When I first started writing, I’d never heard of indie authors. So when I found out that I could write a book AND get it published without waiting for a publishing house to pick it up…well, needless to say, I was excited! Its tough writing and publishing for yourself. You have to find your own editor; create your own cover; figure out the publishing and formatting differences for all of the distributors you want to use. And you have to promote yourself, which takes more time that you might think. Even though it’s hard work to be your own publisher, I’m still glad to be a part of an elite group – indie authors. Let me give you a few reasons why:
1) Creative freedom
Being an indie writer allows me to choose what I want to write and when I want to write it. There is no controlling publisher discouraging me from writing a certain tale, or changing the way it’s written so that it becomes a different story. It also gives me creative control over my cover – one of the most important parts of a book. The cover is what draws the reader to pick up your book. Several books I’ve picked up all have similar styles of cover, and I can tell the publisher just be looking at the cover. My cover can be as unique as my book and can set me apart from other writers.
2) Less stress
There are some indie authors that may disagree with me about this, but I feel I have more control of the content, number of words, style…everything that makes my story mine. I would have to give up some of this control if I had a traditional publisher. I feel more pressure when I try to write to somebody else’s standards. When I feel less pressure I become more creative.
3) Lower Prices
Because I only have to pay me and my distributors, I can keep my pricing lower. It certainly helps to sell more books!
4) My time is mine
Working full-time means I have to manage my time extremely well and I have to fit in my writing time. However, as an indie writer, the only deadline I have to meet is the one I set. And I do set deadlines. I have to have some discipline. But if I can’t meet that deadline, I have the ability to push it back a bit. Makes life a little less crazy!
5) Control
What can I say…I’m a control freak! Indie writers have more freedom and more control over their own work. It’s not for everyone and it’s not easy, but if you can do it, publishing your own work gives you can give you a great feeling of accomplishment.
Being an indie author allows me to enjoy writing. To me it’s not a job; it’s a passion. It don’t HAVE to write; I GET to write. After all is said and done, that’s the most important part.
