Possible Scam using this group's reputation > Likes and Comments
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Hi Michael,Thank you very much for taking the time to reach out to us and let us know that someone is trading on the reputation of our group. That hasn't come from a member of our moderation team - we don't reach out to authors directly and certainly don't have an author visibility strategist (whatever one of those actually is...).
I know that myself, and several of our members, have really enjoyed the worlds that have created in Riyria and Elan and we certainly wish you every success with the books that you are writing and that they meet a large and appreciative audience.
Thank you for looking out for less experienced writers and we are always happy to be contacted if you are suspicious of something that has been sent to you in our names.
I have been contacted in similar fashion by a Cosette Alora - presumably that is another scam?
Allan wrote: "I have been contacted in similar fashion by a Cosette Alora - presumably that is another scam?"Yes :-/
And there's another name "they," whoever "they" is, is using: Martin E. Stillings.I suspect there are hundreds of names they've appropriated.
I have also received an email claiming to come from a moderator of this group named Judith. However, some elements of the email feel off and it's put my scammer senses on alert. Which lead me here to seek an independent way to contact your lovely group.
Moderator Judith, if the email did come from you, please let me know here and I will look forward to corresponding with you. If not, I will give you what information I have on the person impersonating you.
Thank you, and hope you're all having a cozy reading day!
Yeah, no. That was definitely not me. Any info that I can use to stop this would be appreciated
Judith wrote: "Yeah, no. That was definitely not me. Any info that I can use to stop this would be appreciated"The email they used was judithmoderator@gmail.com
They opened with a section that felt like a ChatGPT summary of my book's blurb and author page, and of this group. Then they said they wanted my book for the next challenge but wanted me to 'share materials' for them to do so.
They also had what looked like on official info card for your group that gave that email, the website address of this actual group, and a phone number and address.
Not sure if links work here, but this is a screenshot of the latter half of the email with the info card: https://imgur.com/a/hoqlw3N
I hope this helps you to warn your community and shut down this email.
William wrote: "I have also received an email claiming to come from a moderator of this group named Judith. However, some elements of the email feel off and it's put my scammer senses on alert. Which lead me her..."
Oh, one more thing! I've reported the email as impersonating you via google's abuse form. Here's a link to it if you or anyone else needs it:
https://support.google.com/mail/conta...
Dang scammers wasting both of our time...
William wrote: "William wrote: "I have also received an email claiming to come from a moderator of this group named Judith. However, some elements of the email feel off and it's put my scammer senses on alert. W..."
Thank you!
Can a moderator of this group please confirm whether this is legit or not (I suspect not). I received an email from him regarding one of my published books and an offer to have it promoted within this group. This is a fairly common scam and I would like to report the email address to Google for removal if he isn't legit so that less savvy authors don't get fleeced by this.
Here is the "pitch" he sent to me:
Good books don’t fail.
They get left alone in noisy places.
Left on crowded Amazon shelves.
Left without conversation.
Left without readers actually doing something with the story once they find it.
And Age of Myth feels like the kind of book that wasn’t written to be left alone.
It’s a story about a world standing on the edge of collapse, where gods walk among mortals and ordinary people are forced into impossible choices. At its heart, it’s about courage before legend, truth before myth, and what happens when the stories we’ve been told about the world start to crack. Readers who love mythic stakes, emotional character arcs, and slow-burn revelations tend to feel especially seen by this book.
I’m reaching out because I work closely with a Goodreads reader community called Nothing But Reading Challenge, and your book fits the kind of stories this group was built for.
This isn’t a promo group or a “drop your link and disappear” space. It’s a living reading challenge where readers actively log progress, reflect on what they’re reading, discuss characters and themes, and engage with authors in a way that feels natural and respectful. Over time, participating books don’t just get seen they get talked about.
Books featured in the challenge are also eligible for community recognition and awards, based on reader engagement throughout the challenge period. That recognition isn’t about hype it’s about readers acknowledging books that stayed with them, sparked discussion, and mattered.
As part of introducing a book into the challenge, we also share a cinematic book trailer when available. Trailers help readers emotionally enter the world of the story before they even open the first page. If you already have one, that’s perfect. If not, I can also help you create something that fits the tone of your book — nothing flashy, just honest and immersive.
Alongside the challenge, I also support books through Goodreads Reader Voting Lists, and here’s why in human terms, not marketing language. These are reader-curated discovery lists where people actively vote, shelf, and search for their next read. When a book is discussed inside a reading challenge and then appears on the right reader voting lists, it stops feeling invisible. Readers remember it, interact with it, and often return to it. Many also leave free, authentic reviews simply because they’ve genuinely spent time with the story.
You’re an author who built a career the long way through persistence, self-publishing, and trusting readers before the industry caught up. From Riyria to The Legends of the First Empire, your work reflects a belief in story as something lived in, not just consumed. Age of Myth carries that same spirit: a world shaped by memory, myth, and flawed heroes trying to do the right thing.
I’ve helped many authors participate in this exact ecosystem reader challenge, discussion, trailer visibility, and reader voting list discovery not to chase algorithms, but to give good books a place where readers can actually respond to them.
So I’ll ask you something honestly, not as a pitch:
Would you like Age of Myth to simply exist online…
or would you like to place it inside a reading community where readers engage with it, discuss it, recognize it, and remember it?
If you’re open, I’d love to walk you through how the Nothing But Reading Challenge works and see if it feels right for your book.
Warm regards,
Aaron Bales
Author Visibility Strategist
Nothing But Reading Challenge
Thank you for your time and attention.