Self-publishing has always been plagued by people offering services that seem attractive to the unwary but can result in spending large amounts of money for little or no return. ‘Vanity publishing’ was the old name for the offer of getting your precious manuscript into print in smallish numbers. Then there were people offering to publicise your book on social media to readers, mainly in North America, who would notice and buy your book in enormous numbers, making you rich and famous.
I have successfully avoided all these siren calls over the past decade or two, but recently the frauds have become much harder to spot. AI is no doubt to blame. The email that arrives unexpectedly in your inbox is full of detail about your book, indicating apparently that someone has read and critiqued it, recognises its quality and is moved to support it enthusiastically.
The first of these approaches made to me was from someone ostensibly looking for books to add to the Goodreads ‘book of the month’ scheme, which does apparently exist. The email was – or so it said – from one of the moderators looking for likely candidates, offering to make one of my books available to thousands of influential and discerning readers. I checked the Goodreads scheme. It was OK. I checked the name and website of the person who the email purported to be from, and again the person existed. No mention had been made of payment. I was reassured, and responded expressing interest, but asking for evidence that it was genuine. More emails followed with details and reassurance, and then, finally, the request for payment came. It wasn’t a lot of money, but there was also mention of deadlines that needed to be met, and therefore some urgency to ‘close the deal’. At that point, alarm bells were beginning to tinkle, but the continued correspondence had done it’s job and I decided to take the risk. I paid the money, regretting it almost immediately, but too late. Then and only then I checked online for ‘Goodreads scams’ and sure enough, there was the scam described in every detail. I cursed my naivety, decided the cost wasn’t too bad, blocked the contact and moved on.
Only a couple of weeks later another email arrived to my author inbox, this time from a person introducing themselves as the Editorial Director of Canongate, a well-known and very reputable publishing house. Another of my books was analysed in great detail, and suggested for inclusion in a proposed new series for an international readership. No mention was made of money.
I had never received, from any source, such a comprehensive analysis of my work and I was flattered as well as surprised. Again I dissected the sender’s provenance and found that it all checked out. I responded with interest, suggesting that we might meet to discuss it further as I don’t have an agent.
What I didn’t do immediately – and this should have been my first step – was check with the publisher about the reality of the information, and that emails did genuinely emanate from the publishing house. Fortunately, I did contact a friend who is an established published author, who alerted me to the probability that this too was an AI generated scam. Before I had time to take action, another email arrived from the same ‘person’, with further praise for my work and offering to put me in touch with an agent. Still no mention of money, but I could see how the process was working. Heaven knows where it would have gone from there.
By now I knew from Canongate that their Editorial Director was being impersonated, much to their disgust I’m sure, and the emails were entirely fraudulent. I blessed my caution, and couldn’t resist responding to the email to say I know what they were up to. Then I blocked the contact. Phew.
I should have been pleased to have dodged the bullet this time, but instead the whole experience left me upset. It brought back all my unsuccessful efforts to find an agent or to have my work properly reviewed. I suspect that none of my books has ever been read by anyone involved in conventional publishing, and probably never will be. I have never had any acknowledgement from the ‘book business’ that my work is at least as good – and sells as well – as most of the fiction that is conventionally published. What I’ve missed all these years is not fame or fortune, but recognition. How ironic that this was finally provided by a ‘bot’ and was designed only to exploit and and manipulate me as an author.
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