title_body: What are risks and disadvantages of publishing DRM-protected books for an author?
upvoted_answer: Self-published authors (who are going to be the only authors with the opportunity to decide on DRM vs DRM-free) will need a support mechanism for handling DRM-related problems. After all, any distraction from writing limits your income (see the famous clam sundae digression, p.25  in RA Heinlein's The Cat Who Walked Through Walls for an example.)