Diary of an indie writer, by Jas

Today I'm sharing the last of 3 special fireside conversations with indie authors who have contributed to my new book. It also happens to be episode 75 of the podcast 😊🎉

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Rebekah Mallory Rebekah, author of Train Gone: A CODA Ex-JW Memoir, is an INFJ, a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults) turned nationally certified ASL interpreter, a bibliophile, logophile, writer, and doomsday cult survivor. She is drawn to dark souls, misfits, rebels, outliers, the misunderstood, and the hardened because she believes those hard, rebel edges can be softened. She lives in the sticks of New Hampshire with her husband and two dogs, Liesel and Dexter | rebekahmallory.com

Katherine Turner Katherine is an award-winning author, editor, and a life-long reader and writer. She grew up in foster care from the age of eight and is passionate about improving the world through literature, empathy and understanding. In addition to writing books, Katherine blogs about mental health, trauma, and the need for compassion on her website (below). She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two children, and two playful kittens | kturnerwrites.com

What we talked about:

– “Did you write with a genre/themes in mind?”

- Katherine shares hows she started writing her memoir, Resilient

– “Did writing compliment your therapy?”

- Katherine and Rebekah share their thoughts and feelings around marketing (+ Rebekah shares what to look out for when it comes to cults)

– “Have you figured out ways to do marketing in a way that feels more authentic to you?”

🔉 listen to or 🎥 watch episode #75 🎉

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My first vlog

And just a couple of hours ago, I spontaneously recorded my first short vlog, talking about how I feel a couple of days from launching my first book 😁 Here it is:

🎥 My 1st vlog :) A couple of days away from my book release... [~5mins]

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from,

Jas

📝 Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021

After recently sharing why I made The Indie Author book, in my latest episode I share how I've made the book.

I talk about:

• How 'The Indie Author' transitioned from blog to book
• How I found self-published authors to interviews for the book
• Under-estimating the editing process(!)

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🎥 watch or 🔉 listen to episode #74

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by,

Jas

📝 Monday, September 20th, 2021

Here’s the second of 3 special fireside conversations, with self-published authors who have contributed to my new book: The Indie Author.

This one is with authors Anja Schüler-Renner and John Davis.

Anja is the author of the novel City of Lies, has also published non-fiction books, and is a coach for intuitive writing, based in Dresden, Germany.

John is an author, writer, speaker, and musician based in South Florida.

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We talked about:

- How to navigate the delicate balance of ‘writing’ and ‘making money’

- How to write from an authentic place (for yourself) and for an audience (for others)

- How Anja & John approach their writing, marketing and editing processes

- and more

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🎥 watch on youtube

🔉 listen via podcast

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I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I can’t wait to invite you to the book’s pre-launch in just a few days’ time (:

from,

Jas

ps. Feel free to share this link with any writer friends who might be interested in following the book launch & access the discounted pre-launch price. Thank you for your support!

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, an independent writer & writing coach about to self-publish my first book, The Indie Author. This blog is my written diary to share my experiences, my conversations and my tips for writers as my journey unfolds. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

Today, I’m sharing why I started 'The Indie Author' project, and why I've stuck with it over these last two years.

(I definitely haven't completed every project I've started, believe me...)

I talk about:

• Why I'm so passionate about self-publishing and the 'indie' movement
• How traditional pubishing isn't the only way, and may not be the best fit for you right now
• The writers who blew my mind
• The power of learning from stories vs information

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📺 watch on youtube

Length: ~17mins

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It's also the first video I've filmed on my iPhone, which gives a higher-quality picture and appears to have solved the lagging I've been experiencing with my recent videos 🙌

I hope you enjoy it,

Jas

p.s. I announced the schedule for my book release this week!

Here it is, you can click the image to reply to or share the tweet:

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, an independent writer & writing coach about to self-publish my first book, The Indie Author. This blog is my written diary to share my experiences, my conversations and my tips for writers as my journey unfolds. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

I've been quiet for a couple of weeks but I'm excited to be writing to you today.

Almost exactly 2 years to the day since I started The Indie Author as a project, today officially marks the start of my book launch 🥳

To celebrate its launch, over the next couple of weeks I'm going to be sharing some things with you before releasing the book itself.

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And so to kick things off...

I'm delighted to bring you a 3-way fireside conversation with two of the authors who contributed to the book, Lynnda Pollio and Ritu Kaushal.

Some of the things we talk about:

• “What drew you to writing? Had you been writing before you wrote your books?”
• Lynnda + Ritu share their writing process for their books, Trusting the Currents & The Empath's Journey
• Indie publishing as a way to write from an authentic place, rather than writing for a particular genre
• What 'marketing' has looked like for Ritu and Lynnda

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🎥 watch on youtube

🔉 listen via podcast

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Keep an eye on your emails over the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing more with you before the book goes on sale 😊

Happy Friday,

Jas

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, an independent writer & writing coach about to self-publish my first book, The Indie Author. This blog is my written diary to share my experiences, my conversations and my tips for writers as my journey unfolds. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

Here’s part 2 of the episode I shared last week, this time focusing on the blogging part of my writing journey:

You can watch it on YouTube…

… or you can listen via podcast.

ps. sorry about the lag on the video – this is just my 3rd video using video editing software and I’m still learning! 😊

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, a writer and poet about to self-publish my first book. This blog is my written diary. I hope my words inspire and that I help fellow indie writers & artists along the way. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

Next month will mark the two-year birthday of the Indie Author blog, the project which eventually became the book I’m releasing in a couple of weeks’ time.

