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The Artisan Author: The Low-Stress, High-Quality, Fan-Focused Approach to Escaping the Publishing Rat Race
Less rush. More freedom. A way to love writing again.
If modern indie publishing feels like a high-stress race to the bottom, the good news is there’s another way.
Most authors start writing for the love of it, but in recent years the reality of “writing for a living” has soured. Now, for a lot of us, it no longer looks fun — or creatively fulfilling — at all.
You have to obey genres exactly or your books won’t sell. If you step outside your lane and try something new, the kinds of readers most authors court will never buy it. And then there’s the SPEED of it The rules of “Rapid Release” say you have to publish a book every month — at least — or you’ll never survive. Forget about taking a vacation. Time off will let the algorithms forget you.
Even successful authors often find themselves in "golden handcuffs”: selling a lot of books, but only in a series they now have to write forever. And all that to earn around a dollar per book … sold to readers who are far more loyal to Kindle Unlimited than to you.
Where’s the joy? Where’s the delight that got you into storytelling in the first place? Remember when writing felt like a creative playground instead of a grind? What if, instead of succumbing to that grind, you could find a way to be creative and free … without having to settle for poverty?
In The Artisan Author, industry veteran Johnny B. Truant offers an alternative to Rapid a new way to succeed as an author without sacrificing your freedom, worrying about competition or AI, or fearing you’ll lose everything when the winds — or the algorithms — inevitably change.
The way of the Artisan Author is the opposite of Rapid Release. Instead of rushing to churn out the same-old same-old, Artisans follow their muse and write whatever they want. Instead of stressing out, Artisans take their time, putting as much care and beauty into their work as they desire. It’s a way to build a substantial, sustainable, bulletproof income based on Kevin Kelly’s idea of “1000 True Fans”: readers who are loyal to you, not any platform. True Fans are all you need to earn as much as you want as an author. They’re people with whom you build genuine human connections … and who therefore love you enough to spend far more than ordinary readers will ever spend.
Johnny B. Truant has been a thought leader in the independent publishing community for over a decade, hosting the original Self Publishing Podcast, holding the Smarter Artist Summit conference, and co-authoring the industry bible Write. Publish. Repeat. In The Artisan Author, Johnny presents an art-first, quality-over-quantity alternative to Rapid Release for writers who thought sacrificing creative joy was the only way to succeed.
It’s not, though. It’s wonderful over here on the artfully profitable side of writing. Join us, will you?
If modern indie publishing feels like a high-stress race to the bottom, the good news is there’s another way.
Most authors start writing for the love of it, but in recent years the reality of “writing for a living” has soured. Now, for a lot of us, it no longer looks fun — or creatively fulfilling — at all.
You have to obey genres exactly or your books won’t sell. If you step outside your lane and try something new, the kinds of readers most authors court will never buy it. And then there’s the SPEED of it The rules of “Rapid Release” say you have to publish a book every month — at least — or you’ll never survive. Forget about taking a vacation. Time off will let the algorithms forget you.
Even successful authors often find themselves in "golden handcuffs”: selling a lot of books, but only in a series they now have to write forever. And all that to earn around a dollar per book … sold to readers who are far more loyal to Kindle Unlimited than to you.
Where’s the joy? Where’s the delight that got you into storytelling in the first place? Remember when writing felt like a creative playground instead of a grind? What if, instead of succumbing to that grind, you could find a way to be creative and free … without having to settle for poverty?
In The Artisan Author, industry veteran Johnny B. Truant offers an alternative to Rapid a new way to succeed as an author without sacrificing your freedom, worrying about competition or AI, or fearing you’ll lose everything when the winds — or the algorithms — inevitably change.
The way of the Artisan Author is the opposite of Rapid Release. Instead of rushing to churn out the same-old same-old, Artisans follow their muse and write whatever they want. Instead of stressing out, Artisans take their time, putting as much care and beauty into their work as they desire. It’s a way to build a substantial, sustainable, bulletproof income based on Kevin Kelly’s idea of “1000 True Fans”: readers who are loyal to you, not any platform. True Fans are all you need to earn as much as you want as an author. They’re people with whom you build genuine human connections … and who therefore love you enough to spend far more than ordinary readers will ever spend.
Johnny B. Truant has been a thought leader in the independent publishing community for over a decade, hosting the original Self Publishing Podcast, holding the Smarter Artist Summit conference, and co-authoring the industry bible Write. Publish. Repeat. In The Artisan Author, Johnny presents an art-first, quality-over-quantity alternative to Rapid Release for writers who thought sacrificing creative joy was the only way to succeed.
