Protect Your Dream, Protect Your Wallet: Hard-Won Lessons from a Career Author
Many years ago, I made a decision that felt radical at the time: I stopped going to the RT Booklover’s Convention.
Not because I didn’t love the energy. Not because I didn’t adore the readers (I did, and still do). But because—while mystery and suspense authors were getting paid to attend conferences and lead workshops—romance authors were expected to foot the bill. For everything.
Somehow, we’d been devalued by the very people shouting the loudest about how much they “supported” us. Worse? We were devaluing ourselves. And I realized I was the only one who could change that… for me. So I stopped showing up where my time, energy, and presence weren’t being valued.
Did I stop doing free workshops and events for libraries and small writers' groups? Of course not. That’s part of how I give back—and always will. But I stopped funding someone else's dream while draining my own resources. And now, as an indie author, I’m seeing this same dynamic play out all over again.
Let’s talk about it.
1. Paying for Reviews? Nope. 🚫Every week, I get emails or DMs telling me I should pay people to review my books. Let's be clear: No. Not going to happen. Not only is it against Amazon and Goodreads' Terms of Service (and could literally cost me the career I’ve worked my a$$ off to build), but it’s also ethically wrong.
Want to make money working with authors? Great. Do it ethically. Charge for promotion. Charge for creative assets. But reviews? Those are supposed to be free and unbiased. That’s the whole point.
2. "Helping" Indie Authors... for a Fee 🙄There's a sneaky trend I’ve noticed. Platforms, apps, services, even events are leveraging authors to build their own reach and brand under the guise of “helping us.” The kicker? A lot of the time, they want us to pay for the privilege of building their platform.
Y’all. This is RT all over again. Only now, it’s targeting indie authors across the board.
Sure, there are legit new ventures out there run by people with genuine hearts. But please, don’t give away your time, energy, or money to build someone else’s reputation and dream unless that dream truly supports yours too. And listen to your gut if you’re in doubt. 🤔 Dismal reader events where so many authors lose money and time do not happen in a vacuum.
You’ve seen them: the marketing gurus charging hundreds or thousands for courses that supposedly unlock the secret to indie success. Spoiler alert: if it were that easy, there would be a lot more six-figure authors popping up every year.
Want to know who the legit coaches are? They’re busy doing the work. They’re coaching, mentoring, editing, or running real campaigns. And you know what else?
They usually have free, high-value content out there—on YouTube, in blogs, on podcasts. Enough for you to know if their methods vibe with your needs before you pay a cent or sign up for a “free” trial.
Scammers know how to prey on our fears and dreams. Watch for these tells:
Their pitch appeals to your emotions, especially fear of missing out or falling behind. 🚩
They promise “more money with less work”? 🚩 (They’ve figured this out alright. They’re making more $$ by doing less work by taking your money.)
They’re proud of how “exclusive” they are, and you should be grateful for access to them? 🚩
If they’re selling ego and urgency instead of skill and transparency, run.
5. About Those Amazon Ads 📊Let’s shut down this myth once and for all: “Amazon doesn’t make money if you don’t make money.” FALSE. 🚩🚩🚩
Amazon makes plenty of money off authors who lose money on ads every single day. They don’t care if your ROI is negative—they already got your money.
Yes, I use Amazon ads. But they have to earn their keep. I track this via the ad module, but some people believe the module doesn’t reflect the true impact of the ad on book sales. Here’s a tip: If you’re calculating ROI and not using the ad manager report, subtract your average organic sales from your total earnings before comparing to your ad spend. That’s the only way to get a number that even remotely reflects ad effectiveness.
The fact that you make more money in sales than you spend in ads is NOT a positive ROI. That’s a very 90’s corporate mentality, but we’re not corporations with bloated budgets that can afford to measure success by such dodgy metrics.
Final ThoughtsWhew. That turned into a novella. 😂 But you know what? If this post helps just one author feel more confident in their path, or sidestep a bad investment? Totally worth it.
Being an indie author means we wear all the hats—and that makes our time and trust incredibly valuable. Protect your wallet. Protect your dream. And remember:
You deserve to be treated like a professional. Because you are one. 💪💖
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lucy Monroe has over 90 published novels and more than 12.5 million copies in print worldwide. Her stories—rich with emotion, heat, and high stakes—span contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance.
Now publishing independently, Lucy writes the bold, deeply romantic stories she’s most passionate about. Her latest series, Syndicate Rules, explores the dark and decadent world of mafia romance with morally gray heroes, fierce heroines, and all the spice fans crave.
A voracious reader and longtime romance fangirl, Lucy loves connecting with fellow book lovers online.
For info on all of Lucy’s books, visit her website.
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