[td] “Why is it every time a new thing is invented humans immediately try to use it for porn?”That’s a memorable quote from an episode of The Good Place, a favorite show the hubs and I are delightedly rewatching—but what struck me as we watched it last night was that the same seems to go for scams. Let there be any kind of new invention or technological advance and sure enough someone will find a way to exploit it to prey on others. The most recent example of this is a flurry of AI-generated solicitations promising authors some version of wish fulfillment for their careers or offering creative or marketing collaboration with some accomplished, well-known, or best-selling author. I saw scams like this a lot when I was an actor. Back then it commonly looked like an alleged talent agent or casting director or "producer" love-bombing an actor with praise and promises and offering to sign them as clients and shepherd them to stardom—but first they needed to invest in this pricey photography package and these classes and other services, either offered by them or someone they recommended (at a nice, chunky price tag, and with kickbacks for the “agent”). The current version targeting writers is not at all dissimilar. Like a lot of authors I've been receiving more and more of these types of solicitations lately, even through backchannels of respected organizations. They’re often written to sound chatty and casual and as human as possible, and pointedly specific about me and my work. Here's a recent example of an email I received, and how it can help you learn how to identify and protect yourself against this kind of scam.... You can read the rest of the post and join the discussion here--I love reading your comments and respond to all of them. Talk to me, authors—are you getting an avalanche of these annoying solicitations lately too? Did you recognize them as such right away? If not, how did you finally realize they were scammy—what resources are you using to educate and protect yourself? Have you had other fraudulent or predatory solicitations I haven’t mentioned? Please share—knowledge is power, and power is protection. Open this newsletter in a web browser here. One of my goals this year was to hit 3,500 subscribers, and I'm just over a hundred away--if you get value from these newsletters, please share so I can keep building my own writing community here. |
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[td]In the strongest stories, the language serves the story as potently as any other element of craft. It strengthens, clarifies, deepens, and heightens impact.
Line editing means taking a microscope to every word of your story and making sure it says what you want say in the most impactful way; that it says exactly what you mean; that it clearly conveys your intentions; and, most important, that it never draws attention to itself and gets in the way of the story.
In this 90-minute online class, career book editor Tiffany Yates Martin shows you how to avoid flabby writing that can stall out or dilute the effectiveness of your story. Instead, you’ll convey your intentions in the most elegant and effective way, while expressing your unique voice that will set your story apart.
[/td]Line editing means taking a microscope to every word of your story and making sure it says what you want say in the most impactful way; that it says exactly what you mean; that it clearly conveys your intentions; and, most important, that it never draws attention to itself and gets in the way of the story.
In this 90-minute online class, career book editor Tiffany Yates Martin shows you how to avoid flabby writing that can stall out or dilute the effectiveness of your story. Instead, you’ll convey your intentions in the most elegant and effective way, while expressing your unique voice that will set your story apart.
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