The literal scam I (almost) never saw coming
O n Friday, May 15th, I received an unsolicited email from a Lauren Parsons who identified themself as an Editorial Director at Profile Books based in London, England. The letter stated that they were looking at some contemporary writing and somehow came across my work and they enjoyed my writing style and wanted to know more. The actual words are below. “As part of our ongoing editorial research and review of contemporary writing, your work was recently brought to my attention. I focus on acquiring books that engage thoughtfully and rigorously with complex subjects, and I am always interested in connecting with writers whose work demonstrates a distinctive voice, originality, and intellectual clarity. Having reviewed your work, I was particularly struck by the assurance of your voice and the clarity with which you develop your ideas. There is a strong sense of direction in your writing that feels both engaging and promising. I would be very interested to learn more about your bac...