* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 Your inbox should be a place of encouragement – reader notes, publishing updates, and real opportunities to grow your author career. But increasingly, authors are opening their inboxes to something far more stressful: **A surge of author scams designed to trick, pressure, or confuse you into paying for services you don’t need.** Over the past few months, scammers have escalated their targeting of writers with messages that look increasingly polished and legitimate. From **book club scams** and **fake review packages** to **visibility audit schemes** and **pay-to-play podcasts** , these operations often sound plausible, at least at first glance. They’re arriving faster. They’re harder to spot. And they all rely on one thing: ✨ **Emotional manipulation.** This guide breaks down the emotional tactics scammers use, the most common **author scams and self-publishing scams** happening right now, and concrete steps you can take to protect yourself. ## **Table of Contents** 1. 1. Why Scammers Target Authors Using Emotional Tactics 2. Emotional Red Flags to Watch For 3. Common Author & Self-Publishing Scams Happening Now 4. How Publishing Scams Are Evolving (Fast) 5. How to Protect Yourself from Author Scams 6. Trusted Resources for Authors ## **1. Why Scammers Target Authors Using Emotional Tactics** The most effective **author scams** don’t begin with suspicious links or clumsy language – they begin by triggering emotion. Scammers know that authors are deeply invested in their work and often navigating uncertainty around marketing, visibility, and reader reach. When they tap into that emotional vulnerability, they can temporarily override your normal caution. Common emotional triggers include: * **Hope** — “Your book is perfect for our book club / award / interview.” * **Urgency** — “Act now or you’ll lose visibility / readers / account status.” * **Fear** — “Your book is in violation / your account is at risk.” * **Confusion** — “Here is your metadata audit / ranking diagnostic report.” Understanding this emotional playbook makes it much easier to spot and avoid publishing scams. ## **2. Emotional Red Flags Authors Should Watch For** Most **self-publishing scams** fall into one of these three emotional categories. ## **✨ The High: Over-the-Top Flattery and Validation** Some scams start with glowing praise: _“You’ve written a powerful, important book.”_ _ “We hand-selected your novel for our reading community.” “You’re a finalist for our award.”_ Flattery lowers your guard. ### **Red flags:** * Unsolicited praise from someone you’ve never heard of * A sudden shift from admiration → invoice * Invitations to events, interviews, or awards you never applied for If the compliment feels generic or too good to be true, step back. ## **⏳ The Rush: Urgency, Scarcity & Pressure** Many **book marketing scams** rely on manufactured urgency. They want you to react emotionally instead of thinking critically. ### **Red flags:** * “This offer expires in 3 hours.” * “You must confirm your account immediately.” * “We urgently need payment to continue processing.” Urgency is a tool, not a coincidence. ## **😟 The Pit: Confusion, Fear & Official-Looking Messages** Some scams mimic professional publishing language with reports, audits, contracts, or policy references. The goal is to overwhelm you into compliance. ### **Red flags:** * Vague but authoritative language * Complex “assessments” that feel copied or generic * Gmail addresses that don’t match the claimed organization * Requests for personal data or payment without clarity When something feels confusing and important at the same time, take a pause. ## **3. Common Author & Self-Publishing Scams Happening Now** Here are the most common and fastest-growing scams affecting indie authors today. ## **📚 Book Club Invite Scams** Scammers reach out claiming their book club loved your book or wants to feature you as a guest. After several friendly emails, a fee appears: “admin fee,” “coordination fee,” or “reader access fee.” ### **How to protect yourself:** * Never pay to participate in a book club * Search the group’s name outside the email * Ask for a video call, scammers rarely agree ## **⭐️ “Tipped Reviewer” and Review Package Scams** You’re offered Amazon or Goodreads reviews from “verified readers,” each requiring a $20–$25 “tip.” These services now often have polished websites and fake testimonials. This is a **classic review scam** —and violates retailer policies. