Self-Publishing with ALLi Advice: Three Trends for 2026 — Transformation, Trust, and the 'Agentic' Shift with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn
Jan 17, 2026
Orna Ross and Joanna Penn explore the evolving landscape of self-publishing and the significance of authenticity and trust in building reader connections. They discuss the rise of agentic AI and its impact on marketing, suggesting that authors should focus on irreplaceable human skills. The conversation shifts to effective business strategies for indie authors, emphasizing direct sales and real-world experiences. As they look toward 2026, they advocate for a transformative approach in content creation that prioritizes reader engagement over traditional how-to formats.
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Substack Sparked New Energy
- Orna Ross moved her publishing and community work to Substack and found it energising for bringing everything together.
- She noticed fiction is starting to gain traction there beyond its nonfiction roots.
Run Your Author Career Like A Business
- Treat your author career like any other business with customers, products, distribution, marketing and finance.
- Decide if you want a hobby or a profit-driven business and focus on the essential levers to avoid overwhelm.
Prioritise Core Business Levers
- Simplify your author activities by prioritising core business levers instead of chasing every new tactic.
- Pull fewer, more impactful levers to reduce confusion, time waste and burnout.
