Is Indie the New Black?

Is Indie the New Black?

Welcome to the 21^st century where digital has taken over paper, where smart phones, tablets and eReaders are now necessities, and where do-it-yourself (DIY) means you’re cool.

2011 has marked the year of the publishing revolution. Thirty years ago, writers would wait years to hear back from an agent, only to learn their manuscript wasn’t good enough. Back then, self-publishing was considered taboo and most of the literary snobs looked down at the self-published authors who had no right to have their books published. It took Jane Austen fourteen years for her book, Pride and Prejudice to see the light of day. Fourteen years! I admire her perseverance and patience, but can you imagine if Jane Austen was alive today. Would she wait that long to have her book published by a traditional publisher, or would she jump in the band wagon and join the Indie movement? There must be a number of Jane Austen’s who tucked their manuscript underneath their bed accumulating cobwebs. It’s unfortunate they never got to share their story with the world.

Indie stands for independent, and used to be referred to authors published by small to mid-sized independent and university presses that don’t require an agent. However, a majority of authors have embraced the DIY movement which now classifies them as a Indie authors. An Indie author can get their book edited, formatted, designed, and have an ISBN just like a traditional author, but their books aren’t  displayed on the shelves of major bookstores.

2011 alone has been a phenomenal year for Indie Authors. The closing of Borders and Barnes and Noble bookstores has raised the demand for eReaders. We are seeing more bold authors embracing the Indie movement. The Amazon Kindle became the most sought after reader when they launched their first Kindle in 2007. The gadget was reasonably priced and soon consumers found it more convenient to download a book versus purchasing the hard copy. In terms of pricing point, eBooks are more affordable than paperbacks and hard bound books.

Amazon has played a major player in the Indie movement. They witnessed the demand in authors wanting to independently publish their books without paying upfront fees. They offered authors the option of having eBooks in a Kindle format, and launched Createspace which allows you to have a paperback copy of your book. Soon Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook tablet which gave readers the option to read in color. Independent Silicon Valley eBook publishers, Smashwords and Scribd gave authors the opportunity of uploading their books in different electronic formats without paying a fee. Amazon is now a major publisher.

 More authors are choosing to publish their book themselves. Reasons include, being able to have full control of their work and not having to wait years till their book is released. There has been a spurt of freelance graphic designers, cover artists, freelance editors who are offering their services to authors. The royalties go directly to the authors pocket with no middle men involved. There has been a stream of independent authors who are now Kindle Millionaires. Indie authors are pricing their eBooks much lower than traditionally published books. This has proven to be an effective marketing strategy for them to entice readers. Readers have discovered notable talent from Indie authors who had the courage to publish their books.

Virtual blog tours have taken over conventional face-to-face book signings. Book reviewers and bloggers can post reviews on their blogs and other sites. With the birth of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, authors can easily promote their books without leaving their home. Fans wanting autograph copies of their favorite authors can now use Kindlegraph for a virtual autograph.

Books, movies, and any form of entertainment will always be there. The method of delivery may not be as conventional as we’re used to, but they shall always be a part of our life. So this leads me to conclude that we live in an era of options and opportunities, where change is inevitable, and where Indie is the new black. Embrace it!

Why Did I Open My Own Publishing Company?

Today, I have Melissa Miller on my blog. Melissa is the dynamic woman behind Solstice Publishing. As many of you know, Solstice Publishing is one of the fastest growing publishers of today. I am happy and proud to be one of their authors. Melissa is here to share her reasons for opening her own publishing company, which I feel is the best decision she made for herself, her family and for all of us. 

Why I opened Solstice Publishing is a great question. I am married and the mother of two wonderful boys (11 and 7) that I chose to be a stay at home mother with. Both of my boys have severe asthma and I never quite felt comfortable leaving them with anyone. On top of that I knew it would be difficult to go to all of their doctor appointments and didn’t want to put any boss in the position of always working around my schedule. I loved the idea of staying home with them, so it was win win situation for me. It didn’t take too much arm twisting for me to come to that decision.

As the years went by and the boys got to that age—you know the one. J Where they sit and watch cartoons all day, and if Mom says anything, you get one of those glares that says you better be quiet and stop interrupting my show. J I was left wondering do I sit and watch cartoons all day, or find something to occupy my time with? You can only do so many dishes and laundry before you go crazy.

That’s when I decided to do something I had always dreamed about. I started writing my first book and little did I know it wasn’t as easy as you would think. I sat down and went to typing and my story filled the computer in no time. I was on cloud nine. Then I get up the nerve to send in the submission but soon received my rude awakening. J I didn’t have the first clue about writing a book. I told myself, “Wow there is more to this than I thought. Now what? Do I quit or do I take the editors suggestion?” Well, I took the suggestions and put some time in working on my book. I researched and learned  more about the craft of writing.  After completing my novel, I sent it in to a few places. Of course we all hate those rejection letters. I got my first contract with a somewhat bigger publisher, then I wrote a couple of short stories and contracted them with two smaller publishers.

When it was time for my boys to start school, I knew I had a decision to make. Am I happy with being an author which I love doing, or do I want to do more? That’s when I decided I wanted to do more where I can help other authors bring their dreams to life.

Not everyone can be an author, and the hardest part of my job is sending the rejection letters, but it’s something that needs to be done. At Solstice, we pride ourselves at putting out great quality books. Every submission is read with a fine tooth comb by our editor-in-chief, Nik Morton. He only accepts the best work possible.

At Solstice, we are like one big happy family. We all help promote one another other. Our authors do guest blogs on each other’s sites, and share about what they did over the weekend. When something exciting happens in their life, they can’t wait to post about it on our writer’s group. Being a Solstice author is something to be proud of. We are a big family, full of the most honest, caring, and helpful people you could ever ask for and I’m proud to be called their publisher.