A few months ago, a friend of mine contacted me for advice on a possible scam. Then last week another friend came across the same scam but from a different sender. A third said they had been receiving these scams for a while now.
All three authors have agreed to share their emails, but they have asked me to hide their identities so they do not become further targets.
Here is what happened
Author 1 received an email praising their book and asking if they would like to participate in an upcoming book club meeting. The group offered promises of featuring their work during a live session, in which they would conduct a meet and greet, Q&A, etc. It all sounded promising.
The email started with a summary of the book, praising the emotional journey of the characters and how this would connect with readers. “The idea [of the book] resonated deeply with our readers.” Then they continued by mentioning how their readers connected with the overall message of the stories. How members conversed about the book, how they shared their thoughts with family members, and what they appreciated the book. Then the emailer quickly introduced themselves, spoke about what they wanted to do and what they needed from the author.
[Author 1’s first name],
Your book quietly reminds us that [summary of the book].
That idea resonated deeply with our readers. [Praise on how the readers reacted to specific elements in the book].
As our members prepared for our upcoming Heritage & Belonging Monthly Reading Challenge, [Author 1’s book title] naturally stood out as a book we knew would inspire meaningful discussions across generations.
I’m [Name retracted just in case this is a real person], Moderator of A Million More Pages (AMMP), a Goodreads reading community where readers come together each month to explore books that encourage thoughtful conversations, celebrate diverse voices, and inspire lifelong learning. Throughout the month, members read, reflect, and discuss the selected theme together. Any Goodreads reviews shared by members are always voluntary and reflect their honest reading experience.
We also host virtual discussions every Sunday, where readers exchange ideas about the book’s themes, memorable moments, and the questions it leaves behind. If your schedule allows, we’d be delighted to have you join one of our discussions and connect with our readers.
As we prepare your feature, could you kindly send us:
- A high resolution book cover
- A short author biography
- An author photograph (optional)
- Your website and social media links
- Anything else you’d like our readers to know
Thank you for creating a story that preserves not only a place, but the memories and conversations that give it lasting life.
Warm regards,
[Name retracted]
Moderator
A Million More Pages (AMMP)
Goodreads Reading Community
Author 1 followed up with questions. This was the response:
[Author 1’s first name],
As part of confirming everything, I wanted to briefly explain how we prepare each featured book for the spotlight. To support the promotion of the feature, we typically ask participating authors for a flexible contribution, based on what they’re comfortable with.
This contribution goes directly toward putting together key promotional materials and visibility for your book, including:
- Custom digital banner for your feature
- Flyer mockup for sharing across reader communities
- Coordinated visibility within the Goodreads Librarians Group [NOTE: now they claim they are a different group]
- Optional promotional elements like teaser content or reader engagement threads
Most authors usually contribute in the range of $100, depending on what they’re able to support, but there’s flexibility; the main goal is simply to ensure we can properly present and promote your work.
Once I know what you’re comfortable with, I’ll finalize your spot and begin preparing your feature for the upcoming reader cycle.
I’d really like to include your book in this round, so just let me know what works best for you and we’ll take it from there.
Warm regards, [NOTE: no name at sign off]
After another search, I found that ‘Goodreads Librarians Group’ does exist, but again, I could not contact the group.
I tried contacting Goodreads to tell them what was going on and I received this email:
Hi Alaa,
Thank you for contacting us. This company is misrepresenting themselves as Goodreads. Our website can be found at https://www.goodreads.com. We will contact you as necessary if we need further information.
Sincerely,
The Goodreads Team
Author 2’s story
Author 2 was receiving several emails in the same style.
Hello [Author 2’s name],
I am reaching out to you directly because [Author 2’s novel title] came through our team, and something about the title made us stop and look twice.We don’t select books simply because they sound important or because they address subjects readers already care about. We look at the questions underneath the work, the experiences that give their questions weight, and whether a book can create a meaningful conversation between writer and the people who encounter it.
What caught our attention about [Author2’s novel title] is the tension contained in the title itself.
[Summary of the book, praise and some questions on the theme].Your work was brought to me as the Literary Steward for The Chapter Map for further consideration.
