The Albee Agency: Writers Beware
I first read about The Albee Agency as I was going through my RSS feed this morning. Writer Beware had written about it. I tagged the post for later and continued through my list. (To read the Writer Beware post, click here: The Albee Agency: Book Publicity Faked.)
What do you know? Chuck Wendig had written about The Albee Agency as well! (To read Chuck's post, click here: The Albee Agency Deception.)
The Albee Agency Fakes An Endorsement By Chuck Wendig
In their "Testimonial" section, The Albee Agency had this endorsement apparently from Chuck Wendig of terribleminds:
I loved the personal service of The Albee Agency. Knowing I could call my publicist whenever I needed anything was a huge relief. They are all consummate professionals - from their online media roadmap to the television and radio interviews they arranged - I am very impressed and will be back.Pretty great endorsement, right? Wrong!
Chuck Wendig never wrote it. Any of it. The endorsement is completely fake.
Here's what Chuck Wendig did say about The Albee Agency:
It sounds like a really horrible Dan Brown knockoff.
It ain’t.
It’s some kind of book publicity site — er, scam.
Because I didn’t give that testimonial.
Nor did, as I understand it, any of the authors there.
My testimonial would’ve included more profanity. And a video of me seductively stroking my beard.
So, just a head’s up.
Scam. Avoid. Awooga, awooga. (Chuck Wendig, The Albee Agency Deception)
Other Fake Testimonials: Myke Cole & Maureen Johnson
It doesn't stop with Chuck Wendig, The Albee Agency also put up fake endorsements from authors Myke Cole and Maureen Johnson.
It seems that most of the testimonials we know to be fake have been taken down from The Albee Agency's website, but not before Victoria Strauss over at Writer Beware Blogs took screenshots of them. I've given the link to her article, above, but here it is again: The Albee Agency: Book Publicity Faked. Head on over there if you'd like to take a look at them.
I'll keep watch on this issue and pass along anything else I find out.
As always, writer beware!
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Photo credit: "lion-o" by istolethetv under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.
I just checked, and the entire Testimonial section of their website is gone!
ReplyDeleteThe only comment left is by a "Barry K"—and I want to know, just how does one get publicity when one only uses a last initial?
"I just checked, and the entire Testimonial section of their website is gone!"
DeleteThat's interesting. Good thing Victoria got screen shots!
"... and I want to know, just how does one get publicity when one only uses a last initial?"
LOL Good point! I hope writers remember this and avoid The Albee Agency like the plague.
Thanks for your comment. :)
Article about the Albee Agency scam in today's NY Daily News:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/small-businesses-protect-web-copycats-steal-site-content-article-1.1239301?localLinksEnabled=false
Thanks for the link.
DeleteYesterday Chuck Wendig posted an update on the Albee Agency situation. Apparently the Albee Agency is now claiming that the reports of faked testimonials were paid for by "Smith Publicity".
Here's the link to Chuck Wendig's article, "Follow-Up On The Albee Agency Kerfuffle":
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/01/13/follow-up-on-the-albee-agency-kerfuffle/
Albee is claiming my firm paid for the faked testimonials??? Can someone direct me to this claim online?
ReplyDeleteHi Dan, I don't know anything about this situation beyond what I read in Chuck Wendig's article. I gave the URL, above, but here it is again:
Deletehttp://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/01/13/follow-up-on-the-albee-agency-kerfuffle/