Why Indie Authors?

The past few years have seen a flood of new writers clogging up my eReader. New, self published, writers. Why are we seeing so much of these, before unheard of, 'Indie Authors'?

This guy. Right here...
Is my fav piece of technology.
Ever

I'll tell you.

eReaders. Yes, the introduction and subsequent popularity of electronic books has made getting published a piece of cake. Self-published that is. A writer no longer has to send manuscripts off to dozens of publishing houses before seeing their works published. After writing and getting formatting done, they can just upload their work directly onto whichever ebook seller site that they want.

An author now has control over their work; their publication date, the art work, everything about it is firmly in their control.

As a reader, this is amazing. There are tons (like so so so many) books flooding the market right now, so many new things to read. And, because it's cheaper for an Indie author to publish a book, they are usually incredibly cheap. They usually publish more frequently too, so you don't have to wait an entire year for your next 'fix' in a series.

My face after reading some of the
books lacking... good. As in: No Good

I've come across so many incredible books, and series, written by the Indie's... but for every great book I've come across there are two that are in serious, and I mean SERIOUS, need of a good editor. And sometimes it's hard to find a quality work, and it's even harder NOT to get disenchanted with ALL Indie Authors... until you find the gem of a new book that makes you fall in love with Indie all over again.

That's the little rabbit-hole for self published authors, I think. A book isn't ready once you type in 'The End' on the last page; my favorite Indie authors are well aware of this and make a concerted effort to make GOOD edits, get graphic designers (read my interview with a graphic designer here), and all that drudgery that makes a good story into a good book.

Here are a couple of my personal tips for finding the good, and skipping the bad and the ugly.

• Check out the reviews. I'm not saying you have to read every one. I usually read a few of the bad ones, and an equal number of the good ones, sometimes you'll find that the bad reviews are for things you are willing to overlook... like punctuation for me
• ... look at the number of stars. If there are a hundred 4 and 5 star, and only ten 1 and 2 star then go for it. If those numbers are reversed, then walk away.

Are these going to become things of
myth and legend?!?

I can't help but wonder what this new trend will mean for traditional publishing houses. How can they compete with the book prices of the self-published that have cut out the middle man? What does this mean for chain bookstores that have no way to sell eBooks, or don't carry the print version of our Indie books?... I think I feel a few interviews coming... must make some phone calls...


As always, let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books or authors? Any questions, comments, or irate ramblings? I'd love to hear from you.