It’s not, though. It’s wonderful over here on the artfully profitable side of writing. Join us, will you?
- GenresWritingNonfiction
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
18 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Johnny B. Truant
193 books692 followersJohnny B. Truant is an author, blogger, and podcaster who, like the Ramones, was long denied induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite having a large cult following. He makes his online home at JohnnyBTruant.com and is the author of the Unicorn Western series, the Fat Vampire series, The Bialy Pimps, and a handful of other properties and growing every week.
You can connect with Johnny on Twitter at @JohnnyBTruant, and you should totally send him an email from JohnnyBTruant.com if the mood strikes you.
You can connect with Johnny on Twitter at @JohnnyBTruant, and you should totally send him an email from JohnnyBTruant.com if the mood strikes you.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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September 6, 2025I was excited to get a copy of this book, as while it's interesting enough to hear how genre fiction authors are earning a living (some of them) by churning out countless written-to-market series, that's not applicable to anything I write and I am trying to figure out how other authors, especially those of us writing non-series, mainstream or literary, novels can gain visibility for our work in a time of a heavily saturated book market.
Whether this book delights or disappoints will depend on where the reader is in what's often called their "publishing journey."
It will delight many writers who have been attempting (or feeling depressed at the seeming need) to rapid-release extremely similar books on Amazon to gain the attention of "whale readers" who devour massive numbers of books in a preferred genre. Many writers will feel validated that it is in fact possible to write and even sell books without buying into that model of authorship. For writers who need encouragement to follow their hearts and to write at their own natural pace, this book will be refreshing and wonderful. I highly recommend it to them.
It is also worth recommending to writers who have never been tempted to try to write rapid-release series to market, but it will not resonate as much with them. Writers like us will skim through much of the book because we don't need to be told that rapid-release only works well for a minority of authors; we've never been interested in attempting it. What we want is actionable advice on how to let our Ideal Readers know that our books exist.
Johnny B. Truant does provide a certain amount of good mindset advice and actionable suggestions. He very sensibly points out that there is no single path to success that will work for every author and that just because something worked for him or for some other person who makes a living writing, it may not work for the reader because each of us has a unique personality and writes our own kind(s) of books. He provides information on avenues that at least work for some people, and warns that it will seldom if ever be quick or easy to develop a real fan base. He reminds us that it's perfectly okay not to be a full-time author because most authors throughout history have not been able to achieve that--most authors have day jobs, families to support, etc. We write because we enjoy it and/or have something to say.
I was a somewhat disappointed reader, however, because while it was good to have discussion of various strategies, I didn't see anything that struck me as all that new to me. I am an author who's been observing the publishing world on and off for decades. I've published both traditionally and indie, in scholarly nonfiction and several flavors of fiction. My takeaway is that, based on my type of books and knowledge of self, I should continue to develop as an indie author (I'm still submitting to traditional publishers, but am kind of annoyed with some of the choices mine have made); I should do more with Kickstarter; should bite the bullet and really get my author newsletter going; and should be more on top of finding book festivals and other in-person selling opportunities. But I already knew before reading this book that those were steps that will help me. I know that indie publishing gives me flexibility whereas traditional publishing makes me somewhat more visible to the literary reader who isn't searching Amazon for favorite tropes.
I'm aware, however, that a great many authors and aspiring authors are less familiar with the publishing scene than I am, and this book will be a boon to many of them. Give it a read and see what you think!
Whether this book delights or disappoints will depend on where the reader is in what's often called their "publishing journey."
It will delight many writers who have been attempting (or feeling depressed at the seeming need) to rapid-release extremely similar books on Amazon to gain the attention of "whale readers" who devour massive numbers of books in a preferred genre. Many writers will feel validated that it is in fact possible to write and even sell books without buying into that model of authorship. For writers who need encouragement to follow their hearts and to write at their own natural pace, this book will be refreshing and wonderful. I highly recommend it to them.
It is also worth recommending to writers who have never been tempted to try to write rapid-release series to market, but it will not resonate as much with them. Writers like us will skim through much of the book because we don't need to be told that rapid-release only works well for a minority of authors; we've never been interested in attempting it. What we want is actionable advice on how to let our Ideal Readers know that our books exist.
