Quid Pro Quo when there's no "Quo"

Takers are fun, aren't they? They take and take and want and need, but oh, no--nothing for you in return!

There are a few email subscriptions I'm about to cut off, and I'm happy to name names. The first is Independent Book Review (IBR). Sure, an author might get a free book review from them, but the odds are 99 to 1 against it. That's because IBR would prefer that you pay them a starting price of $179.00 for a guaranteed review. Okay, fine. They're a business, not a charity. After I published Running From Herself, I took a chance on my novel being chosen. It wasn't. Months later, once my bad cover was replaced with a beautiful, professional design, I resubmitted. Nope! 

Here's the kicker: The guy (owner) wrote and published a book about....book reviews! Write what you know, I suppose. Or should I say, "supposedly"? He then trolled his email subscribers for free reviews. I obliged. Sure, I had my own selfish reasons---I wanted my novel reviewed, and I figured some good will couldn't hurt. Well, it didn't help, either. I gave an honest review, which was four stars instead of five, due to the fact that all his information was a rehash of what almost every indie author already knows, but for someone just starting out in publishing, it could be helpful to have everything in one place. Would five stars have made a difference? No. He just isn't on board with quid pro quo. But see, he's making money every week; I'm making zero money every week. This seems a bit off balance to me. 

I'm not going to name the next entity, because the jury is still out (for seven more days), but the situation is what I laid out in a previous post. This proprietor, too, wants her new book reviewed. Gosh, maybe she should scroll through lists of hundreds of book bloggers like I did, contact a bunch of them, only to be completely ghosted. Fun times! But no. She has a ready list of clientele who are hoping for something in return, so why wouldn't they agree to write a review? Talk about a captive audience...

At least with IBR, I didn't pay any money upfront.

I'm not April's Aid Society. I, too, am running a business. Not a moneymaking business, but nevertheless. The deal is supposed to be, I do something for you, you do something for me in return. 

We indie authors, in the aquatic world, are plankton. Everyone feeds off us. 

"Plankton includes a vast range of life forms, from microscopic bacteria and algae to larger animals like jellyfish."

I'm the microscopic bacteria. Technically, I am visible, but only when predators are really hungry. And what do plankton get for their troubles? Bupkis. 

I can name only a handful of professionals who give without expecting payback (excluding me, of course--although payback would be nice). 

Damon at Damonza (the premiere book designing firm) offered a free book cover analysis, and wow, was mine ever comprehensive! Pages upon pages! Sadly, I can't afford his services, but he had no way of knowing that. He still came through for me, in spades.

David Gaughran, while inordinately preoccupied with Facebook ads of late, has reams of marketing advice on his site, including video tutorials, and it's all free. (And, as an aside, pay attention to what Gaughran chooses to discuss. He's not wasting his time on avenues that don't/no longer work.)

Miblart, who designed my book cover, also has a blog that covers things like current cover design trends, color theory, and its step-by-step process for designing covers. (I'm sad that they don't love my cover enough to feature it, but I suppose they have tons of covers to choose from.) 

Indie publishers need to support companies that go the extra mile, and shun those that only take. 

This may turn into a running list. I unfortunately subscribe to a lot of sites (for now), and some have likely slipped my mind. I will say, be wary of those companies that ignore you as an author, but are still brazen enough to ask for a favor.