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Never pay for reviews * Look for AI-generated language or stock photos * Know that legitimate review outlets never require tips ## **🤖 Fake Reader Communities (Often on Discord)** Scammers create seemingly active reader groups, but the members are bots, duplicated accounts, or AI-generated personas. After a warm welcome, a service pitch or a request to “tip” readers in the community inevitably follows. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Look for unnatural engagement patterns * Search the community name elsewhere * Be wary of unsolicited invitations ## **🕵️ Paid “Visibility Audits” & Fake Marketing Services** You receive a free “audit” of your keywords, metadata, or Amazon ranking, often claiming to come from a major publisher or marketing agency. These audits lead directly into inflated, low-quality services. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Verify the sender’s domain (not Gmail!) * Look for repeated, copy-paste phrasing * Decline services you never requested ## **🎙️ Pay-to-Play Podcast Invitations** A “producer” invites you for an interview—then asks for payment. Legitimate podcasts **don’t charge guests** to appear. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Look up the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube * Review their past guests * Decline any interview that requires payment ## **👤 Author & Publisher Impersonation Scams** Scammers impersonate bestselling authors, editors, or publishing employees using believable praise and references. The pitch always leads to a paid service. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Verify identities through official websites * Check email domains carefully * Never rely on contact details provided in the suspicious email ## **🏅 Fake Awards and Certificates** “You’re a finalist!”, but you need to pay to download your badge. Real awards do not work this way. ### **How to protect yourself:** * Look up past winners * Research the award’s judging process * Be skeptical of any award you didn’t apply for ## **4. How Publishing Scams Are Evolving (Fast)** Modern **publishing scams** aren’t random, they are increasingly coordinated, AI-assisted, and professional-looking. Key trends: * **AI-generated content:** Fluent praise, realistic profiles, fabricated reviews * **Multi-platform personas:** Websites, Discord servers, Upwork accounts * **Small but organized networks:** Many scams trace back to a limited number of operators * **Better design & branding:** Professional websites, logos, and testimonials Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and authors need to stay informed. ## **5. How to Protect Yourself from Author Scams (Safety Checklist)** Here’s your quick defense guide: ### **Author Scam Safety Checklist** 🔍 **Slow down.** Scammers depend on speed. 📨 **Verify independently.** Search the sender; don’t rely on their links. 🧠 **Trust your instincts.** If it feels off, it likely is. 💬 **Get a second opinion.** Ask author friends or trusted platforms. 💳 **Use safe payment methods.** Avoid wire transfers and cryptocurrency. 🛑 **Never pay for reviews, awards, or unsolicited services.** A short pause now can prevent significant loss later. ## **6. Trusted Resources for Authors** Use these reputable sources to research services, report scams, and vet opportunities: * **Writer Beware** – Scam tracking & alerts * **Authors Guild Scam Alerts** – Real-time warnings * **ALLi Watchdog Desk** – Vetted service directory ## **Final Word from Written Word Media** At Written Word Media, we believe your time, talent, and trust are valuable. That’s why our marketing promotions are designed to help you reach **real readers** , not bots, fake communities, or predatory services. If you ever receive a suspicious offer, or even just a confusing one, please reach out. We’re happy to help you review it. Your story deserves an authentic audience. And your marketing should empower you, not exploit you.

Want to get your self-published book into libraries? We have 8 strategies for getting you you there!

Writers often ask, “How do I find book clubs?—but the better question might be, “How do book clubs find me—and my book?” My first invitation came from a friend of a friend—a small gathering …

Make the most of the holiday shopping season with these 4 creative ways to use IngramSpark Share & Sell to promote your book during this busy time of year.

