OtherLife.co presents
A 1-year program for independent writers working on the internet
Next cohort starting soon.
Our promise
Build a platform, design a research agenda, connect with peers, and build an original body of work.
Intellectual life is exiting institutions for greater freedom and reach on the internet, but nobody's written the playbook—until now.
Justin Murphy
Justin Murphy received his PhD in 2014 and worked as a professor for 5 years before going independent on the internet in 2019.His research has appeared in IEEE Intelligent Systems, Foreign Affairs, International Studies Quarterly, and other peer-reviewed journals.Murphy now conducts his research and teaching on the internet full-time. He writes books, teaches online courses, and runs Other Life—a newsletter and podcast about philosophy and technology.Murphy started the first version of IndieScholars in 2019 because people started asking him for advice.
Curriculum
IndieScholars.org is a 8-week intensive program followed by one year of periodic, 1-on-1 project supervision in the style of MA and PhD programs.The program combines self-paced instructional material, live group support, co-working sessions, and personal feedback sessions spaced out through the year.Over the first 8 weeks, we cover everything you need to know about building serious, long-term, independent projects on the internet. You'll build the infrastructure you need and begin writing and publishing. You'll leave with your own platform, a production system, published work, and a specific, personalized plan for developing your project sustainably over time.Here are some of the things you'll learn:
How to read, write, and teach as a vocation in the post-academic era
How to position your work for a public audience
How to identify which ideas to focus on
How to design a research agenda
How to publish consistently and effectively
Why "Personal Knowledge Management" is a myth
Why "Audience-Building" is a myth
How to publish a book
How to teach courses
How to add consulting and services
The Indie Scholar path to a full-time, 6-figure income reading, writing, and teaching on the internet
Course Details
Next cohort starts soon
Content
When you enroll, you'll be given a series of pre-recorded course videos, then you'll be invited to book several meetings in the first 8 weeks and a few additional meetings over the following year.Week 1• Private 1-on-1 Orientation (1 hour)Week 2-7• Q&A Sessions every (TBD) at (TBD)
• Writing Sessions every (TBD) at (TBD)Week 8• Private 1-on-1 Feedback and Planning Call (2 hours)Week 26• Private 1-on-1 Midpoint Review Call (2 hours)Week 52
• Private 1-on-1 Final Review Call (2 hours)
Community
After enrolling, you will receive an invitation to our private community.This is where participants share ideas, ask questions, exchange feedback, and organize extra-curricular events. The community also features a member directory and a searchable archive of all past discussions.The course community is private for participants in the course, but it's embedded in the larger Other Life community with 500+ academics, bloggers, authors, podcasters, Youtubers, founders, and investors working on long-term intellectual projects.
Your Work
It's great to build a public audience, but that's a long game.IndieScholars.org gives you a private audience of thoughtful readers and interlocutors straightaway.New posts in the "Share Your Work" section of the community frequently solicit dozens of thoughtful and constructive replies.Members of the community are frequently seeking podcast guests, interesting work to share with their audiences, startup co-founders, etc.
Hear what members are saying
Geoff Shullenberger, PhD
OutsiderTheory.com
"Immensely beneficial to me intellectually and personally. The library resources were essential for building my blog and podcast platforms, and the work sessions and conferences have helped me stay focused and productive."
Nina Power, PhD
NinaPower.net
"IndieScholars is the future: everything here is driven by genuine enthusiasm. Unlike contemporary academia, learning and communicating with others at IndieScholars encourages flourishing for all concerned."
Britt Olson, Screenwriter
"The IndieScholars community enabled me to create a fiction writing group with the kind of open-minded, generous people that I've been looking for."
Emmet Penney
Exhaust Podcast
"I don't think I'd have been willing to stake out my own turf and create my own content online if it wasn't for Justin Murphy and IndieScholars."
Frequently Asked Questions
This course is now for writing only, because writing is the base of all other media/"content." Many of us have Youtube channels and podcasts and so forth, but ultimately everything is downstream of original thinking and original writing. So that's what we do.
Enroll
One-Time Payment
$3588
Private 1-on-1 project support over 1 year in the style of an MA/PhD
An 8-week intensive program to launch
6 Group Q&A Sessions
18 Group Writing Sessions (3x weekly over 6 weeks)
Pre-recorded lecture videos
Private course community with searchable member directory
Periodic community seminars in philosophy, social science, and other topics
12 Monthly Payments
$299
Private 1-on-1 project support over 1 year in the style of an MA/PhD
An 8-week intensive program to launch
6 Group Q&A Sessions
18 Group Writing Sessions (3x weekly over 6 weeks)
Pre-recorded lecture videos
Private course community with searchable member directory
Periodic community seminars in philosophy, social science, and other topics
OtherLife.co presents
A 1-year program for independent writers working on the internet
Next cohort starts soon.
© Other Life. All rights reserved.