At the heart of this book is raw and honest stories of writers – and their writing.

Which is why I’ve been asking myself recently what writing means to me.

To help me answer that question, I’ve put together a video – with pictures – which looks back on my writing journey from my primary school days up until today (including a 10-year pause in the middle).

It took me a while to put this together, but I loved looking back on my writing journey and engaging with memories that had been laying dormant.

This is part 1 of my writing journey:

To experience it in full – with those pictures I mentioned – 🎥 here’s the video.

Or, you can 🔉 listen via podcast.

I hope you enjoy it, and perhaps it might invite you to think about your own journey with writing – or whichever creative outlet is the most meaningful to you.

by,

Jas

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, a writer and poet about to self-publish my first book. This blog is my written diary. I hope my words inspire and that I help fellow indie writers & artists along the way. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

I'm just checking in briefly this Sunday to share something new a friend & I started recently.

Sasa & I spent time together in Madeira, and we decided to start a casual podcast where we just chat about our indie journeys – as an indie maker (Sasa) and indie writer (me).

There have already been things I've shared in these conversations that I don't recall sharing anywhere else, like how much I've made as an indie writer to date... and why I used to dread going to Indian weddings as I've navigated this crazy ol' indie path.

You can listen to our first 2 conversations here, via Spotify + other podcast platforms, here:

🔉 anchor.fm/indies

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I've also narrated the announcement I made earlier in the week about the new direction I am taking.

You can watch it 📺 here, and there's a little surprise at the end too...

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And finally, I had a great time at Micro Camp this weekend, a community of fellow (micro)bloggers. I gave a (pre-recorded) talk titled 'The Joy of Long-form Writing', and others I enjoyed including one called: 'Want to write a book? You probably already have'.

There was also an intoduction + Q&A given by the Micro Blog team of Manton & Jean, about this refreshing platform & community of bloggers that is micro.blog.

You can watch all of the replays for free, by registering 🖱️ on this page and then clicking on the 'Videos' tab once you're inside.

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Next week, I'm looking forward to sharing my writing journey as part of the launch process for The Indie Author book. :)

by,

Jas

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, a writer and poet about to self-publish my first book. This blog is my written diary. I hope my words inspire and that I help fellow indie writers & artists along the way. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

I'm feeling the pull to produce more art and share it, stepping deeper into my own identity as an indie artist – and to help other indie writers do the same, building fans and an income around their creative work.

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So I've got something to share with you today.

In October, it'll be 3 years since I started IntrovertJedi, the blog that later became this one: INF Club.

As I've reflected on the future of the blog in recent weeks, I've noticed that I'm being pulled in a slightly different direction.

Or, perhaps, a renewed direction. Let me explain...

Since I left my corporate job 6 years ago, it feels like I've been slowly peeling back the laters and coming closer to my intuitive, creative centre.

Indeed, many of the the INFPs, INFJs & intuitives I've connected with, resonated with and interviewed for the podcast (and on the blog) have been those who are writers, or otherwise creatives or multi-passionates.

I've noticed the excitement and passion I've felt when connecting with other artists, whether it's through listening to a podcast, on twitter, or in real life. These inevitably tend to be creative souls who are trying to make an income from their art – whether they are authors, musicians, or artists.

The majority of these people seem to be iNtuitives, and I'm sure many of them are INFPs and INFJs – even those who haven't taken the test, of which there are many.

As I get ready to launch The Indie Author book, I've been reflecting on my journey with the project and the why behind my writing and why it means so much to me. My time in Madeira has also been an opportunity to come back to centre and connect with my intuition, and the dots seem to be pulling me in the same direction.

It feels like the start of a new chapter.

I'm still figuring things out, but it feels like my focus is changing to indie artists, and especially those who write – the authors and the poets who are putting their words down, sharing it with the world, and stepping into making an income from it... perhaps even being full-time artists.

I've come across few examples of folks “out there” who are walking this indie artist path and have made it a “thing”. Folks like Joanna Penn (indie author) and Charlotte Erikksen (indie musician).

And now that I'm about to publish my first book, I'm feeling the pull to produce more art and share it, stepping deeper into my own identity as an indie artist – and to help other indie writers do the same, building fans and an income around their creative work.

I've been blogging for 6 years now, learning as I go, and I've started making an online income too. I'm now wanting to step into my growing identity as a writer, as an indie artist, sharing what I'm up to and what I'm learning along the way, so that others can walk the path with me too.

