Warning to all Authors, do not fall victim to "professional editors."

[LeilaniOtter]

A professional editor isn't going to contact you.
Period.
Full stop.
If you need a professional editor, find one on your own, reputable, with affordable prices.
I was an editor in the early 2000s. I never cold-called anyone, emailed anyone, or anything like that. I simply had the usual ads in local newspapers, magazines, online bulletin boards, etc. to get clients.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

What next? Are you going to try and claim that there aren't hot MILFs in my area that are dying to meet me?

I was promised "art hoes" when I became a writer. (I was told these are like groupies.)
when do I get these.
Maybe that's what the offers to meet up in discord are then.
hmm... they just don't wanna appear too eager.
I mean, they are raving about my work. Then wanting to meet with me.
just saying...

A professional editor isn't going to contact you.
Period.
Full stop.
If you need a professional editor, find one on your own, reputable, with affordable prices.
I was an editor in the early 2000s. I never cold-called anyone, emailed anyone, or anything like that. I simply had the usual ads in local newspapers, magazines, online bulletin boards, etc. to get clients.

is it easier to become an editor, or a writer.

 

[L1aei]

is it easier to become an editor, or a writer.

Easier to start writing. Harder to fake editing.

So... yeah, anyone can write immediately. We don't require permission, there's no gate, and no training required. Emphasis on that last one because folks here will confuse my saying so as it being simple to be good at writing. That's not what I'm saying. Becoming good at writing takes years of invisible failures and nobody will ever agree when or where any of us arrived at that peak.

Meanwhile, editors.

Look, an editor cannot actually function as is without understanding structure, pacing, clarity, and whatever the fuck the readers expect from us; that even changes, periodically. But once an editor can demonstrate those consistently, well, other writers will start to trust in that editor because the published improvements they made become measurable by the writers' successes.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

I was promised "art hoes" when I became a writer. (I was told these are like groupies.)
when do I get these.
Maybe that's what the offers to meet up in discord are then.
hmm... they just don't wanna appear too eager.
I mean, they are raving about my work. Then wanting to meet with me.
just saying...

is it easier to become an editor, or a writer.

Writer.
I had to deal with too many authors with very fragile egos. I couldn't change anything that would hurt their deathless prose.
I was never right, and always wrong.
I just got sick of it after a while.
I much prefer writing now.

 

[A-Random-Writer]

damn clankers almost got me. They are a really bad problem,that needs to be fixed soon.

 

[Worthy39]

Writer.
I had to deal with too many authors with very fragile egos. I couldn't change anything that would hurt their deathless prose.
I was never right, and always wrong.
I just got sick of it after a while.
I much prefer writing now.

And now you get to be the diva who's never wrong!

 

[L1aei]

Writer.
I had to deal with too many authors with very fragile egos. I couldn't change anything that would hurt their deathless prose.
I was never right, and always wrong.
I just got sick of it after a while.
I much prefer writing now.

Hummm... yeah, see, I don't like it when that happens. It's terrible when somebody is put down because someone else, that somebody who's familiar with their crowd, believes you are trying to impress the same audience.

 

[ElijahRyne]

Has your story received a really positive comment? Most likely in the very first chapter of your story?

Chances are:

1. You are an excellent author, and your first chapter is absolutely flawless and has drawn in a reader so deeply that he just had to comment instead of reading on.

2. It's an art scammer, especially if the person talks about "bringing your story to life" and mentions pathetic compliments like: "The writing is so vivid, I can see the scene in front of my eyes," and empty phrases like that.

3. It's an "editor scammer".

Without meaning to sound harsh, the possibility 1 is quite low, especially if your story is rather new or has a small readership.

So these art scammers have been around for a while now, and they usually want you to contact them via mail or Discord, which is a warning sign. Sometimes they also try to draw you in first before pulling out their "D's," namely their Discord tags.

Lately, a lot of "professional editors" have appeared, which I'd like to warn fellow authors of.

A few warning signs and red flags I noticed:

1. Account is brand new (less than a few weeks old)
2. Account has a very "clean and generic" name. Emma_Reads19 Julia_Editor361 (these are made-up account names, they do not exist... yet.) Most of them have FEMALE names, so beware of that.
3. Most of them are stupid and do not know or care that you can see their profile activities, which instantly gives away their identity as a scammer.

For example, I've received a comment from a scammer who has written 22 comments until now, all in the span of just a few days, and all under new stories exactly on the first chapter. Most of their comments are duplicates or just minor variations.

