Beyond the Page: Transmedia Storytelling for Indie Authors

Writers have always imagined their stories leaping off the page, and thanks to new platforms, tools, and reader engagement models, indie authors are expanding their intellectual property into new realms more than ever. Transmedia storytelling—telling stories across multiple platforms in ways that enhance rather than merely replicate—offers a powerful way to deepen reader immersion and unlock creative and financial potential.

Whether you’re a beginning author or an experienced authorpreneur, transmedia storytelling can help you meet readers where they are and invite them into worlds they never want to leave. Here are steps you can take at any stage to incorporate transmedia into your business model.

For Beginning Authors: Think Beyond the Book

When you’re starting out, your focus is understandably on writing, publishing, and promoting your first book. But even at this stage, it’s worth considering how your story world could lend itself to other formats and experiences.

First, engage with readers via your email newsletter or on social media to better understand what transmedia content might interest them. Then, experiment with offerings like bookmarks, mugs, or shirts. Create designs on low-cost platforms like Canva, or hire a design expert on a marketplace like Fiverr.

ALLi’s Editor in Chief Roz Morris offers a word of caution if you’re creating merchandise that’s based on the artwork of your book cover.

“Ensure you have the rights to use the artwork for this,” Morris says. “Check your agreement with your cover designer—does it say anything about using the cover image for products beyond books? Even if the designer allows it, ask about any images they’ve used from stock photo libraries. The standard license to use an image for a book cover often doesn’t include the right to use it on other print-on-demand items such as mugs and T-shirts. You can probably extend the license, so check.”

If you distribute your transmedia content via third-party platforms like Redbubble, Threadless, or Zazzle, you save yourself the expense and inconvenience of maintaining inventory. However, if you handle fulfillment yourself, you will have contact information for purchasers and can use that to maintain a connection.

Transmedia doesn’t only mean merch. You might start with a character page on social media or a map of your fictional world shared as a downloadable PDF. (I created a website for the protagonist of my Ann Kinnear suspense novels, a consultant whose website is referenced in the books.)

By expanding your story universe beyond the book, you’re laying the groundwork for future expansion. And you’re building a deeper relationship with your audience, who will appreciate the invitation to engage with your story in new ways.

For Emerging Authors: Diversify and Deepen the Experience

Once you’ve published a few books and begun cultivating a reader base, you’re in a great position to try more ambitious transmedia experiments.

Crowdfunding campaigns can be a great approach for transmedia, providing an option to raise funds for the expenses related to more ambitious projects and expanding your reach, since users are going to platforms like Kickstarter not only to patronize their favorite creators but as a way of discovering new creators. As ALLi Advisor Russell Nohelty explains:

“We’ve used Kickstarter to fund games and comics, and people in our community have used it to fund movies, RPGs (role-playing games), and more.

“Most other mediums besides novels are pretty revenue intensive, and using Kickstarter to tell other types of stories is a great idea. On top of that, there are communities, like gamers, who are super supportive, and you might find a whole new vein of fans there for your writing work. Just know it’s not a guarantee your existing audience will follow you there. It often takes building a whole new audience for whatever new medium you want to explore.”

You can also use patronage platforms like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee to test premium content. A Mystery author might sell detective-themed notebooks or clue boxes; a Romance author might offer their protagonist’s diary.

Collaborate with other creators to co-launch crossover merch, boosting exposure and income potential.

For Experienced Authors: Move Beyond the Author Sphere

For authors with established publishing businesses, consider partnering with others beyond the author sphere.

Historical Fiction author Melissa Addey pitched a themed experience to escape room creators across the UK, eventually partnering with one to create a room featuring puzzles and décor drawn from her novels set in Qing-era China. The result was a successful and immersive attraction—with promotional ties to her books—that also reignited her creative energy.

Other options might include:

Full merchandise lines (including licensing to third-party sellers);
Custom apps or games that function as story delivery platforms;
Large-scale events, virtual or in-person, themed around your story world; or
A limited-edition board game or tabletop RPG set in your universe.

At this stage, it’s especially important to think strategically about rights management. ALLi offers guidance on selective rights licensing at https://selfpublishingadvice.org/selective-rights-licensing-for-indie-authors so that you can confidently license what supports your business while retaining ownership of your core assets.

As with all things indie, transmedia success depends on clarity of vision and connection with your audience. Not every author needs to build a video game or manufacture character plushies—but every author can benefit from thinking about their stories as more than books. Transmedia storytelling invites your readers not just to read your world but to live in it as well.