Book Authors: Don’t Let AI Flattery and Sales Aspirations Get You!

Sarah Catherine Gutierrez emailed me the other day, writing “Dang these schemes get better. Have ai do all the work and you don’t have to pretend to have read the book.” The screen shot above shares the email in question.

I’m the publisher of her book But First, Save 10: The One Simple Money Move That Will Change Your Life, and since it came out, we’ve encountered numerous email scams. Fortunately, we’re getting better at recognizing them, but the scammers are getting better and ai is making it so easy.

First they flatter you: “But First, Save 10 is refreshingly direct—a financial guide that trades fear and jargon for clarity and confidence. You’ve turned what most people dread (money talk) into a blueprint for personal freedom. The “pay yourself first” approach isn’t just practical, it’s quietly radical in a culture obsessed with spending before saving.”

Then they try to hook you with bullet points of what will be included, which might at first glance make it seem as if they’ll allow you to hit the “EASY” button:

• A Book Presentation File designed for book club organizers and discussion leaders
• A Financial Freedom Discussion Guide tailored to your message of sustainable wealth
• Reader-Generated Visual Content (UGC) to create authentic buzz
• Professional Book Mockups for marketing and social engagement
If you’d like, I can prepare everything and begin connecting your book with relevant reading circles. Payment only applies after your title begins placement, just to cover production materials.
Would you like me to send you details on how to get But First, Save 10 introduced to book clubs that focus on financial empowerment?

How do you know if it’s a scam?

They’ll ask you to pay them, either with the initial email or two to three communications in. Book clubs don’t charge authors fees . . . you’re already doing them a favor to share your time with them! Hopefully they’re buying your book and you’re getting a little money in your pocket, not the other way around.

A well-known and reliable resource for learning more about “Book Club” based schemes (and all sorts of other author scams) is Writer Beware. A recent blog post addresses this issue in depth, and shares examples of emails similar to Sarah Catherine’s above: Return of the Nigerian Prince Redux: Beware Book Club and Book Review Scams. This blog regularly highlights literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.

Be careful out there!