A Message to Fellow Authors, Followers, and Those Offering Promotional Services I'm going to be blunt because, quite frankly, I'm tired of it. I genuinely do not appreciate people who follow me on X, send friend requests on Facebook, or connect with me through other social media platforms only to immediately send unsolicited messages disguised as genuine interest. You know exactly the messages I'm talking about. The ones asking what inspired me to become an author, what genre I write, or how my writing journey began. Then, after a little back-and-forth, comes the inevitable sales pitch for book marketing, promotions, reviews, or some other service I never asked for. And my personal favorite? Someone messages me about how wonderful one of my books is, proceeds to explain what makes it so great, and then offers to help me improve its visibility. The problem? They haven't even read the damn book. They've simply skimmed the description and turned it into a sales pitch. Please, spare me. Let me make something perfectly clear: I am an INDEPENDENT AUTHOR, and I intend to remain one. Why? Because I don't have the luxury of throwing money at promotional services that promise the world and often deliver absolutely nothing. I've been down that road. I've paid for services, listened to guarantees, and watched those promises lead precisely nowhere. I'm not interested in repeating that experience. I work a full-time job. I write my books. I manage my website. I handle my own promotions. I do my best to connect with readers and support other independent authors when I can. Is it exhausting? Absolutely. But it's my choice, and I'm perfectly fine with it. If you follow me because you enjoy my books, appreciate my writing, want to have a genuine conversation, or simply want to support another author, you're always welcome. That's what social media connections should be about. What I don't appreciate is someone sending me a message at 3 a.m. asking what inspired me to start writing, only to eventually reveal that they're trying to sell me something. Seriously? Do you honestly believe that approach isn't painfully obvious? I follow fellow authors because I enjoy seeing their work, learning from their experiences, supporting their accomplishments, and occasionally sharing helpful advice. I don't follow someone just to invade their inbox with meaningless questions that eventually turn into a sales pitch. Not every independent author is looking to become someone's next paying customer. Some of us are simply trying to write good books, reach genuine readers, and enjoy the process without constantly being targeted by people pretending to care about our work. So, to those who use fake compliments, scripted conversations, and manufactured interest to sell promotional services: Please stop. You're wasting your time and mine. And to the genuine readers, fellow authors, and supporters who are here because they actually want to be here, I appreciate you more than you know. Respect the author. Respect their time. And above all, stop confusing genuine connections with potential sales opportunities. — S.K. Ballinger Independent Author