Victoria Strauss
@victoriastrauss.com
Author of novels fantastical & historical, avid gardener, co-founder of SFWA's pub industry watchdog Writer Beware. Casting a small light in a wilderness of writing scams (plus an occasional cat pic)
https://writerbeware.blog
https://victoriastrauss.com
https://writerbeware.blog
https://victoriastrauss.com
A brand-new monthly market report tracking news, changes, and markets open for submission in the speculative fiction and poetry fields
New collaboration between The Submission Grinder and @dreamfoundry.bsky.social : The Dream Foundry Market Report, a monthly report of speculative fiction/poetry publication updates
dreamfoundry.org/2026/01/26/j...
dreamfoundry.org/2026/01/26/j...
January 2026 Monthly Market Report
Hello, and welcome to a new Dream Foundry project. Every month we’ll be publishing a market report with data pulled from The Submission Grinder about market openings, closings, and other chan…
dreamfoundry.org
January 27, 2026 at 2:12 AM
A brand-new monthly market report tracking news, changes, and markets open for submission in the speculative fiction and poetry fields
This offer is doing the rounds. Sound tempting? Don't miss the last line: it's pay to play and will set you back $350.
![Subject: Boost Your Brand Visibility with a Feature on NYWeekly.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2026 02:00:22 +0500
From: Gary Kim <garykimoutreach@gmail.com>
To: beware@sfwa.org
Hello,
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Best Regards,
Gary](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:uy6mloyr37qtcdml3bq6a6o4/bafkreifi5nbqywbkhsmb6ziw4e35cb6ezeo2264ugupje44xktxufknz64@jpeg)
January 26, 2026 at 10:39 PM
This offer is doing the rounds. Sound tempting? Don't miss the last line: it's pay to play and will set you back $350.
Reposted by Victoria Strauss
You know me I don't share fundraisers unless I can tell you I trust them with my whole heart and my own wallet. This one gets protective gear to legal observers in Minneapolis / Saint Paul
www.gofundme.com/f/help-equip...
www.gofundme.com/f/help-equip...
Donate to Help Equip Twin Cities Legal Observers with PPE, organized by Jac Kovarik
I have been involved in rapid response in the Twin Cities area since the b… Jac Kovarik needs your support for Help Equip Twin Cities Legal Observers with PPE
www.gofundme.com
January 24, 2026 at 6:26 PM
You know me I don't share fundraisers unless I can tell you I trust them with my whole heart and my own wallet. This one gets protective gear to legal observers in Minneapolis / Saint Paul
www.gofundme.com/f/help-equip...
www.gofundme.com/f/help-equip...
Reposted by Victoria Strauss
For those absolutely awed by Minnesota, this is the site organizers set up to support all of the efforts from mutual aid to direct resistance:
www.standwithminnesota.com
www.standwithminnesota.com
Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory
Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.
www.standwithminnesota.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:52 PM
For those absolutely awed by Minnesota, this is the site organizers set up to support all of the efforts from mutual aid to direct resistance:
www.standwithminnesota.com
www.standwithminnesota.com
This is pretty remarkable
NEW: I was one of 3 reporters granted access to the convening of 600+ clergy in Minneapolis this week.
It was a striking show of solidarity with MN clergy resisting ICE, but heralded something else: the emergence of a vast, faith-based network trained to resist ICE. religionnews.com/2026/01/23/i...
It was a striking show of solidarity with MN clergy resisting ICE, but heralded something else: the emergence of a vast, faith-based network trained to resist ICE. religionnews.com/2026/01/23/i...
Inside the effort to organize clergy nationwide to resist ICE
(RNS)— Hundreds of clergy from around the country gathered in Minneapolis to learn from Minnesota faith leaders how to protest against ICE enforcement. Then they took to the streets and helped block t...
religionnews.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:15 AM
This is pretty remarkable
I’ve heard about this anecdotally but here’s official confirmation. If, like me, you’ve already submitted a claim, you’ll need to contact the Anthropic claims administrator about amending it to include this declaration
HEY APub AUTHORS!!!
Amazon has put up a form where they (non legal terminology) sign over their half of any anthropic settlement money to you. Obvs I can not give anyone legal advice, but check this out. This could give you 2x the money.
d1qwyayg24w5f4.cloudfront.net/pdf/Anthropi...
Amazon has put up a form where they (non legal terminology) sign over their half of any anthropic settlement money to you. Obvs I can not give anyone legal advice, but check this out. This could give you 2x the money.
d1qwyayg24w5f4.cloudfront.net/pdf/Anthropi...
January 23, 2026 at 9:05 PM
I’ve heard about this anecdotally but here’s official confirmation. If, like me, you’ve already submitted a claim, you’ll need to contact the Anthropic claims administrator about amending it to include this declaration
No good deed. arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
Wikipedia volunteers spent years cataloging AI tells. Now there's a plugin to avoid them.
