Authors – Stories Rule Press

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

11 October 2025 / 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.

New Dystopian Fantasy from Taylen Carver

10 October 2025 / Contemporary Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Fantasy, Taylen Carver

SRP author Taylen Carver today released the next book in their dystopian fantasy series, The Scorched Lands Saga.

The Best Bad Choice: Why Impossible Decisions Make Great Fiction

8 October 2025 / Mark Posey

Great fiction doesn’t come from easy wins—it comes from impossible choices. When your protagonist is forced to pick between two equally awful options, the story stops being about “victory” and starts being about what they’re willing to lose. That’s when stakes rise, true character is revealed, and readers stay glued to the page.

Confessions of a Sadistic Author

7 October 2025 / Mark Posey, Thrillers

Why do authors put their characters through hell? Because without conflict, there’s no story. In Confessions of a Sadistic Author, Mark explains why Jacobine, Billings, and the rest of his cast are constantly battered and bruised — and why their scars make them unforgettable.

Mary Anning: She Sells Sea Shells… and Revolutionized Science

6 October 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

Mary Anning didn’t just “sell sea shells by the seashore.” She dug ancient sea monsters out of English cliffs, rewrote what we knew about life on Earth, and got zero credit for any of it while she was alive. Why? She was poor, female, and brilliant — the historical trifecta for being completely ignored. This week, let’s talk about the fossil hunter who changed science… and got buried by it.

Are We All Just Too Burned Out to Appreciate Big, Lush Fantasy on Screen?

5 October 2025 / Fantasy, Taylen Carver

With rumors swirling about The Rings of Power’s potential cancellation, I’m wondering if it’s not a quality issue—but a saturation one. Are lush, expensive fantasy series struggling simply because there’s too much content and too little attention to go around?

Too Late for Holiday Promos? Not Even Close: 9 Smart Ways to Make the Most of Q4 Sales

4 October 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

October might be here, but it’s not too late to jump into holiday book promotions. If you’re short on time but still want to take advantage of the busiest buying season of the year, here are nine creative, effective ways to promote your books—and get them into readers’ hands before the new year.

If You’re Not Crying, You’re Doing It Wrong

1 October 2025 / Mark Posey

Writing fiction should make you feel something. If you’re not laughing, crying, or at least smirking at your own words, your readers won’t either. Emotional resonance starts with the writer. From cardboard characters to scenes that don’t belong, here are five reasons your story might be falling flat—and what to do about it.

So, You’ve Spoken (and I’m Listening… Mostly)

30 September 2025 / Espionage, Mark Posey, Thrillers

From SRP Author Mark Posey: Well, my friends, the ballots have been counted, the hanging chads examined, and unlike certain

What’s on Tracy’s Desk? (2025 Edition)

29 September 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

Fourteen years ago, I shared a snapshot of my writing desk—and a surprising number of you still remember it! That desk is still with me, but the world around it has changed: the landline is gone, the monitors have multiplied, and only Strider remains of the original furry trio. This year, I revisited that 2011 post with a photo tour of my current workspace, the oddball trinkets that inspire me, and a glimpse into how I really write now—recliner and all. Spoiler: dusty fantasy author chaos is alive and well.