Seth Ring has written 46 books, built a seven figure indie author business without an agent or a traditional publishing deal, and cracked the code on how to move readers from free content to a loyal paying ecosystem. In this episode he breaks down exactly how he did it, and what most indie authors get wrong before they ever get started.
We dig into what LitRPG actually is and why it has captured a voracious male readership that traditional publishing abandoned, the funnel Seth built from Royal Road to Patreon to Amazon that generated his first $50K, and why the actions that get you to each income threshold have to completely change to get you to the next one. Seth walks through each inflection point from $50K to $100K to $250K to seven figures, what he changed at each stage, and why community and relationships became the lever that moved him past the ceiling he kept hitting alone.
We also get into hybrid publishing, why Seth sublicenses his audio and physical rights while keeping his ebook rights, how to negotiate with traditional publishers when you already know your own numbers, and why the single most repeated mistake he sees from talented authors is having too much attachment to book one.
In This Episode
What LitRPG Actually Is: Why LitRPG isn’t a genre but a stylistic choice, how it differs from progression fantasy, and why the game element changes everything about how stories deliver information.
Why Men Only Read LitRPG Now: The real reason male readers are abandoning every other genre for this one, and what it says about what modern men are actually hungry for in fiction.
The Funnel Nobody Talks About: How Seth moved readers from free web serials to Patreon to Amazon and built a loyal paying ecosystem before most authors know what a funnel is.
The $50K Inflection Point: What gets you there, why it’s achievable part-time, and why the exact same strategy will cap you out and stop working.
Books Sell Books: The single phrase that changed Seth’s business, and why most authors are too attached to book one to let it work for them.
The $250K Ceiling: Why marketing levers and Facebook groups stop working at a certain point and why the only thing that moved Seth past it was walking into rooms with people who made more than him.
Why Traditional Publishers Can’t Touch LitRPG: How the indie community built something trad publishing wanted a piece of and why the LitRPG crowd said no thanks.
The Hybrid Model Explained: How Seth sublicenses audio and physical rights while keeping ebook rights, why that math works, and how knowing your own numbers changes every negotiation.
Seven Figures and What Comes Next: Why distribution is the singular problem indies can’t solve alone, and how hybrid publishing fills that gap without surrendering creative control.
The Most Common Mistake Seth Sees: Why talented authors stall out — and it has nothing to do with their writing.
Guest Links
Read Iron Tyrant by Seth Ring: https://amzn.to/4qrJmsq
Website:
https://sethring.com/
Youtube: @SethRingWrites
Kristin’s Links
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin
Timestamps
00:00 - Welcome and Guest Intro.
01:49 - Seth Ring Origin Story.
03:52 - Web Serials to Indie Publishing.
05:27 - Building the Reader Funnel.
08:09 - What LitRPG Really Is.
12:51 - Why LitRPG Hooks Readers.
15:33 - Best LitRPG Entry Reads.
19:05 - Trad Publishing Meets LitRPG.
21:33 - Indie Community and Success Metrics.
23:20 - Hybrid Without An Agent.
25:15 - Sublicensing Audio Rights.
26:36 - Ebooks Versus Print Strategy.
27:27 - Scaling Reach With Publishers.
29:48 - Income Inflection Points.
32:57 - From Ads To Networking.
37:08 - Hybrid In A Shifting Market.
39:50 - Biggest Author Business Mistake.
44:34 - New Series Iron Tyrant.
45:50 - Where To Find Seth Ring.
46:29 - Final Thanks And Wrap.
About This Podcast
Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.
New episodes weekly.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