You open your email program one morning. The usual work stuff. Some spam (annoying that it got past your filters!). A couple of newsletters (maybe later). You sip your coffee, scroll down. Wait. What’s this? An email from…Suzanne Collins? _The_ Suzanne Collins? This can’t be real, you think. Why would Suzanne Collins be contacting you out of the blue? And why is she introducing herself as if she were an unknown writer querying for her unpublished manuscript? It’s all fake, of course: an impersonation scheme that’s yet another example of the AI-driven scams from Nigeria that are inundating the writing world. This is a complicated, layered fraud, with two distinct versions and two different endpoints. But they both start the same way. ### Version one: Famous Author ==> literary agent ==> editor/manuscript evaluator It arrives via email, DM, Messenger, or website contact form: a friendly missive from a well-known or even extremely famous author, professing interest in you and your writing and expressing a desire to connect. This improbable outreach ranges from somewhat credible, as in the example above, to oops, forgot to input the prompts: If you respond, there’s an exchange of messages–just some friendly chat about writing or publishing, with Famous Author asking leading questions, such as “are you querying right now?” or “do you have a website yet?” Eventually…surprise! Famous Author wants to refer you to their literary agent! In this example, Lois McMaster Bujold is being impersonated by a fake X account (Ms. Bujold is aware). Like the Famous Authors, the recommended agents are real–though the Gmail addresses the impersonators provide for them are not. If you bite (and at this point, many writers smell a rat and back out), it initiates the second stage of the scam, in which the “agent” responds warmly with an invitation to submit (for verisimilitude, this often involves multiple steps, with an initial request for chapters followed by a request for a full). In short order, an offer of representation arrives…but there’s a catch. The manuscript needs “refining and polishing” or a “light rework”. Happily, the “agent” has someone in mind who can help. You’ve now arrived at stage three, the money grab. The “alpha reader” is called Charlotte Sarah (dumb names are a feature of AI scams), a “seasoned editor” with no resume, no client list, no portfolio, and no web presence beyond a website created with a free online web builder (all warning signs of a fake business). I reached out to Charlotte myself, in the guise of a clueless newbie author, and on her request sent the trunk manuscript I use for these occasions. After some back and forth (another marker of Nigerian scams is the scammer’s willingness to engage in multiple email exchanges that would be a total timewaster for anyone not using AI), she provided me with a price, along with an email address to use for PayPal: The email address traces to an e-commerce website based in Nigeria. (I’ve also seen that address used by one of the “tipped reader” book review scammers. If an operator is running one of these scams, they’re running all of them.) Other iterations of the scam don’t even bother giving the “editor” or “evaluator” a name–just a generic Gmail address, such as manuscriptevaluationexpert@gmail.com or bookeditor@gmail.com. ### Version two: Famous Author ==> marketer In Version Two, the goal is a marketing referral. Famous Author engages in the same type of approach and casual chitchat, but skips the intervening step of impersonating an agent, sending the writer directly to the marketer. The marketer recommended by Fake Pat Barker: Amelia Harrington, Book Specialist. Here’s Amelia’s website, which has all the same warning signs as Charlotte Sarah’s. (Bonus: bogus testimonials.) If the author reaches out, Amelia quickly proposes a suite of marketing services. As always, payment must be sent to a third party. Amelia prefers bank transfer to Wells Fargo, a bank frequently used by Nigerian scammers: Here’s Abdulkudus Abiodun Imran. What happens when you hire Amelia? As it happens, I heard from one writer who did. They reported spending over £2,000 on services, including a video trailer, social media posts, email blasts, and a follower-building effort. Amelia really did deliver those items, taking over the writer’s social media accounts to do so–but they yielded little engagement, and the writer later discovered that most of the follower accounts were fake or inactive, and the the email blast receipients consisted primarily of random addresses with no relevance to the writer’s book. The writer wound up having to delete their social media accounts. ### Alternate versions: Famous Author doubles as marketer or editor Like any popular recipe, the Famous Author scam has alternate versions. Sometimes Famous Author offers marketing services themself. I don’t have examples of these solicitations but I’ve heard from multiple authors who’ve discovered that they are being impersonated for this purpose. I also haven’t seen any examples of this version, but I can believe it’s happening: Here’s a weirder variation. It lacks the Famous Author element but it’s a fake agent referral so I’m including it. You get an email from someone you never heard of with an urgent recommendation that you submit to a literary agent RIGHT NOW! The agent is a real agent, but with the predictable bogus Gmail address or a false submission address. In the two examples of this variation I’ve seen so far, the scammer registered a fake domain using the agent’s name. ### A Possible Original Test Case for Nigerian Scammers? There are currently (as far as I know, anyway) four distinct categories in the wave of Nigerian scams that is assaulting writers of all kinds: a general marketing scam, where a purported marketing expert emails with a pitch for PR or “visibility” services; a book club impersonation scam, where the invitation to appear involves a fee; a “tipped reader” scam where readers who are really AI bots claim to provide book reviews for tips; and the Famous Author impersonation/referral scam described above. They emerged this past spring/summer, and have been ramping up and morphing ever since. However, I think they were around quite a bit earlier (though nowhere near as aggressive and massively prevalent as it is now), in the form of a similar, though considerably less elaborate, author impersonation/marketing referral setup that began popping up on social media more than a year ago. I wrote about it in September 2024. At the time, I suspected it was an overseas scam (as most writing/publishing scams are these days) but there weren’t any breadcrumbs tying it to any specific country. My guess now is that it represented the vanguard of the Nigerian writing scam industry, its first dipping of toes into the water. Kind of like how you can look back at those odd, isolated reports of illness that precede the emergence of a pandemic and say Oh. That’s how it began. I have a growing collection of editors and marketers connected with this scam. Watch for an upcoming blog post how to unmask them. ### Share this: * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to print (Opens in new window) Print * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * More * * Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _Related_

One author shares their framework for advertising full-price books on BookBub, and how they generated conversion rates of up to 17%!

