Turning Down a Six-Figure Trad Deal & Building a Sustainable Indie Author Career, ft. Brenna Aubrey (Classic Replay EP#561)

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This week we’re revisiting a favourite conversation with USA Today bestselling author Brenna Aubrey — and it’s a masterclass in both bold business decisions and long-term career survival.

Brenna takes us right back to the beginning: writing sprawling epic fantasy at night while her husband worked the graveyard shift, stumbling into her local RWA chapter, and the shower-thought that became her breakout gamer romance, At Any Price. Then came the moment that made her something of a self-publishing legend — her debut went to auction, two houses landed in a bidding war, and Brenna told her agent there was a third bidder: herself. She walked away from a six-figure, three-book deal to go indie… and made back more than that offer in her first year.

Brenna is refreshingly honest about the long fall that can follow a big high, including the online criticism she wasn’t prepared for, and walks us through the mindset practices that brought her back (mindfulness, meditation, EFT tapping, gratitude journaling, time in nature, and Becca Syme’s strengths work), and why “anxiety lies, depression lies” became a mantra.

On the business side, Brenna shares her framework for career longevity. Whether you’re weighing traditional vs indie, clawing your way out of a rough patch, or thinking about how to keep this career going for the long haul, Brenna’s warmth and honesty will leave you feeling seen — and hopeful.

Watch Episode Recording on YouTube

In this episode:

The bidding war — and why Brenna became her own “third bidder”
Trad vs indie: the scheduling, cover, and non-compete red flags that made her choose self-publishing
The crash after the high, and why mindset is “a full-time job”
Brenna’s practical mindset toolkit for anxiety and burnout
Trying something new: co-writing, serializing, and new genres as career fuel
“Series 2.0”: rebranding covers and moving wide → KU
Why less-is-more back matter converts better
Her one golden nugget for career longevity

Links & resources mentioned:

Brenna Aubrey’s website: https://brennaaubrey.net/
Becca Syme — Strengths for Writers (QuitBooks / Better-Faster Academy)
Zoe York — Romance Your Brand / Series 2.0
Penny Reid (cover branding help)
Headspace app; “Therapy in a Nutshell” (YouTube); EFT tapping
SPA Girls episodes with Zoe York – EP#335, EP#226, EP#65

About Brenna Aubrey

Brenna is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance featuring geek culture. Her bestselling romance series, Gaming The System, is available in eBook and print format across all vendors.

When she’s not dreaming up people and worlds and writing them down, she’s also a mom, wife, teacher, avid reader, a proud geek-girl, a self-confessed gaming addict, a French-speaking Francophile, lover of nature and beautiful sunsets.

Find her at www.brennaaubrey.net

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