Sophie Carter Literary????????

[Mary MacGowan]

Got this amazing email from this press. Anybody know if it’s a vanity? Probably is.

Hi Mary,
Spider Lake is full of stillness and shimmer, poems that breathe in real time. Your ability to layer emotional truth with precise imagery shows in every line. With over 75 publications, your voice is seasoned, resonant, and deeply needed.
I’m a UK based literary strategist with 7 years of experience. I work under Sophie Carter Literary, where I lead a small team that supports poets and authors through flexible, timeline driven visibility plans crafted around each writer’s unique path.
I reached out because I see lasting beauty in your work that deserves to be more widely seen. With the right strategy, we can grow your readership, attract organic reviews, and help your chapbook and future work find the quiet spotlight they deserve. I’ve helped others rise from page-bound to widely read, and I’d be glad to share their journeys.
What part of your creative life still feels ripe for discovery or renewal?

Kind regards,
Sophie Carter Literary
Professional Book Marketer & Publisher

 

[Mary MacGowan]

I'd say that the astounding ability to post the same (fake?) image 6 times in a single minute on "her" FB page
IS rather impressive!

(I'd avoid like the plague)

https://www.facebook.com/john.ruby.594675/

yea, eff, i figured too good to be true. it was a very nice, shiny email! thanks @Matt Dennison

 

[Mary MacGowan]

"she" mentions this agency, see what they just posted:
Security Notice

Posted on July 18, 2025 in

We have become aware that scammers are impersonating some of our literary agents and our authors and contacting writers, even speaking to them by telephone. Please be aware that we do not charge a reading fee and our authors do not charge fees to refer writers to us or to publishers, and we only send emails from our own domain @janklow.com.

 

[Raymond Huffman]

https://writerbeware.blog/2024/03/15/the-impersonation-list/

These are evil people.

 

[Jefferson Carter]

What horseshit! Step carefully!

 

[Mary MacGowan]

Thanks everyone. She/he kept emailing me! I finally blocked it.

I'm still over here shimmering and filled with stillness. LOL

 

[Raymond Huffman]

Thanks everyone. She/he kept emailing me! I finally blocked it.

I'm still over here shimmering and filled with stillness. LOL

Shimmer On!

 

[Mary MacGowan]

@Matt Dennison It's from the letter:
Hi Mary,
Spider Lake is full of stillness and shimmer,

 

[Mary MacGowan]

Got another one.
Woohoo!!! I'm on a roll!

Nova Wright Williams <novawrightwilliams@gmail.com>



12:51 PM (3 hours ago)


to me

Dear Mary,
Your work in Spider Lake echoes with solitude, wildness, and a gentle intimacy rarely captured so vividly. I was struck not only by your poems, but also by the life behind them, art therapist, musician, poet, each role adding another layer to your voice.
I’m Nova Wright Williams, a book strategist helping literary authors grow their audience and reignite engagement with existing titles. My work focuses on personalized, timeline-based campaigns that bring books into new spaces, especially those with the emotional depth and craft your poetry holds.
If you’re considering new directions for Spider Lake or your broader creative work, I’d love to support you in giving it renewed reach and recognition.
When did you first know that art, music, poetry, therapy, would shape your whole life?
Warmly,
Nova Wright Williams
Book Marketing & Visibility Strategist

novawrightwilliams@gmail.com
"Turning hidden gems into bestsellers."

 

[Raymond Huffman]

Got another one.
Woohoo!!! I'm on a roll!

Nova Wright Williams <novawrightwilliams@gmail.com>



12:51 PM (3 hours ago)


to me

Dear Mary,
Your work in Spider Lake echoes with solitude, wildness, and a gentle intimacy rarely captured so vividly. I was struck not only by your poems, but also by the life behind them, art therapist, musician, poet, each role adding another layer to your voice.
I’m Nova Wright Williams, a book strategist helping literary authors grow their audience and reignite engagement with existing titles. My work focuses on personalized, timeline-based campaigns that bring books into new spaces, especially those with the emotional depth and craft your poetry holds.
If you’re considering new directions for Spider Lake or your broader creative work, I’d love to support you in giving it renewed reach and recognition.
When did you first know that art, music, poetry, therapy, would shape your whole life?
Warmly,
Nova Wright Williams
Book Marketing & Visibility Strategist

novawrightwilliams@gmail.com
"Turning hidden gems into bestsellers."

Sounds like that was written by AI. (What is Spider Lake? A book of poems?)

 

[Mary MacGowan]

Sounds like that was written by AI. (What is Spider Lake? A book of poems?)

Yea, Spider Lake is my chapbook. I'm still getting these kinds of emails, regularly, like once a week. It must be because I'm working with an agency to help with marketing for my children's book. I did all this work a couple years ago to illustrate this book, to go with a song I wrote 30 years ago with a singing partner. Pretty much zero sales. We called ourselves Singamajig. If you'd like to take a peek:
https://a.co/d/5n4JoTZ

 

[Mary MacGowan]

I doublechecked - yes that link works.
Also, for what it's worth, I think the agency I chose is kinda scammy - I don't really trust them but now that they're (supposedly) working on it there's nothing I can do. They have my $. I just hope they're doing something, anything! They haven't done nothing, they've created a website and FB page for me as an author to promote an online presence ... stuff like that. Oh and they added about 50 words to describe the book at Amazon which means it will appear more often in searches. Supposedly. It's really out of my hands right now so blahhhhhh!