Johnny B. Truant does provide a certain amount of good mindset advice and actionable suggestions. He very sensibly points out that there is no single path to success that will work for every author and that just because something worked for him or for some other person who makes a living writing, it may not work for the reader because each of us has a unique personality and writes our own kind(s) of books. He provides information on avenues that at least work for some people, and warns that it will seldom if ever be quick or easy to develop a real fan base. He reminds us that it's perfectly okay not to be a full-time author because most authors throughout history have not been able to achieve that--most authors have day jobs, families to support, etc. We write because we enjoy it and/or have something to say.
I was a somewhat disappointed reader, however, because while it was good to have discussion of various strategies, I didn't see anything that struck me as all that new to me. I am an author who's been observing the publishing world on and off for decades. I've published both traditionally and indie, in scholarly nonfiction and several flavors of fiction. My takeaway is that, based on my type of books and knowledge of self, I should continue to develop as an indie author (I'm still submitting to traditional publishers, but am kind of annoyed with some of the choices mine have made); I should do more with Kickstarter; should bite the bullet and really get my author newsletter going; and should be more on top of finding book festivals and other in-person selling opportunities. But I already knew before reading this book that those were steps that will help me. I know that indie publishing gives me flexibility whereas traditional publishing makes me somewhat more visible to the literary reader who isn't searching Amazon for favorite tropes.
I'm aware, however, that a great many authors and aspiring authors are less familiar with the publishing scene than I am, and this book will be a boon to many of them. Give it a read and see what you think!
November 6, 2025
I'm not usually one for "mindset" books (give me the concrete goods!) but I found this to be an exception. The Artisan Author not only affirmed what I already knew (that the currently models for indie authorship are largely unsustainable and soul-crushing), but gave a vision for what a more sane model could look like - a model that brings the same kind of creativity we apply to our writing into the realms of marketing and reader relationships.
This book is not a step-by-step guide, but rather makes the point that that kind of advise - the one size fits all approach to success - is part of the problem; and it lays out a different, more sustainable way to find joy in our author careers. A way that's grounded not on a single-minded obsession with algorithms and free downloads, but on real, human relationships with real, human readers.
I think every author will walk away from this book with a different conclusion. (That's part of the point. We're all unique!) For me, reading The Artisan Author affirmed the why of my writing - the joy of creation and the connection with readers. It helped me refocus on that why, and make it central to everything I do in my author business.
I especially appreciated Johnny's voice, his humor and his honesty. Is the Artisan Author method a guaranteed success? No. Is it easy? No.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
I highly recommend this book to indie authors in all stages of their career, from seasoned (jaded?) veterans to debut authors. You won't regret it!
This book is not a step-by-step guide, but rather makes the point that that kind of advise - the one size fits all approach to success - is part of the problem; and it lays out a different, more sustainable way to find joy in our author careers. A way that's grounded not on a single-minded obsession with algorithms and free downloads, but on real, human relationships with real, human readers.
I think every author will walk away from this book with a different conclusion. (That's part of the point. We're all unique!) For me, reading The Artisan Author affirmed the why of my writing - the joy of creation and the connection with readers. It helped me refocus on that why, and make it central to everything I do in my author business.
I especially appreciated Johnny's voice, his humor and his honesty. Is the Artisan Author method a guaranteed success? No. Is it easy? No.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
I highly recommend this book to indie authors in all stages of their career, from seasoned (jaded?) veterans to debut authors. You won't regret it!
December 16, 2025
As an author who likes to take her time—with her books, her characters, her craft—and who is troubled about the rat race of modern publishing, this book was a godsend.
The author doesn’t promise shortcuts or magical solutions. His message is simple: write what you want, write it with care and love, give it everything a good book deserves, and trust that your readers will find you. He backs this up with practical, no-nonsense advice. Don’t obsess over AI books. Don’t worry about competition. There is none. Your only job is to tell your stories.
He also mentions that simple doesn't equal easy, so there's that.
Quality writing attracts quality readers—readers who actually care about books made this way.
The tone is direct, honest, and unapologetic. No sugar-coating. No bulls**t. The book offers a glimpse of what writing life could look like if we stopped bending ourselves around the zone's algorithm and started being ourselves instead. It pushed me to be more truthful, more visible, and more confident in who I am as a writer.
In the end, that’s the whole point: be you. Own your quirks. Own your voice. Own your identity. Don’t hide it.
I loved this book. It’s going straight onto my shelf as something I’ll return to every time I need a reminder of why I write.
