Challenging the Indie Author stereotypes
Content warning: this episode includes discussion of mental health topics, depression, anxiety, self-harm and other similar themes.
My friends, do I have a fabulous episode for you all! Fellow indie author Jess McFarlane sat down with me to discuss the range of stereotypical opinions that exist with indie publishing.
To many of us, traditional publishing is considered or perceived to be the ‘gold standard’ for literature. But the rise of indie authors and the growing accessibility in self-publishing is steadily changing the current preconceptions of the community.
In this episode, author Jess McFarlane and I discuss the stereotypes around self-publishing and being an author. We touch on topics such as author wellbeing, finding your community, marketing, and topical debates in the indie author sphere.
Of course, we also get into Jess’s upcoming literary release Man of Bears (scheduled for 16th September 2025). It is the sequel to Woman of Wolves, and book to in the medieval Irish historical fiction series, Arasgain Rule.
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Topics discussed with timestamps:00:00 Introduction
02:21 Reacting to assumptions about self-publishing
15:10 The mental load of being an indie author
19:01 Discussing Audra Winter
26:46 Ratings and opinions
32:02 Reflecting on how far you’ve come
41:15 Reacting to @authortuesdayyjames Threads post
48:18 Man Of Bears and Jess’s future work
58:44 Including spice
1:06:00 Looking to the future
Media and services quoted in this episodeEnfant Terrible - Remy Bazerque:
Enfant TerribleTraditional Publishing vs Self-PublishingA New Path for Me…Read morea year ago · 123 likes · 87 comments · Remy BazerqueThreads post by @authortuesdayyjames
Artist @miajoanart
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