Choosing indie publishing over trad routes

John A. Douglas joins to discuss the state of literature for men, the dominance of female-targeted content in traditional publishing, and why the most passionate male readers are “abandoning the future of literacy.”

John shares his powerful personal journey from a bullied, working-class Southern boy who was forced into homeschooling, to becoming a successful indie author. He discusses how traditional gatekeepers are failing to connect with this audience, and why independent authors are stepping up to deliver the stories men want, including going back to classic tropes like the hero’s journey and half-orcs. He also delves into the dark side of indie publishing, the importance of covers, and why an author’s strong, unapologetic opinions are now a key part of their marketing.

In This Episode

* Why the genre of “Books for Men” is being left entirely to indie authors.

* The danger of male readers abandoning new fiction for only classics.

* John’s background: being bullied in public school and his journey to becoming an indie fantasy author.

* Why John chose to embrace the Hero’s Journey and classic races (like the half-orc) in his book, The Black Crown.

* How modern media corrupts positive male friendship in stories.

* Why Trad Pub covers fail to capture male readers, and how indie authors are winning with dynamic art.

* The reality of the marketing “mountain” for indie authors and the necessity of having a public persona.

* The motivation behind indie authors: writing what they want to read.

* How to handle online “gang piles” and the resulting one-star reviews.

* What to tell young men driven away from creating art.

Guest Links

John A. Douglas

* The Black Crown: https://a.co/d/falBLzR

* Twitter/X: @J0hnADouglas

Kristin’s Links

* Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack

* YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

ManyChat - A revolutionary visual editor for messenger marketing.

https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction.

[00:40] - Interview with John A. Douglas begins.

[02:25] - Early life and experiences with bullying.

[04:33] - Homeschooling and overcoming adversity.

[07:10] - Finding solace in literacy, and becoming an author.

[09:05] - The Black Crown and fantasy writing.

[12:05] - Marketing and Indie publishing.

[14:12] - Navigating social media and how to handle criticism.

[25:52] - Advice for aspiring creators.

[28:41] - Conclusion and final thoughts.

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

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