For as long as there’s been an internet, there’s been a tug-of-war between sites and users. Agentic browsers could escalate that fight to new levels.

* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 Picture this: your dream reader stumbles across your book. They’re intrigued by your cover, your blurb, your genre. They _almost_ click buy… but they hesitate. Maybe they’re not ready to commit to a full-length novel by an author they’ve never read. Maybe they’re just not sure _yet_. That’s where a prequel, or a free reader magnet, can make all the difference. Prequels aren’t just prologues or deleted scenes dressed up in a clever title. When done right, they can be one of the most powerful tools in your author marketing toolbox, especially when it comes to growing your email list and building long-term reader relationships. In this post, we’ll walk through exactly what a prequel can do for your author business, how to create one, and how to put it to work; no prior marketing degree required. Let’s dig in. ## **What Is a Prequel (And Why Should Authors Care)?** A prequel is a short story, novella, or even a full-length novel that takes place _before_ the events of your main book or series. It might explore a pivotal moment in a character’s backstory, the origin of your world’s magic system, or the “before” that sets up your novel’s “after.” But for savvy indie authors, a prequel isn’t just backstory, it’s a reader magnet. 🎯 **Reader magnets** are free stories that readers receive in exchange for their email address, giving you permission to stay in touch through your author newsletter. And your newsletter? That’s where the magic happens. It’s where you nurture reader relationships, promote new releases, and turn curious browsers into loyal fans. ### **Why the Prequel Works So Well as a Magnet** Here’s why a prequel is uniquely positioned to hook readers and grow your list: * **It lowers the barrier to entry.** Free is a powerful word. Readers love free stories, especially when they’re getting a taste of something more. If they like your prequel, they’re more likely to buy Book 1. * **It builds emotional investment.** A great prequel gets readers attached to your characters, immersed in your world, and eager to know what happens next. * **It rewards curiosity.** If you’ve ever finished a book and _needed_ to know more about a side character’s past or a war that shaped the world, you already know how compelling a well-placed prequel can be. ## **Step One: Crafting Your Prequel** Not every prequel is created equal. A strong reader magnet should feel like a complete, satisfying story, _not_ like a deleted scene or a series of outtakes. Here are a few guidelines to get you started: ### **✍️ Keep it tight, but polished** Aim for a length between 5,000 and 20,000 words. This gives you enough room to develop characters and stakes without overwhelming the reader. Even though it’s free, treat it with the same care and attention you give your full-length books; professional editing, eye-catching cover, the whole works. ### **🧩 Tie it to your main series** Your prequel should feel like a natural entry point into your main series or world. Consider focusing on: * A fan-favorite side character’s origin story * A pivotal historical event that shapes your book’s setting * The first spark of the main romance, mystery, or conflict And always, always include a call to action at the end: “Loved this story? Start the next chapter with [Book One Title].” ### **💞 Deliver value, not just setup** Remember: your prequel isn’t just an ad, it’s a gift. Your readers are giving you something valuable (their email address), so make sure the story you offer feels worth it. That means: * A compelling hook * A clear character arc * An ending that satisfies _and_ entices ## **Step Two: Setting Up Your Email List** If the prequel is the bait, your email list is the fishing line. And in this metaphor, your inbox is a shimmering lake full of eager readers 🐟 Here’s what you’ll need: ### **📬 An email service provider (ESP)** You can’t collect email addresses through your Gmail account. (Trust us. You _don’t_ want to try it.) An ESP like MailerLite, Kit, or Mailchimp lets you collect subscribers, send newsletters, and stay compliant with email marketing laws like GDPR. Most ESPs have a free tier to get you started, and they’ll walk you through creating your: * **Signup form** (where readers enter their email address) * **Welcome email** (where they receive your prequel) * **Subscriber list** (where you keep track of everyone) ### **📎 A delivery method** To automatically deliver your prequel after signup, you’ll need a service like BookFunnel or StoryOrigin. These tools handle the tech (and the customer support!) of file delivery, making sure your readers can download your story on any device. Bonus? Some of these platforms also offer reader