Self-Publishing With Real Control

He started writing at 16 during lockdown, finishing a massive first draft he’ll never publish, but instead of stopping there, he kept going. That persistence turned into real momentum for Harrison Stockland, a rising crime-thriller author known for his “twisted originality” and willingness to embrace the gritty choices that traditional gatekeepers often want softened. His debut novel, Watch It Burn, sets the tone for the kind of dark, character-driven stories he’s building his career on. In this episode, we talk candidly about protecting your voice as you grow as a writer—and why “the deal has to be right” if you ever sign with a publishing house. We also get practical about self-publishing and Amazon KDP: querying agents, turning down an offer, hiring an editor and cover designer, and even learning to format a book in Microsoft Word. Harrison shares how he approaches Amazon ads, explaining why his goal is often reach and breaking even rather than immediate profit, and how a short course plus consistent experimentation can outperform expensive monthly retainers with ad agencies.Marketing isn’t just a buzzword here. We dig into what actually moved the needle: building genuine relationships, hosting local bookstore events and signings, growing an email list, and using an author website with email automations to nudge readers toward preorders and reviews.We also talk craft and research, how nonfiction like Mindhunter and conversations with detectives and legal professionals can elevate crime fiction, making it feel authentic without copying real cases.If you care about writing discipline, creative control, and modern publishing strategy, this episode is packed with insights.Subscribe to Read and Write with Natasha, share this with a writer friend, and don’t forget to leave a review—it helps more book lovers discover the show.Send us Fan MailSupport the show📬 JOIN THE NEWSLETTERThe Storyteller Quest is  a weekly letter on writing,publishing, and the business of books.Subscribe, and I'll send you Traditional, Self, or Hybrid? —11 pages on what each publishing path really costs, plus a7-question worksheet that tells you which one is yours.Subscribe here.