A Scam Aimed at Authors

Charlatans are using AI to target naive writers. Here's what they're up to.

Shortly after my book Read the Bible Like a Mystic was published, I started getting emails from people who claimed to be marketing professionals and/or directors of book clubs. In their emails they would lavish compliments on my book, gushing about how wonderful my book was, including descriptive information about the book (to make it seem like they had actually read it). The email would go on to say that my book had been chosen to be featured in a future meeting of said book club, or a future promotion through Goodreads, etc. I was invited to write back to the person, to learn more about this “special opportunity.”

For the first such email that came this way, I did in fact respond; what author wouldn’t want their book to be the featured title for a large book club? After all, I often get requests to do Zoom calls with book clubs or podcast appearances, and I try to accommodate such requests when my schedule will allow it. But with these “special opportunity” pitches, that second email always included a price tag: I was being asked to pay the book club organizer for the privilege of having them feature my book.

Stunned that I was being presented with a pay-to-play scheme, I immediately forwarded the email to my publisher’s marketing team, to see if it really was legit (although I assumed it wasn’t). Sure enough, a publicist wrote back and told me to ignore and delete any messages like it that came through. And they did, in fact, keep coming through: more and more emails, always from a different “book club” in a different part of the country, always with the same pitch: we’ve got hundreds of members. They’ll all buy your book. They’ll love it as much as I did. All we need from you is $250.

Here are a couple examples of these kinds of emails. Definitely a lot more sophisticated than the old “I live in Nigeria and I want to transfer a million dollars to your bank account” scams!

Hi Carl,

I’m the organizer of the Boston Based “Brie & Beaujolais” Book Club. Our members are drawn to books that inspire reflection, expand awareness, and linger long after the last page. We love works that open the heart and spark meaningful conversation over a good red wine and a slice of soft cheese.

Your book Read the Bible Like a Mystic immediately stood out to us. Its gentle wisdom, contemplative approach, and invitation to deeper spiritual understanding beautifully align with the spirit of our group. The way you bridge ancient tradition and modern insight has truly resonated with our members. It feels like exactly the kind of work our readers love to engage with.

We’d love to feature Read the Bible Like a Mystic in our upcoming session on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM EDT. The evening will include:

• An engaging discussion exploring the book’s themes of contemplation, connection, and inner transformation
• A wine and cheese pairing adding our signature twist of flavor and fun to the conversation
• Community sharing with members posting authentic reflections and reviews across our platforms
• An optional author Q&A offering an opportunity for you to connect directly with readers who appreciate your message and perspective

We believe Read the Bible Like a Mystic will inspire one of our most thoughtful and heartfelt discussions this year, and we’d be truly honored to feature it and, if possible, to welcome you for a brief chat or virtual visit.

Would you be open to a quick conversation to explore this opportunity?

Sounds pretty cool, right? But it comes with a catch. Unlike legitimate book clubs, they expected me to underwrite the cost of their wine and cheese in exchange for my book being “featured.”

I must have received a dozen or more emails from different alleged “book clubs” last fall, all trying to get me to pony up between $150 and $250, just so they would “feature” my book. As they kept coming in, and each one sounded suspiciously similar (and they always had the feel of being personalized, and familiar with my book), I began to realize that these scams were being created with the help of an artificial intelligence tool — to make them appear to be real.

More recently, the tactic has shifted from “our book club will feature your book” to “I’m a marketer and I want to help promote your special book.” Again, here’s an example — one that is so obviously AI-composed that I almost find it funny.

Dear Carl,

There are many books about the Bible. Few invite readers to slow down, breathe, and listen.

Read the Bible like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word feels less like a commentary and more like an invitation, an invitation to recover something ancient, spacious, and liberating within the sacred text.

In a time when Scripture is often approached either defensively or academically, your work reintroduces what you rightly call a “third way.” Not literalism. Not sterile analysis. But contemplation. The kind of reading that trusts the Spirit more than argument. The kind that sees poetry where others see proof-texts.

