Publisher Spam

I want to call attention to an email I received today without discussing the alleged name(s) involved. The email claimed that Energion Publications had been shortlisted for a slot in the Top 10 publishing service providers for the past year. (I would note, by the way, that “publishing service provider” is not currently a good description of what we do here.)

So should I be flattered?

Well, all they want is $3000 for this listing. In other words, I have been selected. I have been selected to be scammed.

This goes along with many other publishing-related scams, both for small publishers and for authors. We want publicity. Even the hint that we are ranking high in our activities attracts our attention. That’s dangerous. It’s where scammers can get a toe-hold.

So if you’re an author and receive an email that offers you a high spot in some book awards, beware! There are genuine awards, even a few that require an entry fee. But there are many that are just there to collect your entry fee. Even if they do list you, which is not terribly likely, it will not be somewhere prestigious that will help with your sales.

If you’re one of my authors, no, I did not make the top 10, and fame is not around the corner. Sales come by hard work. But the email I received is valuable as a potential lesson illustration!