Fraud Alert

Someone has been impersonating our agents (and many other literary agents) often claiming, among other false assertions, to work for a publisher’s acquisitions team. This is a scam.

Our agents do not work for HarperCollins or PRH, or any other publisher—they are literary agents who represent authors and are not authorized to make offers on behalf of publishers, and a legitimate literary agent will never ask authors to pay an upfront fee. All agents and staff from Liza Dawson Associates will only reach out to prospective clients through their work email, which always ends in “@lizadawson.com” or “@lizadawsonassociates.com.” Any emails from “@lizadawsonassociates.co” are not legitimate.

We are taking this fraud very seriously and have reported it to the FBI. If you are unsure if you are in touch with the real agent from our agency, please send an inquiry through the contact form to verify the agent’s identity.

In order to stop them as fast as possible, we also encourage you to report any contact you have had with these bad actors to the following organizations. The more reports the FBI receives, the more they will take this issue seriously.

Fraud resources for authors from other literary organizations:

A common scam email that we have been made aware of reads as follows:

Congratulations on your successful 2023 book acquisition!

My name is Rachel Beck from LIZA DAWSON ASSOCIATES https://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/rachel-beck
 I am an advocate and champion for authors. Aside from being a senior literary agent I am also an Author Adviser from the Group of Acquisitions connected with the Penguin Random House.

A few months ago, your book was scouted by a partnered independent book scouting agency. Your book stood out among the numerous submissions we received, and we were thoroughly impressed by the creativity, imagination, and heart that it brings to the table. We would like to congratulate you on this remarkable achievement which is a testament to your outstanding writing skills and dedication to your craft. Your story has captured our attention and our hearts, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you and help bring your vision to life.

I’d like to inform you that your content material has been accepted by Penguin Random House Book Scouts as one of the titles they are interested in acquiring this year. August 7, 2023 will be the official CONTRACT of your manuscript's initial negotiable and taxable worth release date. On the same day, you will receive a check for the publishing rights of your book. Please review the details below for your manuscript's initial negotiable and taxable worth.
 
$80,000- $100,000
30% monthly royalty
3-year contract

We are currently finalizing the date of the deliberation for the 2023 acquisition, hopefully we can schedule it before the above-mentioned release date of your contract. In addition, please see the details below for the requirements needed to be submitted before August 4. 

1. Developmentally Edited Manuscript
2. Author's Bio
3. Synopsis of the book (not necessarily lengthy)
4. 5 reviews from accredited professional book critics
5. Recent photo for your portfolio

I need to know if you want to accept this offer and talk about the acquisition screening and process so I can request the letter of intent and work order from the Penguin Random House Liaisons Team. Please provide me with your best phone number and time to call you, or confirm this email by replying with your TITLE.

I hope to hear from you soon.

We as an agency denounce people targeting authors and using their publishing aspirations against them. Authors, remain vigilant to scams and keep writing.