direct sales

The Solar Sail Theory of Indie Publishing

/ Definitions, Distribution, INDIE PUBLISHING, Marketing, Stoicism & Perspective / 14 minutes of reading

Daily sales are sinking. Organic reach has collapsed. AI-generated sludge is flooding storefronts while retailers tighten their grip on discoverability. Indie authors are being told to do more of everything — more books, more ads, more social media, more platforms — while the systems underneath us become increasingly unstable and hostile.

The Solar Sail Theory of Indie Publishing offers a different approach.

Instead of chasing endless “rocket launch” marketing spikes, authors can build long-term momentum by expanding their discoverable surface area across the internet and in real life, then channeling that attention into owned reader relationships through websites, email lists, and direct sales.

A solar sail doesn’t move through explosive force. It moves by capturing thousands of tiny forces over time.

So can an indie author career.

The Solar Sail Theory of Indie Publishing Read More »

The Slow Squeeze: Why It Might Be Time to Reconsider Barnes & Noble

/ Distribution, INDIE PUBLISHING / 5 minutes of reading

Barnes & Noble didn’t send a warning shot—they sent a deadline. Raise your paperback prices to $14.99 by May 14th, or your books are gone. For indie authors working in short fiction or maintaining deep backlists, that’s not a tweak. It’s a hard stop. And it’s only the latest move in a pattern that’s quietly reshaping who—and what—belongs on the platform. The question isn’t whether these changes are fair. It’s whether your publishing strategy can survive them.

The Slow Squeeze: Why It Might Be Time to Reconsider Barnes & Noble Read More »

Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part III

/ INDIE PUBLISHING, Planning, Publishing & Production, Stoicism & Perspective / 6 minutes of reading / 1 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.

Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part III Read More »

Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part II

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

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.

Trad vs Indie in 2026, Part II Read More »

The Artisan Author Movement and the Myth of Slowing Down

/ Creativity, Prolificacy, Publishing & Production / 5 minutes of reading

The Artisan Author movement is gaining momentum—and for good reason. Writers are burning out chasing algorithms and churning out books to appease invisible markets. But here’s the catch: slowing down your writing isn’t the solution for everyone. For some of us, our best, most joyful pace is fast. Not frantic. Not desperate. Just flow. The key isn’t to slow down. It’s to find your best pace—and protect it fiercely.

The Artisan Author Movement and the Myth of Slowing Down Read More »

Review of The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant

/ Attitude, Creativity, INDIE PUBLISHING, PRODUCTIVITY & ORGANIZATION, Prolificacy, Publishing & Production / 6 minutes of reading / 3 Comments

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.

Review of The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant Read More »

Scroll to Top