💭 Screaming Into the Void: What It Feels Like to Be an Indie Fantasy Author in the Age of Algorithms

I’ve been building my fictional universe — the Mythrendar Galaxy™ — for almost two decades.

Twenty years of scribbled notebooks, overwritten lore documents, maps, timelines, magical systems, crumbling empires, and wars fought across blood-soaked stars. I’ve crafted entire histories, soulbound rituals, sentient flames, and kingdoms that exist solely to fall. Every inch of it — built with love, pain, and persistence.

And yet, here I am…Posting. Writing. Editing. Sharing.And more often than not?

It feels like I’m screaming into the void.

The Indie Author Struggle Is Real

Let me be blunt: being an indie author in 2025 can feel absolutely soul-crushing.

There’s no team behind me. No marketing budget. No PR campaign. No agent pushing my book to BookTok influencers or sliding into the inboxes of big-name reviewers. It’s just me.

I’m the writer, the editor, the social media manager, the graphic designer, the publicist, and the very tired human staring at an Instagram reel that got 3 likes after 4 hours of editing.

It’s hard not to feel defeated.

The world of fantasy writing — especially indie fantasy — is both beautiful and oversaturated. There are so many of us out here, working our asses off, trying to share stories that matter. Stories we’ve spent years, even decades, shaping. And yet we get buried by the algorithm. Outshouted by the next trending trope. Forgotten in the endless scroll.

I know I’m not alone in this feeling.

And Yet… We Keep Going

We post. We write. We create new lore drops, character reveals, short stories, worldbuilding teases — whatever it takes to keep the fire alive. Because even when we feel invisible, the stories still burn inside us.

I keep going because the Mythrendar Galaxy™ is worth sharing. Because my novel, Veils of Blood and Ash, deserves light. Because there’s a reader out there who will find something sacred in the story of a dragon-blooded sovereign and a boneflame queen.

We don’t keep going because it’s easy. We keep going because we must.

So How Do We Actually Get Noticed?

Here’s the part I wish someone had handed me when I first started pushing my work out there: practical ways indie authors can gain traction — without losing their souls to the content grind.

1. Pick One or Two Platforms and Go Deep

Don’t burn yourself out trying to conquer Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Substack, and YouTube all at once. Choose where your ideal readers hang out and double down there.

• Instagram: great for aesthetic worldbuilding, quotes, and community tags like #fantasyauthors or #indiewriter.

• TikTok (BookTok): still massive for book discovery. Post character POVs, “if you like this, read my book” trends, or even dramatic lore drops.

• Substack: perfect for serialized stories, lore posts, or exclusive behind-the-scenes content that builds a loyal reader base over time.

👉 Pro Tip: Use Canva to quickly design clean, eye-catching visuals for posts. It saves time and elevates your professionalism.

2. Focus on Micro-Content from Your World

You don’t need to wait until your novel is done to start building an audience. Start sharing:

• Quotes from your characters

• Short, punchy lore blurbs (think 100–300 words)

• “Did you know?” facts about your magic system, gods, or regions

• “Who would you follow?” posts with your factions or houses

• Maps, sigils, relics — anything that feels real in your world

Fantasy fans love getting lost in a world before the book is even finished.

3. Build a Story-First Newsletter

Newsletters aren’t dead — boring newsletters are.

Start one (Substack is great), but don’t treat it like a sales pitch every week. Use it to tell the story of your world. Share serialized lore. Drop mini-stories. Let people explore your universe piece by piece. Those readers become your core audience.

4. Collaborate With Other Indie Authors

It’s not a competition — it’s a fellowship.

• Share each other’s work

• Do “worldbuilder Q&A” collabs

• Cross-promote newsletters

• Join group giveaways or themed TikTok/IG reels

Visibility is so much easier when you’re lifting each other up.

5. Talk About the Struggle (Like This)

People connect with honesty. They want to see the real you behind the world you’ve built. Vulnerability builds loyalty. Don’t be afraid to share posts like this one — they show heart.

(And let’s be honest, no one relates to perfection.)

I Don’t Have All the Answers. But I’m Still Here.

I’m still shouting into the void. But now I do it with more intention. More resilience. More hope.

If you’re an indie author reading this: I see you. Keep creating. Keep sharing. Your story deserves light. Your world deserves readers who care.

And if you’re a reader out there… please know that behind every self-published fantasy story is someone who gave everything to bring it into being.

We don’t have the big machine behind us.But we have the magic. And that’s more than enough.

Follow my journey through the Mythrendar Galaxy™Subscribe to my Medium for original dark fantasy fiction, serialized lore, and updates on my novel Veils of Blood and Ash and so much more!

Let’s make sure the indie voices rise.

—Nefarious J.R. BaneIndie fantasy author. Worldbuilder. Still standing.