Dealing with writing scammer heartbreak

By Neil Bailey

If you’re a writer who hangs around on X (or any social media site), you’ve probably seen this message pop into your DMs at least once a week:

“Hello [your name], I came across your amazing profile! What are you currently working on?"

Soon followed by, "I can connect you with my agent who’s looking for new authors!”

Or maybe:

“I’m a professional editor who’s worked with bestselling authors. I’d love to help polish your manuscript!”

And for about half a second, your heart does that hopeful little leap. Then the sensible part of your brain kicks in. You check their profile. thousands of followers, lots of re-posts, but not many original posts. You do a google and their name checks out with books on Amazon or Goodreads, but they advertise a generic gmail address.

Yep. It’s another fake.

Let’s talk about what’s going on, why it’s happening more than ever, and how to protect yourself (and your sanity) when the DMs won’t stop. These are ideas I've either tried or researched. It's not an exhaustive list, it's simply my attempt to help pass on what I've found so far. If you've got more tips please do share them in the comments.

Firstly you’re not being individually targeted. You’re just a writer on the internet.

Don’t take it personally. These scammers aren’t singling you out because your writing is special (although, obviously, it is). They’re using bots and mass messaging tools to hit thousands of accounts that mention “author,” “writer,” “query,” or “agent” in their bios.

In other words, if you’ve ever tweeted about your writing, you’re fair game. It’s basically digital cold-calling for the creative age.

A common trick is the “successful author who wants to help you.” They’ll have a slick bio that says something like “Author of six novels. Represented by XYZ Literary Agency.!”

Sounds convincing, right? But look closer. It’s all designed to look like a peer-to-peer kindness gesture. It’s a scam. Real authors with agents don’t cold-DM strangers offering to connect them. I had one claiming to be the amazing Cami Checketts. The profile looked legit, the links went to her novels on Amazon. But I dug deeper. The X profile name was one digit different to a similar one. I messaged the proper Cami directly through her website, and a massive thank you to Cami, she replied confirming the correct profile name and that the one that had contacted me was an imposter. It was scary how professional it had all been set up.

Then there’s the wave of “professional editors” offering to fix your manuscript. Some might actually do light editing using AI or stolen content, but most will vanish the moment you send money. Others will simply send you a “sample edit” copied from Grammarly or ChatGPT.

If you’re looking for legitimate editing help, always check credentials. Ask for:

• Their website (not just a linktree).

• Real client testimonials.

• A sample edit on your work (not a random excerpt).

• Transparent pricing and payment protection (not “DM me for rates”).

Real editors have nothing to hide.

Why we as writers are prime targets.

Writers who, especially if like me, are querying or self-publishing, are easy prey because we’re passionate, often tired, and occasionally desperate for a break. The scammers know that.

They prey on that little voice that says, “What if this is the one chance I shouldn’t ignore?”

We’ve all been there. The constant rejection emails from real agents can wear you down. So when someone pops up offering a shortcut, it’s tempting to listen.

But shortcuts don’t exist in publishing. Every real success story comes from hard graft, research, and a lot of waiting.

So how can we protect ourselves better?

Here’s a quick checklist to keep your writing journey as scam-free as possible:

1. Come off social media completely. That caught you of guard didn't it. I'm sort of joking. It wold certainly solve the problem, but let's face it social media can be great.

So, let's get a little more realistic.

2. Lock down your DMs.

On X, you can set DMs so only people you follow can message you. It’ll drastically reduce the noise. However, many scammers who've DMd me are those who make contact straight after I've followed them (usually when I;m being polite and following them back (something for me to think about!)

3. Do your research.

Before replying to anyone, Google the person’s name and any agency or service they claim to represent. A five-minute search will tell you a lot. I'f they ask you to contact them through a regular gmail address, be careful.

3. Check legitimate sources.

Sites like QueryTracker are goldmines for vetting agents. I had one recently where I asked for the recommended agent's QT details and the 'author' said their agent's QT had been hacked so they didn't currently have one (Yes, I agree, very fishy).

4. Join writing communities.

Ask around. There are a lot of us out there. Feel free to ask if someone is legit and someone else may recognise the name.

5. Trust your gut.

If something feels “off,” it probably is. I had another agent referral and when I asked for the agents' web address I was told they didn't have one as they only worked through referrals. REALLY!?

Through all of this remember to be kind to yourself.

Even when you know it’s fake, it still stings. Because for a moment, it felt like someone saw your work and thought it was worth something.

That moment of hope can turn into anger or embarrassment. But don’t beat yourself up. Scammers are professional manipulators, they know exactly which buttons to press. It's a shame they don't use these skill s for good!

You didn’t do anything wrong by hoping. That’s what writers do. We live on hope. Just try to direct that hope toward something real.

If you’re genuinely looking to find an agent, go the legitimate route:

• Research agencies online.

• Follow them on social media.

• Read interviews and wish lists.

• Query them professionally via their website or QueryTracker.

Social media can be great for building a community. Don’t let the scams push you offline or make you distrust everyone. There are amazing, supportive people in the writing world (hello there!), they just won’t ask you for £200 up front and a PayPal link.

So, next time that “agent connector” pops up in your inbox, take a breath, hit delete, and remember: the real ones will never slide into your DMs uninvited.

In short:

Keep your guard up. Keep your sense of humour. And keep writing.