Author name: Tracy at The Productive Indie Fiction Writer

No, It’s Not Your Imagination. Publishing Is Tough Now.

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

If it feels like publishing is tougher than ever — it’s not your imagination. The market is saturated, algorithms are pay-to-play, and readers are trained to expect endless content for pennies. But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It means the game has changed. And smart indie authors are adapting by building direct reader platforms, redefining success on their own terms, and learning to market without selling their souls. The old paths are gone — time to blaze your own.

Let’s Bury “Fast = Crap” Once and for All

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

The “fast = crap” myth is creeping back into author circles—and it’s time to shut it down. Whether you write fast, slow, or somewhere in between, what matters is craft, not the clock. This post unpacks why speed doesn’t equal sloppiness, how believing otherwise can harm your writing, and what the Artisan Author mindset really means. Spoiler: it’s not “write slow or else.”

The Perfect Life for an Author? It Looks Boring as Hell.

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

If you’re serious about writing — I mean serious-serious — then at some point you’re going to have to give things up. And not just a Netflix show or two. I mean real, soul-wrenching, this-or-that decisions.

I’ve made them. I gave up socializing. I gave up making clothes and jewelry. I took lower-paid jobs so I’d have the energy to write.

Writing takes time. And if your life is already full, then something else has to go. That’s the reality. You can’t wedge a writing career into the margins of a life that’s already packed.

When Writing Isn’t Enough: The Harsh New Reality of Indie Income

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

In the early days of indie publishing, simply hitting “publish” could bring in income. Now? Discoverability is a battle, the market is saturated, and writing fiction full-time is a dream that more and more authors are having to compromise. This post digs into why multiple income streams aren’t a failure—they’re the new normal—and how indie authors can adapt without giving up.

From the Mailbag:  How do you organize yourself?

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

Juggling multiple pen names, a production pipeline, and the occasional bout of procrastination takes more than just caffeine and stubbornness—though those help. In this post, I break down exactly how I manage my writing and publishing schedule, from rotating pen names to keeping six+ books in postproduction at once. I also explain why I never write more than one book at a time and how I use a 300-step checklist to keep my head (mostly) attached.

What Happens When You Stop Telling Yourself You’re a Slow Writer

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

I thought I was stuck at 1,200 to 1,300 words per hour because I had been for years. But I wasn’t. I was just telling myself I was. This month, I’ve finished one book, written another in nine days, and started plotting a third—all while juggling a demanding side gig. If you think you can’t write faster, maybe it’s time to stop believing that.

Dictation vs. Typing: The Pros, the Cons, and Why I’m Sticking With My Keyboard (For Now)

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

After my fourth serious trial, I’m calling it: for me, dictation is dead—at least for now. The modest bump in words per hour just doesn’t outweigh the tech friction, location lock-in, and editing overhead. If dictation plus clean-up time gets you more net words than typing, go for it. But if you’re already a clean, fast typist, the numbers might tell you to stick with your keyboard.

Mastering Your To-Do List (Or: Why Half-Assing It Will Sink Your Writing Career)

/ Tracy Cooper-Posey

A half-used task manager is worse than none at all. It lulls you into thinking you’re organized while your real workload smolders quietly in the background. As indie authors, we can’t afford that. There are just too many moving parts. The right system—used properly—turns chaos into calm, lets you stop reacting to fires, and helps you finally make space for the deep, strategic work that actually grows your career. Like, you know…writing.

Review of The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant

/ Non-Fiction, Reference, Tracy Cooper-Posey

“At its heart, this book offers a liberating proposal: don’t play the game as it’s currently defined. Walk away from algorithm worship, punishing release schedules, and the grind of selling at 99 cents to churn-hungry subscription readers. Instead, write what you want to write, at the pace that suits you, and charge a fair price for your work.”

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