Just some examples, so you can recognize them (which shouldn't be really hard... I suspect they are recycled or 100% AI written).

"I enjoyed the opening and found the character voice easy to settle into. There were moments where the momentum dipped slightly for me as a reader, but the chapter still held my interest emotionally. Looking forward to seeing how things unfold."

"The opening establishes the premise effectively, and the character voice feels intentional. From a reader’s perspective, there were a few spots where the pacing softened, but the chapter overall remained engaging. I’d be interested in seeing how this builds in later chapters."

"I enjoyed the introduction and found the character’s voice consistent. Even with a few pacing lulls, the chapter held my attention and left me curious."

Included a screenshot of the suspected scammer whom I have just reported. I don't think name-calling is allowed, so I'll censor the name, just to be sure.

In the screenshot, you can see that one author has thanked the scammer for her "praise" and has received a comment in return, trying to rope him in with a "detailed set of notes that goes beyond what's practical to post in the comments" and a request to DM the person.

What you should do:

1. REPORT the scammer.
2. BLOCK the scammer.
3. NEVER ever give out personal information to the scammer.
4. Delete their comments... they are not real comments, they are an assault on your stories intregrity. No feedback is much more preferable than only scammer/AI feedback.

So next time you receive some glorious feedback, chances are you are not a godlike author... You are being scammed. Just be careful.

View attachment 46302

This is why I keep my communication on site, and make my covers myself. Used to use AI, but I think AI covers look boring and that I don’t want to burden myself with the inherent ethical weight of such covers if I am to make money from my story. As for reviews, I look forwards to critical, mixed, and/or negative reviews because I know what I am doing well in my text, and can always get a positive review with an AI.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Hummm... yeah, see, I don't like it when that happens. It's terrible when somebody is put down because someone else, that somebody who's familiar with their crowd, believes you are trying to impress the same audience.

It really isn't even that.
The problem authors have, including me, is we don't like to have our work questioned or criticized. As an editor, that was my job, to hunt for what wasn't working and provide advice and ideas for fixing things. And I felt terrible sometimes if I ran into a book that was so horribly written that I couldn't let them hire me. I received a book once that was really, really bad - and the terrible part? they'd already paid $3.000-$4,000 for editing. =(

I wasn't ever put down for my observations and critiques, but I really felt sometimes like I was the enemy. I wanted them to succeed very much, and wanted to help them do it. But if they're not going to listen to me, or won't listen to my changes/ideas... what's the point?

 

[L1aei]

It really isn't even that.
The problem authors have, including me, is we don't like to have our work questioned or criticized. As an editor, that was my job, to hunt for what wasn't working and provide advice and ideas for fixing things. And I felt terrible sometimes if I ran into a book that was so horribly written that I couldn't let them hire me. I received a book once that was really, really bad - and the terrible part? they'd already paid $3.000-$4,000 for editing. =(

I wasn't ever put down for my observations and critiques, but I really felt sometimes like I was the enemy. I wanted them to succeed very much, and wanted to help them do it. But if they're not going to listen to me, or won't listen to my changes/ideas... what's the point?

Incoming nihilism: this is why I don't give a fuck about readers.

But okay, putting that aside, you're completely right. You're very, very right to feel the way that you do then and now. I feel it too. Sometimes I swing too hard, sometimes too soft, and the thought that I might be hitting someone's passion out of the ballpark bubbles up to burst in me.

And you know what? That's fine. You're human. You have a heart. That's really, really damn good.

Also, fact check: they paid for it. Back then, you did your job. That's different from doing something for someone just because you felt like it. Feeling like you want to do something and doing it for a paycheck is way different. Then, it was professional, not hobbyist. They got what they paid for. If it wasn't what they wanted, that's on them. Honestly, sounds like they didn't know what they wanted when purchasing your services.

 

[Nolff]

Has your story received a really positive comment? Most likely in the very first chapter of your story?

Chances are:

1. You are an excellent author, and your first chapter is absolutely flawless and has drawn in a reader so deeply that he just had to comment instead of reading on.

2. It's an art scammer, especially if the person talks about "bringing your story to life" and mentions pathetic compliments like: "The writing is so vivid, I can see the scene in front of my eyes," and empty phrases like that.

3. It's an "editor scammer".

Without meaning to sound harsh, the possibility 1 is quite low, especially if your story is rather new or has a small readership.

