What Game Are You Playing in 2025?

Dec 16

On her recent Patreon, J.F. Penn posed a question that really made me stop and think: “What game are you playing in 2025?”

This couldn’t have come at a better time. For the past few days, I’d been toying with the idea of querying again. I queried Soul Jumper before making the decision to self-publish, and with 2025 marking the five-year anniversary of that choice, I thought, Why not try the process again?

But when J.F. Penn asked that question, it was like a lightbulb went off in my brain.

What game do I want to play in 2025?

Do I want to spend the year writing and querying a single novel? Because that’s what querying is: long stretches of waiting, focusing all your energy on one book, and hoping for the best.

Or do I want to follow the publishing schedule I planned months ago and end 2025 with more published books, a (hopefully) larger email list, and a thriving freelance editing client base?

The Intentional Game

When I really broke it down, the answer became clear. What I want in 2025 is growth—growth in my brand, my writing, my email list, and my ability to help other writers reach their goals. Querying doesn’t align with any of that.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea of something. You watch videos of authors celebrating signing with an agent or landing a deal, and it’s tempting to think, I want that too. But what do you really want? And more importantly, what’s the best path to get there?

My word for 2025 is intentional. Making the choice to query next year wouldn’t be intentional for me—it would be impulsive. That doesn’t mean I’ll never query a novel again. Being a hybrid author is a long-term goal of mine, but with this intentional mindset, I know 2025 isn’t the right time.

Right now, my focus is on pushing myself to the next level as an indie author.

My Goals for 2025

Attend Author Nation: This is something I’ve dreamed about for years. I want to connect with other indie authors, learn from them, and build meaningful relationships within the community.
Grow My Email List and Audience: A strong email list is vital for connecting directly with readers, and I want to keep expanding that reach. If you know someone who is interested in this type of content - please forward this to them!
Publish More Books: I’m planning to launch the Grand Mesa Men series in 2025 (starting with my Kickstarter campaign) and experiment with publishing on Kickstarter to create beautiful editions of my books.
Make Pretty Books: Seriously, if you haven’t looked at Willow Winters’ or J.F. Penn’s Kickstarters, go check them out. They’ve created stunning, collector-worthy editions. I want to do the same!
Refine My Freelance Editing Business: I want to help more writers reach their goals by offering editing services that elevate their work.

Querying doesn’t align with any of these goals. If I spent months querying in 2025, I might end the year with an agent and maybe even a publishing deal (if I’m really lucky). But there’s also a chance I’d spend another year without publishing anything (other than The Grand Mesa Men series).

Why Indie Publishing Still Works for Me

One of the things I love most about being an indie author is the freedom it provides. While traditional publishers shoulder some of the costs (editing, covers, marketing) and have a much larger reach, indie publishing lets me control the process. I can decide when to publish, how my books look, and what my timeline is—all without the long waits that come with traditional publishing.

That’s not to say indie publishing is easy. It can be expensive, and marketing your own books requires dedication and strategy. But we live in a time where the playing field between indie and traditionally published authors is more level than ever. Readers don’t care where a book came from—they care about the story.

Even with the Big Five publishers still dominating much of the market (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster), indie authors are proving they can compete. Content creators and readers talk about indie books just as much as traditionally published ones.

That said, if you decide to query, make sure to do your research. Look for agents and publishers that align with your goals. Smaller publishers, like Entangled Publishing, are doing amazing things, and they may be a better fit for some authors.