Take the pressure off your art.
Relaxed writing, publishing, marketing and business, so you can enjoy the creative journey for the long term. By Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre, narrated by the authors.
Do you want to be a more relaxed author?
There are plenty of books and tips on writing faster, learning more marketing tactics, maximising your ranking, hitting the top of the charts, juicing the algorithms, and hacking different ad platforms.
Those things matter, and Mark and I write and talk about them regularly. But your author journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
We have both been in the business long enough to see authors burning out and leaving the writing life because they turned what they love into a hamster wheel of production and marketing tasks they hate.
It doesn’t have to be this way. This book is a collection of tips on how to be a more relaxed author, and return to the love that brought you to writing in the first place. Mark and I each give our own perspective on every topic, because relaxed looks different for everyone.
Who this book is for
This book is for authors who feel the pressure to do everything: write faster, publish more, be on every platform, run every kind of ad. It’s for anyone close to burnout, and for newer authors who want to build a sustainable creative life from the start.
It’s also for writers who want permission to do things their own way, at their own pace, and to choose the parts of the business they enjoy. If you want a long-term career rather than a sprint, this is for you.
What you’ll learn
The book has four parts: relaxed writing, relaxed publishing, relaxed marketing, and relaxed business. Here are the questions it answers.
- Why are authors not relaxed, and why does it matter?
- How do I write what I love, at my own pace, and fill the creative well?
- Should I write in a series, and should I change my writing process?
- How do I make empowered publishing choices, and value my work as intellectual property?
- Should I publish wide, sell direct, or both?
- How do I stop piracy, plagiarism, bad reviews, cancel culture and haters from derailing me?
- How do I focus on marketing basics, simplify my brand, website and email, and find one form of marketing I enjoy?
- Which social media suits me, or should I skip it altogether?
- How do I advertise in campaigns, outsource, and double down on being human?
- Do I really want to run an author business, and how do I create multiple streams of income?
- How do I eliminate tasks, say no more, improve my processes and use tools?
- How do I look after my physical and mental health, learn about money, and keep a long-term mindset?
Listen to the full audiobook on YouTube
The whole audiobook is on my YouTube channel, narrated by Mark and me, with chapter markers, so you can try it before you buy. If it helps, you can support our work by buying a copy in whichever format suits you.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback, hardback, large print and audiobook, narrated by Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. Buying direct from my store gives you the best price on bundles and supports us directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
I snapped this book at a moment of near burn-out as an indie author and am very glad I did, as its gentle common-sense advice from two highly regarded leaders in their field deflected stress, guilt and FOMO, leaving me with the joy of writing and publishing my work.
Debbie
★★★★★
There are so many decisions to make, it is easy to suffer from what I call 'the overwhelm'. I already knew a fair amount of what is in this book but I welcomed it all in one place and the sheer permission it gives to chill out a bit!
Claire Doyle
★★★★★
In a world where indie authors are constantly on the hunt for a silver bullet, this book is a balm to disillusioned souls and fuel for a better tomorrow.
Hannah
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
About Mark Leslie Lefebvre
Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a writer, bookseller and publishing industry veteran. He founded Kobo Writing Life, has worked with Draft2Digital, and writes horror, paranormal fiction and non-fiction for writers, including the Wide for the Win series. He is a regular guest on The Creative Penn Podcast.
Articles on sustainable author careers
These articles cover the long-term, relaxed approach to writing, publishing and marketing.
- What is your definition of success?
- You’re not alone: author mindset issues on the creative journey
- Your book is a valuable intellectual property asset
- Your publishing options
- How to sell ebooks and audiobooks direct
- Productivity tips: outsourcing, automation and virtual assistants for authors
- Writing doesn’t have to be lonely: how to find a community
- The confident author
- How to make a living with your writing through books and multiple streams of income
Podcast episodes about being a relaxed author
Mark and I have talked about the book and its ideas several times on The Creative Penn Podcast, and these episodes with other guests cover the same ground.
- The Relaxed Author writing tips with Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre
- Co-writing The Relaxed Author with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
- Creative satisfaction, in-person print book sales, and author mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
- Selling books in person at live events with Mark Lefebvre
- 7 tips for sustainable creativity (Joanna Penn)
- Stepping back to step forward with Joanna Penn and Orna Ross
- Writing faster without burning out with L.A. Witt
- Insights on the Enneagram and sustaining your author career with Claire Taylor
- The artisan author with Johnny B. Truant
- Writing emotion, discovery writing, and slow sustainable book marketing with Roz Morris
Questions about being a relaxed author
Does being a relaxed author mean writing less?
No. It means writing at the pace that suits your life and your creative process, rather than one imposed by someone else's business model. Some relaxed authors write a book a month, others one every few years. The point is to choose, and to enjoy it, rather than to grind.
Do I have to be on social media?
No. Choose the platforms you enjoy, or none at all. Mark and I both talk about marketing we have dropped. Your email list, your books and one form of marketing you can sustain for years will do more than a scattering of accounts you resent.
How do I know what to say no to?
Ask whether a task moves you towards your definition of success, and whether you would still do it if nobody was watching. Eliminate or outsource what fails both tests. The business chapters cover eliminating tasks, saying no, and finding voices you trust while tuning out the rest.
What about bad reviews, piracy and haters?
They come with reaching readers, and none of them has stopped a book from succeeding. Don't engage, don't chase every pirated copy, and keep your attention on the readers who love your work. The publishing section covers how we each deal with these without letting them derail us.
How is the book written with two authors?
Each chapter opens with the topic, then Mark and I give our own perspective in turn, so you get two experiences of the same issue. We don't always agree, which is the point: relaxed looks different for everyone. The audiobook is narrated by both of us.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.
