Sandra O’Donnell

Scammers are using my name to target writers. Some writers have received emails claiming that a publisher told them to contact me. Others have been asked to send money on my behalf. None of these messages came from me.

Here is what you need to know:
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• I will never ask you for money based on an email. If a message using my name asks you to pay for anything, BEFORE WE HAVE A CONVERSATION, it is a scam.

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• Publishers rarely recommend agents to unrepresented writers. If someone claiming to be a publisher tells you to contact me, or any other agent, be very suspicious.

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• I only work with writers I have met personally or who come to me through contacts I know and trust. I do not take on clients through unsolicited email.

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• If you and I have never spoken in person, whoever is contacting you is almost certainly not me.

 

I have received a number of these emails myself, both for my own work and for that of my clients. The rule of thumb is this: if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. 

 

Publishers rarely, if ever, email a writer out of the blue. Podcasts and blogs don't reach out begging you for interviews. And book clubs most certainly don't charge a fee for you to share your work. I block these emails immediately.

 

To be safe, do not send money and do not share personal or financial information with these people.

 

If you want to confirm whether a message really came from me, contact me directly through this website and not through any email address, phone number, or link in the message you received.