J.B. Ryder has secured that golden ticket many writers work tirelessly to earn: a loyal readership. At the age of only 16, Ryder published The Forgotten Colony, a sci-fi novel set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity struggles to survive on a rapidly deteriorating Earth. And now, at barely 18, his second book in the series, Us Before Them, is set to be released on 1 July 2025.

Ryder is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of sci-fi. However, it’s not just his stories that are capturing attention. It’s the way he’s telling them. With almost 200,000 followers on Instagram and more than 100,000 on TikTok, he’s created a loyal readership through skilled storytelling and clever marketing.

Ryder carved out a little time from his busy schedule to tell us about writing, connecting with readers, and why he recommends self-publishing to other writers.

You started writing at the remarkable age of 12. What first sparked your passion for storytelling? Was there a particular moment, book, or event that ignited it?

I have always been a storyteller in some way. When I was younger, I would constantly create large, branching storylines depicting what I thought my life would look like in various fictional worlds (think Star Wars, The Hunger Games, and The Walking Dead). I think a lot of kids do this to a degree, but I spent hours at a time basically walking in circles around my room, imagining and acting out the stories. The story that really led to my decision to write The Forgotten Colony was The 100, both the book series and the TV show. I loved all of the characters and found the intricacies of its dystopian world incredibly interesting. Certain characters in the Zach Croft series can tie their roots back to the characters I was inspired by in The 100. For instance, Ryker Gagarin can be most likened to John Murphy (with Sawyer from Lost sprinkled in).

Even now, at just eighteen, most people your age are still figuring things out. What gave you the courage to start creating stories so early on?

Arrogance. It’s kind of a running joke that I was an incredibly overconfident child. Although I was positively inspired by several books—such as The 100—many others I felt I could improve upon. It didn’t matter that I’d never written anything before and was still missing one of my front teeth; I wanted to create something better. This enabled me to start writing The Forgotten Colony. Of course, the production process brutally humbled me. But I needed that childish arrogance to light the first spark. And while I’m not sure it spawned the greatest novel in the history of the world—as my twelve-year-old self expected—I did, in fact, follow through on finishing the book.

Did writing help you understand yourself better? Has it changed the way you see the world?

Writing has helped me understand myself better to the extent that I value certain things now that I didn’t before. For example, I am a very regimented person. I like having a schedule. This was borne out of the fact that I NEEDED to use my time effectively to meet writing deadlines.

Writing can be lonely, especially as a teenager. Did you ever feel like you were on a different path from your peers? How did you stay focused?

I basically decided exactly what I wanted to do with my life when I was twelve and haven’t looked back. That means I have remained laser-focused on my career without too much regard for other traditional aspects of being a teenager. I have a deep-rooted philosophical belief that everything should have a functional purpose. Therefore, if I have a choice between two equally-fun activities—one that SOMEHOW advances some goal and another that doesn’t—I always choose the first. That has kept me focused no matter what happens around me.

Did you receive much support from friends, family, or mentors along the way?

I received a massive amount of support from my parents. They have really facilitated my writing career. In particular, my dad has acted as my de-facto ‘crap detector,’ pointing out parts of my stories that make no sense from an objective point of view. Although I’ve now matured a little more as a writer, my books would truly not be the same without his help. Meanwhile, my mother has helped me in basically every other aspect of my life.

On the flip side, did you ever face doubt or negativity from others? How did you deal with it?

Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever faced legitimate negativity when it comes to my writing efforts. I think a lot of people in my life were amused when I came to them at twelve and said I was going to write a book, but that’s about it.

What kept you going during low moments or when motivation ran thin?

Everything should have a functional purpose. If I gave up during the third draft just because it was difficult, that would mean I wasted however much time I dedicated to the novel before then.

How long did it take you to write your first book, from the initial idea to the final page?

I started writing the first book in June of 2019 and fully had it finished by January of 2023. During that time, I probably rewrote the story 4.5 times, but it needed to happen. Some of the coolest aspects of it didn’t even show up until the final draft, such as the way irogen relates to the Red Plague (readers will know what this means).

Your debut was self-published. Was that a deliberate choice, and what led you down that path?

I chose to self-publish for one main reason: social media has enabled authors to get about as much exposure for their stories as a traditional publisher can. I knew that if I self-published, I would have the power to market it however I wanted, make the price as low as I wanted (the 500 page ebook still sits at $0.99), and maintain complete control over the story. Us Before Them will be published in basically the same way. I cannot rule out getting a traditional publisher in the future, as it may be the easiest way to parlay the success of the series into some kind of screen deal, but I don’t have plans to query.

The Forgotten Colony is Ryder’s first book.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors considering self-publishing?

Readers matter way more than money. Authors often get caught up in pricing their stories too high, but if a book is too expensive, no one will read it. Therefore, you will not only get no readers but ALSO make no money. It’s better to price the book low—even making it free at times—so more people can get their hands on it. I knew that the majority of people buying The Forgotten Colony would be teenagers. As a teenager myself, I wouldn’t want someone price-gouging for a story I’m interested in, so why would I do that as an author? It’s just not nice. I’ve given away roughly 5000 digital copies of the story for free. So, trust me when I say that if you prioritize your readers, you’ll end up better off in the end.

What has writing taught you about resilience, creativity, and forging your own path?

My entire life is guided by one simple question: what story do I want to tell with my life? I often invite new experiences merely for the sake of telling a better story, even if they take me in unexpected directions.

Do you ever stop and think, “Wow, I’m 18 and I’ve already done this”? How does that feel?

My parents joke about the fact that I’m basically speedrunning life, but I don’t think too much about what I’ve accomplished. This is likely because I love storytelling. It’s always been my passion. It might get difficult at times, but I don’t feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment upon completing a story because I’m just doing what I enjoy.

What does your future look like? Can you tell us anything about your next book?

Well, Us Before Them is coming out soon. It will really deal with the consequences of tribalism in the face of environmental ruin, pitting the characters we know and love against each other. After that, I will start writing the third (and final) Zach Croft book. On a non-writing note, I have been building a social media app for the past year (I’ve been coding in a couple different programming languages since I was eleven/twelve) that solves many of the issues I’ve personally encountered as a social media creator. It basically takes everything people would expect from traditional social media and throws it out the window. I mean that. It’ll be rolling out sometime in the near future.