Day 83: Mike Shreeve - scammer

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 83: Mike Shreeve - scammer

At any given time, Facebook is a hotbed for scammers. At the moment one such scammer is Mike Shreeve.

Mike claims to have been working as a freelance writer for the past ten years and now he’s willing to share his success template with you. Just to see what he was up to, I clicked on the link and was taken to a long (and I do mean loooooooooong) explanation of what this template could do for you.

I suspected right away that this was a scam and I was right. Near the bottom of the template Mike's true intention was revealed … to get the secret of his writing success, one had to pay $7.

I think you all will agree that $7 isn’t much, it’s little more than the price of a cup of coffee. Mike knows this and counts on it. If you’re thinking that he can’t do much with $7, you would be right, but a true scam is a long con.

Think about it. Facebook has thousands of members and while $7 may seem like nothing, if 1,000 people fall for his scam, that’s $7,000. He only has to run his ad once a month to make a very comfortable living.

To get to the bottom of this, I did a little research and I have to admit, Mike Shreeve put a lot of effort into his scam. He created a website, he designed his so-called ‘No Pants Project’, he even roped in a few people who supposedly made big money with freelance writing.

Someone called Kate claims to make $100 an hour while Pete claims to make $1,000 a day. Every professional freelance writer will see right through this. There is no way, and I  mean no way, that a freelance writer gets paid $100 an hour or that someone can make $1,000 a day. If that were true, people everywhere would quite there day job and start a freelance writing career.

The thing is though, I had to dig deep to find Mike Shreeve’s contact info. Wouldn’t you think that as a businessman he would make his contact info easy to find? But no, his potential victims have to read a lot of blah blah blah. Blah blah blah that tells them how much they can earn and how easy it is. By the time they reach the end of the page, they are brainwashed that what Mike Shreeve promises is actually true.

There’s only one thing missing … Mike Shreeve’s work. Yes, he has a website and a so-called project, and quite a few sites where he promotes his (scamming) business, but when browsing the Net, he has no articles. Now, wouldn’t you think that such a successful writer would have articles online? Something with his byline?

Yes, some writers are ghostwriters for a magazine or a website, but I dare say that all of these ghostwriters, at one time or another, have written something under their own name. That is not the case with Mike Shreeve, I could find any articles with his byline.

Mike Shreeve also has a couple of books on Amazon, with 5-star reviews. Also bogus. The ‘books’ are barely 80 pages long and contain nothing more than a senseless dribble. All rehashed advice of what he could find online. Basically, copying other writers' work. As for the review … I guess we all know by now that there is such a thing as paid reviews.

Do not fall for Mike Shreeve's scam. Do not pay that $7. If you want to be a freelance writer you’re gonna have to do what any other freelance writer has done … put in the time and effort to produce quality material. Once you make a name for yourself, you will get clients and you will make money. How much money is up to you.

The bottom line is … Mike Shreeve is a scammer, a talented scammer, but then scammers usually are.

https://www.reddit.com/r/freelanceWriters/comments/9ddxtx/the_no_pants_project_an_expos%C3%A9/

Day 51: Ken D. Foster - Scammer?

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 51: Ken D. Foster - Scammer?

Most writers who are serious about their craft are constantly looking for ways to improve their writing, market their books, sell more copies, or how to find a publisher. When I noticed this ad, I have to admit, my interest was peaked.

How alignment and momentum is the key to your success to become a best seller author How knowing about the 7 essential laws Laws, especially the Law of Sufficiency and Abundance is key How mastering your energy is the foundation to building and maintaining your success How to visualize and feel your way into best-seller status How what you desire, desires you!

I signed up for a series of online sessions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the first two sessions because of work. According to Ken Foster this was not a problem as the videos could be watched at any time.

Then yesterday I received an email from him that changed everything. The email read …

1. The most important thing to do before you write a single word!
2. How to write your book in 90 days or less
3. Should you self-publish or go with a traditional publisher?
4. 12 Stupid Mistakes made by Wannabe Authors

Right there and then I knew I was dealing with a phony. If there’s one thing that angers me it’s people telling other people they can write a book in 90 days or less. I emailed Ken Foster and shared my opinion with him.

One can write a short story or even a novella in 90 days or less, but a book … no. This is one of the reasons there is so much trash online. Anyone and everyone, even children, can write something, publish it and voila it’s available on Amazon and other sites. In the process, self-publishing has received a bad reputation.

As for Ken’s question to go with a traditional publisher or to self-publish, I told him that any writer worth his sold would prefer a mainstream publisher vs. self-publishing. After all, if a mainstream publisher accepts a manuscript, everything is taken care of by the publisher: editing, layout, cover design and marketing/selling the book. Not to mention that the author receives an advance and regular royalties.

Ken Foster responded that I had a lot to learn about the publishing industry. He stated that he had a friend who was accepted by a mainstream publisher and received a $300,000 advance.

I nearly burst out laughing. Having been in the publishing industry for years I know several best-selling authors and none of them have ever received a $300,000 advance. First time authors receive between $5,000 and $10,000 while the more established authors receive between $25,000 to $75,000 but none of them, absolutely none of them ever received more than a quarter of a million.

It would appear that Ken Foster doesn’t know much about the publishing industry either. He calls himself a best-selling author, but he’s nothing more than a self-published writer. It’s not because he’s written a few books, that he’s a best-selling author. By definition, a best-selling author is someone whose book was listed on the New York Times bestselling list. If not on that list, then anyone claiming to be a best-selling author is putting on airs and graces.

If any of you gets contacted by Ken Foster, be wary of him. He has a hidden agenda.