WHY I LOVED BEING SCAMMED

A month or so ago I wrote about my sudden new friendship with Rachel Cusk, an award winning British author who sent me an email about how much she liked my latest novel. Only problem was the email was from a scammer pretending to be Ms. Cusk who I have no doubt remains completely unaware of me.

Now I don't want to blow my lede here, so here's a recent email from a Brianna Fairman:

From the Neonatal ICU to Ethiopia — Putnam's Interest in Sula's Sacrifice

I Am Editor Brianna Fairman<editor@briannafairman.com​

Be Careful With This Message. The sender's email domain has been active for a short period of time and could be unsafe.

Hi Dr. Taeusch,

I hope you are doing well. My name is Brianna Fairman, and I am an Editor at Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Random House — one of the world's leading publishing houses, known for bringing a wide range of bestselling and critically acclaimed books to a global audience.

I am reaching out because we have developed an editorial interest in your novel, Sula's Sacrifice, and would love to explore its potential for publication, subject to our standard internal review process.

What compelled us is the rare authority you bring to this material. A Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at UCSF who conducted research on new treatments for lung injuries, has spent decades working in neonatal ICUs across three countries, and holds an MA in creative writing from Bar-Ilan University — that combination of genuine medical expertise and serious literary craft is extraordinary, and it shows on the page. The comparison to Verghese's Cutting for Stone is not one to make lightly, but the thematic richness here — exile, medicine, love, and moral reckoning set against the backdrop of Ethiopia and the world of global health — earns it. Daniel Weizmann's praise for the insider's look at doctors abroad working without a safety net speaks to exactly what sets this series apart from conventional medical fiction. At Putnam, we believe Sula's Sacrifice — and the Dr. Eli Kurz series as a whole — has the depth and momentum to reach a wide literary readership.

As is standard practice at Penguin Random House, all acquisition discussions are conducted through literary agents, so any detailed conversations regarding publication would need to take place through appropriate representation.

May I ask — are you currently represented by a literary agent? If so, I would appreciate it if you could connect us so we can continue the conversation formally. If not, please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll be happy to advise you on the best next steps.

I look forward to hearing from you and to the possibility of moving ahead together.

Kind regards,

Brianna Fairman

Assistant Editor at Putnam,

An imprint of Penguin Random House.

No dummy me, I went to the website For Penguin Random House, and yes, she's listed there as an assistant editor and that's her picture. I went to Linked In, and she has an authentic presence there too. Just like there is an authentic Rachel Cusk, I was now well thought of by both a fake Brianna and Rachel. The Brianna who emailed me was clearly identified as fraudulent by the Penquin Random House Fraud Department.

In retrospect there are two obvious clues in the email I received from the fake Brianna. In her email address there is no mention of Putnam or Penquin Random House, and Outlook had helpfully inserted the above warning (in yellow) to be careful of the email address because it came from a recently created domain. 

Why do I like being scammed? Well I don't want to give up the wonderful feelings from the early moment when I first read Rachel and Brianna's emails. I hope Sula's sacrifice will continue to be appreciated by (mostly authentic) folks (like you) who wander the Web. Get your copy of Sula's Sacrifice here,