The web's best guide to spotting AI writing has become a manual for hiding it.
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:58 PM
No good deed. arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
Boosting.
This is CRITICAL. I know you’re all putting your back into mutual aid & a thousand other great things, but if there’s anything left here, so many folks depend on these front-line lawyers right now.
I spoke to a friend on the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota board. They need financial donations to keep up with the heightened demand for their services: www.ilcm.org
ILCM is a nonprofit that provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in MN & ND
ILCM is a nonprofit that provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in MN & ND
January 20, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Boosting.
The @authorsguild.org offers guidance on the proliferating solicitations from lawyers/law firms urging authors to opt out of the Anthropic settlement with the (highly speculative) promise of more money authorsguild.org/news/opting-...
Opting Out of the Anthropic Settlement: What Authors Should Know - The Authors Guild
The Authors Guild has received numerous emails from authors asking about letters they received from different law firms advising them to opt out of the Bartz v. Anthropic settlement and to join separa...
authorsguild.org
January 20, 2026 at 6:11 PM
The @authorsguild.org offers guidance on the proliferating solicitations from lawyers/law firms urging authors to opt out of the Anthropic settlement with the (highly speculative) promise of more money authorsguild.org/news/opting-...
The operator of WorldCat has won a default judgment against pirate site Anna's Archive directing it to delete WorldCat data and stop storing, scraping, or using it; assumption is it won't comply arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Judge orders Anna’s Archive to delete scraped data; no one thinks it will comply
WorldCat operator hopes default judgment will convince web hosts to take action.
arstechnica.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:15 PM
The operator of WorldCat has won a default judgment against pirate site Anna's Archive directing it to delete WorldCat data and stop storing, scraping, or using it; assumption is it won't comply arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
The snow-laden shrub off our back deck looks magical with uplighting
January 18, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The snow-laden shrub off our back deck looks magical with uplighting
How you know your priorities are off: when you can't remember to take your iron pills every other day but instantly recognize the name of a scammer when you encounter it 13 years later
January 18, 2026 at 10:46 PM
How you know your priorities are off: when you can't remember to take your iron pills every other day but instantly recognize the name of a scammer when you encounter it 13 years later
Two authors have gone public about their experience with Totally Entwined aka Entwined Publishing. Issues include alleged contract breaches and rights reversion problems www.lisahenryonline.com/blog/stateme...
STatement from Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey regarding Totally Entwined (now known as Entwined Publishing)
Guys, this is a long one! And we wish it was shorter too, but believe us, it's been a saga. But if you are an author or an aspiring author, you'll want to read it all. No missing stairs on our...
www.lisahenryonline.com
January 18, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Two authors have gone public about their experience with Totally Entwined aka Entwined Publishing. Issues include alleged contract breaches and rights reversion problems www.lisahenryonline.com/blog/stateme...
Must Read Magazine's statement on changes to its contract (Writer Beware has not yet seen a copy of the new boilerplate) file770.com/must-reads-m...
Must Reads Magazines Statement on Changes Made to Standard Contract in Response to SFWA
Must Reads Magazines, publisher of Analog, Asimov’s and F&SF, has been working for several months with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association on issues SFWA raised about MRM’s stan…
file770.com
January 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Must Read Magazine's statement on changes to its contract (Writer Beware has not yet seen a copy of the new boilerplate) file770.com/must-reads-m...
For opt-outs, there are just 86 so far, covering 208 works--despite the efforts of groups like ClaimsHero to recruit authors to opt out and launch their own lawsuits.
For those who are following developments in the Anthropic settlement, a case management statement filed Jan. 15 includes some interesting info about claims numbers and opt outs.
January 16, 2026 at 11:38 PM
For opt-outs, there are just 86 so far, covering 208 works--despite the efforts of groups like ClaimsHero to recruit authors to opt out and launch their own lawsuits.
For those who are following developments in the Anthropic settlement, a case management statement filed Jan. 15 includes some interesting info about claims numbers and opt outs.
January 16, 2026 at 11:35 PM
For those who are following developments in the Anthropic settlement, a case management statement filed Jan. 15 includes some interesting info about claims numbers and opt outs.
This is why we need regulations
this is a truly damning report. if we still had a functioning federal government, these products would've already been forced off the market. it's a national health disaster in the making.
ChatGPT and Claude get into the business of health advice. Should you trust them?
AI chatbot makers are getting into the business of offering consumers health advice. What are the risks?
www.statnews.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:45 PM
This is why we need regulations
New #WriterBeware blog post: my annual look back at the topics the Writer Beware blog covered in 2025. Scams, of course, but also contracts, copyright, generative AI, and more. If you missed any of our posts last year, here's your chance to catch up writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/b...
