Fiction Editor Needed

Interested parties please see my response to BookDoc's "Book Editing Comp" thread.

Our super-sleuth moderators figured out that this IP address was shared by BookDoc and Eussie, in case anyone was wondering why Eussie was banned.

We just don't appreciate it when people use Victoria's descriptions of what to look out for in a scam as a manual for how to create a scam.

Grrrr



Okay, I'm mad. I feel like a flippin' idiot. First, as a new person at AW, I'm enraged that anyone from this forum would attempt to take advantage of other members here. Second, as an editor, I'm furious over this kind of scam (which I have to admit, before these threads, I never knew about). And finally, I'm disgusted by who it was who set up this scam. Why did I bother giving her advice? Why did I bother sending her PM offering encouragement, even in the face of rejection?

Grrrrr.

Sorry, it just gets my undies in a twist when people abuse others, even after others have tried to help.

Yeah, I know. Let me put my rose-colored glasses back on. Just have to tape up the crack, that's all.

Feh.



Okay, okay. Rant over. Time for coffee.

You gave her advice because you're a nice person who wants to share your experience. I'd rather err on the side of trying to help than not, but yeah, it's always a shock when it happens.

When I saw the posts saying that an AW regular was behind it, I kind of suspected Eussie. She kept posting that she'd researched agents for a year, but also kept posting with requests for information about agents. Err...

And then there was the fact that on the same day she told us an agent had suggested she see a book doctor, those questionable ads appeared.

Anyway, thanks to AW's Guardian Angels for looking out for us. :Cheer:

Thanks, brinkett. I'm a tad less grumbly now that I've had a cup of coffee.

As I noted elsewhere, I am new to both the fiction-writing/publishing scene, and Internet forums ... so, please forgive my wet-behind-the-ears questions, such as: Where do you folks (e.g. brinkett, dragonjax) find those great smileys? I love the one banging itself against the wall! I NEED the one banging itself against the wall!

Why is this person advertising for editors on the Bewares board?

I moved her here, Jim.

The smileys, including the headbanger: When you post, there should be a smiley face on top of where you type the text. Click the arrow next to it, then go to the bottom and click "Show all Smilies." Ta-da!

P.S. Here's the other thread Eussie posted quite scammishly:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10233

Ya know, I have $5 to burn and nothing to do. Maybe I'll pay someone five bucks so I can kill some time editing...

Well, I'm glad the truth of this matter was discovered. I've been mostly lurking around AW for awhile, and I have to say that a lot of Eussie's posts just made me go "hmm..." Condolences to those who were "fooled" by her, but kudos to you for trying to help others. Don't blame yourselves for other people's dishonesty.

Just to clarify: I wasn't fooled by the scam messages; heck, I hadn't even seen them before Eussie was banned and the scam was announced. What I'm really disgruntled over is the time involved in replying to her various posts, as well as sending a PM or so, all about encouraging her in the face of rejection, things to keep in mind about handling rejection and what to look for in an agent, etc.

Basically, I'm just miffed.

And scammers offend me.

So I'm miffed AND offended.

Er, miffended? Moffed? Offed?

Anyway, kudos to the folks here who pulled off her evil mask. She was led away, kicking and screaming, saying how she would have gotten away with it, too, if not for those meddling moderators!

Scooby snacks, anyone?

What I don't understand is how she thought she could get away with the scam here, of all places. It was only a matter of time before one of the AW folks familiar with this sort of scam would read the threads and go "hmm..." A scam artist, perhaps, but not a very good one.

I understand what you mean, dragonjax. It's easier to brush off something like this when it's a complete stranger. Eussie had become a familiar face around AW and had received help from many AW regulars. It's unfortunate that she then turned around and tried to scam the people here.

Yeah. But that's what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you.

I've heard of publishers who try to get their books copy-edited by calling a chapter an editing test and sending it to an applicant for a copy-editing job – a different applicant for each chapter.

What I don't get is how some people can be so darn stupid. I'm still scratching my head over this one. Seriously, she wasn't an unintelligent person. She's a math teacher and owns her own business. (Her website http://www.unendinglove.com.) She has over 200 positive feedbacks on Ebay. I mean, to post her scam on the very website where the exact same scam was just discussed... argh! My mind is boggling!

This is a micro version of Victoria's theory, that all scammers get caught once they get greedy. The difference here is it all happened in a matter of hours. I'd almost think it was funny if she hadn't decided to throw the $5 fee in there. At that point it went from being stupid to being criminal.

XThe NavigatorX said:

I'd almost think it was funny if she hadn't decided to throw the $5 fee in there. At that point it went from being stupid to being criminal.

Click to expand...

Just curious, were her actions LEGALLY criminal?

No, I'm not asking because I intend to pull the same scheme but have an aversion to orange jumpsuits. In fact, I'd be caught in a matter of minutes...because I'd feel so guilty I'd confess after my first post!

As a law-abiding writer, I'm just interested in learning what happens to these people. Do they just scamper on to the next board and the next scam?

Navigator, although I have no proof, she is probably breaking another law with her eBay business. On her website, she advertises custom-made Star Wars and Lord of the Rings dolls. But aren't those names trademarked? Wouldn't she need a licensing agreement? And do you really think she received one from the creators of those franchises?

RoseReifsnyder said:

Just curious, were her actions LEGALLY criminal?
...
As a law-abiding writer, I'm just interested in learning what happens to these people. Do they just scamper on to the next board and the next scam?

Click to expand...

Honestly, from what I've read and experienced, people like that usually just move on to the next target without much of a pause. Not because their actions aren't criminal, but because the authorities aren't going to waste their time on something they consider small potatoes or that skates just outside the line of criminality.

So you get someone who lives their entire life dishonorably, and they don't get punished until, cocky from lack of punishment in the past, they REALLY step over the line.

The only way to deal with someone like this is to be diligent and spread the word about them so that other people won't fall for the same scams.

A little poking around on google shows that the US government considers 'work at home schemes' to be internet fraud -- but I'd bet they only prosecute the big, multiple offenses, scammed lots of money criminals.

Thank goodness that so few scammers are any good at it.

If scammers need only a proofread, then they can get away with the two-page approach. But if they need a real edit, it won't help them at all. Editing is subjective, especially developmental editing--and even copy editing, to a degree, in terms of consistency of style.