A clear set of standards that keeps Indie Author Training useful, respectful, and drama-free.
Indie Author Training is a marketplace, which means you’re going to see a lot of different voices, teaching styles, and opinions. That’s a good thing. You get more expertise, more perspective, and more options.
It also means we need a shared baseline for how people show up here.
So yes, we have a code of conduct. It applies to instructors and community members. It’s the reason you can ask a “basic” question without getting dunked on, and it’s the reason you don’t have to wade through a swamp of spam, manipulation, and internet nonsense to find useful answers.
This is not a “be nice” poster we hang on the wall. This is the framework that protects your learning space.
The point of a code of conduct (in plain English)
A good learning platform needs three things:
- Safety to ask real questions
- Standards for how advice gets shared
- Clear boundaries when someone acts like a jerk
If any one of those breaks, the whole community gets quieter, less helpful, and more exhausting. Authors already have enough exhausting.
What you can expect here
Respectful communication
You can disagree here. You can have strong opinions. You can say “I don’t think that approach works.”
You cannot attack people.
That includes:
- Name-calling, mocking, or dogpiling
- Harassment, hate speech, or slurs
- Sexual harassment or unwanted advances
- Personal insults disguised as “tough love”
- Gatekeeping (“real authors don’t…”)
If you want to be sharp, be sharp about ideas. Leave people out of it.
Inclusive, professional behavior
Indie Author Training serves authors with different backgrounds, budgets, goals, and publishing paths.
We don’t tolerate behavior that pushes people out of the room.
That includes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or any protected status. If you’re unsure, default to kindness and keep it professional.
Helpful, actionable contributions
This platform is here to help authors make progress. When you share advice, aim for clarity over cleverness.
The most valuable posts usually include at least one of these:
- What you did
- What happened
- What you would do differently
- The next step someone can take
- A resource that actually answers the question
Hot takes are optional. Practical steps are not.
No spam, manipulation, or shady sales tactics
Instructors can sell their courses. Members can share resources. We’re not anti-business.
We are aggressively anti-gross behavior.
That includes:
- DMing people to pitch after they post a question
- Hijacking threads to promote your service
- “Free call” funnels that turn into high-pressure sales
- Fake urgency, fake scarcity, fake screenshots
- Referral links without disclosure (be transparent)
If your marketing depends on pressure, this is not your platform.
Extra standards for instructors
Instructors on Indie Author Training are independent. They set their own course pricing. They bring their own expertise.
They also agree to a shared standard for how they teach and how they behave in the ecosystem.
Clear expectations
Instructors should be transparent about:
- Who the training is for
- What students will be able to do afterward
- What tools (if any) are required
- What effort is required (no magical-thinking promises)
Honest claims
We do not allow instructors to promise results they can’t control.
No “guaranteed 10K months.” No “this will work for everyone.” No pretending publishing is a vending machine.
Teaching that respects students
Good teaching does not rely on confusion.
Instructors are expected to:
- Explain steps clearly
- Define terms when needed
- Avoid gatekeeping language
- Answer questions professionally in webinars and community spaces
Professional conduct across the platform
Instructors represent the marketplace and the learning culture here. If someone is talented but behaves badly, talent loses.
What happens when someone violates the code of conduct
We don’t do public shaming. We do action.
Depending on severity, we may:
- Remove content
- Issue a warning
- Temporarily restrict participation
- Remove someone from the community
- Remove an instructor’s ability to teach on the platform
For serious issues (harassment, hate speech, threats, doxxing), removal can be immediate.
How to keep the community useful (and not a mess)
If you want great answers, ask great questions. You don’t need to sound smart. You just need to be specific.
Try this:
- What you’re trying to do
- What tool/process you’re using
- Where you got stuck
- What you’ve already tried
And if you’re answering someone, do them a favor:
- Tell them what to do next
- Tell them what to avoid
- Tell them what you wish you’d known sooner
Where to go next (based on what you need)
If you want to learn from experts and ask questions live:
Weekly webinars + replays
If you’re stuck inside a tool and you need someone to show you where the buttons are:
Product tours (Tech Tools)
If you want big ideas without the 300-page reading assignment:
Book Club Summaries
If you’re ready to go deeper on a skill:
Course marketplace
Start Here (use this if you’re brand new)
Quick-start plan (15 minutes total):
1) Pick one webinar replay that solves a current problem: Weekly webinars + replays
2) Watch one product tour for a tool you already use: Product tours (Tech Tools)
3) Read one book club summary and steal one idea for this week: Book Club Summaries
Ready to jump in?
Start here: Go to Campus
If you don’t have an account yet, register here: Create your free account