So these art scammers have been around for a while now, and they usually want you to contact them via mail or Discord, which is a warning sign. Sometimes they also try to draw you in first before pulling out their "D's," namely their Discord tags.

Lately, a lot of "professional editors" have appeared, which I'd like to warn fellow authors of.

A few warning signs and red flags I noticed:

1. Account is brand new (less than a few weeks old)
2. Account has a very "clean and generic" name. Emma_Reads19 Julia_Editor361 (these are made-up account names, they do not exist... yet.) Most of them have FEMALE names, so beware of that.
3. Most of them are stupid and do not know or care that you can see their profile activities, which instantly gives away their identity as a scammer.

For example, I've received a comment from a scammer who has written 22 comments until now, all in the span of just a few days, and all under new stories exactly on the first chapter. Most of their comments are duplicates or just minor variations.

Just some examples, so you can recognize them (which shouldn't be really hard... I suspect they are recycled or 100% AI written).

"I enjoyed the opening and found the character voice easy to settle into. There were moments where the momentum dipped slightly for me as a reader, but the chapter still held my interest emotionally. Looking forward to seeing how things unfold."

"The opening establishes the premise effectively, and the character voice feels intentional. From a reader’s perspective, there were a few spots where the pacing softened, but the chapter overall remained engaging. I’d be interested in seeing how this builds in later chapters."

"I enjoyed the introduction and found the character’s voice consistent. Even with a few pacing lulls, the chapter held my attention and left me curious."

Included a screenshot of the suspected scammer whom I have just reported. I don't think name-calling is allowed, so I'll censor the name, just to be sure.

In the screenshot, you can see that one author has thanked the scammer for her "praise" and has received a comment in return, trying to rope him in with a "detailed set of notes that goes beyond what's practical to post in the comments" and a request to DM the person.

What you should do:

1. REPORT the scammer.
2. BLOCK the scammer.
3. NEVER ever give out personal information to the scammer.
4. Delete their comments... they are not real comments, they are an assault on your stories intregrity. No feedback is much more preferable than only scammer/AI feedback.

So next time you receive some glorious feedback, chances are you are not a godlike author... You are being scammed. Just be careful.

View attachment 46302

Does this counts as a scam?

My gut tells me yes. I'd like to think the person isn't scamming, but eh, I might be correct. I'd contaced the person in question, she got an artstation too, but not the kind of style I'd like to go with. Not just that, her phrasing sometimes could bait an honest/naive person into agreeing to her offer. I was repeatedly being asked to acceppt her deal, with her telling me that she can 'suit' to the budget I have. My brother in religion, I only have 15$ budget for art. What're you expecting of me, a spoiled rich? I'm a goddamn third-world boy.

 

[L1aei]

Does this counts as a scam?
View attachment 46316
My gut tells me yes. I'd like to think the person isn't scamming, but eh, I might be correct. I'd contaced the person in question, she got an artstation too, but not the kind of style I'd like to go with. Not just that, her phrasing sometimes could bait an honest/naive person into agreeing to her offer. I was repeatedly being asked to acceppt her deal, with her telling me that she can 'suit' to the budget I have. My brother in religion, I only have 15$ budget for art. What're you expecting of me, a spoiled rich? I'm a goddamn third-world boy.

That's like hearing the click of a gun's hammer being pulled back. You don't see it yet, but you're gut is telling you to be wary of what may come next.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

It really isn't even that.
The problem authors have, including me, is we don't like to have our work questioned or criticized. As an editor, that was my job, to hunt for what wasn't working and provide advice and ideas for fixing things. And I felt terrible sometimes if I ran into a book that was so horribly written that I couldn't let them hire me. I received a book once that was really, really bad - and the terrible part? they'd already paid $3.000-$4,000 for editing. =(

I wasn't ever put down for my observations and critiques, but I really felt sometimes like I was the enemy. I wanted them to succeed very much, and wanted to help them do it. But if they're not going to listen to me, or won't listen to my changes/ideas... what's the point?

The hardest thing about being an editor (and I was only a volunteer/amateur one - did more proofreading than editing, really) was keeping in mind that a writer's style may "feel" wrong but not "be" wrong and forcing yourself to look beyond that for true problems rather than "Well, that's not how I'd do it, so it's probably wrong" stuff.

