Authors Guild warns of a rise in email scams targeting authors
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R. S. Breed Founder
The Authors Guild put out an alert on 24 February about a rise in email scams aimed at authors:
https://authorsguild.org/bulletin/rise-in-email-scams-targeting-authors/
The types they list: fake book clubs, fake publicity and marketing offers, impersonations (of podcast and radio hosts, well-known authors and publishing staff), fake publishing or distribution deals, and threats. None of it is new exactly, but the Guild says it has kept escalating, and that AI has made it easier for scammers to send more of it, faster.
The usual red flags cover most of these, and they're listed in the pinned "Is this email a scam? Post it here" thread.
The threats deserve a separate word. The Guild says some look designed to extort authors, including threats to pirate their work, and its advice is not to engage. So don't reply and don't pay. Keep a copy and report it.
The Guild points people to the FBI's ic3.gov (US), to the platform the message came through, and to its own staff so it can warn other members. Writer Beware also collects reports, and if you're in Australia, Scamwatch takes them too.
The rule of thumb hasn't changed. Real opportunities rarely drop into your inbox unannounced, and when they do, they don't need an answer today.