swap opportunities and group promos to help you grow faster. ## **Step Three: Getting Your Prequel in Front of Readers** A reader magnet doesn’t do much good if it’s sitting quietly on your website like a wallflower at a party. Let’s give it a proper spotlight. ✨ The more eyeballs you get on your prequel, the more subscribers you’ll collect—and the more engaged readers you’ll have when it comes time to launch or promote your next book. Here’s how to get your prequel in front of the right readers. ### **🎯 Run a Freebooksy Email Promo** If your prequel is at least 50 pages (that’s around 12,500 words), you’re eligible to run a Freebooksy Email Promo, which can drive thousands of free downloads in a single day. That kind of exposure can be a huge accelerator for list growt, especially when your prequel contains a strong call to action inviting readers to join your email list in exchange for bonus content, an exclusive epilogue, or access to your main series. Even better? Freebooksy readers are _actively_ seeking new authors and free books. That means they’re primed to download your prequel and, if you wow them, stick around for your next release. 🧠 Pro Tip: If your prequel isn’t quite long enough yet, consider adding: * A short excerpt from Book One * Author Q&A or bonus content * A preview of your next series Just enough to boost your word count while delivering even more value. ### **🔄 Add It to the Back of Another Book** Okay, let’s be honest, adding a prequel to the back of the first book in a series might feel like putting the cart before the plot. But here’s a clever workaround: If you’ve written other books or series in a related genre, leverage your existing readers by including a teaser and link to your prequel in the backmatter of those books. Even better? Frame it as a bonus for your current fans: “If you enjoyed this series, you’ll love this exclusive story that takes you back to the beginning…” Readers who’ve already fallen for your writing style and world-building will jump at the chance to read more, especially if it’s free. ### **🌐 Feature It on Your Website (Front and Center)** Don’t make readers go on a scavenger hunt. A compelling, clear signup form should be one of the first things they see when they land on your homepage. Your copy should focus on **reader value** , not just your need for subscribers: “Get an exclusive story, free, when you join my newsletter.” ### **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Join Group Giveaways or Reader Magnet Promos** Platforms like BookFunnel and StoryOrigin make it easy to participate in group giveaways with other authors in your genre. These promos gather dozens of free reads into one easy download page, great for readers, great for list-building. Just be sure you’re joining **genre-aligned** promos to ensure you’re attracting readers who’ll actually love your books. ### **📣 Mention It on Social Media, But Make It Story-Driven** “Sign up for my newsletter” isn’t exactly irresistible. But “Want to read how the villain became the villain, before Book One even begins?” That’s click-worthy. Try to spotlight: * Intriguing plot hooks * High-stakes choices * Compelling character reveals And always, always include the link. ## **Step Four: What to Do With Your List** Once you have subscribers, what’s next? ### **💌 Create a Welcoming Welcome Flow** Don’t leave new subscribers in the cold. A good welcome sequence introduces your world, your books, and your voice, and starts building trust from Day One. Not sure what to include or when to send it? ### **🗓️ Email Them Regularly (But Not Constantly)** You don’t need to send daily missives like it’s the 1800s and your readers are on the Oregon Trail. But consistency helps you stay top of mind, and reminds your audience that there’s a real human behind the pen name. Aim for once a month to start, and build up from there if you have more to share. And yes, you can promote your books, especially when: * You’ve got a new release * You’re running a sale * You’re featured in an email promo (hello again, Freebooksy!) Just make sure it’s not _only_ about selling. Treat your email list like the VIPs they are. ### **🔁 Funnel Them Toward Your Main Series** Your prequel’s job isn’t just to entertain; it’s to guide readers to Book One (and beyond). Make sure: * Your prequel includes a strong CTA at the end * You’re linking to your series in your welcome emails * You’ve got a clear path for new readers to follow Every touchpoint is a chance to deepen engagement and invite readers further through the funnel. ### **💌 Send regular newsletters** Consistency builds trust. