There’s a question that haunts a lot of indie fiction writers, particularly after the third burned-out book in a series they don’t even want to read anymore:
Am I selling out if I quit this genre and write what I actually want to write?
Short answer: No, you’re not selling out. You’re probably saving your sanity.
Longer answer? Let’s get into it.
If Your Heart’s Not in It, AI Can Probably Do It Better
I hate to say it, but if you’re phoning it in—writing to market because you feel like you should, not because you want—you’re setting yourself up to be replaced. Not by a better author. By a machine.
AI doesn’t get bored. It doesn’t suffer existential dread. It doesn’t resent its own book series. It will merrily spit out another military alien dragon harem romance whether it feels like it or not (because it doesn’t feel anything).
You, however, do feel things. You’re human. And that’s your edge.
Joanna Penn Said It Best
“Write beautiful books, and be more human than ever.”
— Joanna Penn
Jo Penn has been championing author independence and creative authenticity for years. Yes, you need to understand your market. But she also argues that your humanity—your weirdness, your voice, your perspective—is what makes your books matter.
Pivoting to a genre that actually excites you isn’t selling out. It’s reinvesting in your own creative capital.
Indie Lets You Pivot Without Permission
The beauty of indie publishing? You don’t need to ask anyone before changing direction. You just… do it.
You want to stop writing cozy mysteries and start a Viking space opera? Go for it. Pause your YA dystopian trilogy and try a spicy time-loop romance? That’s your call.
Your audience will shift, yes. But it might actually grow, because now you’re writing like someone who enjoys it.
And you don’t need to hit the New York Times list to make this work. As Kevin Kelly put it: you just need 1,000 true fans. A thousand people who love your work, who’ll buy what you write, and who genuinely want you to keep creating.
Build Your Platform (Around You)
If your platform is a trap you built for yourself in a genre you hate, then yeah, you’re going to feel like you’re selling out.
But if you build a platform around your voice, your passions, your stories—then pivoting doesn’t feel like a betrayal. It feels like evolution.
You can take your readers with you. Not all of them, sure. But the ones who matter will follow, because they weren’t just there for the tropes. They were there for you.
Final Thought
If you’re wondering whether it’s okay to quit writing what you’ve been writing and start writing what you actually want to write—the answer is not only yes, it might be essential. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a warning light.
Go write the thing that scares you a little. That thrills you. That AI could never fake.
And if you’re going to “sell out,” at least sell out for yourself.
Want a little support while you pivot? Drop a comment or share this post with a fellow writer stuck in a genre-shaped rut. We’re all in this together, just trying to make beautiful things and stay sane while doing it.
