It seems like everywhere I turn right now, there’s an author waxing poetic about the joys of slowing down their writing. This idea is nearly always bundled with the growing artisan author movement, which, let’s be honest, feels like it exploded overnight.
Johnny B. Truant’s The Artisan Author is suddenly everywhere—not just the book itself, but the ripple effect of it. I reviewed it not long ago, and since then, it feels like he’s haunting my newsfeeds. And he’s not alone. In just the past twenty-four hours, I’ve seen J. Kevin Tumlinson talking about branding, authenticity, and connecting with readers. Joanna Penn’s circling these topics. ALLi is podcasting about it. There’s a wave crashing down on indie publishing, and it’s not about faster algorithms or better ad strategies. It’s about slowing down, creating beautiful books, selling by hand, and cultivating true fans.
Kevin Kelly’s concept of “1,000 True Fans” is enjoying a second life—and rightly so. But the interpretation that often accompanies it these days is: “Slow down. Be more human. Write slower.”
Let’s define what we’re really talking about here.
What is the Artisan Author Movement?
At its core, the Artisan Author movement is about shifting away from mass production and algorithm-chasing, and moving toward:
- Creating beautiful, meaningful, long-lasting books
- Focusing on connection with individual readers
- Building a small but mighty audience of true fans who buy everything you write
- Selling direct-to-reader, often at in-person events, through your own storefront, or via curated interactions (like podcasts or reader Zooms)
- Letting your author voice and identity become your brand
Johnny B. Truant and Joanna Penn are two of the loudest champions of this idea right now, and a lot of the energy behind it seems to have crystallized at last year’s Author Nation conference. (Not all of us could attend, alas.)
This movement is a welcome relief for many. For authors who have burned themselves out trying to write to market, write fast, release faster, and chase reader visibility through ads and algorithms, the idea of stepping off the hamster wheel is soul-saving.
And to be very clear: for some authors, slowing down is the best thing they could possibly do.
But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.
The Danger of One-Size-Fits-All Advice
Here’s the danger: the Artisan Author movement is gaining speed and visibility. But without some thoughtful guardrails, we risk sliding back into an old, damaging narrative; “Fast = crap.”
I have spent decades pushing back against this assumption. And just when it looked like the industry had finally accepted that fast writers can be good writers, here comes another round of “real authors take their time.”
No.
Instead of saying “Slow down your writing,” we should be saying:
“Write at YOUR best pace.”
That’s the definition of prolific that I built into The Productive Indie Fiction Writer:
You’re prolific when you’re writing and releasing as many books as you can, in the time you have available to write them, and at a pace that keeps you happily writing over the long term.
Not the speed some guru on a podcast said. Not the speed your favorite Facebook author buddy keeps bragging about. Not the speed you wish you could manage.
Your speed. Your rhythm. Your flow.
As Johnny Truant says more than once in his new book: “You do you.”
The Mattress-Speed Red Flag
Here’s another red flag: if you feel a wave of relief when someone gives you permission to “slow down” and write beautiful, careful books… that’s a big ol’ warning light.
Because it probably means you’re writing at what I call “Hitting the Mattresses” speed:
Mattress-speed is a short-term, emergency sprint pace that is utterly unsustainable over time.
That kind of speed is meant to be temporary. Adrenaline-fueled. A last-ditch push toward a deadline, or a Hail Mary to meet a financial crisis. It is not a long-term creative strategy.
What is sustainable? Your best, natural, prolific speed.
When you find that sweet spot, it’s effortless. It builds on itself. It actually creates more energy, not less. You finish writing a novel and immediately want to write another. You get ideas in the shower and can’t wait to get to your desk.
Slowing down may feel easier in the short term, but for some of us, it drags. It frustrates. It blocks.
I know. I tried it.
I deliberately slowed down my writing for a week, just to test the waters. I nearly went mad. I broke out in hives. I like writing when I’m in flow, when time disappears, when the story is coming so fast my fingers can barely keep up.
That’s my best pace.
That is your best pace, too.
NOT picking out words one at a time. But capturing the stories in our heads, while the world around us disappears.
For me, that happy speed is about 1,300 words an hour (if I’m not dictating). For you it might be twice that speed. Or half that speed. But that’s your prolific pace. It’s the pace where your creativity is blooming, and your speed can be sustained forever.
So Yes, I’m Joining the Movement… With a Twist
All this said, I am joining the Artisan Author movement.
I’m going all-in on building direct relationships with readers. I’m ditching the algorithmic hamster wheel. I’m stepping out from behind the faceless book covers and letting readers meet me.
Because the truth is: online ebook sales are flatlining. Not just for me, but for almost everyone who isn’t in the tippy-top 1%.
So yes, I’m leaning into beautiful books. Unique stories. Writing that calls to me instead of what I think will sell. I’ve always struggled to write to market. Now, I don’t have to.
But I’m not slowing down.
I’m writing faster. With more joy. With more purpose. With more personal connection. Because I’ve found my pace, and it’s mine.
So go ahead and slow down if that’s what your creative soul is crying out for.
But if you’re like me, and writing fast is your jam?
Don’t let the new movement shame you back into the shadows.
Write well. Write fast. Write weird. Write real.
Write you.
Write More, Faster Than Ever Before | Are You Prolific?
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