What does it mean to be an indie author?

What is it to be an author? It's incredible knowing that my books are entertaining people. Authors are entertainers. We want people loving our books, hating characters, feeling a connection with other characters. Shedding tears and doubling over in laughter, shouting at their tablets and biting their nails as the turn the next page.

How is it different to be an indie author? To truly answer that question I'd have to jump to the mainstream side for a bit. What I can say is being an indie is amazing. It's a ton of work. We aren't simply authors we are promoters, beta readers, editors, graphic designers, marketers, salesmen/women and business entities. We are CEO's of our own corporations. We are shrewd business people with wild imaginations who want to share our stories with the world.

We have flexibility in our writing schedules without anyone but ourselves breathing deadlines down our backs. We schedule our own appearances. An agent doesn't decide if our book can be marketed and accept or reject it. We decide how to approach promoting and marketing our next book. What we lack in staff we fill with assisting each other. I have found an amazing community of support and friendship.

In the not too distant past self-published authors books were considered sub par. People complained they're not edited or lack this and that. That's changed in the past 3 years I've been reading indie work I have found few books that really needed help - grammar, plot, flat characters. I work and talk with other indie authors daily, we all have different methods but use editors, sometimes more than one. Beta readers are common too. I love beta readers and I want them to be picky. Tear my book apart so I can build it stronger. 

I love being an indie author and I support other indie authors in ways that I can. If it wasn't for the amazing support I've received from various indie and small house published authors my books wouldn't be what they are.

If you love indies get involved. #indiebooksbeseen. Use this hashtag when you share indie books on social media.

Check out the website http://www.indiebooksbeseen.com/#/

http://www.indiebooksbeseen.com/get-involved.html provides a few ways you can get involved and a contact form.

Indies post your picture with your book(s) July 1st!
Indie lovers post a pic with a book of your favorite indie author(s)!

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