Best of Writer Beware: 2025 in Review - Writer Beware
It’s been a busy year in writing scams (but then what year isn’t?). From the new AI marketing scams, to nasty contract clauses, to publishers behaving badly, to the biggest copyright infringement rest...
writerbeware.blog
January 16, 2026 at 7:10 PM
New #WriterBeware blog post: my annual look back at the topics the Writer Beware blog covered in 2025. Scams, of course, but also contracts, copyright, generative AI, and more. If you missed any of our posts last year, here's your chance to catch up writerbeware.blog/2026/01/16/b...
Pls don’t flame me for reposting this article. I do so not to endorse any of these methods but because it’s an interesting thought experiment about AI use disclosure. Like other authentication methods, tho, its fatal flaw is that it depends on people being honest
Because AI is such a divisive topic, many individuals and businesses aren't transparent about such use. But hiding use is typically worse for everyone involved.
Poet Dave Malone proposes a transparency statement for those using AI as part of the creative process.
Poet Dave Malone proposes a transparency statement for those using AI as part of the creative process.
Writers and Artists Need a Way to Label AI Use: Here’s What That Could Look Like | Jane Friedman
To encourage transparency among creators and audience, one writer suggests a simple, two-category system for labeling AI use in works of art.
janefriedman.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Pls don’t flame me for reposting this article. I do so not to endorse any of these methods but because it’s an interesting thought experiment about AI use disclosure. Like other authentication methods, tho, its fatal flaw is that it depends on people being honest
Reposted by Victoria Strauss
Things in publishing are taking longer than ever, and I updated my post on when to follow up with agents accordingly. But you should still follow up, unless otherwise specified:
How often to follow up with a literary agent
Most literary agents appreciate a timely and extremely polite nudge. But when do you follow up with a literary agent and how often? In this post I'll give you some guidelines on when and when not to f...
nathanbransford.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Things in publishing are taking longer than ever, and I updated my post on when to follow up with agents accordingly. But you should still follow up, unless otherwise specified:
Reposted by Victoria Strauss
It's been a long ten years and I finally get to talk publicly about what happened behind closed doors.
Please take the time to read this letter and please avoid working with these people. You are more valuable than an opportunity for people like them to use you as cash cow for your work. 🧵
Please take the time to read this letter and please avoid working with these people. You are more valuable than an opportunity for people like them to use you as cash cow for your work. 🧵
The Hiveworks Artist Guild has released a public statement alleging years of labor abuses, financial mismanagement, and misconduct at Hiveworks at the hands of Xellette “Xel” Velamist and Isabelle “Isa” Melançon. Read their full statement at:
cartoonist.coop/hiveworks-gu...
cartoonist.coop/hiveworks-gu...
January 12, 2026 at 4:58 PM
It's been a long ten years and I finally get to talk publicly about what happened behind closed doors.
Please take the time to read this letter and please avoid working with these people. You are more valuable than an opportunity for people like them to use you as cash cow for your work. 🧵
Please take the time to read this letter and please avoid working with these people. You are more valuable than an opportunity for people like them to use you as cash cow for your work. 🧵
Reposted by Victoria Strauss
The New York Public Library is offering a very cool creative writing opportunity for NYC teens: www.nypl.org/spotlight/us...
www.nypl.org
January 12, 2026 at 6:51 PM
The New York Public Library is offering a very cool creative writing opportunity for NYC teens: www.nypl.org/spotlight/us...
Disturbing but not surprising—more confirmation that LLMs are copying machines
We extracted (parts of) 12 books in experiments with 4 frontier-lab, production LLMs.
We prompted the LLMs with a short prefix of a book and asked them to complete the rest. For Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we extracted 95.8% of the book from jailbroken Claude 3.7 Sonnet.
We prompted the LLMs with a short prefix of a book and asked them to complete the rest. For Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we extracted 95.8% of the book from jailbroken Claude 3.7 Sonnet.
January 12, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Disturbing but not surprising—more confirmation that LLMs are copying machines
Heads up
Heads up #writers and #literaryagents, Writing Day Workshops is now actively promoting the use of AI in their programming.
January 12, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Heads up
I just donated.
We’ve been able to send $800 for groceries and needs of activists. We’re about to drop another $300 on printing signs that say immigration enforcement is prohibited on premises.
Know that whatever you send me and @mostlybree.kitrocha.com, it’s going to go out to the people before it reaches us
Know that whatever you send me and @mostlybree.kitrocha.com, it’s going to go out to the people before it reaches us
Donate to Support Whistle Distribution in Chicago and Beyond!, organized by Emily Hilleren
Since late September, I’ve been organizing whistle kit assembly par… Emily Hilleren needs your support for Support Whistle Distribution in Chicago and Beyond!
www.gofundme.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:25 AM
I just donated.