Welcome to The Backlist!
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Welcome, fellow writer. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, and make yourself at home. You've found a space created just for people like us—the ones who wrestle with words late into the night, who celebrate small victories like finishing a chapter, and who understand that the path of self-publishing is equal parts exhilarating and exhausting.
Why The Backlist Exists
Let's be honest, self-publishing can feel lonely sometimes. There's no traditional publisher holding your hand, no agent championing your work in meetings you'll never see. It's just you, your manuscript, and a thousand decisions that need making.
That's exactly why this blog exists. Not to give you another list of "10 Tips to Sell a Million Books" (though we might share a few tips along the way), but to create a genuine community where we can:
- Share the real challenges we face as indie authors
- Celebrate the wins, big and small
- Learn from each other's experiences and experiments
- Find encouragement when the words won't come
- Discuss craft, marketing, mindset, and everything in between
What You'll Find Here
The Backlist is your corner of the internet to explore the full spectrum of the writing life. Expect honest conversations about the creative process, practical insights on navigating the self-publishing landscape, and reflections on what it really means to build a sustainable author career.
We'll dive into topics like:
- Overcoming writer's block and creative resistance
- Building authentic connections with readers
- The emotional rollercoaster of publishing your work
- Sustainable writing habits that actually stick
- Lessons learned from our own publishing journeys
A Little Something on the Horizon
While The Backlist will always be your home for thoughtful articles and community discussion, we're also working on something called AuthorHub, a companion resource designed to support indie authors with additional tools and guidance. It's still coming together, but rest assured that this blog will continue to be a place of value and connection, regardless of what else we build.
Our commitment is simple: to keep showing up here with content that matters to you.
You're Not Alone in This
Perhaps the most important thing I want you to take away from this first post is this: whatever challenge you're facing right now as a writer, someone else has faced it too. The self-doubt, the technical overwhelm, the marketing mysteries, the blank page terror - none of it makes you less of a writer. It makes you human.
So stick around. Browse the posts. Leave a comment when something resonates. Share your own experiences and questions. This space grows richer with every voice that joins the conversation.
Here's to the words we'll write, the stories we'll share, and the community we'll build together.
Welcome to The Backlist.
-Tim
Hi, I'm Tim Hewitt
CEO of AuthorHub.io
I won my first writing scholarship in high school by beating more than 300 other writers in a nationwide contest, and that award gave me something money couldn't buy: the belief that my words mattered. Since then I've spent decades learning what makes writing work: how to find your voice, how to keep readers turning pages, marketing that really sells books, and how to spot the small craft problems that quietly sink good stories. This blog is where I share everything I've picked up along the way.