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, choose a schedule and stick to it. Your emails can include: * Behind-the-scenes content * Personal updates * Sneak peeks at upcoming books * Promo announcements (just not _only_ promos) ### **📚 Promote your books (thoughtfully)** Once a reader has enjoyed your prequel, they’re warm. They’ve met your characters, they trust your voice. It’s the perfect time to introduce them to the rest of your series, especially with a limited-time discount or launch offer. This is where email promotions can really shine. For example, you could schedule a Freebooksy or Bargain Booksy email promo when launching Book One, knowing you already have a list of readers who’ve enjoyed your prequel and are primed to buy. Just make sure you’re always providing value in your emails. A reader should be glad to see your name pop up in their inbox. ## **Bonus Tip: Stack the Deck with a Series Strategy** If you’re writing a series, a prequel can be the start of something big. 🪜 Think of it as a ramp; readers glide up into your world and then _keep going_ , book after book. 🎁 Use your email list to promote the next title in the series, then the next. Readers who finish one book and immediately move on to the next are golden. 📊 And here’s the kicker: those readers are also more likely to leave reviews, recommend your series to friends, and stick around for future releases. ## **Final Thoughts: Give Readers a Way In** Your books might be spectacular. Your series might be unputdownable. But if a reader doesn’t know where to start, or isn’t quite ready to commit, you might lose them before they’ve ever cracked Chapter One. A prequel offers an invitation. It’s the welcome mat to your author world. And with a strong email strategy behind it, it can become one of your most powerful marketing tools; no mega-budget or marketing degree required. So if you haven’t written your prequel yet, here’s your sign. Your future superfans are out there. They just need a way in. ✨ Want more tips on building your readership and promoting your books? Subscribe to the Written Word Media newsletter or explore our blog for smart, author-friendly insights; always jargon-free and reader-focused. You’ve got this. And we’ve got your back.

Bringing attention to the often harmful practices of our mainstream media. Thankfully the days of vile hostility against gay people are now more or less over, but, reading today’s newspapers, there’s a peculiar feeling of Deja Vu. The rhetoric is still there, but the target has changed.

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Why author promotion creates lasting success while book promotion has a limited shelf life.

Forgive the attention-grabbing title – I can’t promise you thousands of pounds in prize money, but since I had the pleasure of judging two short story competitions earlier this year (one of which did award thousands of pounds to the winner) I _can_ offer you some tips for how to make your submission stronger. As a writer and editor of short stories, I am fascinated by the craft of writing short stories, and what makes for a successful short story, so when I was judging both the Elegant Literature and Leicester Writers’ Club competitions I made a note of my thoughts while I was reading. What immediately struck me was how many chances a story has to impress a reader on its first reading. ## 1. The Title I first encountered the stories as titles in Word documents on my screen (without the names of their authors since all the stories were anonymised). Titles that were quirky or had unusual/archaic words in them immediately stood out and made me go _Ooh! –_ some were even brought to the top of my reading pile because they seemed to be about something (an object, hobby or a person) that was of particular interest to me. The stories beginning with ‘A…’ or ‘The…’ made two long lists at the beginning and end of the alphabetically arranged list. My eyes kind of skimmed over them. That’s not to say a story shouldn’t be called ‘The Challenge’ or ‘A Horrible Day’, if that perfectly encapsulates what the story is about, but the goal is to find a title that makes your reader instantly curious _while_ giving them a clue as to what they’re about to read. ## 2. The Presentation of The Story No joke, I was once sent a story in a document that had such large page margins that the words occupied a single, narrow column in the centre of the page. At first, I thought this was somehow meaningful to the story, but soon realized it wasn’t. I couldn’t help but get irritated by having to reformat the piece to make it easier on my eyes. Jazzy fonts and densely packed text are also hard on the eyes. An easy-to-read and appropriately formatted short story immediately says “professional” to me and puts me in the right frame of mind for reading. Leave the jazz to the saxophonists. ## 3. The First Line There’s lots of advice about how to hook a reader from the very first line, and I would agree that, in a competition, a punchy first line can help a short story stand out. But I don’t think it’s necessary to make it shocking, or for it to