The author doesn’t promise shortcuts or magical solutions. His message is simple: write what you want, write it with care and love, give it everything a good book deserves, and trust that your readers will find you. He backs this up with practical, no-nonsense advice. Don’t obsess over AI books. Don’t worry about competition. There is none. Your only job is to tell your stories.
He also mentions that simple doesn't equal easy, so there's that.
Quality writing attracts quality readers—readers who actually care about books made this way.
The tone is direct, honest, and unapologetic. No sugar-coating. No bulls**t. The book offers a glimpse of what writing life could look like if we stopped bending ourselves around the zone's algorithm and started being ourselves instead. It pushed me to be more truthful, more visible, and more confident in who I am as a writer.
In the end, that’s the whole point: be you. Own your quirks. Own your voice. Own your identity. Don’t hide it.
I loved this book. It’s going straight onto my shelf as something I’ll return to every time I need a reminder of why I write.
Read
October 26, 2025An interesting look into a new way of being an author. Full review soon.
October 4, 2025
I am so thankful for this book! I’d been searching for anything, anywhere that talked about what a serious hobby writing life could be like, and this was it!
With wisdom borne of experience, Truant outlines the history of self-publishing, details where it’s gone wrong for many and charts a course for a different (better!) way.
That said, this isn’t a ‘how-to’ guide, it’s not a ‘do this and you’ll 10x your income’ kind of thing. It’s a set of principles and mindsets that will help any author build a fun and sustainable career.
If you’re a full-time writer, part-time or as Truant says an ‘adventure time’ writer, this is a must read. It’s truly helped me to know myself and be content with my current author life and business growth plan.
NB: I purchased this book from the initial kickstarter campaign
With wisdom borne of experience, Truant outlines the history of self-publishing, details where it’s gone wrong for many and charts a course for a different (better!) way.
That said, this isn’t a ‘how-to’ guide, it’s not a ‘do this and you’ll 10x your income’ kind of thing. It’s a set of principles and mindsets that will help any author build a fun and sustainable career.
If you’re a full-time writer, part-time or as Truant says an ‘adventure time’ writer, this is a must read. It’s truly helped me to know myself and be content with my current author life and business growth plan.
NB: I purchased this book from the initial kickstarter campaign
November 7, 2025
A Liberation Manifesto for Writers Who Actually Want to Enjoy Writing
I discovered this book through Johnny B. Truant's Substack and then backed his Kickstarter campaigns; it couldn't have come at a better time. As someone who is just completing the first draft of my first novel during Novel November 2025, I was staring down the daunting question: "Now what?"
Traditional publishing never appealed to me, but the dominant indie publishing model—Rapid Release, Kindle Unlimited exclusivity, and writing to market—felt equally soul-crushing. Then Truant offered a third option I didn't know existed: the Artisan Author approach.
What This Book Gets Right:
The core philosophy is brilliantly simple yet revolutionary: create high-quality books, find readers who appreciate them, and sell to them at fair prices. No algorithms to game, no publishing treadmill, no racing to the bottom on pricing. Just an authentic connection between the creator and the reader.
Truant's writing style perfectly embodies his message—conversational, honest, occasionally profane, and refreshingly free of guru-speak. He doesn't promise millions or overnight success. Instead, he offers something more valuable: a sustainable path that prioritizes art first, profit second.
The concept of 1,000 True Fans as your business model is both aspirational and achievable. Rather than chasing tens of thousands of bargain hunters, you cultivate genuine relationships with readers who value your unique voice. As someone nearing retirement who wants writing to be meaningful rather than just lucrative, this approach resonates deeply.
Particularly Valuable Sections:
• The six pillars of Artisandom provide an excellent framework without being prescriptive
• The breakdown of reader acquisition into three "buckets" (Discovery, Advertising, Creating Fans Out of Nowhere) offers clarity without oversimplification
• The emphasis on human connection—answering emails, learning names, being yourself—reminds us why we became writers in the first place
The Challenge:
As a 65-year-old introvert with an INFJ personality, some suggestions gave me pause. Live selling at farmers' markets and conventions? In-person networking? My initial reaction was "absolutely not." However, Truant's point about learning "comfortable extroversion" resonated. I do enjoy meaningful conversations with people—I just need to reframe selling as a connection rather than a transaction.