Does this counts as a scam?
View attachment 46316
My gut tells me yes. I'd like to think the person isn't scamming, but eh, I might be correct. I'd contaced the person in question, she got an artstation too, but not the kind of style I'd like to go with. Not just that, her phrasing sometimes could bait an honest/naive person into agreeing to her offer. I was repeatedly being asked to acceppt her deal, with her telling me that she can 'suit' to the budget I have. My brother in religion, I only have 15$ budget for art. What're you expecting of me, a spoiled rich? I'm a goddamn third-world boy.

Ask if the screen name means anything. If it's a real person, they should have an explanation beyond "that's what the system assigned" and they MIGHT be legit. If they'd don't respond or just say "I was feeling lazy" or something, absolutely a scammer.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

The hardest thing about being an editor (and I was only a volunteer/amateur one - did more proofreading than editing, really) was keeping in mind that a writer's style may "feel" wrong but not "be" wrong and forcing yourself to look beyond that for true problems rather than "Well, that's not how I'd do it, so it's probably wrong" stuff.

I had to be REALLY careful with that, yes.
Not everyone is going to write like I do, so it's hard sometimes to "pull away" from me, and look at things from their side, their styles.
But I never really thought it was wrong, just different. *^^*

 

[FRWriter]

Does this counts as a scam?
View attachment 46316
My gut tells me yes. I'd like to think the person isn't scamming, but eh, I might be correct. I'd contaced the person in question, she got an artstation too, but not the kind of style I'd like to go with. Not just that, her phrasing sometimes could bait an honest/naive person into agreeing to her offer. I was repeatedly being asked to acceppt her deal, with her telling me that she can 'suit' to the budget I have. My brother in religion, I only have 15$ budget for art. What're you expecting of me, a spoiled rich? I'm a goddamn third-world boy.

Scam. Just block, report and delete the comments. I hate people like that. Why are you even talking to these clowns?

 

[TheIcMan]

Oh, I must add another thing, though this one is quite rare.

They aren't art scammers or 'professional' editor scammers; they are head-hunters of some sweatshop 'reputable' web publishers looking for someone gullible enough to sign a slave contract with them.

This is more obvious in Chinese web publishing sites, though they can appear in Western sites as well. Correspondence will include sweet words like ones previously mentioned here, even when it's obvious the only moment they looked into your book is when they saw it getting updated.

The company is legit. The contract is legit. But will basically tie you to their company for years with little to no rest, and equally-pathetic pay for your hard work.

Know your worth; take time to read and understand your contracts. Avoid these rackets.

Oh, yeah, this is what I got with Tapas like 10 years ago. Had a very convincing email sent to me about signing me up for a contract. Good thing 16-year-old me was a coward!

 

[L1aei]

Oh, yeah, this is what I got with Tapas like 10 years ago. Had a very convincing email sent to me about signing me up for a contract. Good thing 16-year-old me was a coward!

Hey, fear means you're thinking of the consequences. That's a smart thing.

 

[Nyctoria]

Hey, fear means you're thinking of the consequences. That's a smart thing.

Thinking of consequences is a rare skill. If more people have it, we will see less fatherless behaviour.

 

[Nolff]

That's like hearing the click of a gun's hammer being pulled back. You don't see it yet, but you're gut is telling you to be wary of what may come next.

Yep. You know the best part is? It's that I acted like I was genuine, happy to see someone actually drawing a fic of mine.

Oh, and a quick note to add. That picture there was just one of the people I am putting on suspicious people lists. The actual person who had offered me her drawing of one of my OCs was a reader on AO3. I told her that I cannot comm her for the time being, and acted like I feel guilty for not being able to pay her, like a kid who really wants to get something but not have the money to do so.

She kept on pushing me, telling me that I could pay half of the commission cost for the start and the rest can be paid later. I don't bite that, lmao.

Ask if the screen name means anything. If it's a real person, they should have an explanation beyond "that's what the system assigned" and they MIGHT be legit. If they'd don't respond or just say "I was feeling lazy" or something, absolutely a scammer.

I'd rather not look too deep, though. Really, I don't care. One, because I'm not going to accept any offers people made for now (except if it's you guys who offered me, I'll proudly show your offer to my family, rofl). And two, because I'd like to see how far these kinds of people would go. I have added this RI guy's insta to my followed lists, and been keeping an eye on him, at least as much as my free time allows me to.

Scam. Just block, report and delete the comments. I hate people like that. Why are you even talking to these clowns?

When I'm tired, I'd do the same as you. But, I was feeling giddy and filled with tomfoolery. I can't pass the chance to be a deranged clown who's laughing behind a screen, can I?

 

[Corty]

All my professional editors are my readers.