Are “Who’s Who” Awards, Honors, And Directories Legit? (UPDATED 2024)

by | Cover Letters, Marketing Your Writing, Promotion And Publicity | 14 comments

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

Are "Who's Who" Awards, Honors, And Directories Legit?

At Writer’s Relief we’re committed to informing our clients and our free newsletter Submit Write Now! readers of publishing industry trickery when we see it. Below you’ll find an article that discusses the possible pitfalls of “who’s who” organizations that target writers. There are many “who’s who” organizations—organizations that claim to be the definitive list of professionals in a given industry. Some are legit, some are not, and some are just questionable. In this article we refer to all such organizations as “who’s who” directories, since many of these companies use the term “who’s who” to describe themselves. Writer’s Relief is not referring to a specific company. So before you add a “who’s who” credit to your bio in your cover and query letters, be sure that you are not being sucked into a money-making scheme.

A letter arrives, informing you that you are being considered for inclusion in a prestigious directory for writers, professionals, and executives. This is a reference publication containing brief biographical information on a particular group of people, supposedly people of note, and as a writer, you are thrilled to be included among the nation’s top professionals. What an honor! Just think of the networking possibilities! You can’t wait to add your who’s who credit to your cover or query letter, since you’re sure it will impress literary agents and editors. The letter encourages you to fill out the enclosed application and turn it in—with special emphasis on this line: There is no cost to be included in this fabulous directory.

Well, that’s all you need to hear, so you fill out the online form and sit back, feeling good. A few weeks later you receive a congratulatory phone call from this esteemed directory, and the caller has quite a few questions for you, which you confidently answer. After this lengthy interview, you are feeling rather important and validated. Finally, your talent as a writer has been recognized.

Once you’re feeling good about being included in a who’s who listing, that’s often when you’ll be hit with the hard sell.

If you’ve felt this way when a who’s who company got in touch with you, don’t feel bad. Writers have to deal with rejection on a daily basis, and sometimes our need for validation can lead to costly mistakes. At some point, the lure of a who’s who or a shady contest tempts everyone. Writers must be careful not to fall prey to such pitfalls.

No, there is no cost to be included in this directory. There is, however, increasing pressure to purchase a membership so that you and your friends and family can access the directory. See your name in print. Peruse the competition. Plus, for a mere thousand bucks, you’ll get fabulous travel vouchers, gift certificates, even a nice award certificate to put up on your wall. Some who’s who directories even (gasp!) send you a personalized press release announcing this great honor.

Submit to Review Board

When you fall over half-dead from shock at being asked to pay so much money, the friendly salesperson relents and decides to offer you a super special deal—the same price offered to nonprofit charities and libraries—but this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer, and you’d better sign up quickly. How can you refuse?

How can you not?

The sales tactics of who’s who directories can be downright aggressive. Aside from the “prestige” of being listed in their directory—and you’re likely to find people who have been deceased for quite some time among this prestigious group—the focus of the sales pitch is often the promise of social-networking opportunities. But in this age of online social-networking sites, do you really need a thousand-dollar directory? Especially when its listings are randomly solicited? You’re more likely to make a useful connection through LinkedIn or Facebook, and the best part is that they’re free.

Many who’s who directories are not legitimate credits to add to your publishing bio; they work the same way as many poetry contest schemes. If you list a who’s who credit that literary agents and editors do not recognize as legitimate, you’ll peg yourself as an amateur and a dupe. When a who’s who organization calls you and asks for your money, do your research before you commit to anything. Then, if necessary, head for the hills. Ask that your name be taken off of their list.

One final note: There are legitimate who’s who directories out there—one of the most respected is the Marquis Who’s Who, an organization that actually researches its candidates (rather than randomly harvesting names from the Internet) and only includes those deserving of inclusion. Marquis doesn’t care if its members actually purchase the directory, and there are no high-pressure sales calls. Who’s who directories that are NOT illegitimate can be a great asset to your writing bio. We at Writer’s Relief watch for such schemes and keep our clients from mistakenly listing dubious credits in their cover and query letters.

When you’re ready to submit your short story to literary journals or a novel to literary agents, the experts at Writer’s Relief are here to help! Our research team will pinpoint the best markets for your work and boost your odds of getting published. And that’s a pretty compelling reason to learn more about our services and submit your work to our Review Board today.

Whether you want to take the traditional publishing route or prefer to self-publish, we can help. Give us a call, and we will point you in the right direction!

Writer QuestionsQUESTION: Have you ever been approached by a fishy Who’s Who?

14 Comments

  1. Paula Shene

    I did have this happen – was ‘invited’ to become a listed author. I then went on line to discover the horror stories of those who were not wise enough to investigate before investing.

