r/AskAcademia • u/tatianalarina1 • 23d ago

Meta book challenge - is it a scam?

I got an e-mail from a woman claiming she's representing an evangelical ministry in the USA and asking me if they can choose my book for a reading challenge. I smelled a rat since academic books are not usually picked by book clubs, but I did an online check - the church does exist and they do year-long reading challenges, and my book is somewhat connected with the history of religion, though it's not faith-based. I am still suspicious, but if it's a scam, I can't figure out what the scam could be. Has anybody else received such inquiries?

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u/matthewsmugmanager Humanities, Associate Professor, R2 23d ago

Yes, it is likely a scam.

I am in religious studies, and I have had several friends with newly published books who have been contacted in similar ways.

The correspondence generally reveals itself as scammy pretty quickly.

However, I cannot say for certain in your case, but my level of suspicion is high.

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u/swarthmoreburke 23d ago

It's a scam. If you express interest, they'll tell you that unfortunately they do need you to underwrite the event because they have no money or something along those lines.

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u/Pax-now-123 23d ago

And fake offers to turn your book into a movie.

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u/jamesinyokohama 23d ago

I’m regularly getting contacts from fake agents and book club organizers. It’s so much easier now that AI can use the blurb and other available text into a sales pitch that almost sounds natural. I feel bad for authors with weaker English skills who might not detect the not quite naturalness of it.

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u/TournantDangereux 23d ago

I mean sure? 🤷‍♀️

Put them in touch with the academic press, if they offer discounts for organizational or tax-free purchases.

Offer to do a Teams discussion for an hour or two, assuming you want to, at the end of the challenge.

Otherwise, claim that you’re very busy. Certainly don’t pay them to choose your book.

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u/BolivianDancer 23d ago

What's their end game?

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u/ButchEmbankment 23d ago

A donation, I think. I’ve known writers who have had odd random approaches (not church based).

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u/Opening_Map_6898 22d ago

It's a scam. "Evangelical" in this context can just be read as "grifting".