A Necessary Caveat:
This isn't a one-size-fits-all blueprint, and Truant is admirably upfront about that. Some tactics won't translate to my situation—his farmers' markets’ success relies on geographic proximity that doesn't exist for me. But that's precisely his point: use a compass, not a map. Take the principles, adapt them to your unique circumstances.
For my speculative fiction/science fiction/thriller hybrid (still figuring that out!), I suspect I'll focus more on online relationship-building aspects—such as Substack, email engagement, and possibly podcast appearances—rather than physical events. The beauty of the Artisan approach is its flexibility.
Bottom Line:
This book inspired and energized me when I needed it most. It validated my instinct that there had to be a better way than either traditional gatekeeping or indie hamster-wheel publishing. More importantly, it gave me permission to build a writing career on my own terms, at my own pace, serving readers who want what I create.
At 65, I don't have unlimited time, which makes Truant's message even more crucial: don't waste your remaining creative years doing something that makes you miserable. The Artisan Author approach offers a path to writing that's both fulfilling and potentially profitable—in that order.
Highly recommended for any writer who's ever thought, "There has to be a better way." There is, and this book shows you how.
Who should read this:
• New authors overwhelmed by conventional publishing advice
• Burned-out Rapid Release authors seeking sustainability
• Anyone who became a writer to create art, not feed algorithms
• Writers nearing retirement who want meaningful work without crushing stress
• Anyone who's ever felt their soul dying while trying to "write to market"
Who might skip it:
• Authors genuinely thriving with Rapid Release
• Those seeking get-rich-quick formulas
• Writers who are uncomfortable with any form of reader interaction
• Anyone who needs detailed tactical blueprints rather than philosophical frameworks
I discovered this book through Johnny B. Truant's Substack and then backed his Kickstarter campaigns; it couldn't have come at a better time. As someone who is just completing the first draft of my first novel during Novel November 2025, I was staring down the daunting question: "Now what?"
Traditional publishing never appealed to me, but the dominant indie publishing model—Rapid Release, Kindle Unlimited exclusivity, and writing to market—felt equally soul-crushing. Then Truant offered a third option I didn't know existed: the Artisan Author approach.
What This Book Gets Right:
The core philosophy is brilliantly simple yet revolutionary: create high-quality books, find readers who appreciate them, and sell to them at fair prices. No algorithms to game, no publishing treadmill, no racing to the bottom on pricing. Just an authentic connection between the creator and the reader.
Truant's writing style perfectly embodies his message—conversational, honest, occasionally profane, and refreshingly free of guru-speak. He doesn't promise millions or overnight success. Instead, he offers something more valuable: a sustainable path that prioritizes art first, profit second.
The concept of 1,000 True Fans as your business model is both aspirational and achievable. Rather than chasing tens of thousands of bargain hunters, you cultivate genuine relationships with readers who value your unique voice. As someone nearing retirement who wants writing to be meaningful rather than just lucrative, this approach resonates deeply.
Particularly Valuable Sections:
• The six pillars of Artisandom provide an excellent framework without being prescriptive
• The breakdown of reader acquisition into three "buckets" (Discovery, Advertising, Creating Fans Out of Nowhere) offers clarity without oversimplification
• The emphasis on human connection—answering emails, learning names, being yourself—reminds us why we became writers in the first place
The Challenge:
As a 65-year-old introvert with an INFJ personality, some suggestions gave me pause. Live selling at farmers' markets and conventions? In-person networking? My initial reaction was "absolutely not." However, Truant's point about learning "comfortable extroversion" resonated. I do enjoy meaningful conversations with people—I just need to reframe selling as a connection rather than a transaction.
A Necessary Caveat:
This isn't a one-size-fits-all blueprint, and Truant is admirably upfront about that. Some tactics won't translate to my situation—his farmers' markets’ success relies on geographic proximity that doesn't exist for me. But that's precisely his point: use a compass, not a map. Take the principles, adapt them to your unique circumstances.
For my speculative fiction/science fiction/thriller hybrid (still figuring that out!), I suspect I'll focus more on online relationship-building aspects—such as Substack, email engagement, and possibly podcast appearances—rather than physical events. The beauty of the Artisan approach is its flexibility.
Bottom Line:
This book inspired and energized me when I needed it most. It validated my instinct that there had to be a better way than either traditional gatekeeping or indie hamster-wheel publishing. More importantly, it gave me permission to build a writing career on my own terms, at my own pace, serving readers who want what I create.
