Legitimate or a scam? · Write Your Book 📚

Legitimate or a scam?

Hi! Have you been getting AI-spammy-feeling messages about the Goodreads Choice Awards and having your book added to the reading challenge?

I pushed back on one of the emails, and I finally think I got a response written by a real human... it was quite different in tone and style compared to her previous ones.

What's your take on this latest email exchange/reply? Is this a real opportunity to bring my book to a new reader community, or is it just another distraction and annoying phishing email? I'm leaning towards it being a scam, but my brain is foggy and, again, this email is different than the original one that for sure was edited and polished with AI. I'm also pretty sure from Goodreads Author Dashboard that I can add my books to the Choice Awards site without paying $225 to a third party.

What has your experience been with this kind of cold-marketing baiting? I appreciate your insights.

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From the latest email exchange with this mystery woman named Kate:

"Thank you for being direct and asking these questions so clearly I genuinely respect that. Authors should verify opportunities carefully, and I’m happy to answer everything transparently so you can make an informed decision.

First, I want to clarify something important: I am not a moderator or employee of Goodreads or the Goodreads Choice Awards itself. I work in partnership with independent reader communities that organize discussion challenges built around Goodreads Choice Awards recognized titles and similar books readers already engage with on Goodreads. My role is coordinating author participation and guiding books into those reader discussions so engagement happens in an organized, intentional way.

About websites and links

The Goodreads Choice Awards themselves are hosted directly on Goodreads, which you can view here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards

The reading challenge operates inside an existing reader community environment rather than through a standalone public website. That’s why there isn’t a single public registration page onboarding happens through direct coordination once an author decides the program is a fit.

Regarding me personally, you’re correct that I use a Gmail address and don’t maintain a public company website. My work is relationship-based and referral-driven rather than agency-style marketing. Because of that, instead of a corporate site, I’m happy to share references from authors I’ve previously worked with so you can speak with real people and hear directly about their experience and how the process works from their perspective. I find that author-to-author verification is often more meaningful than polished marketing pages.

Author participation fee

The participation involves a one-time registration fee of $225. This is not a recurring marketing charge. It functions as a small token registration that covers:

• onboarding the book into the reading challenge

• organizing the reader introduction inside the community

• coordinating discussion placement for the reading round

• guiding ongoing visibility so the book remains active in conversation rather than appearing briefly and disappearing

The goal is sustained reader engagement readers discussing themes, sharing reflections, and building organic visibility over time.

Program and registration details

Once an author confirms interest, I send the registration overview outlining the onboarding steps, materials needed (book description, author bio, and confirmation), and the timeline for the upcoming reading round. I personally guide the process so authors understand exactly what is happening at each stage.

I also want to say this plainly: if at any point something feels unclear or misaligned with your goals, there is absolutely no pressure to proceed. My intention is simply to connect meaningful books with readers who genuinely enjoy discussing them.

If you’d like, I can next share author references and the registration overview so you can review everything and decide comfortably whether this feels right for you.

Thank you again for your honesty and for giving me the opportunity to clarify."

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