Author invitation scams: How writers can spot fake offers
bitdefender.com – Tuesday August 25, 2026
Scammers are targeting authors with fake invitations to appear at well-known book festivals, conferences, podcasts and radio programs.
They impersonate real organizations and employees, praise the author’s work and, eventually, demand payment for an appearance, promotion or special placement.
Key takeaways
- Scammers are impersonating real book festivals, employees, interviewers and literary organizations
- The initial invitation may contain personalized praise gathered from online reviews, summaries and author websites
- The scams usually lead to a request for a fee for participation, promotion, placement, production or another supposed benefit
- Authors should verify invitations through the organization’s official website and contact details before responding, paying or sharing files
Real book festivals are being impersonated
Earlier this year, the Edinburgh International Book Festival has warned authors about fraudulent emails inviting them to its August festival.
When and How to Nudge Agents
janefriedman.com – Tuesday August 25, 2026
If you haven’t heard back from an agent and you’re starting to wonder if you ever will, you might consider sending the agent a nudge. These are short inquiries asking for confirmation that your query was received and if a reply was sent.
Before you nudge, first determine if it’s an appropriate time to do so. Start with the agent’s reply rate on QueryTracker (refer to the online tutorial at QueryTracker for details). If their reply rate is very low (20% or less), that means they rarely reply and there is probably no point in nudging. They probably abide by the implied rejection policy.
Check the comments on the agent’s QueryTracker profile to see if anyone else is also waiting, and what happened if any of them nudged. If others are nudging and not getting replies to their nudges, then you should move on to the next agent.
Only nudge if other people are receiving replies. But before you do, make sure enough time has elapsed. You certainly don’t want to nudge too soon and frustrate the agent.
To determine the appropriate amount of time to wait before nudging, check the agent’s website to see if they state a projected reply time. Then check the agent’s typical reply time on QueryTracker. Take whichever is longest and add two weeks to it. Only after that time has elapsed should you consider nudging. If you want to be extra sure, give it a few more weeks still. Agents are often several weeks behind on getting through their queries.
New Publisher Listing: Level Up Publishing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday August 25, 2026
Publishes LitRPG and GameLit across classic fantasy, post‑apocalypse and other subgenres, seeking work with strong premises, engaging characters and clear gaming interaction. Favors immersive, spell‑casting narratives and distinctive or exceptionally executed projects. Accepts submissions through online form.
New Magazine Listing: The Haiku Shack Magazine
firstwriter.com – Monday August 24, 2026
Focuses on very short poetry and microfiction that seek to make an emotional impact – just like a good haiku would. Every issue is inspired by a specific theme and a photograph. Writers are invited to send their own interpretations of one or both for potential inclusion.
New Literary Agent Listing: Stephanie Kim
firstwriter.com – Friday August 21, 2026
Handles upmarket adult fiction and nonfiction including pop culture analysis and big idea books, with interest in select YA fiction. Focuses on authors from diverse backgrounds and seeks only highly specific projects such as an adult k‑pop horror novel or an adult cozy girlie‑pop lit RPG with a fresh feminist angle.
New Magazine Listing: Fictive Dream
firstwriter.com – Wednesday August 19, 2026
Publishes microfiction, flash fiction, and short stories up to 2,500 words, including translations, with all work previously unpublished in print or online. Handles microfiction to 400 words, flash fiction to 1,000 words, and short stories to 2,500 words. Seeks original fiction submitted as Word attachments and welcomes simultaneous submissions. Nominates selected work for national and international awards and retains First Serial Rights and non-exclusive Electronic Archival Rights.
New Literary Agency Listing: Selby Howard
firstwriter.com – Tuesday August 18, 2026
A literary agency founded with four decades of experience. Interests are eclectic and span literary fiction, narrative and expert-led non-fiction; lifestyle and cookery, politics, history, memoir and biography.
After Editing Two AI-Assisted Manuscripts, I Rewrote My Client Agreement
janefriedman.com – Thursday August 13, 2026
Having worked on thousands of manuscripts as a freelance editor, I’ve developed a pretty reliable instinct for what makes a project difficult to edit. That said, I have never priced my services according to a manuscript’s overall perceived “quality” or the level of “effort” required to offer feedback (as these judgments are extremely subjective).
Recently, AI-generated writing has entered my inbox, and this has made me rethink what editors are being asked to do, how, and how to charge for operating in this new world.
Earlier this year, I unknowingly accepted two AI-assisted novels back-to-back. Why? Well, I didn’t ask … and the clients didn’t disclose their chatbot use. Now, this article isn’t an ethical argument about AI. Writers will make their own decisions about where and whether these tools belong in their creative process, as will the industry at large. This is, however, an article about how editors should protect themselves accordingly from AI “scope creep” with new contracts and even fee schedules.
New Literary Agency Listing: Renegade Literary
firstwriter.com – Thursday August 13, 2026
Handles literary fiction marked by serious ambition and a desire to be widely read, favouring work that is emotionally precise, unafraid of darkness, and willing to confront grief, history, and the uncanny. Represents contemporary poetry by established voices whose work interrogates migration, desire, embodiment, and the aftermath of upheaval. Seeks evocative lyrical voices, structurally inventive forms, and perspectives that engage meaningfully with the world.
Why Your Book Description Feels Flat—and How to Fix It
janefriedman.com – Wednesday August 12, 2026
Every good blurb takes readers on an emotional journey—a sort of miniature version of your story. You’re creating a series of emotional beats that guide readers from:
Curiosity > Interest > Action
If this progression is missing, your blurb will feel flat and directionless. Your blurb should move through three stages:
- Who is your protagonist?
- What is going on with the plot?
- Why should I turn the page?
Your “who” should spark curiosity by establishing your protagonist’s unique situation. Your “what” covers the problems your protagonist is facing. Your “why” convinces readers to click “Look Inside” or make a purchase. This could be an unanswered question, an impossible choice, a major threat, or a promise of transformation.
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