Mastodawn

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

Two New Impersonation Scams to Watch For - Writer Beware

Impersonation scams in publishing tend to be variations on a theme, since the goal is always the same: to sell you something. In that sense, the scams below, which are aimed at tricking writers into paying for editing, don’t break new ground. Still, the approaches are distinctive, and I’ve seen enough examples at this pointRead More

Writer Beware

Angie Mangino Feb 19

Writer Beware covers everything authors need to know about last year's scams and publishing challenges. Nigerian marketing scams exploded with AI-generated flattery. The Anthropic copyright settlement brought $1.5 billion for authors whose works were scraped from pirate sites. Publishers failed to pay royalties. Contracts contained dangerous clauses. Victoria Strauss documents it all.
#WritingCommunity #WriterBeware #PublishingScams #Copyright #Authors
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/best-of-writer-beware-2025-in-review/

Best of Writer Beware: 2025 in Review - Writer Beware

It’s been a busy year in writing scams (but then what year isn’t?). From the new AI marketing scams, to nasty contract clauses, to publishers behaving badly, to the biggest copyright infringement restitution in history, Writer Beware has been on the beat. If you missed any of our posts, here’s your chance to catch up.Read More

Writer Beware

Alberto Chimal Nov 17

Please don't fall for #publishing #scams. If you're an aspiring #author, or know one, read this.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/17/authors-writers-caught-in-global-ai-publishing-scam?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

#PublishingScams #publishingindustry #scam #scammers #VanityPress #SelfPublishing

Lost in the plot: how would-be authors were fooled by AI staff and virtual offices in suspected global publishing scam

Book publishing websites in Australia, the UK and New Zealand appear to be using fake testimonials and AI staff pages to lure aspiring writers into handing over their money

The Guardian

TiTiNoNero

Mar 29, 2025

I just discovered this, and it's kinda interesting.

https://telegra.ph/Testing-Telegraph-03-29

#telegram #telegraph #messaging #anonymous #publishingscams

I'm not sure... can you edit it?

Testing Telegra.ph

I noticed a link on a spam email towards this domain (graph.org) and then another one towards this on (telegra.ph). After some search I found that this has probably the same authors as Telegram, the messaging app. I was totally unaware of this! You can read some details and find the API definition here: https://telegra.ph/api UBlock Origin does not report **any** tracking. The inspection tools do not highlight anything phishy, to my knowledge. Except for the IP address, I would think that it's quite useful…

Telegraph

AnneTheWriter Apr 11, 2024

WRITERS:
I've worked as an editor for some years now, both in traditional publishing and freelance. There are five questions to ask if you are worried about getting scammed in the publishing industry.

Let's say you have an offer from a publisher, who says they want to publish your book...

1) Are they asking for money? Then it's definitely a scam.

2) Are they contacting you before reading your manuscript? Then it's definitely a scam.

3) Do they want you to sign a contract before they have read any of your manuscript? Then it's definitely a scam.

4) Have they approached you out of the blue on social media, and messaged you in your DMs? Then it's definitely a scam.

But mostly...

5) Does it feel like a scam? Then it's definitely a scam.

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Publishing #WriterBeware #Writing #GettingPublished #SelfPublishing #Scams #Scammers #ConArtists #PublishingScams #Scam #TraditionalPublishers #VanityPress #HybridPress #TraditionalPublishing

https://writerbeware.blog/scam-archive/?fbclid=IwAR1IsHXkYC1RPJWFNl9uxmoLTyxwRJL2D8xy6U76wRgzkXe-drmbZ1U6_YU

Overseas Scams - Writer Beware

Publishing/Marketing/Fake Literary Agency Scam List READ THIS FIRST Below is Writer Beware’s most up-to-date list of names and email addresses used by the many publishing/marketing/fake literary agency scams operating mostly out of the Philippines, and to a lesser degree India and Pakistan, despite their US/Canadian/UK addresses and phone numbers. All of the listings are supportedRead More

Writer Beware

Victoria Strauss Nov 9, 2023

Fake lit agency alert: AG Literary. Web domain 17 days old so a bit hard to figure how they sold so many books already 😜 What they're really selling: a "compelling book proposal", provided by a "third-party vendor" aka the actual scammer #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://agliterary.com/

Home - AG Literary Agency

Books to Traditional Publishers Books to TV/Film

AG Literary Agency - We empower aspiring authors in achieving the prestige of being published. We help authors through every step of the publishing process so that their works will get the recognition they deserve. Get traditionally published or have it adapted to a movie.

Victoria Strauss Oct 31, 2023

My #WriterBeware blog post on the huge number of scammers using the Amazon name and trademarks to rip writers off--Amazon is now suing several of these fraudulent companies #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/07/07/how-scammers-are-using-amazon-and-amazon-trademarks-to-rip-writers-off/

How Scammers Are Using Amazon and Amazon Trademarks to Rip Writers Off - Writer Beware

Fake Amazons In the past year or so, I’ve noticed an upsurge in scams that employ the Amazon name, or the names of Amazon trademarks, to try and trick hopeful writers into believing they are working with a company affiliated with Amazon, or even with Amazon itself. As is common with scams these days, manyRead More

Writer Beware

Victoria Strauss Oct 31, 2023

#Amazon is cracking down on scammers who use the Amazon name and trademarks to fool writers into thinking they're working with Amazon itself. (I wrote about these fraudulent websites in July) #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93613-amazon-sues-scammers-targeting-authors.html

Amazon Sues Scammers Targeting Authors

Amazon sues some 20 websites falsely claiming an affiliation with Amazon that are designed to lure authors into paying fees to publish.

PublishersWeekly.com

Victoria Strauss Oct 23, 2023

Alert from #WriterBeware: Publishing/marketing scammer AuthorUnit is posing as Ingram in solicitations sent to authors, with NO authorization from Ingram. If you receive a solicitation like this, it's fraudulent #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing #PublishingScams

Victoria Strauss Aug 4, 2023

New #WriterBeware blog post: Dogging the Watchdog: In Which a Scammer Tries to Troll Me (plus a peek into the hate I get from the people and companies I warn about on Writer Beware) #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/08/04/dogging-the-watchdog-in-which-a-scammer-tries-to-troll-me/

Dogging the Watchdog: In Which a Scammer Tries to Troll Me - Writer Beware

As you might imagine, given Writer Beware’s mission, I get a certain amount of hate from the people and companies I warn about here and on social media. Sometimes they email me. Sometimes they harass and/or dox me on social media (one guy repeatedly tweeted my home address and urged people to come kick myRead More

Writer Beware