They seem to be the vacuum cleaner salesmen of the publishing industry. If you don’t know what kind of person used to sell vacuum cleaners think car sales person on steroids. They play on insecurities and convince people they need whatever the fuck they are selling and generally whatever it is bears a hefty price tag.

In this case authors are being hit by “digital marketers” … this is what I respond with to the ‘cold calls’ that say something along these lines: I’m Impressed by your books, I see great marketing potential. Let’s discuss strategies to elevate its reach. Interested?
And my response:
1. How can you be impressed by my books when you haven’t read them?
2. This sounds expensive and if you know anything about authors you know they don’t have much money.
3. What company do you work for?
4. How many authors have you worked with and I’d like to hear from them how your service improved their sales.
5. I don’t entertain any thoughts of parting with my hard earned money to anyone who has created ‘campaigns’ for two or three non-fiction authors that I’ve never heard of.
6. I’m not new to the publishing business and therefore have seen many things over the years and this sudden upturn in ‘digital marketers’ is just one of many ways people have devised to take money from authors.
7. Absolutely talk to me after you have read one of my books.

One came back to me on LinkedIn (no platform is immune) and said:
“You can’t be sure of something until you give it a try, well I can’t be here trying to convince you when I have some projects I want to finish.
I only want to help your literary journey not to scam you. And lastly, I will say this, if you keep thinking that everybody you come across are scammers then how will you eventually find someone that will make you a best seller you wish for.”

WRONG. It takes seconds to check them out via Writers Beware.
Also, check your website incoming traffic. I like to send them a link to my website and tell them to look at it – perhaps they could offer advice? I use a link to a private page. Then I can see where they are coming from. Nine times out of ten it is not where they say they are from.
Watch out for the AI written emails from them. They kinda funny but say nothing of any substance, why? Because they haven’t read your work.
Anywho, be safe out there.
Don’t part with any money unless you verify the person who is so keen to ‘help’ you. They’re helping you all right, helping you right out of your hard earned cash.