I know that many of you who have been following my journey with INF Club are writers and multi-passionates. I've interviewed several of you for the podcast, and connected with even more of you via twitter, over a call, or through the Mastermind Programmes that I've run these last couple of years.

I hope you'll stay along for the ride as my new chapter begins, but if what I'm up to no longer resonates with you there are no hard feelings at all.

Either way, it felt right for me to share these thoughts with you before the release of the book. I thought about holding off until the next month but, honestly, it felt right to share this now. It's been building more and more in recent weeks, and I felt ready to share this with you before I start giving the book – and the stories of the 50 self-published authors it contains – the sort of launch promotion I feel it deserves.

We live in an exciting time where making money from our art as independent creatives is an actual thing. It's a path we can choose to take, and The Indie Author shares the raw and honest stories of writers all over the world who have done exactly that.

In the coming weeks, you'll notice me stepping more into this new direction myself, and this will be reflected in the things I share on the newsletter, as well as the on the podcast/YouTube. I'm also currently in the process of creating a new home for the blog (I'm looking forward to sharing that with you soon).

In the meantime, you're welcome to connect with me on twitter, @jasraj0, where you can see some of what's happening behind the scenes.

Thank you for following my journey so far, and being patient as I navigate this next part of it. Whilst I step into this new direction, I'll continue to surround myself with the intuitive souls who have nourished and supported me in the last couple of years.

More than anything, that intuitive, sensitive, INFP part of me is me – and I'll only be leaning into it more in the weeks and months that lie ahead. Next week, I'll be recording another conversation with my writer friend Lauren Sapala, where we'll be talking about managing our energy as sensitive souls. It's so important to continue these conversations around our intuition & sensitivity.

So here's to us intuitive, creative souls and here's to new directions.

And with all that being said, here's to wishing that each of us becomes exactly who we are meant to be...

Over the coming couple of weeks, I can't wait to step into the launch of The Indie Author, and to share with you the journey I've been on with this project.

See you again soon,

Jas

update: I also made a recording for this piece, with a little surprise at the end too | you can 📺 watch or 🎙️ listen.

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, a writer and poet about to self-publish my first book. This blog is my written diary. I hope my words inspire and that I help fellow indie writers & artists along the way. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.

Hey everyone,

So I've been easing myself back into suburban London life, and I have to admit it's been nice settling back into the familiarity that is “home”.

I arrived back exactly a week ago last Sunday afternoon, and so I was here for the start of the week. I'd enjoyed my short walks downhill to the co-working space in Madeira, and I quite fancied giving myself a gentle morning 'commute' when I woke on Monday morning.

I felt grateful as I walked through Bushy Park, past a group of deeper and then to a coffee shop to start my morning's work. The very same coffee shop I am writing this newsletter from, in fact. Ending my week how I started it...

I'm reminding myself that there is adventure to be found even when I'm at home. It's just a case of mixing things up, making a little effort, and allowing myself to be grateful for the things I have accessible to me.

I wonder if you might be able to think about how you can incorporate some adventure into your own weekly life?

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My primary focus at the moment has been to get The Indie Author book finished and prepare for its launch, which I can't wait to share with you.

There isn't an INF Cub podcast episode this week, but I wanted to share with you a short recording I made with my friend Sasa a couple of weeks ago. Sasa & I first connected via the IndieHackers forum over a video call (two, actually) earlier in the year, before we both found ourselves at the digital nomad village in Madeira.

We ended up spending a bunch of time together, finding solace in our both being 'indies' in the village (the majority of nomads were either employed or freelancers), and we shared many conversations about all sorts of stuff, from indie stuff to emotions to politics(!).

We decided to record a conversation about why we chose this 'doing our own thing' path, a conversation between two indies, if you will.

(We also recording a conversation for the INF Club podcast which I'll be sharing in the future, pic below)

We share how we started our indie journeys, and what we were doing back in our conventional, corporate lives. We also shared how much we were earning previously, and I share how much money I have made from INF Club to date (though, since recording, I've actually calculated that I've made more than twice as much in earnings than I had guess-timated).

As my 2-year Indie Author project nears its end with the release of the book, it was nice fo me to connect back with my original why – why it is I'm so passionate about this indie movement – and why it was I left the corporate world.

It's a little over 30 minutes in length, and you can listen to the raw audio using the link below:

👉 https://anchor.fm/indies/episodes/How-we-started-our-indie-journeys-and-what-this-podcast-is-about-e14udod

update: you can now listen on other podcast platforms, too

Feel free to tweet us (@SasaCocic and @Jasraj0) if you enjoyed listening, we're thinking about having more of these conversations & would love to know if you'd be open to listening in on them (:

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As well as being energising and nourishing, the time I spent away has also helped me grow strong in my indie identity, and helped me become clearer about the work I want to do – and who I want to serve – going forward.

I look forward to sharing the journey with you as it unfolds,

Jas

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👤 Hello, I'm Jas, a writer and poet about to self-publish my first book. This blog is my written diary. I hope my words inspire and that I help fellow indie writers & artists along the way. You can receive my diary entries as I publish them, here.