In this business, almost as soon as you put your work out into the world, you can expect to attract scammers. Unfortunately, sometimes scammers will find you through your SCBWI profile. We have recently seen very convincing emails that impersonate real editors from large publishers who express interest in the writer or illustrator’s work.
How do you keep yourself safe? Although this is not an exhaustive list, here are some things you can do to protect yourself.
1. Read the article about scams on page 69 of The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children (download it for free on the SCBWI website under Member Home: My Resources).
2. Follow Writer Beware, a blog that offers a wealth of information to keep you covered.
3. Check out this SCBWI video on Best Practices for Long Term Scam Protection.
4. Consider these tips from SCBWI Southern Breeze’s Illustrator Coordinator, Jime Wimmer:
Real clients may want to hire you and you can usually google them to see if they are real. It can be helpful to offer to meet on Zoom to learn more about what they are looking for. I’ve met some wonderful people this way & gained lovely projects.
Have a clear contract of fees and terms prepared
Check the email address . . . although not a foolproof means, at times it can be glaringly obvious.
Many scams I’ve encountered try to “buy” from you. They often are generic in their tone, or ai-botish. This is where it may also be helpful to have a shop set up and say “go here” to purchase prints or art.
Sometimes you can even copy the email text and put it into Google to see if others have identified it as a scam as well
And the obvious—never pay others or provide personal info.
Keep in mind this nugget of wisdom from The Essential Guide: “Mostly it boils down to this: are they asking you for money?” or your personal information.