I have received this email twice now from “Taylor with Chronicle, a boutique publishing firm out of Texas.” The email raises several red flags that makes me think this could be a scam. If you have worked with or know anything about Taylor R. or Chronicle publishing out of Texas please leave a comment below.
From Taylor R. <taylor.r@zenithstoryevolve.co>:
from: Taylor R. <taylor.r@zenithstoryevolve.co>
to: kimball@trailsnh.com
date: May 27, 2025, 2:51 PM
subject: Fw: Kimball Rexford - Book Project
signed-by: zenithstoryevolve.co
Hi Kimball,
I’m Taylor with Chronicle, a boutique publishing firm out of Texas. We came across your info and were fascinated by what you’ve built at TrailsNH.com.
We’re always on the lookout for standout stories, and yours definitely stood out. I’d love to send you a complimentary sample chapter to offer a glimpse of your story as a published book—no strings attached.
Would love to find a few minutes to talk this week if you’re open to it!
Cheers,
TaylorEmail Red Flags
These red flags indicate you should proceed with caution.
- The email is unsolicited—legitimate publishers rarely reach out randomly without prior engagement.
- The promise of a “complimentary sample chapter” with “no strings attached” is a common tactic used by vanity publishers to get authors invested before pressuring them into costly contracts.
- Chronicle Associates has been flagged as a potential scam by publishing watchdogs. Reports indicate that they use deceptive tactics to lure authors into expensive ghostwriting or publishing services. [More] and [More]
- The domain “zenithstoryevolve.co” was registered very recently, less than 4 months ago (February 2025), which is often a sign of a fraudulent operation. [More]
- The domain is registered through Porkbun with privacy protection, which is unusual for a reputable publishing firm.
Be wary of any requests for upfront payments or vague promises of bestseller status.
Email from zenithstoryevolve.co domain:
Domain: zenithstoryevolve.co
Registered On: 2025-02-01
Expires On: 2026-02-01
Updated On: 2025-02-06
Name Servers:
curitiba.ns.porkbun.com
salvador.ns.porkbun.com
fortaleza.ns.porkbun.com
maceio.ns.porkbun.com
Registrar: Porkbun
IANA ID: 1861
URL: www.porkbun.comI responded the Taylor R. saying I was interested in learning more. He responded with an appointment link:
Hi Kimball,
No need to publish your story or use it in any way if you so choose. We'd just love to learn more about your story, and see if it feels like a good match.
Would you have a few minutes to chat?
Schedule a time
Thanks,
TaylorIf you’re curious, proceed with caution. Ask Taylor for more details, I asked him about their process and pricing 3-4 times through email. All I got in response as this cookie cutter email with a scheduling link.
Hi Kimball,
Would love to walk you through this on a quick call. Could you kindly use the link below so we can meet and fill you in?
Schedule a time
You can learn more about our company on our website.
Best,
TaylorChronicle Publishing Texas – Research Links:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/1jf22kp/ghostwriter_wants_to_write_a_book/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/u9hc7o/psa_dont_pay_to_be_published_thats_a_scam/
- https://shoppersvila.com/review/chronicle-associates-bestseller-dreams-or-a-nightmare-scam/
- https://writersweekly.com/angela-desk/a-list-of-publishers-that-all-authors-should-avoid-at-all-costs
- https://www.whois.com/whois/zenithstoryevolve.co
If you have talked with Taylor, or Chronicle Publishing in Texas I would love to hear about your experience. I’m not interested in publishing a book. But I am interested in helping others know if this is legit or not.
August Update:
Thanks for continuing to share the details from your emails—please keep them coming. Based on what you’ve sent so far, here’s a summary of the domain names used by Emily or Taylor from Chronicle Publishing in Texas:
Domains observed:
- altitudemiraclethestoryteller.co
- abundantstorythebeyond.co
- boldthestorywithin.co
- drivenmiraclemystory.co
- fireflymystorybook.co
- greatmystorywisdom.co
- motivationalmystoryfulfilled.co
- orangeyourbiobooks.co
- pathjourneylovingyourstorybios.co
- perseverancemystorytriumphant.co
- pursuitmystoryinspire.com
- radiantmystory.com
- resiliencemystoryelevate.co
- sparklifestory.co
- transcendentmystorybook.co
- zenithstoryevolve.co
If you’ve received similar emails from other domains or aliases, feel free to forward them along. The more data we gather, the clearer the picture becomes.
Thank you for this post. I received the same email, but it was from email address Taylor R. ‘taylor@fireflymystorybook.co’.
I googled “fireflymystorybook.co” and there was no such web address. I then googled “Chronicle Publishing Texas” and came across this post. Thank you, again for warning others about scams and phishing attempts.
Looks like another domain: resiliencemystoryelevate.co
Taylor R.
Got the same email. I told them I couldn’t talk until next week… I was then sent a response with a calendly link
I just reported it as spam after seeing this thread. Thanks!
Just received same email from ‘taylorr@drivenmiraclemystory.co’
Glad you tagged this as a Scam – received similar email yesterday and follow-up today – checked perplexity ai first and your link came up as flagging these f*ckers – They sent an email from ‘taylorr@altitudemiraclethestoryteller.co’ with same language basically.
Thanks for sharing!
‘taylor.r@pursuitmystoryinspire.com’
Just came to my inbox :)
Same
Thanks all, I received same message, mine came from- ‘taylor.r@greatmystorywisdom.co’.
Another one:
Add another domain to the list: ‘taylorr@pathjourneylovingyourstorybios.co’
Same company, same message (exact same text). Best part is they associated me with the wrong place of employment.
I received the same email from ‘Taylor@perseverancemystorytriumphant.co’, signed by Taylor Robinson. I could not find a company called Chronicle that fit this type of business description. I’m sure it’s a scam. Fits all the red flags. I appreciate everyone who warns others about scams!
one more:
‘taylor.r@motivationalmystoryfulfilled.co’
SAME!
It must be a scam, thank you internet friends!
Here from a google search, because I also just received the same message! from the domain: abundantstorythebeyond.co
Thanks for your post. Came here after googling whether they were a scam. I got the same email (Emily from Chronicle), but the URL was “radiantmystory[.]com”
I received the same mail from a different person (Emily with Chronicle, a boutique publishing firm out of Texas) with the exact same text a yours, today may 26th). The email comes from another domain “sparklifestory[.]co”
I had the same feeling about this being a scam.