Five Reasons that make Indie Authors a Good Catch (or at least, a good pie)
1. 20/20 Hindsight (flipped for a little 20/20 foresight)
Admit it. Eventually you came to love at least one Indie Musician after they first arrived on the scene. Then, you found yourself wishing you could hob-knob with the geniuses behind the lenses at the Sundance Film Festival where Indie Filmmakers showcase their work. And now? Well, if you haven’t started checking out the latest books from Indie Authors, you’ll soon be wishing you that did. After all, isn’t that how it always goes with any new wave?
Indie Authors are stepping out on the publishing scene, and if you think that you will be okay with simply sitting back and waiting for the Big Boys in NYC to pick up the mega stars, you’re going to be missing out on so much more. As Dave from Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, recently said on a whale and dolphin cruise I took, “For every dolphin that you see swimming at the surface, there are at least 10 others that you can’t see swimming below.”
Multitudes of Indie Authors are publishing great Indie Books now. For every Amanda Hocking, there are 10 other John Lockes underneath. All you need to do, like those music lovers and film lovers who charged into the mist before you, is to slap on your flip flops and join in on the fun. (No, it’s not as nearly hard-going as it may seem. You don’t need boots or close-toed shoes—Indie Authors are an easy-going crowd.)
2. Price.
You’d think that with more advanced technology, prices on the things we like to do with technology would go up. Thank goodness for folks like Steve Jobs and iTunes. Like Indie Musicians, Indie Authors have the ability to set fair and reasonable prices for their books, simply because Indie Authors don’t have a slew of middlemen lining up on payday wanting their piece of the pie. What does that mean for YOU? You also get to eat more pie. (Who doesn’t like pie?)
3. Diversity.
Banana crème. Lemon meringue. Chocolate pecan. Don’t worry. There are plenty of pies to choose from, maybe even more than you’d see on the menu being offered by the Big Boys. Despite their impressive wealth and multitudes of employees, large publishing houses are actually limited in what they can publish each year. It’s the nature of the beast. Their publishing “niches” and “brands” limit the types of titles that readers will see on their lists. All publishers have their preferences, their styles, their interests, their tastes, their pigeon holes that they’ve carved out for themselves. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but what is the result of this type of nesting? Similar stories and styles getting published more often than not—sometimes from the same authors, sometimes from different ones. But sometimes, readers want CRAZY PIE—a new and unknown, yet surprisingly delectable, pie that adds up to Baking Contest Winner.
That’s where Indie Authors are stepping in. Indie Authors have the potential to offer stories that hold their own sense of flavor, that just may be a wee-bit different and fresh compared to those that have been blended, toned, and/or reworked to make sure they fit amongst the realm of all the other titles that have come before.
4. Supporting grassroots economy.
Where would we be without the farmer’s market? The local bakery? The various select State Leagues of Artisans? The idea behind a “grassroots economy” carries over into the Indie Author market. Readers can know that when they buy directly from an Indie Artist, the money spent helps to directly support that artisan. Meals may be put on a table, little league fees may be paid, rent may be on time, costs for publishing may be recovered, or another unique PIE may be made. It all adds up to helping perpetuate what humans are naturally drawn toward: creation of art.
5. Driving the trends.
Taking part in an exciting and emerging trend can be personally rewarding and satisfying. Like Indie Musicians and Indie Filmmakers, Indie Authors represent the next group of brave pioneers, who are stepping into an arena that hasn’t yet been charted. Readers who take up stride alongside them have a chance to be a part of a new era, where they can share their OWN discoveries of talented, fresh voices— their new and exciting favorite Indie Author Heroes. (Anyone who bakes good pie = #HERO.)
6. I know the title of this post says I’m only offering 5 reasons that make Indie Authors a Good Catch, but here I am at #6. Well, I couldn’t let you go without rewarding you for reading this far, could I? After all, there’s a GIVEAWAY to talk about! A party, a.k.a., Spring Fling!
That’s right! SPRING FLING has begun! Today, Tomorrow, and the Day-After-That a group of more than 30 talented Indie Authors (WHO ARE ALL WORTH THE CATCH) are giving their ebooks away for FREE! That’s right free. Indie Authors can do that (aren’t they nice?). This is an opportunity for you to check out all the PIES (I mean, books) of a select group of Indie Authors all in one place. Simply visit www.freepartay.com and check out the Indie Scene for yourself.
Go on! You’re invited! All sorts of PIES will be served. Come hungry.
Shaunda usually blogs about writing, her books, and toodles-and-tidbits of other stuff at shaundawenger.blogspot.com (Yes, toodles is a word, because Indie Authors can do that.) Feel free to visit her there, but not before visiting www.freepartay.com first!
