#writerbeware — Public Fediverse posts

"New #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well?"

#Anthropic #AnthropicClass #GenAILawsuits #Copyright @bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/

"New #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well?"

#Anthropic #AnthropicClass #GenAILawsuits #Copyright @bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/

"New #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well?"

#Anthropic #AnthropicClass #GenAILawsuits #Copyright @bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/

"New #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well?"

#Anthropic #AnthropicClass #GenAILawsuits #Copyright @bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/

"New #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well?"

#Anthropic #AnthropicClass #GenAILawsuits #Copyright @bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/

Via @victoriastrauss (on Bluesky):
"The Authors Guild has won a default judgment against deadbeat publisher TouchPoint Press, enabling 18 writers to get their rights back:
https://authorsguild.org/news/authors-guild-wins-default-judgment-against-touchpoint-press/

"My blog post about the troubles at TouchPoint Press, with many updates. A reminder that a publisher doesn't have to be an intentional fraud to damage writers and their careers."
https://writerbeware.blog/2023/06/30/small-press-storm-warnings-adelaide-books-propertius-press-touchpoint-press/

#Writing #Publishing #WriterBeware #AuthorsGuild @bookstodon

Personal milestone - received a cold call instead of an email scam, from a "Gee Cullen" in California asking about my latest book.

During the call I got the name of the site and looked it up. Key result below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/1ffh1vn/digital_bookstore_coldcalled_me/

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware then quote skeeted on another network to agree that this is most likely a scam, and to speculate on how they get people.

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2k

#WriterBeware #BookStodon #AuthorsOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #AuthorCommunity #IndieAuthor

Personal milestone - received a cold call instead of an email scam, from a "Gee Cullen" in California asking about my latest book.

During the call I got the name of the site and looked it up. Key result below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/1ffh1vn/digital_bookstore_coldcalled_me/

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware then quote skeeted on another network to agree that this is most likely a scam, and to speculate on how they get people.

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2k

#WriterBeware #BookStodon #AuthorsOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #AuthorCommunity #IndieAuthor

Personal milestone - received a cold call instead of an email scam, from a "Gee Cullen" in California asking about my latest book.

During the call I got the name of the site and looked it up. Key result below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/1ffh1vn/digital_bookstore_coldcalled_me/

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware then quote skeeted on another network to agree that this is most likely a scam, and to speculate on how they get people.

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2k

#WriterBeware #BookStodon #AuthorsOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #AuthorCommunity #IndieAuthor

Personal milestone - received a cold call instead of an email scam, from a "Gee Cullen" in California asking about my latest book.

During the call I got the name of the site and looked it up. Key result below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/1ffh1vn/digital_bookstore_coldcalled_me/

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware then quote skeeted on another network to agree that this is most likely a scam, and to speculate on how they get people.

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2k

#WriterBeware #BookStodon #AuthorsOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #AuthorCommunity #IndieAuthor

Personal milestone - received a cold call instead of an email scam, from a "Gee Cullen" in California asking about my latest book.

During the call I got the name of the site and looked it up. Key result below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/1ffh1vn/digital_bookstore_coldcalled_me/

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware then quote skeeted on another network to agree that this is most likely a scam, and to speculate on how they get people.

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2k

#WriterBeware #BookStodon #AuthorsOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #AuthorCommunity #IndieAuthor

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware is back with two important alerts for writers. First: the Harper's Bazaar short story contest has reinstated a copyright transfer clause in its 2026 guidelines — buried in fine print — that would strip winners of their rights. Second: the America Star Books website has reappeared, though it appears to be a spam operation rather than a revived publisher.
#WritingCommunity #Authors #Copyright #PublishingScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/02/06/unhappy-returns-harpers-bazaar-short-story-contest-america-star-books/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented a lawsuit filed by BattleTech and Shadowrun authors and their estates against the Topps Company, alleging that royalties for 2022, 2023, and 2024 have gone unpaid despite repeated demands. The case raises broader questions about work-for-hire contracts and what happens to authors' rights when intellectual property passes through multiple corporate owners.
#WritingCommunity #Publishing #Authors #WriterBeware #WorkForHire
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/02/20/authors-and-authors-estates-sue-the-topps-company-for-unpaid-royalties/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has documented two impersonation scams currently circulating in the writing community. Both use flattery, fake agent referrals, and AI-generated emails to steer writers toward fraudulent paid editing services. The post includes actual email examples, so writers know exactly what to look for. A must-read for anyone in the publishing world right now.
#WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Authors #LiteraryScams #WriterBeware
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/30/two-new-impersonation-scams-to-watch-for/

ayup, and the second one just responded with a very floury email, containing this line: "There is a one time submission fee"

Yet another scam to rake money off indie #writers
This was "The Cambridge and Boston Book Club Spotlight"

#writerbeware

I am getting emails from people claiming to be the organizers of book clubs, and inviting me to have my latest book "spotlighted". The first one was quite upfront that there would be a $150 fee, the second one was fairly effusive about my book, and has so far not made any payment demands.

