A little while ago, I was invited to take part in an online author spotlight interview.
It sounded like a useful opportunity to talk about my book, Learning Transfer at Work, and the wider topic of learning and development, so I said yes.
Only at that point did they mention a cost, but it seemed reasonable as a cover fee for putting the spotlight together.
The interview itself was perfectly pleasant. The questions were relevant, and there seemed to be a good number of people attending.
It was only afterwards that I started to wonder.
I had encouraged people to connect with me on LinkedIn, but I received no connection requests at all. That was unusual. I also realised, with hindsight, that the questions sounded rather polished – more like questions from L&D professionals than from a general audience.
That doesn’t prove anything. I’m not suggesting that anything improper happened in my case. There may well have been L&D or HR people attending. I simply don’t know.
But it did prompt me to look more closely at the organisation behind the interview, and it made me wish I had spent ten minutes checking them before accepting the invitation, rather than afterwards.
As authors, we naturally want to share our ideas and reach new readers. That’s all perfectly reasonable.
But enthusiasm is not the same as due diligence.
A few checks I’ll now make before accepting similar invitations:
- Who is behind the organisation?
- Do they have a presence beyond their own website, for example on LinkedIn?
- Is there genuine engagement from readers or authors?
- Are there independent reviews or discussions about them?
None of these questions proves anything on its own. They’re simply sensible checks before investing your time, money or reputation.
While looking into this, I also came across a useful article from Writer Beware about book club and book review scams targeting authors. It explains some of the ways authors are approached and why it’s worth taking a little time to check who you’re dealing with before accepting an invitation.
Whether you’re publishing your first book or your tenth, it’s well worth a read.
Writer Beware: Return of the Nigerian Prince Redux – Beware Book Club and Book Review Scams
It appears authors are frequently approached about interviews, book clubs, reviews, awards and publicity. Some opportunities are genuine. Others may offer very little value.
The internet has created wonderful opportunities for authors to connect with readers around the world. It has also made it much easier for organisations to present themselves professionally online.
My advice is simple.
Enjoy the opportunities, but spend ten minutes doing a little homework first.
I certainly will in future.
I’ve also posted this on LinkedIn and would like to hear about your experience as an author. Have you had a similar approach? What checks do you make before saying yes?
My best wishes, Paul
