2026 Reading Challenge discussion

A new member, who also happens to be an author, was approached by someone who offered to promote the author's books in this group for a $127 registration fee. Do not fall for this scam if you are contacted with a request for money.

Participation in this group and our challenges is always FREE. We also follow a strict NO PROMOTIONS policy.

Hi. I am an author with books on Goodreads. I just got contacted by a woman who says she can get my book into the 2026 Reading Challenge. After an exchange of a couple of emails, she says it will cost me $115 (US?). Just thought I would let you know. I have email address details if you want it. Of course I rejected her offer.

StevenB wrote: "Hi. I am an author with books on Goodreads. I just got contacted by a woman who says she can get my book into the 2026 Reading Challenge."

Thank you, StevenB, for offering to pass along the scammer's details. If the scammer is a member of this group, we would certainly appreciate more details so that we can remove her. We don't need a member like that, trying to take advantage of our other members.

Unfortunately, when I reported the situation cited above to Goodreads Support Team, I learned that they won't take my secondhand word for it. You must contact Support yourself in order for them to act on it. Here's their message to me:

Thank you for contacting us. If the author is concerned that specific content violates our Community Guidelines, please advise them to report it to our attention or send us a direct link to the content, along with screenshots of the email or message, so we can evaluate it.

We wish you all the best with your books!

I had this happen in a group I run as well. The scammer actually used one of the name of one of my moderators.

Gem wrote: "I had this happen in a group I run as well. The scammer actually used one of the name of one of my moderators."

How frustrating, Gem! I hope you were able to get it resolved for your group, and for your moderator whose name was "borrowed."

This group is not a book marketing or paid promotion group. The 2026 Reading Challenge is a reader-led reading challenge, not a promotional service. Readers choose the books, read together, and lead discussions within the group.
Anyone who contacts an author claiming they will “promote” a book here is not affiliated with this group and should be considered a scam.
Authors who participate do so only by engaging their book through the group’s normal reading-challenge process and by completing the necessary participation steps required for inclusion in a monthly reading cycle. There are no guarantees, no paid promotions, and no marketing services offered.

Just checking with mods and librarians as someone (I can provide their email address if desired) said they would post a "clarification" comment here (appeared right as Charles posted) as "proof" that the "2026 Quarterly Reading Challenge" has a "one-time author participation fee is $157".

(Yes, I know this is a scam, and I am not about to pay that, but wanted to reply to make sure any other authors don't take that comment as "proof".)