Publishing Horror Stories: The Expensive Mistakes Authors Never See Coming

You hired help so publishing would feel easier. Instead, your Amazon listing disappears, your book ends up connected to the wrong author page, and suddenly nobody can figure out who actually owns the account. Sound dramatic? We wish it were rare.In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell pull back the curtain on the publishing disasters they keep seeing behind the scenes, many caused not by outright scams, but by freelancers, “experts,” and AI-generated advice that sounds confident while quietly breaking your publishing foundation. From KDP accounts set up incorrectly to authors losing access to their own metadata, royalties, and retail pages, we unpack the mistakes that can create months of cleanup and long-term visibility problems.We also talk about the growing role AI is playing in publishing confusion. ChatGPT and other tools can absolutely help authors brainstorm and streamline work, but publishing platforms evolve constantly, and outdated instructions combined with inexperienced providers can create expensive messes fast. Just because advice sounds polished does not mean it is current, strategic, or even correct.Most importantly, we explain how to protect yourself before problems happen. We cover the must-have ownership rules every author needs to know, the red flags that should immediately make you pause, the questions to ask before hiring anyone, and why retaining control of your Amazon infrastructure, website, and publishing assets is non-negotiable if you want a sustainable author career.If you want to avoid the publishing mistakes that cost authors time, money, rankings, and sanity, this episode is required listening.Send us your feedback!Preorder Think Local Sell Global and claim your free Local Buzz Blueprint, a customized local visibility plan with personalized outreach ideas, pitch angles, and ready-to-use marketing tools built around your book and community! Offer ends July 31.📱 Text Penny & Amy: Send your marketing questions, show feedback, and episode ideas. Text PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to join and get new episode alerts. Save our number!⭐ Enjoying the show? Please follow the podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help more authors discover the show.💬 Don't use Apple Podcasts? Email your review to [email protected] and we'll feature it on our website.