The Chapter Map is a reading community connecting authors with active readers. Since our founding in January 2022, we’ve grown to 2300+ active readers and featured more than 500 books through Author Spotlight Sessions, Reading Challenges, discussions, and reader engagement.For [Author 2’s novel title], we see an opportunity to create a conversation that goes beyond simply reading the work. An Author Spotlight gives readers the chance to hear directly from you about the experiences, memories, histories, and questions that shaped the writing, while giving them space to ask their own questions about belonging, migration, identity, and cultural resistance.
The Reading Challenge then gives readers room to continue that conversation beyond the Spotlight, particularly around what we inherit from those who came from us and what we choose to carry forward ourselves. We review many books, but not every title makes it to this stage. The [Author 2’s book title] did.
And because authors receive enough automated outreach these days, I want to be clear that this is not an AI-generated message or a generic invitation sent simply because your book appeared in a catalogue. I wrote this directly because your work was specifically brought to my attention, and I want to explain why it stood out.
If you’re open to exploring the opportunity, I’d be happy to share how the Author Spotlight works and available dates for featuring [Author 2’s novel title].
Would you be willing to take a look at the available dates and see whether one works for you?
I’d also genuinely be interested to know what you think about The Chapter Map and whether this kind of direct reader conversation feels like the right fit for a work exploring belonging, displacement, memory, and the things we carry with us when everything else changes.Best regards,
[Name retracted]
Literary Steward
The Chapter Map
https://thechaptermapbookclub.netlify.app/about
I followed the link at the bottom of the email and found a professional-looking site. On quick inspection, the site looks legitimate, but once I started poking around, I noticed some flaws. First of all, the team listed at the bottom of the site has no last names and no bios. There is a brief paragraph on how they started, and the founder has absolutely nothing written from or about him. I checked what netlify.app is, and found it’s a company that uses AI to quickly build sites:
The main site: https://thechaptermapbookclub.netlify.app/about
The company that makes these types of sites: https://www.netlify.com/
More info on Netlify: Wiki – Netlify, YouTube – Netlify
Author 3’s story
Author 3 had a slew of emails of which I have copied below.
Email 1:
Dear [Author 3],
I’m Daniel, reaching out from the “Swifties Who Also Read” community on Goodreads, a vibrant group of over 46,000 passionate readers who share two great loves: unforgettable books and the storytelling magic of Taylor Swift.
We are launching an exclusive 12 Month Reading Challenge, and we are selecting only 16 authors to be featured throughout the year. Your book, [Author 3’s book title], has captured our attention, and we believe it would resonate powerfully with our community.
Why you? [summary of Author 3’s book]. We especially believe stories like yours can attract readers who want more than entertainment. They want a world they can enter, characters they can care about, and ideas they can continue discussing afterward.
The Swifties Who Also Read community is a public group where kindness isn’t just a rule, it is our foundation. We believe in treating people with kindness, fostering respect, and creating a space where readers from all walks of life connect through books. Our discussions span BookTok sensations, YA treasures, and stories with evermore and folklore energy. We are a group that reads with our hearts and shares with enthusiasm.
With 46,000 members and thousands of active discussions, featuring your book means placing it in front of an engaged audience that actively seeks their next great read. We have dedicated spaces for author connections, and our members genuinely value the opportunity to discover and support writers who pour their souls into their work.
This is a limited opportunity with only 16 author slots available for the entire year. To secure your spot in our 2026 to 2027 Reading Challenge lineup, simply reply to this message confirming your interest. I will then send over the monthly schedule and available slots, a brief author questionnaire to help us introduce you to our community, and details on how we will promote your book throughout your feature month.
We would also welcome any exclusive content you would like to share, such as an excerpt, a behind the scenes note, or even a short Q&A with our members.
This is your invitation to connect with 46,000 readers who are waiting for their next unforgettable story. We would love to secure a month for you.
I will keep the rest of this message short because I know you are busy. Here is what I am asking.
