The author is indeed all alone. That's why authors need organizations that provide the infrastructure and support to assert their rights. I, myself, work with Copibec and other copyright societies.
As a writer, you are alone. Few writers are as fortunate as I am to have been a publisher and bookseller. It doesn't work that way. Writers are alone with their work, and all that matters is finding a publisher so they can exist and gain some exposure for their creation.
They are at the mercy of winds blowing from all directions, so they need people to provide the copyright infrastructure so they can collect what they are owed. That is why societies like Copibec are so important for authors.