At 65, I don't have unlimited time, which makes Truant's message even more crucial: don't waste your remaining creative years doing something that makes you miserable. The Artisan Author approach offers a path to writing that's both fulfilling and potentially profitable—in that order.
Highly recommended for any writer who's ever thought, "There has to be a better way." There is, and this book shows you how.
Who should read this:
• New authors overwhelmed by conventional publishing advice
• Burned-out Rapid Release authors seeking sustainability
• Anyone who became a writer to create art, not feed algorithms
• Writers nearing retirement who want meaningful work without crushing stress
• Anyone who's ever felt their soul dying while trying to "write to market"
Who might skip it:
• Authors genuinely thriving with Rapid Release
• Those seeking get-rich-quick formulas
• Writers who are uncomfortable with any form of reader interaction
• Anyone who needs detailed tactical blueprints rather than philosophical frameworks
December 17, 2025
The Artisan Author is the book I needed. In it, Johnny B. Truant of Write, Publish, Repeat fame spotlights an alternative to the rapid release model. This one's for the authors who write for the art/story first and the money second. If you don't want to or can't make yourself write in one genre, push out books quickly, stick to Amazon exclusivity, write to strict genre conventions, or other traits that make you a bad fit for the pump-out-books-in-KU strategy, you'll definitely want to read this one.
Johnny is radically honest in it: There's no tried and true exact formula for "making it" as an Artisan Author. Just some core pillars to help guide you and lots of options to try based on your individual goals and proclivities. This path leans hard into the concept of 1,000 true fans and being an author that your core readers keep supporting because it's you and you have something special to offer that they crave, not because you're writing a good-enough book with their favorite tropes.
While I do think Johnny's right that leaning into direct connection and personal relationships will give you a massive advantage as an artisan author, I also think there's an alternative he didn't really mention: writing books that are so darn good, unique, and appeal to an underserved group that your ideal readers will become rabid fans even if you're a recluse. Most of the authors I absolutely adore are veritable ghosts, but I love them anyway because of they're delivering a rare combination of elements that I crave but find very hard to find. Yeah, I'd probably love and support them even more if they got out there and interacted with fans more, but their model still works.
But anyway, that's a discussion for a blog post. Maybe I'll tinker with an introvert artisan author model concept.
I'll wrap up by saying I'm going to buy the ebook of this one and take notes. The concepts in the Artisan Author will be my compass in 2026 and, likely, far beyond that.
Johnny is radically honest in it: There's no tried and true exact formula for "making it" as an Artisan Author. Just some core pillars to help guide you and lots of options to try based on your individual goals and proclivities. This path leans hard into the concept of 1,000 true fans and being an author that your core readers keep supporting because it's you and you have something special to offer that they crave, not because you're writing a good-enough book with their favorite tropes.
While I do think Johnny's right that leaning into direct connection and personal relationships will give you a massive advantage as an artisan author, I also think there's an alternative he didn't really mention: writing books that are so darn good, unique, and appeal to an underserved group that your ideal readers will become rabid fans even if you're a recluse. Most of the authors I absolutely adore are veritable ghosts, but I love them anyway because of they're delivering a rare combination of elements that I crave but find very hard to find. Yeah, I'd probably love and support them even more if they got out there and interacted with fans more, but their model still works.
But anyway, that's a discussion for a blog post. Maybe I'll tinker with an introvert artisan author model concept.
I'll wrap up by saying I'm going to buy the ebook of this one and take notes. The concepts in the Artisan Author will be my compass in 2026 and, likely, far beyond that.
December 14, 2025
I just finished this book the other night. I couldn't sleep, it was three-thirty in the morning and I finally got around to the final pages. It's a great book, but it's not going to give you some secret sauce, which Truent says there is none. I wasn't looking for secret sauce when I cracked this book open. I tried the rapid release thing, and it's not very fun. I used to write a million words a year and even at that pace, I don't think I was writing fast enough. At that speed, I couldn't even give the books the attention I needed to in order to make them the best that they could be.
What intrigued me initially about this book is that it's the opposite approach to rapid release, which actually creates "fans" rather than readers you never hear from. It sounds like a much better approach to me. It's certainly not a get rich quick scheme he's pedaling, so if that's what you're looking for, don't even bother with this book.
What intrigues me the most is the physical book selling face-to-face with potential readers. I wish he would have gone into more detail here, but he does drop some other titles to read if you're interested in this--which I am. I'll have to go check those titles out.
