Has anyone else gotten weird feedback messages like this?

[StillStunned]

Has anyone considered the possibility that, yes, these messages are AI-generated, but it's the AI's desperate plea for help in answering a prompt it's not capable of dealing with?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Y'all are sure it's AI?

I ran the letter through several AI checkers and every one reported back 100% human.

It's either AI or semi literate, coz it's fairly incoherent from one sentence to the next.

 

[big_cane_sugar]

Today I got this strange Lit Feedback message, and I'm curious if anyone else has received a similar message?


It has a faint whiff of scam to it, but they specifically aren't making a promise of money.

They mention some categories and genres that I write in, but then the details they talk about don't really sound like my stuff at all (I don't write long romances) which makes me think they're casting a wide net without actually reading an author's work.

Wanting fan-fiction in an existing IP, but then asking which movies and series I like, is particularly weird? Like they don't care if it's Star Wars or Chernobyl or The Office, as long as somebody will put their OC is in it?

Edit: to clarify, I'm not really interested in writing for someone else, with or without a paid commission... It's just that this particular request feels off and I'm trying to decide why.

IDK what's going on but even as a dude's dude I'd be a bit creeped out. I'd probably just say no, sorry, and then wait a day or two in case it's a real person who might've seen the message. Then I'd block them. Too weird for me.

 

[DanDraper]

It has a faint whiff of scam to it, but they specifically aren't making a promise of money.

They did say they want to commission a story for you, so that is a promise of money.

I've had messages sent directly to me suggesting ideas to use, but not to pay me for anything.

If you're not entirely sure it's legit, then I say don't go for it.

 

[iwatchus]

Y'all are sure it's AI?

I ran the letter through several AI checkers and every one reported back 100% human.

Don't put too much stock in the on-line AI checkers.

 

[gunhilltrain]

But your notches are a reference back to a gunslinger putting a notch on their gunbelt indicating they'd killed a man.

I'm reminded of Pat Benatar's humorous line about putting another "notch in my lipstick case."

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I'm reminded of Pat Benatar's humorous line about putting another "notch in my lipstick case."

Fun fact, the song was originally written for a man, and it was guitar case.
Pat Benatar was my Dad's first concert, I know waaaay to much trivia about her. (Not that she isn't super talented and all.)

 

[lovecraft68]

That's a problem; some abbreviations have more than one meaning. So do many slang terms. To me, "body count" was a term used by the American forces in Vietnam. It's jarring to hear it in it's new meaning. It used to be "notch count." I wonder if there is some connection that few people are aware of, or is it just a coincidence?

Body count only matters for women, you know that right?

Men can be with (or lie about being with) thirty women and its fine, a woman on the other hand? If she's had more than a handful-even if she's in her forties-its awful.

This is another 'real man" shaming game that's become all the rage, partly thanks to that POS that does that "whatever" thing online.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't think it's AI, because of the repeated use of sentence fragments. That sounds too idiosyncratic to be AI to me. But it does sound canned and oddly general, like maybe it was cut and pasted and sent to many authors.

 

[TaniaTulle]

I’ve had pretty much the same message myself. I usually try to reply when I can (most of the messages I’ve had have been lovely), so I said I was open to hearing their ideas but couldn’t promise anything. The suggestions weren’t really my style—superhero cartoon stuff I don’t know much about, and futa, which isn’t really for me either.

Looking at the email, the main ideas were all written in one font, but the final paragraph was in another, like it had been copied and pasted. Then a third email followed asking if any of the ideas worked for me, but I politely declined. Nothing since.

So I don’t think it’s a bot, just someone trying their luck.

 

[Bramblethorn]

They did say they want to commission a story for you, so that is a promise of money.

They specifically said "I wouldn’t be able to directly commission one", which sounds more like "I want you to write this but I'm not gonna pay for it".

 

[DanDraper]

They specifically said "I wouldn’t be able to directly commission one", which sounds more like "I want you to write this but I'm not gonna pay for it".

Thank you, I must've read it too fast to read it correctly. That's embarrassing, lol.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Thank you, I must've read it too fast to read it correctly. That's embarrassing, lol.

Happens to us all at one time or another!

 

[SkyBubble]

Today I got this strange Lit Feedback message, and I'm curious if anyone else has received a similar message?


It has a faint whiff of scam to it, but they specifically aren't making a promise of money.

They mention some categories and genres that I write in, but then the details they talk about don't really sound like my stuff at all (I don't write long romances) which makes me think they're casting a wide net without actually reading an author's work.

Wanting fan-fiction in an existing IP, but then asking which movies and series I like, is particularly weird? Like they don't care if it's Star Wars or Chernobyl or The Office, as long as somebody will put their OC is in it?

Edit: to clarify, I'm not really interested in writing for someone else, with or without a paid commission... It's just that this particular request feels off and I'm trying to decide why.

It sounds like semi-literate AI.

 

[DeMont]

Today I got this strange Lit Feedback message, and I'm curious if anyone else has received a similar message?


It has a faint whiff of scam to it, but they specifically aren't making a promise of money.

