A New Model of the Academic Life
Read deeply, write honestly, and build a lasting body of work—with or without anyone's approval.
Started in 2019, Indie Scholars has become the world's premier community of independent readers and writers working in the humanities and social sciences.
What Members Are Saying
“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 Indie Scholars.”
“Immensely beneficial to me intellectually and personally. The library resources were essential for building my blog and podcast, and the work sessions have helped me stay focused and productive.”
“Indie Scholars is the future: everything here is driven by genuine enthusiasm. Unlike contemporary academia, learning and communicating here encourages flourishing for all concerned.”
For Scholars at Every Level
An ecosystem of courses, events, and tools for people pursuing a life of the mind—with or without the approval of gatekeepers. Open to anyone with a scholarly vocation, we have members at every level.
Passionate Readers
You love reading, but you want to read more and read better with sharp friends and interlocutors.
Aspiring Scholars
Notes everywhere — and you want to get serious for the first time about polishing and sharing your work.
Practicing Scholars
You already publish here and there: a blog, newsletter, essay series, book project, or podcast.
Professional Scholars
A full-time author, freelance writer, professor, researcher, editor, or other professional intellectual.
Full-Time Indie Scholars
You live full-time through an independent intellectual business — research, writing, teaching, media, or publishing.
A New Republic of Letters
A Mix of Substantive and Practical Programming
We combine periodic substantive programming led by more experienced members, with practical programming oriented toward the productivity and practical success of members.
Seminars and Reading Groups
Past seminars have covered, for example:
Past reading groups have included:
Instructional Videos and Talks
Our content library tracks the practical aspects of our rapidly changing cultural economy. Examples include:
Writing Sessions
See this week's sessions →The hardest part of independence is doing the work, consistently, when nobody is forcing you to. So twice a week, we sit down to work together, privately.
Learn, Discuss, and Network in One Place
Not another feed to doom-scroll — a calm home for the community on iOS. Read, write, join seminars, and message other scholars, wherever you are.
Justin Murphy, PhD
A professor for five years before going independent on the internet in 2019. His research has appeared in popular and peer-reviewed journals alike — from Foreign Affairs and First Things to International Studies Quarterly.
He now writes and teaches full-time and runs Other Life. He started the first version of Indie Scholars in 2019 because people kept asking him for advice.
- · Former professor; supervised PhD & MA students to completion
- · Author of The Independent Scholar (2026)
Read deeply, write honestly, and publish a lasting body of work.
Join 700+ independent scholars in the community today, or download the free guide and get started by yourself.