From Page to Audible Powerhouse: Nathan Thompson Is Building an Empire of Imagination
Let’s talk about underdogs who go full beast mode. I recently caught up with indie author Nathan Thompson — a man who went from rewriting endings in his head during movie night to slinging his own epic saga across bookshelves and audiobook platforms. And no, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill “guy writes book, book goes viral” story. Nathan’s journey is part hustle, part heartbreak, and all heart.
Origin Story: Imaginary Plot Twists and a Leap of Faith
Long before publishing success, Nathan was just a guy who loved a freakin good story — so much so that he’d often rewrite movie plots in his head for fun. Eventually, those mental rewrites snowballed into short stories. Fast-forward a few years and boom: he dives headfirst into the indie author world with Downfall and Rise, the first volume in his high-fantasy series Challenger’s Call. No big publisher. No six-figure advance. Just a wild vision and a “let’s-do-this” attitude.
Uploaded straight to Amazon, this book marked the start of something real.
The Audible Chapter: When Indie Meets Integrity
Audiobook lovers, pay attention.
After soaking in performances by narrators Christopher Boucher and Jessica Threet, and some guidance from author Michael-Scott Earl, Nathan did what any smart author with a cult-worthy book would do — he pitched Downfall and Rise to them. They didn’t just like it… they believed in it. So much so, they agreed to narrate on a royalty-share basis. No upfront cash. Just vibes, vision, and mutual trust.
The result? The audiobook dropped and straight-up obliterated expectations.
“We were doing better than presidential memoirs,” Nathan told me, still a little shocked. Downfall and Rise cracked Audible’s Top 300. “We were beating almost every other indie author out there for weeks.” Cue the humble flex.
The “Oops, Amazon Did It Again” Era
Just as the hype train picked up steam, the real villain entered the chat: tech glitches and international release chaos. When book two — Brace for Wolves — finally dropped (late, again), it was only available in Australia and the Netherlands. Not ideal when your global fanbase is frothing for more wolf-bracing action.
Nathan tried to fix it — even encouraging fans to contact Audible directly to speed things up. Unfortunately, Amazon’s system interpreted this as Nathan personally requesting to block releases in certain countries. Oof.
Cue the messages: “Why don’t you want us to read your book, Nathan?”
Spoiler: He totally did.
Despite his best efforts, the glitch left a dent in sales and morale. “It was a mess,” Nathan admitted. But he didn't let the Amazon debacle kill the dream.
The Writer Who Wouldn’t Quit
Even as audiobook releases slowed, Nathan kept grinding. The Challenger’s Call series now spans ten books. He also launched Soulship — imagine Firefly but throw in magic — which is now six books deep and dripping in space-fantasy vibes.
Did he take a few temp jobs along the way? Yep. But now he’s full-time-authoring like a boss, with the added bonus of more time with his rockstar wife and adventure-ready son.
What’s Next? Apocalypse, Kickstarters, and Maps
Nathan’s latest move is a power play: he’s teamed up with Aethon Publishing for a new three-book series. The first title? End Times Undone — an apocalyptic progression saga just waiting for its launch date. Yes, the world is ending, but it’s never looked so exciting.
Oh, and he’s also kicking off a Kickstarter to help fund audiobook recordings for his backlog. Pro tip: good narration is pricey — but Nathan’s fans know the juice is worth the squeeze.
Also Coming Soon:
Character artwork
Realm maps
An entire fantasy empire, basically
Final Thoughts: Long Live the Dream Chasers
Nathan Thompson didn’t wait for permission. He didn’t need gatekeepers. He just built his own lane — then paved the hard road for others to follow.
His story’s got plot twists, setbacks, and some serious underdog energy, but more importantly, it proves this: if you’ve got vision, grit, and the guts to hit “publish,” the world might just listen.
And trust me — they are.
You can further help support Nathan on his Patreon, and follow him on Instagram, Facebook , and Twitter.