How Authors are Growing in 2026 (Mid-Year Survey Results)
About this episode
This episode discusses the findings of a mid-year survey of indie authors in 2026, revealing insights into their growth strategies and market conditions.
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…
More episodes of The Written Word Podcast
- How to Turn Free Content Into New Readers: The Author's Guide to Lead Magnets
- How to Set Up Amazon A+ Content in 30 Minutes or Less
- How Your Book Can Become a Hollywood Movie with Maggie Marr
- How to Get Your Audiobook Discovered on Spotify (And What's Coming Next)
- The Author's Guide to Hiring Freelancers (Cover Designers, Editors, and More) with Maari Casey
- Social Media for Authors with Jim Tobin: An Insider's Playbook from a Social Media Pioneer
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Written Word Podcast podcast page.