Author of novels fantastical & historical, avid gardener, co-founder of SFWA's pub industry watchdog Writer Beware. Casting a small light in a wilderness of writing scams (plus an occasional cat pic) https://writerbeware.blog https://victoriastrauss.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mmibbutqsk2aWell, this sucks. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 May 2026 01:10 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmibbutqsk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mmhf6zdwh22aNew #WriterBeware blog post: The Anthropic copyright settlement has writers re-assessing the importance of copyright registration and rights reversion. Should they be re-assessing the importance of ISBNs as well? https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/22/has-the-anthropic-settlement-changed-everything/22 May 2026 16:47 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmhf6zdwh22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mmfjtjrkks2qI answer soooo many questions writers wouldn't need to send me if they would only subscribe to my blog.... writerbeware.blog21 May 2026 23:05 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmfjtjrkks2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mmevathcek2qCoverage from the NY Times of the enormous problem of pirated AI-narrated audiobooks on YouTube, and attempts to fight it (gift link) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/books/audiobook-piracy-youtube.html?unlocked_article_code=1.kFA.7b_D.2sFmudK7UCUQ&smid=url-share21 May 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmevathcek2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mmev4doyfs2qA group of publishers just won a major default judgment in their copyright infringement lawsuit against pirate site Anna's Archive, which must pay maximum statutory damages for 130 pirated works https://publishers.org/news/association-of-american-publishers-applauds-sweeping-default-judgement-against-notorious-pirate-site-annas-archive/21 May 2026 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmev4doyfs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm7xc5ejis25Did you discover, as part of the Anthropic settlement, that your publisher failed to register your copyright? The @authorsguild.org is collecting information https://authorsguild.org/anthropic-class-action-did-your-publisher-fail-to-register-your-copyright/ (This is a correction of something I posted yesterday w/ a significant error. Apologies for the mistake)19 May 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm7xc5ejis25https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm7wyxi25c25My blog post about the troubles at TouchPoint Press, with many updates. A reminder that a publisher doesn't have to be an intentional fraud to damage writers and their careers. https://writerbeware.blog/2023/06/30/small-press-storm-warnings-adelaide-books-propertius-press-touchpoint-press/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 May 2026 17:45 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm7wyxi25c25https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm7wkvwyu225The @authorsguild.org has won a default judgment against deadbeat publisher TouchPoint Press, enabling 18 writers to get their rights back https://authorsguild.org/news/authors-guild-wins-default-judgment-against-touchpoint-press/19 May 2026 17:37 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm7wkvwyu225https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm7pwx5b2k2wThis is quite the scam tale. It involves writers and manuscripts, but all scams of this type follow the same arc [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 May 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm7pwx5b2k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm6n455bbk2uClarification from the @authorsguild.org My mistake— apologies. I’m going to delete my original post and repost a corrected version. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 May 2026 05:15 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm6n455bbk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm2t7uwro22aTrademark extortion scheme alert! 2nd example I've seen of identical email, tho sent out w/ different names/addresses/company names. Goal is to scare writers into responding so they can be pressed to pay big $$$ to "preserve their rights". Needless to say, this is not how trademark or copyright work17 May 2026 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm2t7uwro22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mm2ru6pdms2aTrouble signs at 2 small publishers, per recent reports rec'd by Writer Beware: Rising Action Publishing (ongoing royalty payment delays) Balance of Seven Press (publication delays, royalty payment delays, lack of communication) Authors can contact me (in confidence): beware@sfwa.org17 May 2026 16:29 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm2ru6pdms2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mlwelen4ws2zImpersonation scam alert! Despite the bogus Gmail address, I'm not sure of the provenance of this one (they also got the agency's name wrong). But I'd guess that multiple other agents'/agencies' identities have been appropriated. If you get something like this, forward it to me: beware@sfwa.org15 May 2026 22:21 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwelen4ws2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mltco3lyhc2kThis is likely a scam--lots of warning signs (no meaningful "about" info, no way to submit listings, the cold call itself). The offer of addition to the "catalog" is bait, authors who say "yes" then become targets for sales pressure (such as the "smart bookstubs" touted on the site) [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 May 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltco3lyhc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mlrjznfbhk2tToday in true stories of murder writers (gift link) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/us/kouri-richins-sentencing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.iVA.GNDO.H-N35HGv5Le4&smid=url-share14 May 2026 00:15 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrjznfbhk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mlejq6lymc2jAbout time, indeed. FB is advertising heaven for publishing scammers [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlejq6lymc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mleftj3osc2jThis editor impersonation scam is extremely widespread at the moment https://writerbeware.blog/2026/03/27/watch-out-for-this-scam-impersonating-editors-at-major-publishing-houses/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2026 18:56 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mleftj3osc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mlebtccoqs2jNew #WriterBeware blog post: two new entries in the unending cavalcade of AI-driven scams from Nigeria https://writerbeware.blog/2026/05/08/book-festival-scams-interview-fakes-two-new-ai-driven-impersonation-scams-to-avoid/08 May 2026 17:44 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlebtccoqs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mle5r3rhls2jMy blog post on the PageTurner/Innocentrix scam, updated with details of Michael Sordilla's guilty plea. The plea includes a list of victims (names redacted) and the amounts they're owed. Many are owed more than $100,000; three are owed more than $1 million https://writerbeware.blog/2025/01/03/karmas-a-bitch-the-law-catches-up-with-pageturner-press-and-media/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2026 16:31 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle5r3rhls2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mle2yxra3s2jBig news if you follow publishing scams: Michael Cris Traya Sordilla, CEO of PageTurner/Innocentrix--one of the biggest ever Philippine scam operations that was busted by the FBI last year--pleads guilty; ordered to pay over $48 million in restitution for victims https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/defendant-pleads-guilty-48-million-nationwide-book-publishing-scam-targeting-hundreds08 May 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle2yxra3s2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3mle2age2es2jThe latest report from PEN America on book bans shows “a surge in the banning of nonfiction titles” https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/100342-book-bans-increasingly-target-nonfiction-pen-america-reports.html08 May 2026 15:28 +0000at://did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle2age2es2j