The Indie Lantern
About The Indie Lantern
guidance, community, & a gentle glow lighting the way for indie authors
Founded by Ash B and Sarai Makaila, The Indie Lantern is a website dedicated to helping the independent author commmunity. The Indie Lantern is here to help provide a library of vetted resources to ensure your indie journey is safe and secure, as well as a special place solely dedicated to disabily representation. The Indie Lantern also includes personal nooks where you will find Ash and Sarai's own little pockets of creativity. We encourage you to check each corner of The Indie Lantern. You will discover something new to aid in your publishing adventure.
Sarai Makaila
Sarai Makaila is in her seventh and final year of university, studying music with a vocal performance emphasis. Though she is young, Makaila claims she has lived many lives. Between living abroad alone, teaching preschool, conducting ensembles, working for non-profits, working in sales, and more, she has adopted a variety of skills that she uses to aid in helping independent authors. Makaila has many passions, but if you were to ask her what makes up her core she would say, "her faith in Jesus, reading, writing, conducting, and disability awareness." She had the idea to found The Indie Lantern when she first started her TikTok journey. She hopes that this is a place authors can find solace and aid. You can find more of her bubbly personality, reading updates, and a variety of her writing works–all very different from each other–in Sarai's Book Nook.
Ash B
First and foremost, I’m a wife to a partner who supports my happiness, my purpose, and my voice. That kind of support is deeply empowering. It allows me to show up fully, confidently, and without apology. Having a spouse who believes in your joy and stands beside your work changes everything, and it’s a foundation I never take for granted. I’m a mom, which means I build with care, intention, boundaries, and the future firmly in mind. I’m an advocate, always, and advocacy shapes how I move through the indie world and why I create spaces rooted in safety, integrity, and respect for creators. The Indie Lantern was created to be a steady, honest resource for the indie author community and the resources that support it, in an industry that often asks too much while offering too little protection. I’m an artist at heart, drawn to storytelling in all its forms, whether it’s created or captured, and I believe creativity deserves room to exist without pressure or exploitation. I’m also a devoted reader, curious across every genre I can get my hands on, driven by a love of knowledge and everything it brings. The Indie Lantern exists because no one should have to create or advocate alone, and because real support has the power to change lives.