Would you like me to send you a full one page overview of how our Author Spotlight Program works? It will explain everything in plain English. Just a clear breakdown of what we do, how we work with you, and what you can expect from us.
If you are interested, all you need to do is reply to this email with:
Yes, I am interested.
I look forward to hearing from you and to introducing your book to a community that will love it.
With warmth and excitement,
[Name retracted]
Email 2:
Hello [Author 3’s name] author happy new season! As Ember Season begins, our book club readers are actively looking for their next great read, and your book stood out to me as an excellent fit for what they’re seeking. I’d love to introduce your book to our readers. Would you like me to submit it to our book club?
Email 3:
Subject:
An Invitation to Spotlight Your Work, [Author 3’s name]Message:
Dear [Author 3’s name],I hope you’re doing well.
I’m [Name retracted], Organizer of A Few Good Pages – Short Story Book Club, a reading community based in Dubai where readers come together to discover meaningful books and connect with authors.
We’re currently inviting selected authors to take part in an Author Spotlight, giving readers a chance to discover the person behind the book, hear about their creative journey, and explore the ideas that shaped their work.
I’d love to explore the possibility of featuring your work and introducing it to our reading community.
If this sounds interesting, I’d be happy to share the details and available options.
Warm regards,
[Name retracted]
Organizer, A Few Good Pages – Short Story Book Club
Appart from the Goodreads group scams, Author 3 has also come across some marketer scams too.
Email 1:
Dear [Author 3’s name],
I came across [Author 3’s book title] and was especially interested in the way you [summary of novel]. I also noticed that you have completed additional science-fiction and fantasy manuscripts, which made me think your work could be a particularly good fit for what we are building at ZhiTu.ZhiTu is a fiction platform designed to help Chinese and cross-cultural writers build lasting reader relationships around novels and serialized work. We are currently inviting a small Founding 100 Authors group.
The arrangement is deliberately non-exclusive. You retain your rights, and there is no need to leave or change any publisher, agent, retailer or platform relationship. An author can simply use ZhiTu as an additional home for selected work, excerpts, serialization or future fiction.I would be very glad if you would take a look and see whether it feels useful for your next stage of writing.
Founding Authors Program:
https://stories.knowpaths.com/founding-authors/
Platform:
https://stories.knowpaths.com/ [NOTE: the information on the site is basic. There are a lot of classical books on display.]Warm regards,
[Name retracted]
ZhiTu Fiction
Email 2:
Hi [Author 3’s name],
I came across your work while researching Singapore writers through the local literary and Writers Lab community, and I was particularly interested in the direction you’re taking with [info on Author 3’s novel].
What stood out to me is that your work already sits across several interesting spaces [summary of Author 3’s work].I think there is an opportunity to bring those strands together into a much stronger author identity, particularly as [Author 3’s genre of choice] continues to give writers a way to reach readers beyond a traditional literary audience.
Your experience with [Author 3’s novel title] and your current work on a [Author 3’s genre] collection give you the foundation for building that platform around a much broader audience than a single book.I’m an international book marketing strategist focused on author branding, reader discovery and publishing visibility.
If you’re open to it, I’d be happy to share a few ideas on how I think those different parts of your work could be connected into a stronger international author platform.Best regards,
[Name retracted]
Book Marketing Strategist | Author Growth & Publishing Partnerships
[Email retracted]
What to do if you are contacted by a potential scammer:
Sometimes well-intentioned people come across as scammers. I once got a job offer years ago, and I initially dismissed it as a scam. But I wasn’t sure, so I contacted them. Turned out they were real.
If you do come across messages you are not one hundred percent sure of, email them. Do not provide them with any information on your end, especially where you live or work, and absolutely no information regarding money – i.e. credit card numbers, PayPal, money transfer information of any kind. Do not give them any information or files on your works in progress or published works. A few years ago, a fake agent was collecting manuscripts to sell: Famous authors tricked.
Once scammers believe you have fallen for their tricks, they will immediately try to grab some sort of payment option from you. Give them nothing.
NOTE: There is a Beta Reader scam going around as well but we haven’t received any emails from them yet.
I will write an update if I hear anything new.
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay