Author Antics: How to Support Indie Authors
Being an indie author isn't easy. Here's how you can help.
Stepping into your local bookstore or Barnes & Noble, the dusty-warm aroma of books blends with the heady scent of ground coffee and jelly-encrusted pastries. You might stroll to the new releases table or wander into the fiction stacks, eyes roving covers designed to catch your attention and entice your fingers to flip through crisp pages. Everything begs for you to sit down, relax, and get lost in a good story.
Now, take a moment to glance at the spines of the novels on the shelves. Chances are, the overwhelming majority of these books will bear the stamp of one of the five “big house” publishing companies or an imprint of those companies. These books populate your Barnes & Noble and other bookstore chains around the country. Their authors often receive substantial advances, book tours, movie deals, and foreign rights. However, there is a vast treasure trove of independent or small house publications that simply do not receive the same shelf-space and marketing spotlight.
Before we dive into today’s topic, let’s clarify a few common questions. What does it mean to be “indie published”? Usually, this means an author published their work with a small, independent house, whose annual sales or number of titles fall below a certain threshold. Often, these small houses accept work from un-agented, underrepresented authors but do still follow a traditional route to publishing with modest advances and royalties. Nowadays, the term “indie publishing” also refers to self-published author and vanity-publishing houses. Sidebar: my favorite YA read so far this year is a self-published work.
Are independently published works “badly written” or “subpar” compared to big-five titles? Not at all! Most small houses seek to cultivate talented writers just like the “big five.” In fact, many great writers began their careers at a small house. Some hugely popular genres, like the Instagram-trending romantasy genre, are primarily independently published. While the same may not be said for all self-published authors, who control their own process and may forgo editing, small houses put their titles through a rigorous editing process. I speak from experience here, being in the midst of that process myself.
So then, you may ask, why did a “big” house not take on the work, if it’s just as good? The large houses and agents may reject a work for a variety of reasons. In my experience, market trends were a tremendous factor. Because my upcoming novel contains vampire characters, it was often automatically rejected or, in most cases, not even considered. The vast majority of wishlists I encountered between 2020 and 2022 clearly stated that the agent/house did not want to see any title containing vampire characters or mob-related violence. When one has written a gothic noir fantasy novel, that is an unfortunate hurdle. When I was querying Scythe and Pen, I received thirty rejections, all along the lines of “this was an excellent read but I’m just not able to market it right now.”
Publishing is a business, just like any other, and businesses must pay attention to demand and trends. Fortunately, independent houses safeguard diversity of content, by embracing authors whose content may be excellent but fall outside the “trending” topics. Don’t believe me? Next time you go to a bookstore, try to spot the common trends on the new release shelves. A big one right now is feminist Greek retellings. Don’t get me wrong, I love them too. They’re trending for a reason.
Unfortunately, small houses often do not possess the marketing budget or market clout of the “big five.” This means indie authors often promote their own work and rely strongly on word-of-mouth from readers. So, how can you help?
Here are five ways you can support the indie writers in your life.
Request or buy the book. Obviously, buying your friend’s book is a wonderful way to support their work. Worried about your budget? Even if you’re choosing or needing to save money, you can still support indie authors by requesting their book through your local library. Even though bookstores tend to focus on Big Five publications, if a book trends on social media or is repeatedly requested, you could help an author’s work get on the shelves and become more visible.
Spread the word. Word-of-mouth is still the best way to spread the word about a product. Simply telling your buddy about “that good book I just read” helps indie writers. Share your read on social media. You can share it on Instagram, tweet about it, or mention it in your favorite Facebook group. Remember, small houses often have smaller marketing teams and smaller budgets, meaning less money to forge business relationships and buy ad space. So the more you talk about your friend’s book, the more you’re helping. Tell! Your! Friends!
Consider putting copies in those little free libraries. My friend Stephanie recently shared the wonderful idea of buying one or two extra copies of indie books and sticking them in her neighborhood’s little free libraries. Of course, it may not always be financially feasible to do this, but it’s an incredibly thoughtful idea to get those titles circulating out there in the world.
Suggest it for book club. Are you a member of a local book club? Pitch your friend’s book as the next read! Book club attendees are usually avid readers and will most likely love supporting a local author.
Leave a review. If you read the book, take a moment to review it, even if it’s just a quick star rating on Amazon. Reviews help persuade other readers to give the book a try. Haven’t had time to read the book yet? Add it to your Good Reads! You can add the book as “Want to Read,” which also helps the indie author gain visibility.
Share this list with your reader friends. And feel free to shout out your own book or a friend’s work in the comments section!
Thank you from this indie author (who never forgoes editing, by the way, and really wishes no one skipped those pivotal steps)!