CRAZY NEW SCAM
I'VE GOTTEN A FEW OF THESE
Maybe a crazy new AI scam.
It’s a disconcerting prose poem.
What do you think?
Love to all
xxxxx
Dear Esther Cohen,
I hope you’re having a great week.
My name is Anna deVries, and I am a Senior Editor at Macmillan Publishing House. I recently had the pleasure of exploring your work, particularly MEXICO: travelwithme, and I was deeply impressed by the warmth, curiosity, and authenticity that permeate your writing.
What especially stood out to me was your ability to transform a personal journey into a vivid cultural and emotional experience for readers. Through your encounters with taxi drivers, artisans, rug weavers, jewelry makers, and new friends, you create an intimate portrait of Mexico that goes beyond traditional travel writing. Your reflections on Oaxaca, Mexico City, and San Miguel capture not only the beauty of these places but also the humanity and stories that give them life.
I was particularly drawn to the way your poetry and observations celebrate cultural connection, everyday encounters, and the transformative power of travel. Your narrative voice invites readers to experience these destinations through a lens of wonder, empathy, and genuine engagement, making the book both inspiring and deeply personal.
I would be very interested in learning more about your current and upcoming writing projects, as well as whether you are represented by a literary agent. If you do have representation, I would be happy to continue any conversation through your agent. If not, I would be glad to explain how the publishing process typically works and discuss potential opportunities for collaboration.
Subject to reviewing additional material, there may be scope for a broader discussion regarding how your work could align with Macmillan Publishing House’s travel, memoir, poetry, and culturally focused nonfiction publishing programs, particularly projects that foster cross-cultural understanding and celebrate place through personal storytelling.
If this is of interest, I would be delighted to hear from you and learn more about your future plans as an author.
Warm regards,
Anna deVries
Senior Editor
Macmillan Publishing House
I don't think it's a scam. It reads like McMillan is sending its AI out to writers on a fishing expedition to see what they bring in!
I've gotten a bunch of scams, but if this is a scam, it's the best one I've read among the half dozen flattering invitations I've gotten. Do you know anyone at Macmillan these days? Maybe write to her c/o Macmillan and see if she is impersonating real editor or she is the real deal.
She has certainly paid attention to what you've written. My scammers couldn't even name the book they were interested in, and when they did, it was the last novel like memoir I'd ever written.