10 Reasons to Buy an Independently Published Book

How do you select the next book to put on our iPad or Kindle? Or more importantly why do you select a particular author? I’m sure the reason isn’t the publisher such as Penguin or Random House, or Simon & Schuster. We don’t ask, “ I wonder what Random Penguin has out this month?” No, it’s always the author, “Does Daniel Silva have a new book? I wonder when the next Child book is coming?” But there are times when you want to explore, and that’s when it’s fun to read through the book descriptions at various web sites, retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.), book reviewers, and even book bloggers. What you will often find in these literary back alleys are some jewels that don’t fit the mold of the traditional publishers and are often surprising and delighting. So here are ten reasons to look to indie and self published authors regardless of genre and subject.

1. They are often more creative and interesting.
2. The author has put their heart and soul into the story.
3. The author has even put his own money into the production and editing of the book.
4. The author sincerely wants to entertain you.
5. It is a way to find a new and wonderful writer that speaks to you without all the marketing hype and in your face drama (Today Show, The View, etc.) of the typical traditional release.
6. The price and affordability of the work (ebooks especially).
7. The chance to communicate directly with the author through their web site or emails.
8. You want to help this new industry (self-publishing) by buying their books and spreading the word.
9. You have grown tired of the formulaic novels now being sold where the story is same no matter who the author is.
10. You yourself are independent and quirky and seek out those that fit your own style and interests - the independent self-publisher.

I’m sure there are other reasons beyond cost and quirkiness but please understand there is a revolution going on in the writing and publishing industry (the obvious and very public bloody battle going on between Amazon and Hachette is a good example). The traditionals go out of their way to demean the indies by calling them poorly written and produced. But some of the recent books I’ve read published by the trads still have weak story lines, are formulaic (James Patterson’s last five books for example), poor editing, and often glaring typos. Just saying.

More Later . . . . . . . .