The Assumptions Sabotaging Your Author Business (And What to Do Instead) {ep. 209}
February 16, 2026
In this Momentum Moment, Alexa shares 12 dangerous assumptions authors and publishing professionals make—and how those assumptions quietly sabotage book sales, launches, courses, and collaborations. Inspired by The Four Agreements, this episode is a wake-up call to stop guessing, start asking, and build your business with clarity and intention.
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In this episode of Alexa’s Publishing Chat, Alexa reflects on a powerful lesson from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz—specifically Agreement #3: Do not make assumptions.
Get your ticket to the next VIRTUAL conference for authors and publishing pros!
In this episode of Alexa’s Publishing Chat, Alexa reflects on a powerful lesson from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz—specifically Agreement #3: Do not make assumptions.
What began as a personal development insight quickly became a business revelation.
Alexa walks through 12 assumptions she has made over the past decade as:
- A fiction author
- A nonfiction author
- A children’s book publisher
- A course creator
- A conference host
- A creative entrepreneur
And she explains how these assumptions cost time, money, energy, and emotional peace. This episode is part tough love, part strategic clarity, and 100% relevant to authors and publishing professionals building real businesses around books.
Key takeaways:
- Agreement #3 from The Four Agreements (“Don’t make assumptions”) applies directly to author marketing, publishing, and creative entrepreneurship.
- Assumptions create false stories, unnecessary conflict, and wasted time—questions create clarity and momentum.
- Don’t assume your audience cares about what you care about; messaging has to match their needs and desires.
- Don’t assume people understand what you do, who your book/product is for, or what it’s about—your cover, title, subtitle, and description must make it obvious.
- Don’t assume people are seeing your content—algorithms filter reach heavily, so repetition and repurposing matter.
- Don’t assume people are reading all your emails—even open rates can be misleading; always re-share links and context.
- Don’t assume subscribers remember who you are—use a nurture sequence (3–6 emails) to welcome, orient, and deliver the “why.”
- Don’t assume support is automatically reciprocal—if you want quid pro quo collaboration, set clear expectations up front.
- Don’t assume you know what people will pay—pricing should reflect market norms and audience readiness; validate with questions and tests.
- Don’t take it personally when people don’t buy or attend—most of the time it’s awareness, timing, or fit (not rejection).
- Don’t assume you’ve reminded people enough—marketing requires many touches over time.
- Don’t rely on friends/family or even ARC teams to follow through—plan your strategy beyond “they said they would.”
- Don’t assume “publish/launch = people will find it”—visibility drops when you stop talking about it; marketing must continue.
- Don’t assume “it didn’t work” means “no one wants it”—analyze, tweak (cover, positioning, copy, audience, timing), and try again.
- Beta programs/early offers (lower-priced or limited) can help you gather feedback, testimonials, and proof before scaling.
- Word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing lever—reviews, referrals, testimonials, and social proof drive growth for both authors and service providers.
- Build the business backbone: grow your audience, ask better questions, test, refine, and rinse-and-repeat.
Resources mentioned
- Book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amazon associate)
- Alexa’s Book Club: Self-development book club currently reading The Four Agreements
- Women in Publishing Summit: womeninpublishingsummit.com
- Email: [email protected]
Publishing and book marketing advice.