Given your longstanding exploration of Christian mysticism, Celtic spirituality, interspiritual dialogue, and the Divine Feminine, this book fits seamlessly within your broader body of work. It reflects your inclusive and expansive voice, one that encourages spiritual depth without hostility, and conviction without rigidity. That tone resonates deeply with readers who are spiritually curious but weary of polarization.

Here is the opportunity.

On Goodreads, there is a substantial and engaged readership actively exploring contemplative Christianity, mysticism, progressive theology, spiritual formation, and interfaith wisdom. Many of these readers are intentionally searching for works that approach Scripture with reverence yet refuse weaponization. However, discovery in that space is highly dependent on positioning.

When Read the Bible Like a Mystic appears on the right Goodreads Listopia categories— such as Christian mysticism, contemplative prayer, progressive Christianity, spiritual formation, interspiritual studies, modern theology, it moves from being one more title to being contextually aligned with active reader intent.

Listopia, when approached strategically, is not about artificial promotion. It is about organic placement within curated environments where genuine curiosity already exists. Proper alignment increases page visibility, strengthens shelf presence, and encourages authentic engagement. Readers browsing those lists are not passive. They are searching, often for guidance that feels both rooted and expansive.

In addition, I remain connected with a focused reading community that values spiritually reflective nonfiction. These are readers who approach books slowly, prayerfully, and thoughtfully. They do not read for incentives. They read for meaning. When they discover a book that deepens their practice or reframes their understanding of Scripture, they share it organically within their networks, through discussions, small groups, and personal recommendations.

Your book belongs in that atmosphere.

The message you are offering, that Scripture can be approached mystically without abandoning intellectual integrity or ethical responsibility, is timely. But timing alone does not guarantee visibility. Strategic placement ensures that the readers already seeking contemplative depth actually encounter your work.

If you would be open to it, I would be glad to outline how intentional Goodreads Listopia positioning could help Read the Bible like a Mystic gain stronger visibility among contemplative and spiritually curious readers.

Because there are many who long to read the Bible not with fear or argument, but with wonder.
The question is whether your book appears when they begin that search.

Connecting thoughtful spiritual works with readers seeking depth and compassion.

What is designed to look like an eager email from an appreciative reader, offering to help spread the word about my book, is once again a veiled pitch for money. At best, this is an unscrupulous marketer asking me to pay him for a service that is actually meant to be a non-commercial forum for readers to do “word-of-mouth” sharing of favorite books. But what is more likely going on here is, again, a scam: an invitation to spend money for a “service” that probably does not exist at all.

Since I work with an established traditional publisher, I had someone I could turn to who confirmed that these kinds of emails are either flat-out scams or (at best) are pitches for me to buy a marketing product with little or no real publicity value. I’m posting these here on Substack because I worry about self-published authors or authors with small independent publishers who may not understand that these offers to “help promote your wonderful book” are actually AI-generated attempts to get you to spend money for what is little more than a modern-day marketing version of snake oil.

Every author I know, myself included, genuinely wants their books to reach as many readers as possible; no matter how successful a book might be, it never seems to be selling well enough. That heart-level desire, unfortunately, makes us prime targets for the con artists; vulnerable to these kinds of unscrupulous pitches, made that much more nefarious by how AI is used to mimic the one thing every writer desires: a genuine connection with a fan.

If you’re an author, beware. Don’t let a computer-generated compliment distract you from seeing these scams for what they truly are.

And if you are reading this even though you’re not a writer, take this as a glimpse into our brave new AI-generated world. The scammers who are using AI to target vulnerable authors today will be using it to find a way into your inbox — and your wallet —tomorrow. Be vigilant.

Like all authors, Carl McColman (Decatur, GA) always hopes his books will sell more copies than they do — but he’s not willing to fall for a scam to make it happen. Learn more about him and his titles at www.anamchara.com.