How Can Authors Avoid The Book Marketing Scam Victim Psychology?

 

 

Many authors tell me they get multiple emails in a week, sometimes in a day, from purported book promoters looking to work with them.

 

Popular offers include:

 

* Getting you on a bestseller list.

* Introductions to Hollywood producers.

* Tik Tok influencers who will hype you.

* Putting your book in the hands of book clubs.

* SEO strategists who will make your web site popular on search engines.

* Display your book at book fairs.

* Craft and distribute a book trailer.

 

Many offers are BS. 

 

They are either outright scams — you pay and never hear from them — or they don’t fully deliver what they claimed to do, or they do what they promised but the resulting sales are abysmal. Or, they give you what you expected and you get positive results, but you overpaid for that service. 

 

If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. 

 

That said, there are legitimate book promoters with solid offerings that end up getting ignored because too many authors are fearful or uneducated about the process. So they do nothing. That would be throwing out the baby with the bath water.

 

My advice: Don’t use the scam publicist excuse to sit by and do nothing. To be crippled by inaction guarantees the death of your book.

 

So, first step: Evaluate all solicitations and determine a way to evaluate them. Consider doing independent research to find someone who has not solicited you if you don’t believe any of the offers that you received are worthwhile. Seek out referrals from writer associations and fellow authors. Maybe you can read an article or blog post by or about a book publicist that speaks to you — like me!

 

Examine solicitation emails for the following:

 

* It contains misspellings.

* The note suffers from broken English.

* Includes words that are not appropriately capitalized. 

* Addresses you not by name but just hello or hi.

* Identifies your book not by title but instead just refers to your book as a book, work, or writings.

* Lavishly praises you in a non-specific way, as if any book could be spoken of.

* Sounds like they actually read the book, which would be a lie, as no marketer has the time. to read on speculation before even reaching out to you to see if you need help.

* Has multiple gaps of spaces between words.

* Sounds so full of kiss-ass lavish praise.

* Appears to be AI generated.

* They don’t give a company name or a last name or use initials instead of a first name.

* Their web site looks crappy.

 

Do a zoom to see who this person is and not settle on a phone call. But do get their number and search online to see who it belongs to Google their individual name and the company name and add words like “lawsuit” “liar” “scam” “hoax” “arrest.”  Ask for testimonials or references. See how long they have been in business. 



That said, do your due diligence but don’t use as an excuse or make an assumption “They are all scams” and never do anything with anyone to market your book. Otherwise, you have scammed yourself and rendered your book dead.



“Intention must be powered with action.”

—NOT SURE WHO NEEDS TO HEAR THIS, BUT...Beautiful Reminders for the Soul by Willie Greene

 

“Use What Motivates Others to Your Advantage”

— WHO BETTERTHAN YOU? The Art of Healthy Arrogance & Dreaming

  

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum