20 Reasons Why There’s Never Been A Better Time to Be an Author

Authors as individuals and as a collective are one of the smartest, most kind, and interesting communities in the world. — Michael

There’s a small but growing contingent of people out there who’ve had enough of big business and its greedy ways … and because of it, are actively seeking out ways to support artists and creators, and to shop local. — Johnny

Every negative trend you hear is merely a generalization. It’s true that fewer people read today than they did before … but the people who DO read are more voracious about it and excited than before. — Johnny

Technology is continuing to amplify the power of the individual and take down more gatekeepers. Whether it’s marketing help, editing help, or even helping with creation of your story, one person is now capable of more than ever. — Michael

News of all types is simply one perspective. Any negative thing you hear about writing and publishing has an equal and opposite perspective that finds good news in exactly the same situation. — Johnny

The written word, in books, is only one type of writing. If you think of yourself as a storyteller instead, you’ll see that there’s a need for storytellers everywhere, across all media. — Michael

In a world of complex social and technology change, we all need stories more than ever for escape and understanding. — Johnny

Information about how to run and grow your author business has never been more accessible. Gone are the gold rush days— but with them came grave uncertainty. There’s more to sort through now than ever, but as this industry has matured, so have best practices and playbooks. — Johnny

Real human connection is still valuable, and as the world depersonalizes further, people are beginning to realize how much they want and need it. Stories provide that connection. — Michael

There’s a new frontier for storytellers — and soon indie storytelling will encompass films, games, and more. The market is going to grow by 10x in the next 10 years. The pie is huge and there’s enough for a lot more authors to make a living. — Michael

Pessimism is often actually just rigidity of thinking. Rather than something being objectively “bad,” it’s more likely that the person who thinks of it as bad is simply reluctant to give something up that they’ve gotten used to. If you’re flexible, you won’t need to be pessimistic. Change is simply change, and is neither good nor bad. — Johnny

There are more ways to make a living as an author than ever. Whether it’s the proliferation of hundreds of subgenres, many different revenue streams, and dozens of software tools and platforms that support storytellers making a business. — Michael

People will not stop wanting to be entertained. Period. — Johnny

As a community, we are focused more on sustainability than ever. Bank > rank. Your well-being > your word count. We are better equipped to achieve new emotional heights, not just business ones, than ever. — Michael

Indie authors in particular are one of the most adaptable groups of people in the world. As major changes in society speed up, the collective of storytellers will shape-shift and thrive. — Michael

It’s trite and oft-quoted, but every crisis carries within it the seed of opportunity. It’s the people who are creative enough to zig when the whole world is zagging (or who find ways to stay open-minded while others say the sky is falling) who win. — Johnny

If you see the proliferation of competing media (meaning: media that competes with books for people’s attention) as a threat, you’re not using your imagination. It’s MEDIA! And media needs CONTENT! We’re more in-demand than ever … not less. — Johnny

Authors are one of the most supportive and collaborative communities ever. Together we are boundless! — Michael

It’s still so early. Most people outside of indie publishing still don’t know that this is an even an option… yet. It takes decades for massive societal changes to come. And just know if you are reading this now, you are still early. — Michael

Nobody else brings to the world what you bring. That means that nothing and nobody can ever replace you — ever. Form real bonds with readers and get them to like you for you … and that will make you bulletproof. — Johnny