Episode 29: AWKWARD! When Friends and Family Lie About Having Bought Your Book

The WritersWeekly Podcast · Dec 13, 2025 · 1h 10m

We've heard it a thousand times: "I KNOW my mother (father, sister, brother, Uncle Cletus, Aunt Ethel, etc.) bought my book! Where are my royalties?!"

And, a thousand times over, we've had to break it to an author: "We're sorry but your relative actually did not buy your book. They lied to you to keep the peace." And, we provide proof to the author that the sale never occurred. In every single instance, the author's relatives refused to send the author copies of their receipts proving they actually bought the book (because the receipts didn't exist).

This is an awkward situation that we run…