What Does Being an Indie Author Mean?

You’d be surprised how often I get asked the question by students who are just starting out, “What do you mean by ‘indie author’?”

I’ve been in this business so long now, I sometimes forget the term is still a bit nebulous.

In some ways, the term started long ago when there was a clear distinction between self-published authors and those who went with a smaller independent publishing house.

Nowadays, the two terms have pretty much merged to be synonymous.

So, who’s actually an indie then? Let’s clear it up.

INDIE AUTHORS ARE:

Authors who self-publish

Authors who hybrid-publish (self/traditional)

Authors who are published with smaller indie publishers

In simpler terms, indie authors are those who have chosen to independently publish their titles apart from the Big 5 Publishers.

Why Indie?

You might wonder why authors would forego the accolades and excitement of being published traditionally. I’ve found through my years, the question of why an author goes indie is pretty broad and can have myriad reasons. Some of the most prevalent include:

1. More control. Period. (writing, design, marketing, distribution, etc.)
2. Better royalties. (way better!)
3. They like being authorpreneurs. (all business aspects)

Typically, it’s all of the above.

Why am I Indie?

For me, going indie was like breathing air. It was completely natural.

I have an extensive background in bookstore retail, print publishing and digital publishing (layouts), printing, design, and marketing. And, of course, the writing. It would have been like ignoring all of my previous experiences to hand over my publishing journey to someone else (and likely someone less qualified).

However, that being said, I continue it because I love the creative control I have because of it. Sure, it’s a lot of work. There are many avenues an author could take their authorpreneur journey on. But this one’s mine and I’ve loved every step. Even when battles are hard-fought. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Spreading the Indie Love

This year, I’ve made it my mission to expand even further than I have in previous years. For the first time since I started publishing, I’m list-aiming and I plan to take on the USA Today and NYT Bestsellers list by end of 2020.

In the meantime, I’m spreading the indie love by teaching others in my local community and others who I’ve inspired through my in-person and online courses. So far, I’ve focused on a high-level overview of how indies can take things from beginning to end. I also have a course on author mindset for authors struggling with impostor syndrome, which stops them from getting those words on the page. In the next couple of weeks, I will also have a brand new course coming that will knock your socks off.

Stay tuned! I’ll be announcing it soon!