Promotion & Publication Scammers – A list for indie authors.

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May 2026

2026, has seen a dramatic increase in the world’s population of book promoters, book groups, radio promotions, publishing opportunities, literary festivals and individuals claiming to be able to help us all get our books into the public eye.

These are utter rubbish.
AI-generated spam, con-tricks, time-wasters, and should be ignored.

Some of them may be genuine, but if so, they’ve got to find a new way of composing their approach emails, because they are all too obviously peppered with AI-generated jargon. Frankly, I find their insinuations that they know what’s best for my books insulting. I simply don’t trust them, and I hate to think how many newbie indie authors are being sucked in to ultimately part with money.

I started compiling a list of those that I receive so that other indie authors can be aware. These, I feel, are but a few, but maybe by listing them here, I might help others avoid the disappointments and loss of money that can come from these scams.

I am doing this (for a fortnight only) because of a fraud almost perpetrated on me by someone claiming to be from HarperCollins.

HarperCollins does not partner with third-party companies that provide editorial or marketing services to unpublished or self-published authors. [From their website.]

The real HC have a thing or two to say about Rosemary Brosnan and others, and you can report such fraud directly to them here: Report Scam Emails to HarperCollins Fraud Directly. I expect other major houses have the same thing, so always check.

Things to look out for when you get a ‘scam’ publishing or promotion-service email.

1. They are mostly from Gmail accounts.
2. Major publishing houses do not send out emails like this.
3. An email address at, for example, HarperCollins@mywebsite.com is not a genuine email from that publishing house, but from an individual’s domain.

Jargon: especially drawn, layered storytelling, shared narratives, reaching out, personally invite, etc. If anyone ‘reaches out’ to me instead of contacting me, I leave them to drown.

Here’s my list, with my notes, started in April 2026.
I only ran it for two weeks, because I was/am receiving around 20 per week and… life’s too short to give them this attention. I think you’ll get the message though.

April 2026

Kboo Community radio station: “I’m reaching out on behalf of…”

Olaleye Hammond: “Hi ALEC MARSH…” This one was about “Increasing the visibility of GHOSTS OF THE WEST” a book not written by me.

Olaleye Hammond: A repeat of the same, only this time it’s about ‘A Case of Make Believe’ and they got my name right, but… too late!

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference 2026. Inviting me to North Carolina in May to “join our faculty for the 2026 conference.”

Writers Radio Podcast. Starts with ‘Dear R.L. Jackson…’ Wrong name. Delete.

Sophia Jane, a Literary Promotion Specialist (with only a Gmail account), regurgitated my own blurb and said something irrelevant about Pinterest. Delete.

Andre Morris apparently specialises in turning my books into Netflix series via his free Gmail account. He specialises in “taking powerful written narratives and reimagining them”, but clearly doesn’t specialise in proper English. Powerful should be an adverb. Delete.

PromoZone pulled ‘Speaking in Silence’ randomly from a hat, and is therefore keen to promote what is the fifth book in a second series.

A dull, unprofessional-looking email from someone with the unlikely name of Lovelyne SEPHORA Die.

James Harrison “… hear your thoughts or explore opportunities for review, feature, or collaboration.”

Pam Stack “Hello Jackson, Unless I have a severe brain disorder, we haven’t met before.” Creepy.

Kristy Keeling “Submit your manuscript for an independent editorial review here…” No thanks. If I want any such services, I will research and find them myself.

Kimberly Elias Judge “… the Curator of Author Conversations at The European Book Club…” Dubious to say the least.

Dylan Mason “”1892″ came up in one of our recent discussions, and what really stood out was the structure…” No.

Thomas H. Crowe Crowe (Sic) “I have a strategy to “force-feed” the algorithm and get your book back in front of buyers.”
Eek!

Kenneth M Koch “I’ve reached out a few times but haven’t received a response yet.” Now, that makes it sound like something is my fault, so this one can definitely Foxtrot Oscar.

“My name is Rosemary Brosnan, and I am a Vice President, Editorial Director at HarperCollins Publishers.” This one comes up with more or less the same text as all the others, and is saying the same thing: I can help you get on their lists, but you may need representation and more editorial work. I’ll put you in touch with an agent and editor who will then charge you $700 or so for (I suspect) running the MS through an AI spell check, send it back, take their money and vanish.

Report to: fraud@harpercollins.com immediately!

WDSR 1340 AM Author Radio Feature – a follow-up email. Apparently, they are “Affiliated with Fox News Radio & Premiere Networks.” Even if that’s true, Fox News? Are you mad?