be the most beautiful line of prose ever written. To my mind, it just needs to do two things: be clear and make me want to read on. A number of the short stories I read had first lines I stumbled over, causing me to re-read them so that I could properly “place” myself in the story. And that’s not a great start. A short story is a promise to the reader to take them out of their lives (and cares) for a short period of time. It’s a promise to create a world so plausible that the reader will suspend their disbelief and come along for the journey of co-creating that world. If the reader is immediately confused by the first line, then it might not bode well for the rest of the journey. And you DO NOT want to lose a reader’s trust. ## 4. The First Paragraph As long as the writer has made it easy for us to enter the world of their short story through the first line, then the first paragraph can build on that, succinctly adding in information about the protagonist, their situation, and what their particular need, or quest, may be. The key word here is “succinctly”. With a small word count, a writer can’t spend unnecessary paragraphs on lengthy descriptions. Everything has to be reduced down to its very essence. The winning stories did this incredibly well – with just a few, choice words they described a character (or a place) so well that I felt that I knew that person (or had been to that place). Less is definitely more, but it takes skill to cut and cut and cut until you know exactly how to describe something in the least amount of words. (This is where short story writers can learn from poets.) ## 5. The Middle Once a writer has welcomed the reader into the world of the story and shown us the plight of the protagonist in such a skilful way that we care about them and want to know what happens next, then the narrative drive needs to be sustained so that we can’t help but be compelled to know more. Will the protagonist overcome their first challenge? Surely the next hurdle will be too much for them? It can be tricky to gauge just how far you need to push the protagonist, but this is where having a good sense of the seven basic plots comes in handy. A reader may never have heard of Christopher Booker’s _The Seven Basic Plots_ , but their brain is pretty much wired to recognise them (and thus react in a positive fashion when encountering one of them). ## 6. The End Again, there is lots of advice about the best way to end a short story. Some readers want a happy ending, some prefer a sad ending. Some want everything to be resolved, some appreciate an open ending. Really, this will come down to an individual judge’s taste, but I definitely want to see an emotionally – and intellectually – satisfying conclusion. An ending which seems rushed or contrived or illogical, or somehow emotionally hollow, will leave me feeling disappointed. And don’t get me started on “It was all a dream…” Personally, I appreciate an ending that arrives as a result of the protagonist triumphing due to overcoming the shadows in their own psyche and becoming their best self. (In Jungian terms, this is the process of individuation.) Which brings me nicely to my last point. ## 7. Taste In both competitions I judged there were a lot of well-crafted short stories. Any of them could’ve won. So how did I pick the winners? When faced with a number of high quality pieces, I chose the stories that I liked not just intellectually, but emotionally – those stories that felt magical because they made me cry or laugh or feel nostalgic for a time long past. Those were the stories that really stuck with me. Unsurprisingly, they all had themes close to my heart (loss, resilience, romantic love) and were set in the kind of milieus I love: forests, academia, cities (historic, futuristic and abandoned). In short, I went for the stories that were to my taste. As someone who has been writing short stories for a long time, and therefore received hundreds of rejections, I know how upsetting it is to enter a writing competition and to get nowhere. But, ultimately, it comes down to a judge’s individual taste. Subjectivity is all. So don’t get disheartened. One judge might love your story. Another might dismiss it. (Which is why some writers do a thorough job of checking out a judge’s taste in fiction before submitting to a competition. That said, some competitions have first readers, so even if the judge might like your story, the first reader might not.) ## In Conclusion Read short stories. Analyse their structure and what makes them successful. Write short stories on themes that matter to you and know what you want to convey. Edit them down to their very essence. Format them professionally and send them out to the appropriate magazines or competitions. Get rejected. Get accepted. Learn from the experience. Better your writing. Repeat. I hope this is useful. Good luck!

