A published author's accounts hold more than a manuscript. They hold payment details, the ability to change what is published under your name, your mailing list and your relationship with readers. That's a larger surface than most authors think about, and securing it is a short list of actions taken once.
The accounts, by consequence
| Account | What an attacker gains |
|---|---|
| Everything, via password resets | |
| Retailer dashboards | Payment details, and control of your books |
| Payment services | Money |
| Mailing list | Your readers, and your reputation with them |
| Website hosting | Your public presence |
| Cloud storage | Manuscripts and notes |
| Social accounts | Reputation, and reader trust |
The mailing list row is underestimated. An attacker with your list can email your readers as you, which is a reputational problem that outlasts any financial one.
The short list of actions
- Two-factor authentication on email first, then everything financial.
- A unique password per account, which requires a password manager and is the point of one.
- Check the recovery options on your email, since they are a bypass.
- Review connected applications and remove what you no longer use.
- Check who else has access, including an assistant or a former collaborator.
- Keep the payment details current, since a stale account is one you're not watching.
Point four overlaps with the tool audit: applications you authorised years ago may still have access to your files, which is covered in how to audit the tools you already use.
Manuscripts specifically
An unpublished manuscript in cloud storage is protected by that account's security and nothing else. The Novel Kit is worth mentioning here only for what it does not create: a free scan needs no account, and buying creates one that is only your email address, with no manuscript kept in it, so there is little additional account surface from using it.
A practical next step
Turn on two-factor authentication for your email account today. It's the account that controls all the others.
Sources checked
- How to audit the tools you already use
- Is writing software safe for your manuscript
- What to do if your manuscript leaks
Frequently asked questions
Which accounts matter most?
The ones that receive money and the ones that can change your books: retailer dashboards, your bank details on them, and your email.
Why email first?
Because email resets everything else. An attacker with your email has every other account, so it is the account to secure hardest.
Is two-factor authentication enough?
It is the single largest improvement available. Combine it with unique passwords and it covers the realistic threats.