I am always a bit suspicious of highly complimentary emails.

Is this "author spotlight" thing always a scam, or do some book clubs actually do this?

#writingcommunity #writerbeware

Writer Beware covers everything authors need to know about last year's scams and publishing challenges. Nigerian marketing scams exploded with AI-generated flattery. The Anthropic copyright settlement brought $1.5 billion for authors whose works were scraped from pirate sites. Publishers failed to pay royalties. Contracts contained dangerous clauses. Victoria Strauss documents it all.
#WritingCommunity #WriterBeware #PublishingScams #Copyright #Authors
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/best-of-writer-beware-2025-in-review/

Scammers gotta scam.

#WriterBeware #Writing #Writer

"This is a complicated, layered fraud, with two distinct versions and two different endpoints. But they both start the same way."

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/11/14/if-a-famous-author-calls-hang-up-anatomy-of-an-impersonation-scam/

#Writing #Authors @bookstodon #WriterBeware
Via Victoria Strauss (on Bluesky), a writer beware thread:
1. Have you just received an email like the one below from Excalibre Writers' Hub, touting itself as a "learning platform" with webinars, workshops, and author services, inviting you to become a member? Here are some thoughts. (thread continues in images)

https://www.excalibrewritershub.com/

As a follow-up to the scam email situation, it's not even worth replying to tease out info or troll them back. I see I'm still getting replies in my Spam folder from the one I eventually blocked.

#WritingCommunity #scam #WriterBeware

I received a couple of very shady acceptances today from Polar Expressions Publishing. If an acceptance letter says they probably won't pay you but you should buy the anthology and other merch, that’s a scam. They could have offered to send all their authors an ebook, but instead, they’re making their money off the talent.
I will not be filling out their paperwork. I will be putting Polar Expressions Publishing on my Hell-No list.
#publishing #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity

Via @victoriastrauss: #WriterBeware: "A brief backgrounder on authors' class action lawsuit against Anthropic for unauthorized AI training, plus how you can find out if your books may be included and how to add yourself to a contact list for official class action notices "

#Writing #Authors #BartzVAnthropic #AnthropicClassAction

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/08/15/bartz-v-anthropic-find-out-if-you-may-be-part-of-this-class-action/

@7adi

Who's "they"?

This is literally a genre where people *do* read as a hobby, and one of the more popular series in it is about an alien machine culture (look up Ian Banks).

#Writers #Writing #WriterBeware

@Lionesslady

Yeah. Maybe the "we did it to make translation easier" reason is true. But in today's climate I worry about attempts to steal intellectual property or attempts to train LLMs.

#Writing #Writers #WriterBeware

Oof. This is an ongoing issue to be aware of for writers, specifically #fantasy #ScienceFiction #SpecFic ... just flag it to keep an eye on the situation.

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/07/25/contract-controversy-and-change-at-must-read-magazines/

#writing #contracts #WritingCommunity #authors #WriterBeware

Turning Copyright on Its Head: The UK’s Proposed AI Copyright Exception

#VictoriaStrauss #WriterBeware #Copyright GAI #AI

@writers
@victoriastrauss.bsky.social

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/01/31/turning-copyright-on-its-head-the-uks-proposed-ai-copyright-exception/

Looks like big movement in the speculative fiction and mystery pulps.

Asimov's, Analog, & The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, plue Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, have all been purchased by St Petersburg, FL Steven Salpeter "and others".

Victoria Strauss is soliciting to see the new author contracts (if you happen to have stories running in them).

#WriterBeware #VIstoriaStrauss @fantasy @scifi @queerscifi @writers @bookstodon @lgbtbookstodon

https://www.patreon.com/posts/123173828

UK creators, you have till TOMORROW (Tuesday) to comment on this proposed upending of copyright law

"New #WriterBeware blog post: a look at the UK's proposed change to copyright to allow AI companies to train on creative works without permission, with writers' only remedy being to opt out--and why you should care, even if you're not a UK citizen "

#VictoriaStrauss #WriterBeware @Copyright #ArtificialIntelligence #Writing #Writers @victoriastrauss
@writers
@bookstodon

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/01/31/turning-copyright-on-its-head-the-uks-proposed-ai-copyright-exception/

New #WriterBeware blog post: a look at the UK's proposed change to copyright to allow AI companies to train on creative works without permission, with writers' only remedy being to opt out--and why you should care, even if you're not a UK citizen https://writerbeware.blog/2025/01/31/turning-copyright-on-its-head-the-uks-proposed-ai-copyright-exception/

"Member Alert: Podcast Ploy Seeks to Take Advantage of Authors"

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.bsky.social/post/3lhombiwc7c25

