Authors are a hardy breed. In order to face the myriad rejections, we have to be. So, when an email came bouncing into my inbox with glowing praise for my latest novel, That Was Then, I was fooled for a minute into thinking that someone really did love the characters and storyline involved. The email held just the right amount of detailed understanding of the plot that I was sure the reader had actually read my novel.
Sadly, later paragraphs referred to “one author showcase slot open for this holiday season” or a “limited opportunity on Medium for authors to showcase their books” or “a platform with 100,000+ active book lovers and we are offering a one-time book shoutout promotion.”
Ah, yes. What they really want is my money.
The emails are from people like Abigail Rose Whitman (now there’s a lovely, innocuous-sounding name) or Grace Wealth (is that a subtle way of implying that wealth is just around the corner for me?) or James Smith. Everyday names perhaps designed to suggest someone with good intentions.
When they address me as “Hi, Tod” using my last name rather than my first name, I know there’s a problem.
Author and publishing industry insider Anne R. Allen has written about this phenomenon on her blog. Several of my author friends have spoken about this same inundation by unknown people assuring us that our books are just moments away from reaching thousands of engaged readers and potential buyers.
Sometimes, these scammers even follow up: “Hello, I’m just checking in because I didn’t see a response to my last message and I wasn’t sure if it got buried in your inbox.” I’d love to tell such a person to f**k off – but I’m too polite for that. Well, most of the time, I’m too polite.
I’ve received well over 100 of these solicitations this year. Based on more than fifteen years of writing and publishing, this is something new in the writing world.
So, don’t be fooled. There’s no magic answer to reaching readers, only hard work and proven expertise. If you’re going to pay someone to help, make sure it’s a well-vetted recommendation.
Good luck!
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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook or on her website www.mktod.com.
