I took one year off traditional work to become a full-time indie author and here is what happened when I treated writing like a real job

For the last year and a half, I’ve shown up on social media almost exclusively as an author. A bookstagram. A writing account. A place built around drafts, book content, edits, cover reveals, and the long, quiet work of bringing stories into the world, indie-style. In May, after two years of building it piece by piece, I indie published my first dystopian novel, Without Light (The Sanctioned Series). I’ve never been shy about saying it wasn’t a genre I set out to write. I bu

The Alignment Season Things are about to get a little quieter. Welcome to the calm before what I hope will be an incredible storm in 2026. I’m calling this my alignment season . Not a rebrand, not a pivot, just a pause—a deliberate space to breathe, reset, and figure out how to bring The Sanctioned Series to the readers who will connect with it most deeply. The Honest Part When I published Without Light , I did what every debut author does: I built the world, hit publish, an

Here’s the thing about being an indie author: writing the book is only half the battle. The other half? Selling it. And unless you’re...

There’s something about a single month that can shift the trajectory of an entire life. Not long ago, I was writing about how to make my...

Look, launching a book is exhilarating and chaotic—a little like planning a wedding and then realizing halfway through the reception that...

When I started indie writing with the goal of self-publishing, I thought the most challenging part would be writing the book. Then I...

Here it is. A little something fun: a pronunciation guide! Because when you make up names and places for a novel, it turns out not...

Breaking Down Without Light's Government System

Dystopian fiction has captivated readers for decades, with its gripping stories of broken worlds, survival, and the fight for humanity....

Official Directive From S A N D R I C Sanctioned. United. One. YOUR FIRST LOOK AT SANDRIC Sandric Propaganda Welcome to Sandric, a world...

Well, here we are, creeping ever closer to 2025, and I can’t think of a better way to start the year than getting one step closer to...

I'm leaning into the idea of self-publishing my first novel. There are quite a few elements of the construct that really appeal to my...

While my brave beta readers are diving into Without Light, I’m over here twiddling my thumbs, contemplating the meaning of life...

Guess what, everyone? I’ve completed my developmental edits for Without Light ! 🎉 It’s a miracle, really, because I feel like I could...

Tackling draft two of Without Light: filling plot holes, finding missing characters, and transforming my story one edit at a time.

There’s a certain kind of dread that comes with waiting for your manuscript edits to return—an emotional cocktail of fear, regret, and...

Diving into the world of self-promotion, especially in the vibrant sea of Bookstagram and social media...

Let me start by saying, if you had asked me a few years ago what comes first—the editor or the egg—