It's a great book, one that should be read and reread multiple times. I won't go through all the points here. I don't like those kinds of reviews, but certainly pick this book up if you're interested in reaching readers in a method that's different from chasing Amazon's algorithms. I detest Amazon, and even if I could be a successful writer on that platform I would always feel uneasy with my financial future resting in the hands of some giant corporation chasing ESGs. This book is the answer to that issue. Read it!
What intrigued me initially about this book is that it's the opposite approach to rapid release, which actually creates "fans" rather than readers you never hear from. It sounds like a much better approach to me. It's certainly not a get rich quick scheme he's pedaling, so if that's what you're looking for, don't even bother with this book.
What intrigues me the most is the physical book selling face-to-face with potential readers. I wish he would have gone into more detail here, but he does drop some other titles to read if you're interested in this--which I am. I'll have to go check those titles out.
It's a great book, one that should be read and reread multiple times. I won't go through all the points here. I don't like those kinds of reviews, but certainly pick this book up if you're interested in reaching readers in a method that's different from chasing Amazon's algorithms. I detest Amazon, and even if I could be a successful writer on that platform I would always feel uneasy with my financial future resting in the hands of some giant corporation chasing ESGs. This book is the answer to that issue. Read it!
November 25, 2025
Some excellent advice that really appealed to my particular worldview and made it seem more possible that I could actually make something out of this writing lark in the end. As he explains, the book is more of an attitide coach than a how-to guide. I really liked the map vs compass analogy.
In the later sections I think he contradicts his own advice a little. The chapter on where to find readers had a little of the "you must do this or else fail" flavour of so many other marketing guides. He does make it clear that this is what works for him, but I would find all of those extroverted activities so draining and time-consuming. Plus I live in the country where the native language is different to the one I write in, so my scope for in-person marketing is extremely limited. At the same time, I could think of several things that fall outside the scope of his three categories of ways to find readers, and actually, the fact that I'm beings sceptical of that particular chapter proves that I really took on board the basic premise of the book, which is that you can go your own way and don't have to do what anyone else tells you is the "right way". Bravo Truant!
In the later sections I think he contradicts his own advice a little. The chapter on where to find readers had a little of the "you must do this or else fail" flavour of so many other marketing guides. He does make it clear that this is what works for him, but I would find all of those extroverted activities so draining and time-consuming. Plus I live in the country where the native language is different to the one I write in, so my scope for in-person marketing is extremely limited. At the same time, I could think of several things that fall outside the scope of his three categories of ways to find readers, and actually, the fact that I'm beings sceptical of that particular chapter proves that I really took on board the basic premise of the book, which is that you can go your own way and don't have to do what anyone else tells you is the "right way". Bravo Truant!
December 21, 2025
This book is such a breath of fresh air for someone like me who doesn't care for the "rat race" Indie publishing has become. As a polymath, I have my hands in more creative pies than I can deal with most days. How's someone like me supposed to stay on the Rapid Release bandwagon without falling off most of the time?
Enter in The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant. Truant already has loads of writing credits to his name, a successful self-publishing podcast, a publishing company with his two other long-time writing buddies, and more. I see this book as a nice follow-up to Write. Publish. Repeat. rather than its actual sequel, Iterate and Optimize.
The market is continually changing. You can't expect the train of Rapid Release to eventually derail, especially with AI swiftly pumping out books left, right, up, down, forward, backward, and sideways. As Artisan Authors, we have to see our craft from our own circumstances and at our own pace. It's all too easy to hear "pro" Indie authors tell us that the current trends are the best ways to make a living. That may be so, sometimes. But isn't it better to make a LIFE instead of merely a living?
This book will bring the LIFE back into your efforts—without feeling guilty about it (as we creatives are prone to do). If you can look over the profanity (Truant is known for this, so be prepared), and mine this book for its many treasures, you'll be thankful that Johnny has found the solution to burnout and exhaustion from the Rapid Release rat race.
Enter in The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant. Truant already has loads of writing credits to his name, a successful self-publishing podcast, a publishing company with his two other long-time writing buddies, and more. I see this book as a nice follow-up to Write. Publish. Repeat. rather than its actual sequel, Iterate and Optimize.
The market is continually changing. You can't expect the train of Rapid Release to eventually derail, especially with AI swiftly pumping out books left, right, up, down, forward, backward, and sideways. As Artisan Authors, we have to see our craft from our own circumstances and at our own pace. It's all too easy to hear "pro" Indie authors tell us that the current trends are the best ways to make a living. That may be so, sometimes. But isn't it better to make a LIFE instead of merely a living?
