Rosemary Sekora is the Marketing and Sales Manager for UNP and has a notes file on her phone filled with book ideas.

I am not a published author. I have a masters in English and loved being a part of a Creative Writing program but alas, I have not yet written a book.  

Although, what’s this in my inbox?

“I recently came across UNP Publicity and was genuinely impressed by its focus on Media Outreach—especially the way you bring out Primary lead [sic] for author inquiries. It’s the kind of book that naturally sparks discussion and stays with readers after they’ve finished it.”

Hmm. UNP Publicity by Rosemary Sekora. Sounds like something I could write. Unfortunately, this is the latest crop of book club scams that are targeting authors and non-authors alike.

While this example is not the most sophisticated, there are numerous invitations like it being sent to (actual) published authors. These emails praise your book in specific detail before inviting you to be a “featured selection” for their book club group, or they might invite you to participate in a Q&A that is promised to reach “thousands of readers.”

If an author replies, “Sounds great I’m in!” then the invite turns into an invoice. Friends, do not pay for book club promotions.

While scam phenomena aren’t new, we wanted to bring attention to it again because it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Dan Barry wrote for the New York Times about his experience receiving this random, unsolicited praise for an older book, “Either I had finally been recognized as the Proust of my generation, or this frenzied attention was part of some insistent scam.”

Of course, your book from five years ago is great, but this just isn’t how book promotions work. Our colleagues at the University of Mississippi Press published an FAQ on how to spot a scam.

Authors with new and forthcoming books aren’t immune to receiving these emails either; you may come across one as you prepare to market your book. Please contact your publisher if you are unsure about an invitation you’ve received. Listen to your gut, if it sounds like it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Spread the word and stay vigilant!