Every day you have either an author claiming their publisher did not pay them, an author mad because someone has the same picture on a book cover, so they are mad at the graphic designer or an author mad at a promoter.

RESEARCH!!! Google is your friend and is a tool that should be utilized as much as it is needed. It is so disheartening to hear these horror stories but more so annoying when you ask did they research and or check references and they say no.

If you are seeking promo research the promoter and ask for references. STOP just going by a few people saying yeah, you should use them. If they are advertising exposure, check and see who their audience is; How much exposure can they give you if they only have 500-600 followers on a social site? Also, educate yourself on what promotion means; it is not spamming a book ad in multiple Facebook groups all day. Think about it do you see James Patterson book links in those groups or even an Eric Jerome Dickey book ad?

Also BEFORE signing a contract with an indie publisher, READ the contract and if you do not understand any of the verbiages used consult a lawyer or even a paralegal to assist you before you sign your book rights away for the sake of a pretty book cover. How long has the publisher been in business? Do they require your book to have copyright? Can you Google the publisher's company? Who are they using for distribution? These are all things you need to research because you cannot sit on Facebook all day not being productive and then cry your publisher is a crook when royalty time comes and you have not made anything more than $10.
With bad business practices, it makes it very hard for professionals like myself because we then have to prove our worth, so stop being fooled by the smoke and mirrors. The internet makes it very easy for nobodies to become instant somebody overnight so BEWARE but ultimately you have to stop being lazy and RESEARCH.