Cassie Truett, author of Playing With Fire, has shared about her marketing strategies, the business of writing, and her writing process. Today, we get to listen as she talks about the writers that turned her on to indie publishing, how she defines success, and what advice she wants to offer to aspiring novelists.
If you’ve been reading these interviews (an especially if you’ve been enjoying them) take a minute to stop over at her socials and share the love. You already know I’m big on literary citizenship. That doesn’t start and stop with published authors. You, the readers, are the most important member of the bookish ecosystem. When you share books you love, leave reviews, and comment on posts, you’re making a difference. Not just for the author you’re celebrating, but, as we will learn from Cassie, you’re making a difference for all the other aspiring authors out there that need to see that they can do it. You make books happen.
Cassie’s second book, Kicking Up Dust will be coming out soon! Pre-Order through her website, or at The Second Story Bartow!
Finding Success as an Indie Author: An interview with Cassie Truett
Sarina: Which indie authors do you most look up to, be it for the stories they tell, the way they tell those stories, or their brand and marketing?
Cassie: One of my biggest role models when it comes to other indie authors is Layla Frost. I found her book, Little Dove, through a Tiktok a few years ago and it very quickly became a favorite of mine. It may sound silly, but I didn’t even realize indie publishing was a thing until I started a bookstagram, and then finding out that Little Dove was indie published was completely eye-opening for me. Brooke Montgomery is another one I look up to, both because of her online transparency about how she makes a living being a full-time indie author and her incredible marketing. Bailey Hannah has always been a huge source of inspiration for me as well, though she’s traditionally published now. The first cowboy romance I ever read was Seeing Red and I’m grateful she opened my eyes to just how sexy cowboys could be, haha.
Sarina: Why did you choose to self-publish your novel? What are the major benefits and challenges of self-publishing?
Cassie: I mentioned earlier that Layla opened my eyes to the world of self-publishing. With that, she also gave me hope. With my social anxiety comes a nasty case of Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria. It’s a really common symptom of ADHD and something I struggle with daily. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager but publishing my writing had never been something I’d even briefly considered, because I never wanted to put myself in a position to be rejected. The very idea of sending my work out to agents and/or publishers just to be shot down made my skin crawl. Even once I found out about self-publishing, I probably considered it on and off for about two years before deciding to actually make that leap. I also like having complete control over my stories. As far as downsides, of course, there’s the expenses. From the cover to the character art, merchandise, ARC management, marketing, advertising and more… it’s a very, very expensive way to publish.
Sarina: As an indie author, how do you measure success? Are you aiming for a certain number of sales? Follows? Newsletter subscriptions? Have you faced much rejection in this publishing journey?
Cassie: I have a very odd relationship with success. I set goals for myself, but when I achieve them, I have a hard time celebrating that. My mind quickly moves on to setting a new goal and while that’s a great mindset to have—to always want better for yourself—it’s also a bit toxic, in that I definitely need to learn to be proud of myself for the things I’ve already achieved and not angry at myself for not having already achieved the next thing, if that makes sense. I’d like to make a full-time living off of writing. Not necessarily six figures a year or anything like that. Just the ability to pay my bills and live comfortably, to afford the bougie cat food for my cats and occasional trips to the zoo for my mom without having to check my bank account consistently to ensure there’s enough. That would be “success” for me.
Sarina: What advice would you give a writer just starting out as an Indie author? How can they be successful?
Cassie: This is a really loaded question for me because I think a lot of my “success” so far has been luck-based. I feel like, in having a bookstagram, I had a bit of a head start that maybe not everyone has. I already knew a lot of amazing, supportive people that wanted to hype me up; I already knew which ARC management team I wanted to work with—having worked with them as a reader for over a year already; I already knew what types of posts marketed best based on the things that grabbed my attention as a reader… things like that. I also feel that success looks different to every person based on their individual goals. That being said, I think I would say this: the biggest investment you can make is the people you surround yourself with—your street team, your ARC management team, your artists and fellow authors. Invest in them and they will invest in you. I’d also pass along one piece of advice I got from a fellow author: you can’t edit a blank page. Write the book. Leave the typos in it. Edit later. First, make it exist. Then, make it good.
This is the final interview installment with Cassie Truett. Don’t worry, if you loved what you read you can follow her on pretty much any social media outlet, by subscribing to her newsletter, or of course, by purchasing her books.
As far as what’s coming, do you have Indie Authors you want to see us read/reach out to? Send me a message or leave a comment!
If you enjoy this content, take a moment to share the publication! Your share doesn’t just help me, it helps connect authors to readers that may have missed them otherwise. Thank you for your literary citizenship!
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