Publishing Scams Targeting Authors
How to Spot the Warning Signs and Protect Yourself
The publishing industry has always attracted its share of scams, but in recent years the sophistication of these approaches has increased dramatically. Advances in artificial intelligence have made it much easier for fraudsters to create convincing, personalised emails that appear to come from respected publishers, literary agents, editors, book clubs or online reading communities.
At SilverWood Books, we’ve recently seen a noticeable increase in email scams targeting authors. Some authors have understandably been excited by what appeared to be genuine interest in their books, only to discover later that they had been targeted by a scam.
The good news is that once you know what to look for, many of these approaches become much easier to recognise.
Why authors are being targeted
Writing a book is a deeply personal achievement. Most authors hope their work will reach new readers, and naturally they are delighted when someone appears to have discovered their book and appreciated it.
Scammers understand this. Rather than sending obvious spam, they often create highly personalised publishing scam emails that praise an author’s work, mention specific themes or characters, and suggest exciting opportunities such as:
- interest from a publisher
- recommendations for a literary agent
- invitations to feature in BookTok or Bookstagram promotions
- book club selections
- review opportunities
- literary awards
- international publishing or translation deals
- film or television interest
Because these emails often sound knowledgeable and enthusiastic, they can be difficult to distinguish from genuine publishing enquiries.
How AI has changed these scams
One of the biggest developments is the use of artificial intelligence. A scammer no longer needs to read an entire book to write a convincing email. Publicly available information such as your book description, Amazon "Look Inside" pages, your author website, interviews, reviews and social media posts can all be used to generate detailed, personalised messages within minutes.
This means an email that appears to demonstrate a deep understanding of your book is no longer proof that the sender has actually read it. These AI publishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it more important than ever for authors to pause and verify unexpected approaches before responding.
Common warning signs
No single warning sign proves that an email is fraudulent, but several together should encourage caution.
Be particularly careful if someone:
- offers enthusiastic praise very early in the conversation
- promises major publishing opportunities before discussing commercial viability
- encourages you to use a particular literary agent or introduces you to someone they recommend
- asks for payments, administration fees or promotional costs
- claims connections with well-known publishers or organisations without using official contact details
- creates a sense of urgency or exclusivity
- avoids answering straightforward questions about who they are or how they discovered your book.
Some scams involve fake literary agents, while others lead to expensive book marketing scams, paid review schemes or promotional packages that deliver little or no value.
Always remember that legitimate publishers and literary agents earn their income from successfully selling books, not from charging authors unexpected fees.
Before you respond
If you receive an unexpected publishing opportunity, take a few simple steps before replying.
- Search independently for the organisation rather than clicking links in the email.
- Check whether the sender’s email address matches the official organisation’s website.
- Look for genuine staff profiles on the publisher’s website or LinkedIn.
- Search online for the organisation’s name together with words such as "scam", "review" or "warning".
If you’re unsure, pause before responding. Scammers often rely on excitement overriding caution.
If something feels wrong
Trust your instincts. If an email feels unusually flattering, vague or too good to be true, it’s perfectly acceptable not to engage.
Unfortunately, many scams only become obvious after several friendly exchanges, when the conversation turns towards payments, referrals, marketing packages or other financial commitments. Walking away early is far easier than trying to recover money or personal information later.
Helpful resources
Several respected organisations regularly publish advice about scams affecting authors. These are well worth bookmarking.
The Authors Guild explains here how publishing-related email scams have become increasingly sophisticated and what authors should watch for.
Writer Beware, here, published by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), has been documenting publishing scams for many years and regularly investigates new frauds targeting writers.
Bonnier Books UK has also published practical advice here specifically aimed at independent authors, explaining why these scams are increasing and how to protect yourself.
A final word
Most people working in publishing are genuine professionals who care deeply about books and authors. This article is not intended to make authors suspicious of every opportunity that comes their way. Genuine publishers, agents, reviewers and readers do discover independently published books every day.
The key is simply to approach unexpected offers with a healthy degree of curiosity and caution.
If you’re ever unsure about an unexpected publishing approach, it’s worth seeking a second opinion before responding. Your publisher, literary agent or a trusted authors’ organisation, such as the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), the Society of Authors or the Authors Guild, may be able to offer guidance. Genuine opportunities rarely disappear overnight, so taking a little time to verify an approach is almost always worthwhile.
This article was last updated in July 2026. As publishing scams continue to evolve, we’ll review and update this guidance periodically to reflect new patterns and emerging threats. Image credit Maksym Zakharyak at Unsplash.
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