As we head into 2026, independent authors continue to face both unprecedented opportunities and new challenges. The Alliance of Independent Authors’s (ALLi’s) Advisors share their insights into what’s coming, and the trends that are shaping and will continue to shape how indie authors create, publish, and reach readers. Whether you are just starting out as an indie author-publisher, are expanding your author business, or are looking to refine advanced strategies, these perspectives will help you navigate the year ahead with confidence and creativity.
For Beginning Authors: Think Like a Publisher from Day 1
It’s never too early to bring the mindset of a publisher as well as a creator to your work. As Publishing Advisor Jane Friedman says, “The most successful indie authors of 2026 will be those who truly think like publishers. That means focusing less on small, prestige-driven wins—like paid reviews or isolated publicity efforts—and more on scalable, strategic actions.”
Friedman continues, “Study your genre’s bestsellers, position your books with professional covers, and plan publication schedules a year in advance. Publishers obsess over comps, metadata, and timing; indie authors should too. Treat each book as an intellectual property asset, not only a creative expression. This business mindset is what transforms a writing career from a passion project into a sustainable enterprise.”
Advisor Russell Nohelty also recommends that authors think about crowdfunding from the start of their careers. “Crowdfunding is not only on pace to become the standardized first stop in an indie author's release strategy but is also getting a lot easier to coordinate between disparate creators, platforms, and companies,” he says. “Crowdfunding is entering an era where it is no longer only for the experienced author.”
“The most successful indie authors of 2026 will be those who truly think like publishers. That means focusing less on small, prestige-driven wins—like paid reviews or isolated publicity efforts—and more on scalable, strategic actions.”
— Jane Friedman, ALLi Publishing Advisor
ALLi Director Orna Ross says more independent authors are starting out with a “direct sales first” mindset.
“It used to be that first-time authors thought only about Amazon, but now some are coming in with a view of ‘direct’ as the center of their publishing business, understanding that an owned storefront and mailing list turns each book into a relationship engine—insulated from platform volatility and algorithm shocks,” Ross says. “If you’re publishing your very first book, that doesn’t mean building a huge store on day 1. It means doing the basics that let you sell direct—a simple website, an email list, and tools that allow a reader to purchase a book from you—and seeing retailers, crowdfunding, audio, libraries—everyone else—[as] the spokes of your business, leading back to your owned, central hub.”
For Emerging Authors: Build Visibility and Voice
As the indie publishing world becomes more crowded, discoverability remains a defining challenge for emerging authors. In 2026, visibility will depend less on luck and more on intentional strategy: how well you tell your story, engage your audience, and adapt to new technologies that shape how readers find books.
Hannah Jacobson, an ALLi advisor with a focus on awards and story marketing, emphasizes the vital role awards can play to bring your work to the attention of readers.
“Awards will become more integrated into authors' overall marketing narratives,” Jacobson says. “Instead of treating awards as standalone achievements, indie authors will increasingly weave accolades into their authentic story marketing, sharing not just the win but the journey, the craft, and the why behind their work.”
Her suggestion? “Start building your awards strategy now,” she says. “Research opportunities that align with your book's genre and values. When you submit or win, share the story behind it with your readers. What made you choose this award? What does recognition mean for your book's mission? This authentic approach turns awards from credentials into connection points with your audience.”
“YouTube is going to shift dramatically in 2026, especially for authors who use video to reach readers,” says Video Content Advisor Dale L. Roberts. He highlights how authors can establish both their books and themselves as creators within a target audience.
“With Google's new Gemini-powered tools, creators can brainstorm video ideas, edit rough cuts, and even turn snippets of dialogue into Shorts in minutes. For authors, that means less tech hassle and more reader connection. You can analyze what your audience wants with Ask Studio, create instant book trailers, and sell directly from your channel through merch shelves or affiliate links. My advice: Start experimenting now. The authors who embrace video early will own discoverability.”
Ross says AI use will also keep accelerating, and smart independent authors will enter the conversation through their work—pairing creativity with rights literacy—and through collaborative action to protect copyright and author rights.
“ALLi’s policy around ethical AI is consent, compensation, clarity, curiosity, and creativity, and in 2026, indie authors will continue to educate themselves around opt-in/opt-out training policies, provenance features, and clear data handling—using AI where it’s author-advancing, not author-erasing,” she says. “As more indie authors understand that they can get the upside of AI—speed, convenience, testing, discoverability—while protecting their IP, their own voice, and their readers’ trust, we will see them take their part in industry moves toward transparent AI training disclosures and collective licensing.”
