Is it a scam?

Just to make you aware, David and I have both received an email which we suspect to be a bit of a scam. It can be hard to tell what is a scam and what is genuine, so I have included a couple of links to other artists blogs on this topic further down. This is the email we received:

Dear Abigail  
I have contacted you in the past about inclusion in our publication but I have not heard back from you. Have you received my message?
I am pasting it below again. I would appreciate if you let me know.
 
I came across your art though  Eastbourne Artists and I liked it so I would like to invite you to submit  your portfolio for inclusion in Current Masters, International Contemporary Masters and Important World Artists  three leading juried annual art publications presenting noteworthy artists and photographers from all over the world. [Oh wow! How very exciting and flattering, but clearly I'm not a master, except of facebook obvs.]
 
We have a large distribution and the purpose of the book is to promote the artists in it. Besides delivering it for free to galleries, art collectors, museums, etc. we distribute free copies to all visitors and exhibitors in art shows that we participate, such as Spectrum-Red Dot in Miami, Art Expo New York. Only artists who are up to the standards of our art committee are selected.  
 
As a result, the artists in our books are approached by many galleries to exhibit their art.[Attractive?]
 
Please note that inclusion in the books is not free. [Ding-a-ling those alarm bells should be ringing now!] Approved artists must pay a participation fee which varies according to the number of pages of the artist’s presentation.
Galleries, agencies and groups of 2 or more artists receive special discounts.... and so it goes on
​
If you have also received this message we suggest that you ignore and delete it. Obviously we need to give out our email addresses so that people who are genuinely interested in our work can get in touch, but it is a good idea to be cautious and always research any gallery or company who emails you. Some emails can seem personalised on first read, but may actually be a mass mail out where just one or two details are changed. Think carefully 'does this really apply to me?' If in doubt do your research, ask friends and fellow artists, and look at online forums. This post is a few years old, but has a long list of websites and galleries to watch out for: ​blackartinamerica.com/profiles/blogs/artist-beware-list
This is a lengthy but informative article covering a variety of possible scams targeted at artists: ​artbusiness.com/osoqutscawas.html

Of course you do not want to treat any genuine inquiry with outward suspition, but a little research can help you to spot spammers and scammers quickly. Here are a few key points:

• If it seems too good to be true it probably is!
• If it seems strange / off, it probably is!
• Are they asking you for money?
• Is it unsolicited? How / where have they seen your work?
• Even if it includes some detail does it really sound personal? 
• Never send money if you're not sure / happy with what you'll be getting in return!
• Never accept an over-payment (this is a well known scamming method too! You will then be asked to refund or send the extra somewhere else. Very suspect!)
• Get a second opinion - ask someone else if it sounds genuine, they might be more objective.

Remember there are lots of genuine buyers, collectors, websites and galleries out there, who will be happy to answer your questions, put you at ease, and won't pressure you in any way. If you have received any suspect messages or scams, please comment below, so that we can keep each other informed.