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Is the indie author market actually as tough as the forums make it sound? Written Word Media surveyed nearly 600 authors at the midpoint of 2026, and the data tells a more nuanced story than the doom-and-gloom. In this episode, Ricci and Ferol break down the survey findings and identify the five things that optimistic, growing authors are doing differently.
What you’ll learn:
- The headline sentiment data: how many authors report growing vs. declining businesses halfway through 2026
- Why the authors whose businesses are thriving are writing more (not less) and the psychological reason that strategy works
- Why author newsletters are still the top owned-channel investment among the optimistic group (and how Written Word Media's Subscriber Surge Giveaways can help you build yours)
- Which paid ad platforms are still delivering (Amazon ads and Meta), and why the optimistic authors haven't abandoned them
- The catalog monetization plays winning authors are making: box sets, translations (AI-assisted), and human-narrated audiobooks
- How growing authors are using AI as a workflow tool, and how that attitude differs sharply from authors who are struggling
- Why KDP Select vs. wide turns out to be statistically irrelevant to business optimism (46% vs. 47%)
- What changed between the end-of-year survey and the mid-year survey: algorithm anxiety is way up, and AI went from background noise to center stage
Also covered: Ricci's quote-on-the-wall take on optimism vs. pessimism, and why data says there's a real reason for both.
Want to learn more ways to reach readers? Visit writtenwordmedia.com for author resources, book promotion tools, and more.
The Written Word Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.
© 2026 Written Word Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Creators and Guests
What is The Written Word Podcast?
A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.