Why I Became an Indie Author
When I decided to write a book I had no idea that I would be publishing it. I wrote because that is what I need to do. It’s like breathing. Just as I need air to live, I need to write.
It took me a long time to allow someone to read what I had written. It started with friends and family, but very few of them are readers. So you can see how that did not work well.
Then I attended a small writing group. They met at a local Barnes and Noble Cafe. Our voices competed with the whir of expresso machines and the constant buzz of activity within the store.
Each group is different. This one focused on the mechanics of writing; dialog, atmosphere, description, narrative, etc. For example, the moderator would start with a sentence and then we were to write dialog for fifteen minutes. To an outside observer all that could be heard during this fifteen minutes were pens scratching furiously on paper. I didn’t hear any of that. I was completely immersed in whatever world I was creating. I was “there”, and it was my job to bring the reader with me.
After the alotted time, we would read what we wrote. Everytime I read, people always complemented my use of colour, the authenticity of my dialog and the thoroughness of my descriptions. I am always thinking about the five senses when I’m writing. If there is wind in my story, I want you to feel, taste, smell, hear, and see the effects of that wind. Does that make sense? (no pun intended lol)
I was skeptical at first. I thought they were being nice and that it would stop after a couple of months. It didn’t. So then I thought, “Why not try? What is the worst that can happen? And what if I succeeded?”
I had looked at traditional publishers because that was what you did. However, for a new author it is nearly impossible to be published through that channel. Most of the time they never even glance at your work. They reject it outright.
As I did more research, I found that many authors had their work changed to fit a specific formula. Traditional publishers think that if it doesn’t follow this formula, it won’t sell. I definitely didn’t want my work changed. Those are my words, if I wanted to follow a formula I would have written it that way in the first place.
They also take control of the cover art. Some of the artwork wasn’t interesting to me. It was too……. traditional. I wanted to stand out.
I tend to rebel against the system. I knew I was different growing up and I knew that no matter what I did, I would never be accepted. So I embraced it. I didn’t want to work for someone, so I don’t. I didn’t want to work for a traditional company, so I became an advocate at a grassroots organization. I don’t like working within the box, so I lit the box and fire and decided to create my own way.
The thing is no one defines who I am. If anyone is going to define me, it is me.
Knowing this about myself and knowing how rigid traditional publishers are, the Indie Author Movement seemed to compliment my beliefs perfectly. My work is my work, unaltered and pure. The cover art is my art. I have creative control over all aspects of my work.
The downside, of course, is that it takes that much more effort to market your book. Because I don’t have access to the mass marketing outlets that the traditional publshers have it takes some creativity, time and capital on my part.
But the world is changing and these huge monoliths are not able to adapt quickly enough. The more nimble self publishing outlets have mastered the web in such a way that the traditional publishers are quickly falling behind. Self publishing has made it easier to enter the fray and the competition has increased exponentially ending the monopoly that had gripped the publishing world for so long.
Traditional publishers previously underestimated the impact these Indies would have on their profits. The fact that they are spreading information to discredit self publishing is telling. Would they even bother if self publishing wasn’t a threat?
I encourage you to try an Indie. There are some very good stories out there written by wonderful authors. And if you like the book, write a review. Reviews are very important to an Indie author. They help set their books apart and could make all the difference.
