Linguist Geoffrey Pullum (Edinburgh) shares another:

The WAMC scam is aimed at tempting authors to think they have a publicity opportunity. A recent novel version of it involves an independently established website rather than one filched from some other organization. Yet it is just as much of a fraud. I recently received an email containing a polished and glowing summary of the themes in my book Linguistics: Why It Matters. Almost too polished, and somewhat over-flattering — my guess would be that it was written by an LLM. And it was followed by what at first looked like an invitation to a book festival called BookCarnival.

Nearly all scam emails contain telltale grammar slips, and this one had an ungrammatical Subject line (it needed a colon before the book title). But more ominously, the sender seemed unable to decide on the syntax or spelling of his own name. Justin Mitchell (as in the Gmail real-name field)? Or Mitchell Justin (suggested by the Gmail login name (mitchelljustin228)? Or a different spelling which appeared twice in the email text, Mitcell Justin? This vacillation between English and Asian name syntax, and spelling “Mitchell” wrong twice, was enough to convince me that the message came from scamland.

Weirdly, the email never gave the BookCarnival website or any other route through which I could find out about the promised festival. But it didn’t take long to find the website at https://bookcarnival.org — a professional template-based website with hardly any content. It promised a (virtual) “book carnival” this month (September 26-27, over a Saturday and Sunday), but the “Previous Carnivals” page has nothing but garish photographs of massive events apparently held in a sports stadium in the tropics.

Toward the end of the email came the clue to the financial angle: “Authors may join the BookCarnival community by subscribing, while those who would like their work included in the active author programming can choose from the available participation opportunities for a fee.” So the deal is that I pay them a fee, and in return they allow me to write about my book (for free) on their nascent website, and they get to call it a carnival. (Shades of Paul Simon: “Let’s get together and call ourselves an institute.”)

Strange that we university-based book authors — philosophers, historians, literature scholars, or linguists like me — should have become targets for money-seeking scams in recent months. Presumably the extensive coverage of our lifestyles found in popular magazines gives the impression that we must all be rich.

The email I got is appended below.

–Geoff Pullum

———- Forwarded message ———

From: Justin Mitchell <mitchelljustin228@gmail.com>

Date:  Fri, 4 Sept 2026 at 02:32

Subject: Invitation to Join BookCarnival Linguistics: Why It Matters

Dear Geoffrey,

Linguistics: Why It Matters offers readers an accessible invitation to look more closely at something we use every day but rarely stop to examine: language.

What makes the book especially interesting is the way it shows that linguistics is about far more than grammar or vocabulary. The study of language can reveal how people communicate, think, learn, construct meaning, and understand one another, while also challenging many of the assumptions we take for granted about how language works.

What stood out to me was the opportunity to explore why linguistic knowledge matters beyond the university or the study of language itself. Questions about language change, variation, grammar, usage, communication, and the relationship between language and society have practical consequences for education, culture, public discourse, and everyday life.

I was especially drawn to the way Linguistics: Why It Matters can challenge misconceptions about language while showing readers why careful thinking about language is important. That makes the book particularly relevant to anyone who has ever wondered why people speak differently, how languages evolve, or why arguments about “correct” language can become so surprisingly complicated.

My name is Mitcell Justin, and I’m part of the team behind BookCarnival, a virtual literary gathering that brings authors and readers together to celebrate books, storytelling, and the people behind them. The Carnival welcomes authors from different genres and backgrounds, including established and bestselling writers as well as authors with new and emerging work.

It is a space where authors can talk about their books, the ideas and influences behind their work, their writing journeys, and the experiences that have shaped them as authors. The September Carnival will take place virtually on September 26–27, 2026.

Alongside discovering books from other authors, participating writers can connect with fellow authors and readers through author focused conversations, spotlights, discovery features, panels, and other activities. Authors may join the BookCarnival community by subscribing, while those who would like their work included in the active author programming can choose from the available participation opportunities for a fee.

Would you be interested in joining us and having the opportunity to share Linguistics: Why It Matters, why the study of language matters beyond academia, your perspective on language and society, and your journey as a linguist and author with fellow authors and readers at BookCarnival?

Mitcell Justin
BookCarnival