve my book sales, and invitations to several book clubs.
I am in high demand, as are my fellow authors, if one were to believe these scams. Often we receive the same emails with the same misspelled words; or an email addressing us by the wrong name, mentioning the wrong book title, or some other giveaway. The email sender may claim to simply want to talk about a book. The mention of money rarely appears in the first correspondence, though it's certain to rear its head in the second or third email. And nothing it promises is real.
We know better than to respond to these glowing descriptions of our books from supposed publicists, publishing-related people, and book club leaders, but they are are sooo enticing. They go on and on how we make readers feel and understand universal themes in a personal and poignant manner and presented in beautifully written prose. The highest form of flattery any novelist could ask for.
Some years ago before this recent flurry of scams, I received a glowing email from a famous "filmmaker" who wanted to make a movie based on one of my books. The email looked totally authentic. It included phone numbers and emails. Excited, I sent it to my agent, and she thought it was legit. Until she checked further and it turned out to be phony.
Do these scammers think we make tons of money? I imagine, like the robo call most of us ignore, there are enough people falling for their spiels or they wouldn't be doing it. Which is why it's so important for us writers to be in constant communication with each other--through writers' groups and social media-- to avoid falling for the latest ruse.
Have you ever fallen or been tempted by a scam?