    I now am listed ‘all over the net’ and find the best place of listing is the social sites including the two mentioned in this article…Paula Shene author of Mandy The Alpha Dog

    Reply
  2. Trina Sonnenberg

    I have been included in three Who’s Who publications. The high pressure sales didn’t work on me though. I have two volumes and two wall plaques, but I didn’t pay for them. Can you list the reputable Directories? I am in the National Register of Executives and
    Pprofessionals, the Madison Who’s Who and Empire who’s who.

    Reply
  3. Writer's Relief Staff

    Unfortunately, we can’t list specific publications here. We can only advise writers to do their research. Finding the reviews of individuals online may be helpful in determining whether to accept an offer.

    Reply
  4. Kelsey

    I was sent a letter in the mail from one of those who’s who directories. I was so excited, but my parents were skeptical. I was 12 years old and had only ever posted “my heart is broken” types of poems on poetry forums for other teens. My dad read the fine print very carefully and saw what this article describes: purchase the bound book, pay to attend the award ceremony, etc. It was obviously a money making scam. I was crushed!

    Reply
  5. Forrest G.

    I’m glad I read this first before bragging about it. (I feel dumb for being duped *cry*)

    Reply
  6. Damaris

    It’s interesting how they performed the phone call as u said in the article. After she asked me some questions about my bio, she did try to sell me the $600, then went down to the 5 years offer by paying $300, when I say that I needed to think about it, she soon ask me if it was a monetary problem. Then she offers the one year for nonprofit org. When I told her I don’t work for a nonprofit org, she replied, I’m trying to do you a favor!!!

    Reply
  7. Jillian

    I just got off the phone with Jennifer Prudencke of Marquis Who’s Who. Your report was spot on. She made me feel so appreciated for my work that she brought tears to my eyes, and she offered me the standard rate for the premium listing to have a plaque. Before offering up my cc I looked online for scams and they were reported everywhere. I was amazed at how she so quickly said that instead she would offer me a complimentary listing and got off the phone.

    Ugh. I hate being duped.

    Reply
  8. Selma Jean frances

    I just received both a email and a phone call. I got suspicious when they insisted on money. I declined of course

    Reply
  9. Cherise Young

    I just received a letter in the mail from Marquis Whoswho. The letter states that I was nominated. My first though was wow how exciting my second though was who nominated me. I typed in the personal website address provided. It did not take me to a website to update my personal information. I landed on a page with several other links, including this one that questioned the legitimacy of the website. I typed in the web address provided in the letter and now I am concerned that was a mistake. Should I be? It is quite obvious this is a scam!

    Reply
    • Blog Editor

      Hi Cherise,

      We are not Internet security professionals, so we can’t say if your computer was compromised. It’s generally a good idea to make sure your computer’s security software is up-to-date to protect against viruses and hacks. You should take your computer to a security professional if you suspect it’s been infiltrated.

      Reply
  10. Crystal Velasquez

    Yep, Who’s Who in America has been sending me emails every week, it seems like. I’ve been ignoring it because it reeked of scam. But I just got another one, so I decided to google them. This post confirmed what I thought to be the case. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Michael Posey

    I just got an email for the first time from Marquis Who’s Who and it totally looks like a scam. Honestly, I’m afraid to even click on the link. Also, side note, I have never submitted any writings online or elsewhere, so this confuses me. Unless someone nominated me without me knowing, but how would they get my email address? It, to me, smells badly of a scam.

    Reply
  12. Votjona Mile

    Hi everyone. I am just reading the article and the comment and I think that I am in same situation. I had an email from Marquis Who’s Who send them my resume an the Director of New Admission contact me and after the interview she said congrats I was qualified and made me pay for press release and being part of member listee. I check the information in my credit account and the merchant had the right info and website of Marquis Who’ Who. So in this case I have to suspect that this was a scam?

    Reply
    • Blog Editor

      Hi Votjona,

      If you have to pay for your own press release or membership, it’s likely a scam.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

 

 

See ALL the services we offer, from
FREE to Full Service!

Click here for a Writer’s Relief
Full Service Overview

Search

Reviews

“Getting that first poem published was the hardest threshold to cross. My team at Writer’s Relief kept encouraging me…then came the acceptance! We celebrated…then I continued writing, and Writer’s Relief continued doing the wonderful work they do!”

—King Grossman, Writer
(Watch King’s video testimonial here!)

“Every piece I have sent out with their help has been accepted for publication! I am looking forward to working with the team on getting my new novel out into the world.”

Services Catalog

Free Publishing Leads
and Tips!

Featured Articles



Featured Video

Follow us!



YES, IT'S MY LUCKY DAY!
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link


STOP! BEFORE YOU GO...
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This