The enormous, $1.5 billion Anthropic copyright class action settlement is reputedly the biggest copyright infringement recovery in history. With such a high-profile case, it’s inevitable that eligible authors aren’t the only ones looking to benefit. Yesterday, the _Publishers Lunch_ newsletter published a story about an Arizona law firm called ClaimsHero that has mounted a push, complete with social media ads, to encourage authors to opt out of the Anthropic settlement. Why? Presumably, because authors who opt out preserve their right to sue Anthropic, and ClaimsHero wants to identify clients for a possible class action lawsuit of its own that could enable it to reap a big payout on contingency. ClaimsHero, which appears to be the kind of law firm that advertises on billboards along the highway, has created a webpage for this effort that frames opting out in terms of money (of course). If your work is included in the settlement, why settle for a measly $3,000 when you could receive up to $150,000, the maximum amount of statutory damages available for willful copyright infringement? (Emphasis added): “Let us opt you out, represent you, and fight for more!” What’s not mentioned: how speculative this is, since that tempting payout depends not just on ClaimsHero winning a case, which it might not (and in any case, “up to” is doing a lot of work here: there’s no guarantee you’d receive anything close to the statutory maximum, especially after ClaimsHero deducts its hefty contingency fee), but recruiting enough clients that the amount of any potential award or settlement makes it worthwhile to file a case at all. Essentially, ClaimsHero is encouraging authors to opt out based on the promise of a lawsuit that may never exist, and money that may never materialize. (An additional consideration: by opting out, you automatically remove not just yourself from the settlement, but all other rights holders too–a co-author, for example, or your publisher–without notification to those rightsholders.) There’s another angle as well, as _Publishers Lunch_ describes: > The site also appears to prey on authors who are angry about AI training on their work, even though this court case exonerated Anthropic’s training as fair use. (The settlement releases claims of copyright infringement for Anthropic’s downloading and retaining of pirated books.) “The books copied by Anthropic helped train powerful AI systems now being commercialized for enormous profit. Authors and publishers whose works supplied that foundation deserve fair compensation — not only because their rights were violated, but because their ideas, language, and creativity became the raw material that enabled these systems to exist. Ensuring that creators are paid for their contributions is essential to preserving both the economic and ethical balance between human creativity and artificial intelligence.” Counsel for the Anthropic plaintiffs badly want to shut this down. They filed a motion two days ago, asking the judge in the case to prohibit ClaimsHero from making further “false or misleading statements” and order it to remove the webpage, stop advertising, and turn over the names of anyone who signed up for services in connection with the settlement. According to the motion, the original version of ClaimsHero’s Anthropic page wasn’t just misleading, but actively deceptive: [snip] The motion goes on to describe how plaintiffs’ counsel contacted ClaimsHero with a variety of requests, including that they delete the webpage–none of which ClaimsHero agreed to, though it did make the changes you can see in the first screenshot above, expanding the text at the top of the page and changing the label on the clickable link from “Start Claim” to “Opt Out Today.” The motion also includes examples of ClaimsHero’s ads on Instagram and elsewhere, including this one that touts “potential serious cash settlement”: ### There Will Probably Be More The other day I received this reply on one of my Bluesky posts about the settlement: I did DM him, but he didn’t give me details, other than that he was aware of “a number” of authors who planned to pursue individual cases. To be clear, given his qualifications, I’ve no reason to think this is shady. But along with ClaimsHero, it is a signal that third parties, whether predatory or well-intentioned, will be seeking to make hay from the settlement. Opting out of the settlement is certainly a choice you can make, thus preserving your right to separately sue Anthropic for the infringement of your work. Given the enormous number of authors who’ve been locked out of the settlement by the copyright registration requirement, it’s not unreasonable to think that there may be other class actions seeking redress for those authors. No guarantees, however–either that other lawsuits will happen or that, if they do, they’ll be successful–or that, if successful, they will yield a financial windfall beyond what Anthropic has agreed to provide. Class action lawsuits are difficult and expensive and require law firms with substantial resources at their disposal, especially when going up against a multi-billion-dollar company–no matter how many movies you’ve seen about the brave solo practitioner taking down a giant corporation. Opting out should be a careful and considered decision, in full understanding of the fact that you’re turning down a guaranteed payout for the risk of getting nothing. The chimera of a bigger payday, as encouraged by the likes of ClaimsHero, should not be your primary motivation. If you do opt out, you can change your mind and opt back in, though there’s a March 2, 2026 deadline for doing so. ### Share this: * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to print (Opens in new window) Print * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * More * * Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _Related_

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