One of the oldest arguments in publishing is whether writers should write quickly. Solar Sail Theory approaches the question from a different direction. Every book you publish becomes a discoverability asset: another doorway for readers, another wake spreading across the internet, and another opportunity for luck to find you. Fast(er) writers don’t just produce more books—they build bigger sails.
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Selling direct isn’t just about keeping a larger share of the sale. From a Solar Sail Theory perspective, direct sales does something even more valuable: it extends your sail and reduces drag at the same time. Every product page, bundle, subscription, and reader resource becomes another opportunity for discovery, while direct relationships with readers create momentum that can continue for years. At the same time, selling direct reduces your dependence on retailer algorithms, visibility changes, and platform policies. Sometimes the best business decisions solve more than one problem at once—and direct sales is one of them.
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Most indie authors think “marketing” means chasing algorithms, posting endlessly on social media, and trying to become an influencer. No wonder so many writers recoil from it. But the “Being Seen” part of Solar Sail Theory is much simpler — and far more sustainable. You are not trying to become famous. You are trying to become findable. Visibility that compounds over time, through podcasts, guest posts, searchable discussions, live events, and relationships, creates a sail that keeps catching reader photons long after the original effort ends.
Being Seen: Why Visibility Matters More Than Virality Read More »
Everyone says engagement matters more than email list size. I believed that once—and it cost me thousands of dollars. Fiction readers don’t behave like SaaS customers or productivity buyers. They hibernate, sometimes for years, then suddenly wake up and binge-buy an entire series. Here’s why aggressively scrubbing “inactive” subscribers may be one of the worst mistakes fiction authors can make, and how this realization became a core part of my Solar Sail Theory of indie publishing.
Email List Size Really Does Matter Read More »
Keeping Your Inbox at Zero. This is part Four and the final post of a series. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4 (last). Last week, I described how you can get your inbox to zero. It’s possible you may still be working on your stash of emails and haven’t yet reached zero, but you
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Getting to Zero The First Time. This is part Three of a series. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4 (last). In the last two weeks we’ve looked at why you might want to work toward an empty inbox and keep it that way, and some of the prep and practicalities of managing an empty
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Make Your Life Easier, First. This is part Two of a series. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4 (last). Last week, we looked at all the reasons why you might want to work toward an empty inbox at all times. Stress relief, security, and avoiding legal hassles were just a few of them. This
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And How to Keep It There. This is part One of a series. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4 (last). ____________________ I received an email from a PIFW reader a few weeks ago, asking me how I managed to stay on top of my emails. She knew how busy I was, yet I always
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