#VictoriaStrauss #WriterBeware
@writers
@bookstodon

#Authors #BookSky #Writers #WriterBeware #Scam #Alert

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/post/3lhombiwc7c25

"Turning Copyright on Its Head: The UK’s Proposed AI Copyright Exception"

A look at the UK's proposed change to copyright to allow AI companies to train on creative works without permission, with writers' only remedy being to opt out--and why you should care, even if you're not a UK citizen

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/01/31/turning-copyright-on-its-head-the-uks-proposed-ai-copyright-exception/

@bookstodon #Writing #Authors #AI #Copyright #UK #WriterBeware #VictoriaStrauss @lgbtqbookstodon

@romancelandia @BookRiot

Via @victoriastrauss:
"New Writer Beware blog post: Amid the frenzy of Black Friday, it pays to save your money--for example, by avoiding two brand-new fake organizations trying to separate writers from their cash "

#IndieAuthors #WriterBeware #ScamAlert #Scams

https://writerbeware.blog/2024/11/29/failing-the-reality-check-independent-literary-recognition-guild-and-acquisition-database/

@romancelandia @bookstodon

Via @victoriastrauss at #WriterBeware:
"New Writer Beware blog post: We may have reached Peak Scam: the point at which writing scams are so prevalent they can be leveraged to create a protection racket to exploit victims of the scams. Meet Book Guard: "Author Protection" that's anything but "

#Authors #IndieAuthors #Writing #Scams

https://writerbeware.blog/2024/11/22/book-guard-anti-scam-protection-thats-anything-but/

@romancelandia @bookstodon #IndieAuthors #WriterBeware #Scams

Via @victoriastrauss at Writer Beware:
New Writer Beware blog post: Watch out: someone is impersonating Writer Beware with emails using a fake "Writer Beware" address, offering "legal assistance" to defrauded authors for a sizeable fee. The ONLY authentic Writer Beware email address is [email protected]

https://writerbeware.blog/2024/11/15/dogging-the-watchdog-redux-someone-else-is-impersonating-writer-beware/

WriterBeware does a dive into another publisher. This one is based in Australia but also targeting international authors.

https://writerbeware.blog/2024/09/13/facing-author-lawsuits-shawline-publishing-re-brands-as-new-found-books/

#authors #publishing #publishingindustry #writerbeware #writingcommunity #Australia

Observations on Agora Publishing (Canada) https://ambitonline.com/nextrelease/2024/08/writer-beware-john-stokes-agora-publishing-agora-cosmopolitan/
#writerBeware #WritingCommunity

Huh. Just found a lit mag that doesn't charge people to submit, but if they do decide to print your work, they expect you to pay them to do so. Yikes. https://www.odyssey.pm/submission-guidelines/ #WritingCommunity #WriterBeware #LitMag

Fake lit agency alert: AG Literary. Web domain 17 days old so a bit hard to figure how they sold so many books already 😜 What they're really selling: a "compelling book proposal", provided by a "third-party vendor" aka the actual scammer #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://agliterary.com/

My #WriterBeware blog post on the huge number of scammers using the Amazon name and trademarks to rip writers off--Amazon is now suing several of these fraudulent companies #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/07/07/how-scammers-are-using-amazon-and-amazon-trademarks-to-rip-writers-off/

#Amazon is cracking down on scammers who use the Amazon name and trademarks to fool writers into thinking they're working with Amazon itself. (I wrote about these fraudulent websites in July) #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93613-amazon-sues-scammers-targeting-authors.html

Alert from #WriterBeware: Publishing/marketing scammer AuthorUnit is posing as Ingram in solicitations sent to authors, with NO authorization from Ingram. If you receive a solicitation like this, it's fraudulent #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing #PublishingScams

New #WriterBeware blog post: I'm often asked why Writer Beware doesn't offer agent/publisher recommendations along with our warnings. Here are our reasons. #WritingCommunity #Publishing #WritingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/10/20/why-writer-beware-doesnt-recommend-or-endorse-agents-or-publishers/

New #WriterBeware blog post: Anatomy of a Fake Film Company Scam: The Greendot Films / Better Bound House #WritingCommunity #Publishing #WritingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/09/15/anatomy-of-a-fake-film-company-scam-the-greendot-films-better-bound-house/

New #WriterBeware blog post: Dogging the Watchdog: In Which a Scammer Tries to Troll Me (plus a peek into the hate I get from the people and companies I warn about on Writer Beware) #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams https://writerbeware.blog/2023/08/04/dogging-the-watchdog-in-which-a-scammer-tries-to-troll-me/

ANOTHER bogus agency alert: The Literary Firm https://theliteraryfirm.com/ False claims of books repped, fake "agents" whose bios have been plagiarized from real agents, a web domain just 97 days old. Plus out-of-the-blue solicitations claiming Big 5 publisher interest, which is not how real agents work #WriterBeware #WritingCommunity #PublishingScams #Agents