Publishing Leeches by Deatri King-Bey

DeatriA lot has changed in the many years that I’ve been in the publishing business. One thing that hasn’t changed is people who want something for nothing. This occurs in all walks of life, but I want to focus on publishing today. I want you to take a cold, hard, honest look at yourself and see if you are being a leech, then stop it if you are.

Inconsiderate, Lazy Leech
This is a common type of publishing leech. I was helping an aspiring author who had a million questions. After about two hours on the phone, she still had a billion questions. I informed her that my book, Become A Successful Author, answers most of her questions, then I gifted her my book and told her to read it first, then ask follow-up questions. The following month this author sent me a ridiculously long email with questions that were answered in the book and asked if we could speak on the phone again. I asked her if she had read the book (maybe she had comprehension issues), and she said she hadn’t had time and wanted me to just tell her what she needed to do.

She didn’t have a few hours to read a book that would answer her questions and give her a good base of knowledge to conduct her own research from, but wanted me to spend hours of my time spoon-feeding her information. Yep, that’s lazy and inconsiderate.

If you expect others to do more for you than you are willing to do for yourself, you are a leech.

Something For Nothing Leech
This is also a very common publishing leech. Editors, graphic artist, proof readers… anyone in the service industry suffers from leeches who want something for nothing. Don’t get me wrong, we all want a good deal, but there are a lot of authors who are trying to make money (increase book sales) on the backs of the editors, graphic artists, proofreaders… If someone has the skillset you need to get the best product out there, you need to pay them for their talent. If you are not willing to invest in your business, why do you expect others to invest in your business by purchasing your books?

Me, Me, Me Leech
We’ve all experienced these. I run two reading groups on social media. I’m shocked—not really—how many authors IM me because I only allow promos two days a week. Somehow I’m responsible for them not making the NYT best sellers list. I’m tempted to share some of the messages I receive from authors whining because they can’t treat the reading groups like their billboard. They don’t care that they are promoting to the wrong genre. They don’t care that we are there to talk about the books we’re reading, not be bombarded with their promos. If it’s not about them, they don’t care. Those type of authors suck the life right out of a group.

Concept Leech
This is one of the more rare publishing leeches. Or maybe they are better at hiding. I was at a writer’s conference a few months ago and overheard an author talking about a concept she had for a novel. I thought, great idea, then went on about my business. Later that day, I heard a second author talking about the same concept with a few differences. They were too similar to be a coincidence. This is exactly why I do not tell people about my book concepts. You never know if there is a concept leech around.

Spirit Leech
This one is very harmful. Be carful. These are the authors who are so negative and nasty that their vibe throws you off. It’s like they suck your spirit dry. You’re trying to be and do positive, but all they see is the negative.

Clinging Leech
These are the authors who hang around a more popular author in hopes of syphoning new readers from the more popular author. This one is hard to explain. We are authors and we hang out in the same places. These leeches are users. Once they get what they want, they move to the next target.

What’s the cure for leeches? I know none of you see yourselves in anything I’ve said, but if you are the victim of a leech, remember, you teach people how to treat you. I’m not saying to stop being a giving person. I’m a giving person and will continue to do so. That doesn’t mean you have to stand there and be sucked dry by leeches.

I wrote this article so you can keep an eye out, but there is good news. There aren’t as many leeches out there as one may think. Social media has made them more visible, so they seem to be in greater number than they are.

Keep your focus without falling into the “It’s all about me” mode, and you’ll be fine.

Much Joy Peace and Love,
Deatri King-Bey

If you found this post helpful, please use the Share buttons to spread the word about it.


Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $8.99 (print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

21 thoughts on “Publishing Leeches by Deatri King-Bey

  1. Minolta White

    Very well said!! I’ve never been a leech. I think in today’s society the concept of being an author has been diluted to instant pop up of niche genre publication, vulgar covers, and so much more. We live in a NOW society and unfortunately a lot of people don’t want to go through the process of obtaining greatness. It’s easy to put a few words on a paper and click the upload button on Amazon or B & N. But, it takes a lot more work, consistency, and patience to actually reap the benefits of building a career. I’m not in this game for the money or the fame…I’m in it for the love of the words and the transformation that happens when reader and writer meet. I have Deatri book and it’s a must read!! Thank you for your post and hopefully it reaches the millions of writers seeking instant gratification without studying the craft of writing immediately!!

    1. Deatri Post author

      Thank you for replying Minolta. I feel you. Dealing with leeches gets to be a bit much from time to time, but you’ve got to keep going and growing. Have a great rest of the week.

  2. Angela

    This was a great post. I see myself in one (I won’t say which) so I’ll have to watch that and I agree with all the others except the Concept Leach. I truly believe ideas are in the air and that we all have access to them. The difference is that one person will develop the idea and write the book while the other person will just continue to talk about it. That said, I don’t really talk about what I’m writing much and I don’t ask other authors about what they’re writing. If someone tells me their idea/concept and I am already working on something similar, there would be no way that author would believe I came by my idea independently. Thus, I keep the story/book talk to a minimum. Great post!

  3. Joyce Marie

    I am a beginning author but I hope I am not as bad as any of your examples. I have asked my daughter some questions but only after I researched and took a seminar.

    1. Teresa Beasley

      I ask this question because I have a helping heart and noticed that when asked questions about the industry and spending the time to answer them the aspiring author doesn’t call back to partake in the services. I’m now considering limiting my consult time to 15-30mins so that I can weed out the leeches.

      1. Deatri Post author

        I usually consult until I see the leech potential. 🙂 If they are giving more than they are getting, then I’ll keep giving.

Comments are closed.