Book Marketing Advisor Ricardo Fayet also emphasizes ways authors can use emerging technologies, such as large language models (LLMs) to connect with the right readers. “The biggest trend for 2026 will be the rise of AI-first discoverability,” he says. “As search engines and reading platforms integrate LLMs, more readers will find books through conversational AI rather than keywords. These systems recommend titles the way a friend would—based on context, mood, and themes.
“As more indie authors understand that they can get the upside of AI—speed, convenience, testing, discoverability—while protecting their IP, their own voice, and their readers’ trust, we will see them take their part in industry moves toward transparent AI training disclosures and collective licensing.”
— Orna Ross, ALLi director
“Indie authors should start optimizing for AI search now,” Fayet continues. “Experiment with ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews to see which books are recommended for prompts like yours. Study their positioning—themes, language, tone—and align your own metadata and marketing language accordingly. The authors who learn generative engine optimization early will lead the next wave of book visibility.”
For Experienced Authors: Lean into Strategic Partnerships
For the most experienced authors, strategic partnerships can lead to the next level of success. Non-Fiction Advisor Anna Featherstone sees opportunities for experienced authors in expanding their focus beyond the page and beyond solo efforts.
“My radar is emitting signals that 2026 will herald more multimedia and more collaborations,” she says. “Joint projects mean a pooling of insights, talent, and energy to amplify creativity and marketing reach, while multimedia storytelling including video, interactive links and augmented reality will turn thoughtful and rich non-fiction content into many experiences.”
She suggests authors, especially those with an established brand and business, capitalize on the opportunities other mediums provide. “Try adding just one multimedia creation around your book's content, or collaborate by co-creating something with an aligned author, whether it be a chapter, a book, joint real-world event, online appearance or marketing material,” she says. “Be curious, act creatively, and resolve to give things a go!”
Partnerships mean not only connecting with other creators but also connecting with reputable publishing organizations that can bring your work to an ever-widening audience. “We continue to counsel almost all authors to sustain an indie career while selectively exploiting licensing opportunities,” ALLi’s Rights and Contracts Advisor Ethan Ellenberg says. “The taboo against print-only licenses with traditional publishers continues to shrink, albeit slowly, and mainly for authors at the top of the market. Interest in audio rights continues to grow, and we are seeing some interesting variations, like print plus audio, plus a robust translation market. There is no one-size-fits-all—authors need to evaluate their skill set across all the processes of publishing—production, distribution, marketing, promotion, et cetera—and stay on top of what’s happening in a rapidly evolving industry to make sure they are pursuing the right options for their own creative and business goals.”
Across every stage of the indie author career, the message from ALLi’s advisors is clear: Success in 2026 will come to those who combine creativity with strategy. By thinking like publishers, embracing new technologies, and seeking authentic ways to connect with readers, indie authors can build careers that are resilient and rewarding in a rapidly changing landscape.
“There is no one-size-fits-all—authors need to evaluate their skill set across all the processes of publishing—production, distribution, marketing, promotion, et cetera—and stay on top of what’s happening in a rapidly evolving industry to make sure they are pursuing the right options for their own creative and business goals.”
—Ethan Ellenberg, ALLi Rights and Contracts Advisor
For more on the areas advisors identified as trends in the coming year, check out these ALLi resources:
- ALLi Advisor Hannah Jacobson dives into what indie authors should really expect from book awards and contests in a six-part series on book awards. Read the fourth article, “The Biggest Book Award Myth That’s Keeping Indie Authors from Winning,” on how to build a successful strategy around which competitions you enter, at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/book-award-myth.
- “The Ultimate Guide to Author Collaboration in Writing and Publishing” explores the various forms of collaboration that can benefit authors throughout the writing and publishing process and provides advice for making those relationships run smoothly: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/author-collaboration-writing-publishing.
- On the October 31, 2025, episode of The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Dan Holloway explores how changing algorithms at Amazon and platforms like Substack are shaping authors careers heading into the new year. Listen at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-amazons-new-algorithm.
- From the Self-Publishing Advice Conference, or SelfPubCon, a free online event hosted twice yearly in association with ALLi, executives at DropCap Agency discuss with Outreach Manager Michael La Ronn how translations can boost an authors’ profits and how authors can explore building connections with foreign rights buyers. Listen to the highlight on The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-translation-sales.
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a global membership association for self-publishing authors. A non-profit, our mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing. Everyone on our team is a working indie author and we offer advice and advocacy for self-publishing authors within the literary, publishing and creative industries around the world. www.allianceindependentauthors.org
