Marketing Scams Every Author Should Know
From Authors Talking Bookish by Donna Norman-Carbone and Hope Gibbs
January 27, 2026 · 27 min · Season 3 · Episode 63
About this episode
This episode discusses marketing scams that authors should be aware of and provides tips on how to identify them.
Every author wants their book to reach readers—but in the world of publishing, that dream can make writers vulnerable to marketing scams . In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the shady side of book promotion and show you how to spot red flags before they cost you time, money, and trust. SHOW NOTES: How to spot a scam Questions to ask How to vet a scam Rules of thumb Samples SOURCES & LINKS: ScamVoid : Checks fake websites Writer Bewar e: Blog that identifies scams and provides advice ALLi Watchdog : Alliance of Independent Authors, protects from predatory practices and misinformation Writers Weekly : Online magazine with a host of articles (including those aimed at protecting indie authors from being scammed Author’s Guild : Author organization that offers online forums and legal services DO NOW: Peruse the links we attached to know where you can turn if you suspect being scammed. Next Episode: Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode. Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/ Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All…
People in this episode
Hosts: Hope Gibbs, Donna Norman-Carbone
Topics covered
- marketing scams
- book promotion
- publishing
- author advice
- scam detection
Keywords
- marketing scams
- book promotion
- scam detection
- author advice
- publishing risks
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ScamVoid, Writer Beware, ALLi Watchdog, Writers Weekly, Author’s Guild
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