People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they’re afraid it might be true.
– from Wizards First Rule, by Terry Goodkind
I recently self-published a memoir, Soul Whispers: Encounters with the Unconscious, Guides, Synchronicity, and Other Mysteries. Months before it came out, I got an unsolicited email from a woman who claimed to be able to get me interviews on podcasts that would be interested in my topic. I had numerous email conversations with her, asking for and obtaining references, bargaining with her for lower rates (she first quoted me $2,000 for her services. I talked her down to half that to see how well her services might work).
Then I got an email from a well-known British author who claimed to have read my first novel, The Assassin’s Dream, and loved it, and gave a smart analysis of the plot and characters. We began email conversations about all things writing, creativity, and publishing. Eventually I asked him to write a blurb for Soul Whispers, which he sent to me. It was the best blurb among the several author friends I’d conscripted. I included it in the final printing. Only later did I find out that scammers had concocted a fake email address for him, and that his missives likely were AI creations.
“He” recommended a book marketing contractor he said he’d successfully used in the past. The trusting (and perhaps naïve) person that I am, I contacted that book marketer and contracted him for $500.
Luckily, my brilliant and skeptical partner decided to use her AI skills to research these folks.
You probably can guess the rest.
They were flagged as Nigerian scammers, especially preying on self-published authors. Theirs was a rather elaborate scheme, quite convincing despite the red flags I should have noticed, such as bank transfer information that was not acceptable to my bank, subsequent third-party payment portals the scammers provided, and so on.
Fortunately, I had paid with a credit card, and after reporting the scam, the credit card company offered to reimburse me.
Soul Whispers is my first self-published book. I had learned that even if I found a great agent and publisher for my memoir, it would likely be two years before it would hit any shelves. I couldn’t wait. I’m in my 70s and felt called to share my deepest spiritual experiences in this time of cynicism and despair before it was too late. I was, shall we say, too eager, hopeful, and trusting.
Please be aware that clever predators are looking for hopeful and inexperienced authors. Do thorough investigation, your due diligence before committing to pay them.
All the best, and happy trails!
