During my webinar earlier this week, an author asked a question that immediately got Stephanie and me talking.
Stephanie Chandler is the founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association and was hosting the webinar.
During the Q&A, one participant asked about emails she had been receiving about her book. They were very complimentary. Some sounded as though the sender had actually taken the time to learn about her work. There were invitations, offers, and supposed publicity opportunities.
The question was a simple one:
How do you know which ones are real?
It is becoming a much more important question for authors.
There was a time when questionable solicitations were fairly easy to spot. The wording was awkward, and the message was very generic, meaning it could apply to anyone. There were spelling mistakes, strange claims, or something about the whole thing just felt off.
That is changing.
AI makes it very easy for someone to scrape information about you and your book, pull a description from Amazon or your website, mention a detail or two, and create an email that sounds surprisingly personal.
Suddenly, the message does not begin with, “Dear Author.” It uses your name, the title of your book, and may even praise a particular idea from it.
It may even sound as though someone has been following your work, and none of that necessarily means there is a real publicity opportunity on the other end.
I have seen more of these emails lately, and some are very convincing.
In fact, just this week, one of my clients received an email that opened with a very polished summary of her book and praised the way she approached the subject. It sounded specific enough that you might assume the sender had actually read it.
Pretty impressive, right? If you received something like that about your book, you might reasonably assume the sender had actually spent some time with it.
A closer look, however, raised questions about who was actually behind the message and what was really being offered.
And that is exactly what has changed. AI can create this kind of personalized language very quickly, and personalization by itself is no longer proof that someone has actually read your book or has a legitimate opportunity to offer.
These emails may come from people presenting themselves as publicists, podcast bookers, event organizers, book promoters, media placement specialists, or representatives of organizations with impressive-sounding names.
Sometimes there is a legitimate business behind the message, but the opportunity is not nearly as valuable as it first appears.
Often it is simply a sales pitch dressed up as personal interest, waiting for you to respond.
Sometimes it is pay-to-play publicity presented in a way that makes it sound like earned media. Of course, I’ve been seeing this one for years.
But sometimes it is fraudulent.
That distinction is important because I do not want authors becoming suspicious of every single invitation that arrives in their inbox. Wonderful opportunities do sometimes come to you. There are media people who reach out. Podcast hosts do discover authors and invite them onto their shows. And there are conference organizers who do find speakers.
The goal here is not to become cynical. What a world that would be.
No, the goal here is to become discerning.
Before you say yes, slow down long enough to find out exactly what is being offered.
Who is contacting you? Does the email address match the organization they claim to represent? Is the email address unusual? Do they have a signature file? (I’ve seen many that don’t.)
Can you find the person on the organization’s website?
Can you find previous episodes, events, articles, or other evidence that the opportunity actually exists?
If it is a podcast, listen to it.
If it is an event, look at previous events and speakers.
If someone says they represent a media outlet, verify that through the outlet itself.
And if money enters the conversation, make sure you understand exactly what you are buying.
With earned media, you are being selected because the outlet believes you have something worthwhile for its audience. You are not paying for the interview itself.
That does not mean every paid opportunity is bad. Advertising, sponsored content, promotional packages, and paid speaking opportunities all have their place.
But they are different things. The problem begins when one is presented as another.
And flattering language can make it very easy to overlook that distinction. We can all fall for that.
Authors have worked hard on their books. Naturally, it feels wonderful when someone writes to say they discovered your work, loved your message, and believe you would be perfect for an opportunity.
Just remember that praise is not verification.
The more sophisticated these messages become, the more important it is to do a little checking before handing over your time, your book, your personal information, or your money.
In Media Darling, I talk about taking appropriate opportunities that come your way, but also making sure an interview or outlet actually makes sense for you. An unusual request deserves clarification before either accepting it or dismissing it.
That advice has become even more important.
AI can create the appearance of familiarity very quickly.
Your job is to find out whether there is substance behind it.
Media Darling Moment: A flattering invitation is not the same thing as a publicity opportunity.
Stay open to opportunity.
Just make sure you know what you are saying yes to.
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. Before you say yes to that wonderful-sounding opportunity, ask, Who Are You?
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