This book will bring the LIFE back into your efforts—without feeling guilty about it (as we creatives are prone to do). If you can look over the profanity (Truant is known for this, so be prepared), and mine this book for its many treasures, you'll be thankful that Johnny has found the solution to burnout and exhaustion from the Rapid Release rat race.
November 10, 2025
This came at a good time for me. Two complete series, little success. I’ve been seriously considering whether I want to just quit, like I did a bundle of decades ago on my first round of writing. But I still really enjoy the process of creating. So it’s time to unbundle my sense of what success is. I have always told myself I just want to break even, but now it’s time to believe it. Also time to really focus on what marketing I’d like to do, do it, write the books I want to write, and see how it goes. TIme to figure out a better way to market. I’ve done all the things, everything he talks about in this book that was the way we’ve all been told to proceed for years. Newsflash — I’m not going to make a living that way. I’ll just focus on writing what I want to write, and let things fall where they may.
November 4, 2025
This book is like a breath of fresh air, putting into words things you think or hope to be true and stepping away from all of the noise of rapid release and Facebook ad courses promising to make you rich. It brought me hope and felt a little like it gave me permission to do something different from the rest. Johnny doesn't make any promises that you'll make a living, or that everything will work instantly. Instead he gives you options and avenues to try until you can find what works for you. If you're tired of endlessly trying the next great way to be a break out author, then this book is for you.
November 26, 2025
Okay, and now a review for someone who isn't a friend or professional fan of the author's. 🙄 This is just another book full of whining and misinformation by a willfully ignorant misogynistic white guy. You can tell in the first few pages this guy is waaaaay out of touch with indie-publishing, but still feels like he has the chops to make big sweeping statements about what does and doesn't work in regards to KU, rapid releasing, and the romance genre. He is clearly ignorant of all three and it's cringey how jealous he is of authors who can make it work. Don't waste your time or money on this guy's pathetic rants. He just likes to hear himself talk.
November 5, 2025
This book offers sage counsel, and also hope for those of us who don't write fast!
Johnny B. Truant had been a guide during a previous phase of my Indie writer experience, and now he's come back into my orbit to affirm that no, I'm not crazy. "Rapid Release" is not the only way to go, in order to have a good writing career. I'd already been proving to myself that there's a viable "slow lane," but his perspective -- and several ideas I hadn't yet tried --made this a valuable book for me. If you're an author on the "Indie journey," I strongly recommend this book!
Johnny B. Truant had been a guide during a previous phase of my Indie writer experience, and now he's come back into my orbit to affirm that no, I'm not crazy. "Rapid Release" is not the only way to go, in order to have a good writing career. I'd already been proving to myself that there's a viable "slow lane," but his perspective -- and several ideas I hadn't yet tried --made this a valuable book for me. If you're an author on the "Indie journey," I strongly recommend this book!
November 1, 2025
A fun and inspiring ride into the world of indie publishing, with a promise that it can be better than rapid release. Take your time, be a good human, nurture connection, write good books. Everything else is just tactics and gumph. A good book for an indie author to feel part of a crowd doing their own thing.
November 5, 2025
"The main reason we're Artisan Authors is because we can't not be Artisan Authors." So true and if that resonates with you, you will get a lot out of this book. It's got clear-eyed, no nonsense advice about how to approach your author career. Not prescriptive on purpose, which I appreciate. Recommended for a breath of fresh air about publishing in today's world.
July 3, 2025
The indie author world has needed this book for a long time. I'm so delighted that Johnny B. Truant stepped up to the plate and hit this one out of the park. It's a home-run for so many of us who have been frustrated and exhausted in the digital pulp era of indie author publishing.
November 10, 2025
This book only took me so long to read because I was reading it alongside a class of the same topic, but oh my goodness, it was glorious. Highly recommend if you want to get out of the rat race of rapid release and work how YOU write best. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
November 7, 2025
Damnit
He said what I've been thinking. And it's a way. It's definitely a way. Devoured this book with slow deliberateness, it's the spark for sure.
He said what I've been thinking. And it's a way. It's definitely a way. Devoured this book with slow deliberateness, it's the spark for sure.
November 11, 2025
Honest, practical and memorable advice for authors who want to succeed without selling their souls.
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