Thomas Organizer. (What a ridiculous name.) “I’ve been diving into A Night of Opposites and found the narrative incredibly compelling.” Wants me to do a radio interview. Gmail account.

Mick McCabe-Looks. (Another Gmail account and twisted AI-generated language.) Internal Architecture, sophisticated approach to shifting energy, thought-provoking discussions… Here’s one: Eff off.

Kayleehrenaderz sent me the same message as I got from BooksRide trying to sell me promotions, but she used her own Gmail address (a dead giveaway). This one, though, had an unsubscribe button, so I unsubscribed from a thing I’d never subscribed to in the first place.

May 2026

Mary Lou McCausland, “and I serve as President of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in British Columbia, Canada.”

Cloe Watson, Bookpinks offering services because “you’ve subscribed to our newsletter.” I had not, nor would I. If I want services, I will search them out myself.

Catherine Mary – a random, “I work with authors on editing, proofreading…” letter selling services, and they couldn’t even be bothered to write more than a few lines asking what I am writing.

Dave Sivers at BeaconLit festival 2026. Long email about a festival in the USA, and they’ve not bothered to see that I live in Greece, and can’t pop over next week at my expense…

Alison Baysee. “I run Blossoming Through Books in the United States…”

I followed one of these once (not this one), and it led me to a “Please fill out and sign this form before we proceed,” which put me right off.

Aveline Kerrigan. “I am writing on behalf of a reading community inspired by the standards and impact of Oprah’s Book Club.”
Another one using a well-known name to suggest some kind of association?

Eliana Gommez. “I am reaching out to invite you to The Infinite Ink Archive…”
Remember? Anyone who ‘reaches out’ to me, I leave to drown. I am an old English author, love, and instantly put off by this kind of jargon.

Cloewatson. “At BookBeetel, we give a platform to boost your book’s readers and reviews.”
Maybe real, but I doubt it because the embedded link, when clicked, brings up a warning message, ‘the link seems to lead to another site than what the link text indicated.’ Sure enough, the link leads to something other than BookBeetel. (What is a beetel?)

Cloewatson. Again! This time, her/his/its promoted site was ‘Booksride’, and the same warning message came up on the email link – so definitely a scam.

Sophie Langford. “I want to start by saying congratulations and I mean that in the fullest sense of the word.”
What other sense is there? This was a very long email that first regurgitated my series blurbs, and then went on about all kinds of benefits of doing… I don’t know what. I stopped reading after a few lines and only skimmed the page, yawning.  

Sofia Jessica. “The Distinct Book Club is thrilled to feature the first book in your enthralling The Delamere Files series, “Finding a Way,” in our Author Spotlight series…”
If you have a book club, you don’t need to tell the author and certainly don’t need him to buy into a publicity ‘package.’

Ben Bordofsky. “I am an active member of the Amsterdam Book Club. I can send you a quick breakdown of where the book currently stands and what a targeted placement would look like no commitment at all, just a clear and honest picture.”

Sometimes, when Goodreads comes up or can prove an existing website or online reader discussion that looks genuine, I am in two minds whether to reply or not. I don’t wish to be impolite, but I am now receiving so many of these that I can only consider them as spam. They all – no matter how genuine they may be – sound horribly similar, as though the sender has sent out hundreds of such emails in the hope of catching one author.

Ava Williams. E-Book SEO Specialist (with no website and only a Gmail address.)
“I work with authors on improving how their books appear in Amazon search by refining keyword alignment and category positioning…”

Castano Ladron. “With the Delamere Files now into double figures, how do you think about readers who are arriving to the world now versus those who started with Deviant Desire back at the beginning?”
A fishing expedition, I feel, as there was no reason for the email other than to tell me what I already know about my books.

Brain Klems. “I am writing regarding the Chesapeake Writing Conference and Literary Festival, scheduled for…”
Etc. I’d love to attend at your complete expense, Sir. But, if you intend to fly me to the USA and take care of all visas and costs, you should have offered that in the email, and directed me to your organisation’s mission statements, etc.

Suzanne Harris. “… host of Webtalkradio, a platform where we have thoughtful, in-depth conversations with…”

Tara Johnson. “I’m reaching out with an invitation to feature your book in our upcoming Goodreads Reading Challenge…”
Reaching out? No!

tenin225coulibaly@gmail.com. Team BookVisibilityPro  “Hey Jacob Marsh, quick boost idea for Autumnborn.”
That was the header, and I have no idea who Jacob Marsh is, nor Autumnborn, which I read as auto-bum. (Sorry.)

