Lois, just want to confirm that someone has established an account impersonating you, established October 2024. It even links in some posts to goodreads. I'll try reporting the fact to X/twitter using your comment. But with Elon the Terrible in charge, who knows? The URL is
x.com/AuthorLoisMc .
I had to remove the link ssl prefix, as goodreads doesn't allow html links. Hope they don't ban me for the partial! :-)

note: I was unable to report to X-formerly-twitter as it wasn't violent, fascist, or threatening. I guess non-violent crime is ok with THE elon.
Also a link in the fake page links to an Amazon page for Penric and the Bandit. ??? Amazon - perhaps because they own goodreads. Involuntary marketing by user agreement?

Hah. Just tried to check it out, but can't without signing up for X. Not happening. If someone is already on, or at least not departed yet, you might mention in its thread it's a fake, but not if you'd run any risk of being harassed.

I was going to add, I learn new things every day, but this is actually old; in the past occasionally some persons would go to conventions and try to pass themselves off as writers. Before internet I suppose it was harder to find out what authors looked like.

Ta, L.

I can report the account for impersonation, but then the options are: "Pretending to be me, my brand or a user that I represent" or "Someone else on X is being impersonated". The second option requires the real account (which doesn't exist in this case). The first option isn't true for me, and you can't access it without logging in, so you'd still need an X account! Maybe your agent or publisher could help, if they have an X account?

That's not the only imposter. The account @umster_a0000424 on X also claims to be Lois. The only problem is that in order to report an imposter, the original person must have a real X account. If Lois does not have an X presence, you can't report the imposter.

In the meantime the account seems to have been deactivated or deleted, since now I get a 'This account doesn’t exist' message.

The other account (umster_a0000424) seems inactive - set up in 2010, but zero posts.

Some advertising is autogenerated by various platforms. My guess, as Amazon owns Goodreads, there is a clause in the legal oxymoron, known as your user agreement permitting this. At the time I originally visited the fake X, I accidentally clicked a link on a link, and ended up on the Amazon sales page for ”Penric and the Bandit."

Someone or something (Artificial Idiot perhaps) in the publishing chain may have created your fake persona as a marketing link, based on your Goodreads profile. Your agent may know, though how that job has changed in recent years is a scary thought. I was friends with a couple for many years.

This reminds me, it's probably time to reread the Vorkosigan series - third go round, especially after January 20, I need some smiles.

Cheers
.

Hey Lois, there is another account that seems to also be impersonating you.

Handle: @Authorbujoldlo

Burnsteinz wrote: "Hey Lois, there is another account that seems to also be impersonating you.

Handle: @Authorbujoldlo"

Ah. On what site?

Ta, L.

Oh, I was just going to say this.