Help Me. Is this for real?

[deb1]

Today I got a strange email from a man named Matt Freese. It was a query letter to a publisher. Well, I am a failed writer but I know what sitting around waiting for a response to a query letter.

So I rewrote him explaining that I was not a publisher or editor of a magazine that he had made a mistake but that I wished him well with his short story collection.

He emailed me again and told me that he noticed that I had a blog about book reviews. This is true, it is a different blog then is listed in my signature because it is so new that I have very few articles on it.

Any way, he asked if I wanted to read his book and post a review on my blog. He told me that he could send me a hard copy of his book.

I did a google search, there* is* an author really named Matt Freese. I certainly don’t mind having a new book to read, especially if it is free.

And I suppose that my address could be easily found on the internet. I am not unlisted in the phone book and my email is my first and last name, so it isn’t like someone couldn’t find me if they wanted to.

So, is this legitimate, do you think? Or is there some weird internet scam involving authors out there? If having a internet blog on books is going to get me free products then I will have to step up my reviews.

 

[rpp]

Today I got a strange email from a man named Matt Freese. It was a query letter to a publisher. Well, I am a failed writer but I know what sitting around waiting for a response to a query letter.

So I rewrote him explaining that I was not a publisher or editor of a magazine that he had made a mistake but that I wished him well with his short story collection.

He emailed me again and told me that he noticed that I had a blog about book reviews. This is true, it is a different blog then is listed in my signature because it is so new that I have very few articles on it.

Any way, he asked if I wanted to read his book and post a review on my blog. He told me that he could send me a hard copy of his book.

I did a google search, there* is* an author really named Matt Freese. I certainly don’t mind having a new book to read, especially if it is free.

And I suppose that my address could be easily found on the internet. I am not unlisted in the phone book and my email is my first and last name, so it isn’t like someone couldn’t find me if they wanted to.

So, is this legitimate, do you think? Or is there some weird internet scam involving authors out there? If having a internet blog on books is going to get me free products then I will have to step up my reviews.

It is entirely possible it is legitimate.

It also may be an attempt to get your address under the guise of sending you a copy of the book. Consider getting a PO box that you use for these types of things so you can keep your actual residential address private.

 

[deb1]

It is entirely possible it is legitimate.

It also may be an attempt to get your address under the guise of sending you a copy of the book. Consider getting a PO box that you use for these types of things so you can keep your actual residential address private.

That is a good idea. I had never thought of it before.

 

[sallybranwyn]

I think I’d contact his publisher, directly. Probably someone in their marketing dept. It’s not unusual for an author to request reviews from bloggers at all, but it’s not unreasonable to go straight to the source (publishers want their books reviewed, too, of course!) and then not have to worry about giving out your home address.
Assuming he’s not self-published…

 

[AndrewLong]

This could indeed be legitimate – as part of my job, I do at times contact bloggers on behalf of various authors to see if they’d like to write a short review about a particular book if I send them a copy. I usually only contact people we’ve worked with before, or people who have said they would like to be contacted in such manners.

It’s not uncommon at all. If anything seems strange, say NO and don’t give out any information!

 

[puzzleannie]

I have often been contacted by publishers to review books in my field (when I was in the academic world) but not by authors directly. and I was always contacted through my employer, not through personal avenues, although the internet has probably changed the rules somewhat.

 

[deb1]

I think that I will get a post office box tomorrow and then send that as my address. I had no idea that bloggers were sometimes sent copies of books to review. Mmmm…well if any up and coming writer on these forums want to send me free fiction…I’ll be getting a P.O box here soon.

 

[deb1]

So, have any of you read any novels by this person? What was your opinion?

 

[AndrewLong]

I think that I will get a post office box tomorrow and then send that as my address. I had no idea that bloggers were sometimes sent copies of books to review. Mmmm…well if any up and coming writer on these forums want to send me free fiction…I’ll be getting a P.O box here soon.

Great idea!

Bloggers are some of the most powerful voices out there!!

 

[KCT]

Did you ask what his book is about? My first though was maybe it’s something trashy! —KCT

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Intriguing!

Yeah—get a PO box. And definitely keep us posted.

 

[deb1]

Intriguing!

Yeah—get a PO box. And definitely keep us posted.

Well, I just hope that I like the book. I hate to be mean to anyone, but I try to be honest when I write something on my blog. I really hope that this is a good book.

 

[VeronicaAnne]

Common sense says that unless you, yourself, initiate the interaction…

then it’s up to no good. I’d stay away from this one with a ten foot – no, 2 ten foot – poles! This guy could be a raving nutcake! And/or seriously dangerous to your life, if not well-being.

I don’t care at all about whether he’s actually written something… much less published something. Being a writer, even a published one, does not automatically grant him innocence… or sainthood.

Stay away from this one. Really. Don’t even get (and pay for) a post office box to receive stuff. You’ll have to spend gasoline money to get there to empty it out… and your time is valuable, too. Just because someone asks you to do something for them for free that they’d have to pay someone else to do – is not the point.

The point is that YOU were NOT the person who initiated the contact with this person. Don’t trust him. Really. Your safety can be at stake. Especially if whatever you write about him and his works is NOT to his liking.

Like I said… there’s all kinds of nutcakes out there that appear to be “normal.” Right, until they prove otherwise.

Sure, I sound like an untrusting person. Believe me, in my own life I have REASON to be untrustful of situations like this.

Do NOT continue interacting with him in any way. Even if you decide to buy a post office box rental. Just don’t respond to him any more.

Common sense is just that – common sense. However, if you decide that you really want to do it, that’s your decision, of course. So… you might want to think about why are you asking pure strangers like those of us on the board for our advice … when you already know that you’re tempted to do it?

Ask Jesus. As His mother. Ask the Holy Spirit for Wisdom.

Look at what the best outcome and experience would be for this? And, alternative, what the worst outcome and experience would be for this.

Then, decide. Does the worst possible outcome outweigh the best possible outcome?

P.S. After reading one of your responses on this thread, about your “I don’t want to be mean to anyone” tells me LOTS about your ability at this time to critique anybody’s writing. I have critiqued other people’s writing as a professional writer, myself for close to 30 years. There’s ways to do critique. And there’s ways NOT to do critique.

I just wouldn’t want to put myself in a position of having someone read something that I’ve written – which of course cannot have tones of voice that we hear in our head as we are typing – as something OTHER than what I meant them to hear.

People are “funny” that way – they hear what they want to hear – even if they are WAY off base of what was actually said and meant.

Again – I’d stay WAY away from this one!

P.P.S. Ask yourself – WIIFM? What’s In It For Me? If the answer is that it scratches your Pride itch – DON’T do it. If you find yourself telling yourself that you’re “doing it as a favor to someone who needs it” – DON’T do it.

“Let” someone else do it. You don’t have to be the person to get this guy what he says he needs. There’s plenty of others who will.

Keep yourself safe. I speak here from experience.

Thanks for listening.