Hello, I’m Michael Brockbank, a self-published author located in Denver and creator of WriterSanctuary.
I began my career as a writer on January 1st, 2012 as a ghostwriter for Textbroker. Since then, I’ve changed my focus to include blogging and self-publishing novels. Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about these topics as well as myself.
The reason why I cover so many topics is because I view myself as a writer, pure and simple. Whether it’s working on a WordPress tutorial for a client, working on my book, or writing a screenplay, it’s all part of the same overarching niche for me.
Essentially, I am happiest while sitting at my keyboard regardless of the project.
Why I Created WriterSanctuary
WriterSanctuary was created on December 12, 2012. It was almost a year into my writing career that I decided to document as much about the process as possible. And in that time, I’ve grown exponentially from where I started.
That December, I wanted to build an outlet with three very distinct purposes:
- Practicing writing in AP Style English and SEO
- Sharing every step of my journey
- Building a resource to help me along the way
A Place to Practice
By building a blog, I was able to put into practice everything I learned about writing. Since most of my clients on Textbroker were blog owners, being able to write well meant understanding AP Style English as well as Search Engine Optimization.
When I wasn’t working for Textbroker clients, researching how to write better, or learning new SEO tactics, I was writing blog posts on WriterSanctuary to help me remember everything I was learning. The more you use knowledge, the more ingrained it becomes into memory.
Essentially, WriterSanctuary helped me develop skills that made me the freelancing success that I am today. Not to mention improving my abilities as a blogger to make a few extra bucks on the side.
Sharing What I’ve Learned
It’s in my nature to help if I am able to do so. In this case, the content I’ve created for WriterSanctuary has helped thousands of people find their paths as writers or understand a tool to help them make an informed decision.
I share both the positive and negative of virtually everything I come across. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve been called “authentic” quite a few times on YouTube – I don’t sugarcoat any product or service. If there is an issue, I’m letting my audience know it.
Although I share what I’ve learned, I’m also careful to let others know that their experiences might differ from mine. Every writer will have a unique set of circumstances and capabilities. I’m just highlighting what my experiences were with any given product or service.
Then, the visitors can make up their own minds about how to move forward.
A Resource for Writing
Over the years, I have covered a lot of products, services, techniques, and informative resources for writing. Although WriterSanctuary focuses on helping others, the site is also a repository for me. I can always come back and look something up that I had forgotten.
Another aspect is that I am always looking for better writing tools than what I am currently using. As such, I review quite a few products and services to find the ones that work best for my needs.
It’s one of the biggest reasons why I view everything writing-related as content. It helps me find something new that I might keep and use while also showing others my experiences using those products or services.
My Goals for WriterSanctuary
In the beginning, my goals for WriterSanctuary were relatively simple: practicing and helping others. While those are still the tenants of the blog, it has grown and evolved since 2013.
Nowadays, the goals are a bit more expansive, as I realize just how much more I can do for others outside of simply blogging about something.
Constant Development and Growth
First and foremost, WriterSanctuary is in a state of constant evolution. What started off as a blog about ghostwriting on Textbroker has grown to encompass topics covering blogging and self-publishing.
Eventually, it’ll also include screenplay writing.
In reality, WriterSanctuary has evolved as I have. Every step of the journey has been documented as I constantly strive to be more than I am. As a result, the site has expanded from where it began. And it’ll continue to expand as I consider exploring my options for a PhD.
The Roadmap
In 2025, I decided to publish the roadmap for WriterSanctaury. Essentially, these are goals that I have laid out for the site and when they’ll become available.
Of course, a lot of this depends on whether I can afford some help down the road. Currently, I’m doing everything on my own. Still, the roadmap is full of milestones I’d like to achieve for the brand.
Ultimately, I’d like to build a platform that supports indie authors better than KDP. But that will take a lot of doing.
The WriterSanctuary YouTube Channel
I started the WriterSanctuary YouTube channel in 2018, sharing what I learned about Textbroker and how to succeed with content mills. Then, I expanded a bit to include freelance writing of all kinds and blogging tips.
The original idea was to simply give visitors to the blog a choice to either read or watch the content, as I embed a lot of videos into their corresponding blog post variants. I had no inclination to monetize the channel or build an audience.
However, those ideas shifted drastically in 2020.
Today, it’s less about freelancing and more about self-publishing. That’s because my primary focus lately has centered around publishing my books. I am an author, after all.
The blog and the YouTube channel share a lot of the same content. The idea is to provide the information on either medium as a lot of blog readers don’t even realize I have a channel and a lot of YouTube viewers don’t bother reading blog posts.
What it comes down to is that I am covering my bases with content to reach both types of content consumers. As a result, I’ve essentially doubled my audience.
I occasionally upload blogging information, but the self-publishing videos have long outperformed the other content.
As of 2024, I began focusing more on offering live author interviews on the channel. The idea is to give someone free publicity while also sharing the author with my audience. It’s interesting to hear about the unique journeys of other authors.
It’s a symbiotic relationship: they get exposure, I get content.
The community I’m building on YouTube is full of some amazing people. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have published my first book in 2021. As I continue to evolve, I’ll be eternally grateful to my viewers.
Contacting WriterSanctuary
Contacting me through WriterSanctuary is relatively easy. For general questions and inquiries for sponsorships and whatnot, there is the basic contact form on the blog.
If you’re an author with at least one book published and would like to have an interview during a live show, you can reach out with the author contact form.
Otherwise, I can be reached on a variety of social media platforms. However, I’m not overly active on many of them. I usually respond to comments on the YouTube channel and blog almost immediately, though.
How Can WriterSanctaury Help You Today?
If it has to do with writing, I’ve either covered it or plan to in the future. The end game is to create a place where all kinds of writers can find the information for which they’re looking. And as I expand WriterSanctuary, more will surely come.
But if there is something specific you’d like to know, feel free to reach out. A lot of my best blog posts and videos spawned from comments from my readers and viewers. I appreciate everyone and welcome questions, ideas, or just general comments.
nd let me know if there is anything in particular that you need.