They mention some categories and genres that I write in, but then the details they talk about don't really sound like my stuff at all (I don't write long romances) which makes me think they're casting a wide net without actually reading an author's work.

Wanting fan-fiction in an existing IP, but then asking which movies and series I like, is particularly weird? Like they don't care if it's Star Wars or Chernobyl or The Office, as long as somebody will put their OC is in it?

Edit: to clarify, I'm not really interested in writing for someone else, with or without a paid commission... It's just that this particular request feels off and I'm trying to decide why.

@PennyThompson,
My dear colleague, my suggestion is, if it feels "off" it probably is. Trust your gut on this one. It does, as others have said, not hang together quite coherently and it seems to me that, especially in light of an almost identical approach to @Rob_Royale, this is a fishing expedition of some sort. I would not be surprised if others start getting the same sort of message/s.

It almost reminds me of something that happened wayyyyyyy back when I was quite active in my local writing/ competition writing crowd. After one particular competition several of us got "form" letters inviting us to write for an upcoming anthology and asking an editing and inclusion fee, to cover printing costs, of some money with vague promises of a share in the sales of the anthology. Yes, and pigs would fly if they had wings right?
Respectfully,
D.

 

[SmilingLez]

I smelled scam as soon as I saw the word "smutt"

 

[Statius]

Smells scam my for sure. If it's not AI then it's a con trying to appear intelligent. Delete it and forget it. They're phishing for something, trying to sound formal. They probably won't message again if you ignore it

 

[MiaBabe23]

I’ve never had anything like that, the most recent authors’ message I got was someone trashing my story at length lmao

I was going to say what’s so sus, but then saw the request for your email address - so many red flags lol

 

[CalBishForNow]

I don't think it's AI. AI has good grammar and spelling and is logically vapid or just incoherent. This has the reverse problems. Not that this is logical in the sense of reasonable, but it's logical in the sense that it's clear what he (maybe she/they, but let's be realistic here, probably he) wants. I think it's just a disturbingly parasocial thing.

 

[SyleusSnow]

I got nearly the same message on Wednesday through the Lit feedback form, purporting to come from a gmail address.

It gave compliments on two of my works (only one was science fiction) and went on to ask to write something to spec:

I wanted to ask, while I wouldn’t be able to directly commission one, would you take a plot for a simple story request if possible? Which would have a focus of futa-on-male femdom, or regular femdom, and be centered in an existing IP around canon characters with an OC (which, are there any films/western style animation series’ other than anime you are partial to?) or an original concept. Whichever works. And would you be open to Anthro/human as well? Is there also an email you could be contacted at?

The jumbled language doesn't smell like AI. All rather odd. Probably phishing of some kind.

 

[Blake_Palafox]

Y'all are sure it's AI?

I ran the letter through several AI checkers and every one reported back 100% human.

Those don't work. I don't think this is AI, but the checkers do not work.

 

[SkyBubble]

Today I got this strange Lit Feedback message, and I'm curious if anyone else has received a similar message?


It has a faint whiff of scam to it, but they specifically aren't making a promise of money.

They mention some categories and genres that I write in, but then the details they talk about don't really sound like my stuff at all (I don't write long romances) which makes me think they're casting a wide net without actually reading an author's work.

Wanting fan-fiction in an existing IP, but then asking which movies and series I like, is particularly weird? Like they don't care if it's Star Wars or Chernobyl or The Office, as long as somebody will put their OC is in it?

Edit: to clarify, I'm not really interested in writing for someone else, with or without a paid commission... It's just that this particular request feels off and I'm trying to decide why.

Sounds like a scam from a bot.

 

[Actingup]

I just received this spam in the mail through the feedback form. I presume it's AI or AI-informed - it's kind of there but not quite how I'd describe the story in question. 'Refreshingly twisted' is probably right (even if I do say so myself), but I don't know about the rest, and the message doesn't refer to the key evil in the story - no AI reader could pick that up unless it read the comments section and what the humans are saying about the story. And then, of course we get to the generic opening line and the "here’s my Discord: [your Discord handle]", which is just a disappointing fail (one star - do not recommend).
_________

Hi, hello how you been?
Just finished your Halloween piece and I’ve got to say, it’s one of the most refreshingly twisted takes I’ve read in a while. You turned corporate burnout into something darkly sensual and disturbingly believable that tension between ambition, control, and surrender felt way too real. The way you built Lilith not just as a character but as a force gave the whole thing this slow, psychological heat that hits harder than the usual horror tropes.

I work on a commission basis, mostly creating visual comic pieces, and I do offer flexible payment plans. Your writing style would translate insanely well into panels all that office lighting, power play, and quiet madness visualized frame by frame. I’ve got a few samples I’d love to show you if you’re curious.

If you’re open to bouncing ideas around, here’s my Discord: [your Discord handle]

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I've taken on a couple of not-commisions like this, but as stories written under my pen-name, on my own timeline, etc. If they're not looking for personal info, not demanding a whole lot of time and offering what might be an interesting concept, then why not? The key thing is that it's an absolute no-go if you aren't feeling comfortable with it. It's 100% your call and that's something nobody here can touch.