Writing careers aren’t built by books alone. Every conversation, reader, bookseller, podcast host, journalist, and fellow author becomes another thread in the sail that carries your career forward. Discover why people are one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—sources of long-term momentum in the Solar Sail Theory.
People Are Part of Your Sail Read More »
Book launches aren’t dead. But the idea that every new release must carry your entire publishing business is fading fast. Traditional publishing still depends on launch velocity, but indie authors operate under different physics. Solar Sail Theory shifts the focus from short-term sales bursts to building long-term visibility, discoverability, and audience reach. The bigger your sail, the less any single launch can make—or break—your career.
The Death of the Rocket Launch Career Read More »
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.
Why Fast(er) Writers Build Bigger Sails Read More »
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 »
Every few years, someone declares that blogging is dead. Usually loudly. Usually confidently. Usually while selling a course about the thing you’re supposedly meant to do instead.
But Solar Sail Theory asks a different question entirely: not whether blogging is fashionable, but whether it strengthens your discoverability surface area. In an era of disappearing social posts, algorithmic chaos, and AI-mediated search, blogging may be less about going viral—and more about building durable infrastructure that compounds over time.
Should You Blog? A Solar Sail Theory Answer Read More »
Jamie Ferguson interviewed me this week about The Indie Author Survival Guide, long-term career thinking, systems, sustainability, discoverability, and why modern indie publishing increasingly rewards adaptability over certainty.
Talking Shop with Blackbird Publishing Read More »
Safe writing used to feel like the smart choice. Study the market. Follow the trends. Give readers more of what they already liked.
But in a world where AI can produce endless same-but-different stories, safe writing is becoming the riskiest strategy of all.
Readers do not know what they want until they see it. They cannot ask for the strange combination, the odd obsession, or the idea that should not work but somehow does. That is your advantage. The books that stand out now will not be the safest ones. They will be the ones only you could have written.
Safe Writing Is Dangerous Now. Here’s What to Write Instead. Read More »
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.
Retconning Is Not a Free Pass: Why Indie Authors Can’t Afford to Rewrite the Past Read More »
