The indie publishing world has fractured into a thousand niche markets, and the old one-size-fits-all advice just doesn’t cut it anymore. To thrive now, you need two things: a platform that keeps your readers close, and an experimental mindset that helps you navigate the mountain of conflicting advice. These aren’t just tactics—they’re survival strategies for the modern indie author.
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.
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.
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.”
“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.”
The editor-author relationship is professional and reciprocal: clear, honest feedback from the editor, and respect and understanding from the author. In the end, it’s your book — but professional editing comes with professional expectations.
