The Artisan Author With Johnny B Truant
The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Joanna Penn
4.8 • 745 Ratings
🗓️ 21 July 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to constantly release new books and battle algorithms? Do you wonder if there's a more sustainable, low-stress path to a successful author career? Is it possible to focus on art, build a loyal fanbase, and escape the publishing rat race? In this episode, Johnny B. Truant discusses the artisan author approach.
In the intro, When your brain says “write!” but your body says, “nope.” [The Author Stack]; Productivity, AI, and pushback [Seth Godin]; The Buried and the Drowned, Short Story Collection.
This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com
This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn
Johnny B. Truant is the author of over one hundred and fifty books across multiple genres, including thriller, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, and nonfiction. His latest book is The Artisan Author: The Low-Stress, High-Quality, Fan-Focused Approach to Escaping the Publishing Rat Race.
You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.
Show Notes
* Prioritising art over profit and building direct connections with fans
* Moving away from the high-pressure, algorithm-focused “rapid release” model that can lead to burnout
* The benefits and strategies of in-person, live selling at markets and festivals to find new readers
* Utilising platforms like Kickstarter for book launches to create special editions and connect with true fans
* Adopting a “low-stress” approach to marketing by choosing what you enjoy and opting out of things like social media
You can find Johnny at JohnnyBTruant.com, and the Artisan Author Kickstarter here.
Transcript of Interview with Johnny B Truant
Joanna: Johnny B. Truant is the author of over one hundred and fifty books across multiple genres, including thriller, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, and nonfiction.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Creative Pen podcast. I'm Joanna Penn, thriller author and creative entrepreneur, |
| 0:08.0 | bringing you interviews, inspiration and information on writing craft and creative business. |
| 0:14.7 | You can find the episode show notes, your free author blueprint, and lots more at thecreativepen.com. |
| 0:22.5 | And that's Penn with a double N. |
| 0:25.0 | And here's the show. |
| 0:26.6 | Hello, creatives. |
| 0:27.8 | I'm Joanna Penn, and this is episode number 820 of the podcast, and it is Sunday the 20th |
| 0:34.1 | of July 2025 as I record this. |
| 0:40.3 | In today's show, I'm talking to Johnny B. |
| 0:45.9 | Truant about the artisan author. And many of you will know Johnny from the self-publishing podcast, |
| 0:51.6 | as it was years ago now, and he's been on the show several times before. We talk about choosing a different path, away from the constant pressure to release, away from algorithmic publishing, and focusing on a more sustainable, creative and business life. |
| 1:01.4 | It's very much an extension of Kevin Kelly's Thousand True Fans approach. |
| 1:05.6 | And I also asked Johnny about why he loves selling in person so much. |
| 1:10.7 | So that's coming up in the interview section. |
| 1:16.9 | In writing and publishing things, well, Russell Nolte this week had a great article packed |
| 1:22.2 | full of resources on the author stack called When Your Brain Says Right right but your body says nope practical strategies for |
| 1:30.3 | writers and creatives with chronic illness to align body and brain from pain reprocessing to sleep |
| 1:35.7 | and pacing now i think this article is a must read for every author it is not just for people |
| 1:41.4 | with chronic illness it's anyone with a body and a mind. Yes, we are |
| 1:46.0 | physical beings and paying attention to physical and mental health so important. Also, the article |
| 1:51.6 | talks about putting happiness and well-being at the centre of a creative career, which definitely |
| 1:57.1 | works with this artisan author approach that Johnny's also talking about today. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 2 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Joanna Penn, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Joanna Penn and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.