Scott Branson. “I’m part of the editorial team at The Authors Manuscriptia.”

Editors do not contact authors. Sadly, it’s the other way around.

Btw: many of these genuine-looking emails link to a website that also looks genuine and may be, but to me, these websites all look the same. Template email, template website, what good a service are they offering?

Charlotte Bright. “I am a dedicated book marketing strategist with a very special focus on Goodreads, Amazon, and the powerful digital platforms that historical mystery and LGBTQ+ fiction authors like you so often leave completely untapped.”
Chose ‘Keepers of the Past’ as the book, but as it’s the second in a series, I can’t see the point. Looks genuine enough, but still, a Gmail address, so not professional.

Martha Magret. Newspaper Feature Opportunity. “I recently came across your book, A Night of Opposites (The Delamere Files Book 11)”
This had a link to the website for the Author Manuscripta, so I replied asking how much they were offering to pay me for a feature. We’ll see what comes back.

Lovelyne SEPHORA Die. (I think we’ve met before.) “Our reviews aren’t just praise; they are critical, high-level editorial insights that you can use to build a real brand as an author.”

I do not pay for reviews. End of.

Rowan Cross. Book Visibility & Reader Engagement Strategist. A very professional-looking email that mentions all kinds of services, no price, and no authorised website with proof of reach, readership or even existence.

Elena r Rossi. “At The Author Manuscriptia, we position your book where attention…”
Them again, only a different name and a different book, but the same email, a Gmail like the rest here.

Mara Ellison. “KCRW is NPR’s flagship member station in Southern California. There is a professional booking and production fee of $150…”
At least they were honest about how much money I would hand over in return for… what? No website, no proof, and another Gmail address.

Helen Oliva.
I replied to an initial fishing email saying I was happy for them to advertise my books using the Amazon Affiliate programme, and that was all – but I’ve had several more emails trying to follow up with things like: “I can offer a One-Time Promotion & Indexing Package for your titles… For a flat fee of $199…”

Castano Ladron. “Book Marketing Specialist | Growth Strategist.” “I reached out a little while ago and haven’t heard back, which is completely fine.”

Armand KOUAME. (No need to shout.) Three short paragraphs of nothing but a link. Hardly professional.

Sofia Caldwell. The Author Spotlight Experience Cycle running within The Midnight Readers.
This one led to a Goodreads reading group, and the email contained all the usual clichés.
The dynamic between Archer and Silas… a distinct identity… meaningful conversation around books that offer both narrative strength and emotional impact…

I replied showing a mild (feigned) interest and asking how and why? The reply which was more of the same pseudo-editor speak, included: participation includes a modest registration contribution of one hundred and eighty dollars…

Jennifer Ellins. “… [your book] carries qualities that could translate beautifully into a film or television adaptation…”

I know, thanks, but you’ve no log, no website, only a Gmail address…

Word on the Lake Writers Festival. “My name is Mary Lou McCausland, and I serve as President of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in British Columbia, Canada.”

Eliana Gommez. “I am reaching out to invite you to The Infinite Ink Archive…”
Reaching out again, and again, the usual clichés. “I am reaching out to invite you to The Infinite Ink Archive, Please let me know when you might be available for a brief coordination chat this week to discuss the next steps. As if I am going to do that.”

TONIA JANE. “Manuscript Review – Story Development – Reader Insight.”
This one offers itself as a “Professional beta reader.” In other words, someone who reads books without having to buy them. No.

There were too many this week, so here are the names and basic words to watch for:

GPB Radio station. Mark Chilla.

Hazel Chloe “Professional Marketing Strategist & Book Positioning Specialist”

Charlotte Bright (A very long email about nothing) Charlotte Bright Author Visibility

Paula Wynne. “Page Turner Awards.” Email led to another template website – and the ‘unsubscribe from email’ thing doesn’t work.

Seraphina Thorne. Legacy architect. What is one of them?

Wdsr news radio. Affiliated with Fox News Radio & Premiere Networks. (Fox News? They can fox off.)

Thomas Organizer. Silent Book Club NYC.

Martha Magret. (Another ‘Manuscripta’ one.)

Nick McCabe-Looks. CBC Radio.

booksride alkebooksride@booksride.com

kayleehrenaderz. Another ‘booksride’ one.

Kboo Community Radio station 09.7fm. (Nothing to do with Kobo – it’s Kboo, to trick us?)

Olaleye Hammed. I’m sure we’ve seen him before.

edwina Perkins. Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

You get the picture?

Enough said.