Indie Author Life

Held in the InterClub Ballarat Drop In Centre, Coven Press had organised an indie literary festival delight! Along with many local self published authors, the festival ran a few other insightful panels. The panel I spoke on was a chance for me to talk about my own experience being a self published author, and also hear from other well regarded professionals in the Australian publishing space. Enjo...

In this episode of Author Chat, I speak with contemporary fiction writer Ben Tobler, who has a passion for fantasy. Residing in the Tablelands of NSW, Ben often turns to writing as a form of escapism from his day job as a teacher, dedicating his weekends to exploring the world he has created for the protagonists in his stories. His debut novel, Films Have Given Me Trust Issues , represents a compl...

In this episode of Indie Author Life, Laura and I discuss everything from ideal morning routines as a self-employed editor, to trusting your gut. Laura’s editing process is not only super professional but remarkably personable. She is her client’s biggest ‘hype person’ and it is clear she deeply cares about every person she works with. Hummingbird Editing was born out of a desire for a change. Lau...

It is hard to believe fantasy artist Ashley Nobes is only 25 years of age, as she has already carved an incredible career for herself. Operating as a sole trader, she works with indie and traditionally published authors alike. As someone who also adores admiring and creating character art, Ashley’s work ethic and passion inspires me deeply. Chatting with her was an absolute delight, and she is so...

Sanja’s (S. K. Stapar) writing specialises in tales of cursed magic, secrets and agonising romance. After diving into her debut novel Midnight Gate, and attending her fabulous book launch in February 2025, I was dying to get to know the author behind this gripping story. What impressed me most about Sanja was her dedication to writing and her commitment to pursuing her passion for storytelling. Th...

My guest on this episode of Author Chat has many titles: podcast host, bookshop owner, PA and teacher. Oh, and did I mention she writes fantastic fantasy books as well? It seems like there is nothing Abigail Mader cannot do, and she is a force in the indie publishing world. She is willing to help anyone on the ‘Bookstagram’ community, and is a an endless source of wisdom. Her series titled ‘ The C...

In this special edition of Author Chat, I speak with someone who is a massive influence in my writing and creative process - my Mum. Mum was the first person who ever read my debut fantasy YA novel 'Still Waters Run Deep'. She saw it at its raw, draft stage, and did not judge! Hope you enjoy this interview where we chat about the creation of 'Still Waters Run Deep'. MG Hunt’s links: * Instagram *...

Hi everyone! This episode of the Indie Author Life is centred around some updates to do with my writing life, importantly, the debut of my YA fantasy novel, Still Waters Run Deep. I also chat about the Author Chat series and the future plans for that. Finally, I take you all along with me on my trip to Clunes Booktown Festival, where I got a chance to catch up with some incredible indie authors. I...

In this episode of Author Chat, I sit down with the incredibly talented self-published romantasy author, Danielle D. Drummond. We dive deep into her creative journey, discussing her debut novel, A Kingdom of Curses: The Emergence , and how she brought this story to life. Danielle shares her writing process, the challenges and triumphs of self-publishing, and the undeniable calling that led her to...

Indie author, designer and all-round creative, Kristen Dovnik sat down with me to chat about all things related to her creative process, working with family members and how visuals inspire her. Enjoy this episode of Author Chat with Kristen Dovnik! For people watching: please note that due to internet issues there may be sections where the audio doesn’t match up with the video. This is a public ep...

Melbourne-based indie author Rachel O'Rourke has generously shared her time to discuss all things writing and publishing, as well as how her experiences as a romance author have shaped her journey. Disclaimer: Please note that this content contains sensitive material, including discussions of sexual content, BDSM, trauma and mental health disorders. Viewer and listener discretion is advised. This...

Jade Andrews is not only a hardworking self-published author, but also a creative professional who has recently (with other individuals) launched Coven Press HQ , a self-publishing hub. In our chat we discuss her experience in the publishing industry, her thoughts on the self-publishing world, and an exclusive insight her next novel - the sequel to ‘ Pantheon of Life ’, ‘House of Death’. I hope yo...

Claire has given her time to chat all things writing, and indie author life related, as well as insights into her latest book release ‘Of Sky and Embers’, which is a sequel to her novel ‘Of Sand and Silk’. I learned so much from Claire, and I am inspired by all her insights into the self-publishing world. Her catalogue of books are so captivating, exploring unique fantasy environments with a focus...

We discuss their upcoming novel 'Enemies to Booksellers' (scheduled publishing date 18 January 2025), as well as their writing process and their author life. I learned so much from Laura, especially with their take on writing realistic relationships in a fantasy world setting, and tackling popular tropes such as found family and enemies to lovers. So, enjoy this episode and I hope you have fun lis...

We discuss so many wonderful topics in this episode - from intuitive writing routines, astrology, feminism and the ‘one-horse trope’. I learned a lot from Jess in this chat, and I am incredibly inspired by the way she approaches her writing process and character development. Her highly anticipated novel, ‘Woman of Wolves’ is scheduled for release 25th February 2025. I hope you all enjoy this chat...

This is the audio version where I share my thoughts on 5 indie fantasy books I'm anticipating the release of in 2025. This is a shorter episode, but I hope you enjoy it! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mghunt.substack.com

In this episode, I had the opportunity to chat with the delightful and incredibly driven author SK May. Simone and I discuss, writing at 2am with horror movies in the background, listening to a song 20 times on repeat, and finding your book people on the welcoming community that is #bookstagram. I certainly enjoyed spending time with SK May, and if you love dark romance filled with magic and a lit...

So, you get a brilliant idea for a story. You want to turn it into a novel. You have a rough plan for the beginning, a semi-formed idea for the middle and no idea what's at the end. This Podcast Episode lists some tips I have for starting and maintaining a writing routine. You can also read the Substack/text only post if you prefer, https://mghunt.substack.com/p/how-to-create-and-maintain-a-writin...

Let’s get one thing out of the way, I am a slow reader. I’m talking glacial-pace slow. And when I do get around to reading, there are several novels that have inspired my writing in regards to world building, language use and character development specifically. I am usually drawn to fantasy novels, either high-fantasy (set in an alternative world to our own) or low-fantasy (magical elements in a w...