Author name: Tracy

Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part III

/ INDIE PUBLISHING, Planning, Publishing & Production, Stoicism & Perspective / 6 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment

Most authors aren’t confused about how traditional and indie publishing work. They’re confused because they’re emotionally attached to what they want those systems to be. In 2026, choosing between trad, indie, or anything resembling “hybrid” isn’t about legitimacy or dreams of a writing career. It’s about understanding which system you’re willing to depend on — corporations behaving well, or yourself. This is the part nobody says out loud.

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Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part II

/ INDIE PUBLISHING, Planning, Publishing & Production, Stoicism & Perspective / 7 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment

If Part I was the brutal, unsentimental comparison of trad vs indie — advantages, disadvantages, and the cold math of each — then Part II shifts gears completely. Part II dives into what modern indie publishing actually looks like in 2026, because most writers still imagine the 2013 version: KU gold rushes, cheap ads, write-to-market hamster wheels, and algorithmic rituals. That world is gone. Today’s indie career is a full business model built on direct sales, diversified income, long-tail backlist revenue, platform resilience, and storytelling that can’t be replicated by AI. If you don’t understand this version of indie, you can’t choose your publishing path intelligently — and Part II lays it out without sentimentality, delusion, or nostalgia.

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Retconning Is Not a Free Pass: Why Indie Authors Can’t Afford to Rewrite the Past

/ Plotting & Outlining, Story Concept / 4 minutes of reading / 2 Comments

Hollywood franchises might be able to reset their storylines and expect fans to go along with it—but indie authors don’t get that luxury. Readers trust books to remember what came before. When we break that trust, we lose more than just continuity—we lose our audience. Here’s why honoring your story’s past isn’t a limitation—it’s your greatest creative tool.

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The Dirty Little High You Get from Skipping Writing (and How to Beat It)

/ Discipline & Motivation, Habits, Work Processes / 3 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment

Ever feel that tiny hit of relief when you decide to skip writing for the day? That little dopamine buzz isn’t your friend—it’s a trap. In this post, we unpack why your brain rewards you for avoiding your work, how that conditioning sabotages your writing habit, and how simple rituals can save the day (and your word count).

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Trad vs Indie in 2026

/ INDIE PUBLISHING, Planning, Publishing & Production, Stoicism & Perspective / 17 minutes of reading

Traditional publishing and indie publishing aren’t just two different business models — they’re two different belief systems. Trad authors think they’re building a career as an artist. Indie authors know they’re running a business. In 2026, that mindset divide matters more than ever. With AI flooding the marketplace, platforms deep in enshittification, bookstores shrinking, and rights tied up tighter than a banker’s fist, the only way to make good choices is to understand exactly how each system really works — not how you wish it worked. This is the brutal, unsentimental guide to both paths.

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Working Harder Starts with Time Off: Why Downtime Isn’t a Luxury (It’s a Strategy)

/ Indie Health, Longevity & Wellness / 4 minutes of reading

We all know downtime matters — but most of us don’t actually build it into our week. After a weekend of enforced “no work, just play,” I relearned the surprising truth: downtime isn’t a luxury, it’s a creative strategy. Even ten-minute breaks can reboot your energy and make you want to work harder. Here’s why you need micro-downtime — and how to make it part of your indie life without guilt.

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AI Just Went Mainstream. Here’s What That Means for Indie Authors

/ Technology, Tools & AI / 3 minutes of reading

AI has officially gone mainstream—and that matters more than you think. This week on the blog, we’re looking at what the AI tipping point means for indie authors (hint: it’s not time to panic, but it is time to get your author platform AI-friendly). If your site doesn’t tell a chatbot what kind of stories you write, you’re already losing visibility.

Let’s fix that.

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Your Personal Weasel Word List (and Why You Should Actually Use It)

/ Publishing & Production, Work Processes / 3 minutes of reading

Before you dump your draft on an editor—or on your future self—you should be doing a ruthless cleanup pass. That starts with your own personal Weasel Word List: those sneaky, repetitive words and phrases that dull your prose and clutter your scenes. You’ve got ‘em. Everyone does. The trick is to catch them before your editor does. Bonus: clean manuscripts make ebook compilers very, very happy (and don’t randomly explode on Kindle).

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The Mid-Holiday Writing Retreat: Claim Your Time, Writer

/ Indie Health, Longevity & Wellness, Planning / 4 minutes of reading

Feeling like your writing time keeps getting chipped away by the holiday chaos? This post explores how to reclaim your creative space with a personalized mid-holiday writing retreat. Between Christmas and New Year is the perfect window to refocus, recharge, and write your heart out—without leaving home.

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