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What are the pros and cons of being an 'Indie author'? Here is an introduction to the rapidly growing market for independent publishing.
What are the pros and cons of being an ‘Indie author’? Here is an introduction to the rapidly growing market for independent publishing.
‘Indie Author’. I first came across this word on a Google+ community. Being new to the jargon of the publishing world, I imagined it to mean an author from India!
Not convinced and secretly convinced of the bizarreness of my definition, I finally hit Google search, and wow, a new world was revealed.
I am sure there are people out there wondering about ‘Indie’ authors, like I did, hence I am sharing my insights, in the hope that it will help beginners.
The writing world has evolved like all the other worlds,and there literally are no boundaries. I was dumbstruck at the accessibility I found as a writer. Within minutes, I had people sharing, reading, liking, commenting, and criticizing what I wrote. This is a great luxury of modern times. History knows how some of the best literal works were lost, or not recognized; today there is connectivity and it’s so easy to be heard.
Publishing, however, is a different ball game – there are plenty of choices here as well and one of them is the Indie way.
Indie is short for “independence” or “independent”. It may refer to the fields of literature, art, music, and so on. For the sake of this post, let us talk only about the Indie author. In my opinion, it can mean any of the following categories of writers:
There is a bit of debate all over the publishing world about who the Indie author is, but the above is my gathering from research. It would be great to hear what you think about Indie authors!
A few interesting facts about Indie Publishing in recent times:
Penguin announce their own self-publishing arm
This discovery genuinely amazed me, I wondered: why would Penguin want to do this? It sounded crazy, but then I realized that the shift from traditional to the Indie route is immensely evident in the publishing world. The Indie advantage seems to be overtaking the charms of traditional publishing. It, in a way, is a question of survival in the digital world; and this is where the Indie writer dominates.
I will not be surprised if in a few decades everyone chooses the Indie way. Why should a creative work be not published? Why should a few publishing houses rule the world of creativity? This space needs little bit democracy.
Are there doors that are closed for an Indie Author?
In my research, one aspect that was evident is the fact that as an Independent Author we do not have all the doors open for us. Sad but true: many writing organizations do not consider you to be a real Author if you are only self-published.
We cannot be nominated for an Edgar or many other such literary honors!
So, should we take the Indie route? It’s quite debatable, and I would be glad to hear what you think!
For me, the bottom line after this research is that it ultimately boils down to your aspirations as a writer; if you want the awards and do not care about other things like freedom of expression etc. then the Indie route is not for you.
But I am writing to be heard and it is what fuels me – so an award or no award doesn’t really matter. Being heard helps my mind and that is the sole cause of writing for me.
There are authors who simply want to write good books and get them out there for people to read they do not care much about the literary credits. They are content, being truly Indies!
It is an author’s pick ultimately! I have chosen Create Space to publish my debut poetry book in November 2014.
Hope all will go fine with this new adventure….yes, I choose the Indie Way.
An Author’s Hope…. “When I am dead, I hope it may be said: ‘His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.’- Hilaire Belloc
Originally published at author’s blog.
I am a poet, writer, book reviewer, book cover designer, active blogger addicted to writing-reading-researching! I have 10 years of corporate professional experience working with giants like Accenture, AT&T and HSBC. read more...
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'Dr Saloni will take care of everything,' my MIL said. My cowardly husband refused to go against his mother’s wishes. I was left to fend for myself!
Some time ago, I went to a marriage ceremony with my parents. It was a very high-profile marriage – not the ones we usually were invited to – but in this case it was Ramesh uncle’s son’s marriage. Ramesh uncle was my father’s first cousin. He began his career as a humble elevator operator at the TIC business group. With his sheer hard work, grit, and the knack of sensing the right opportunities, within eighteen years he became the president of the company. My father and he were the best of friends during their school time.
Half an hour before the stipulated time, we left our house, hired an auto and reached the venue. All four of us were in our best outfits. Getting out of the auto and looking at each other, we were highly convinced that we were going to fit in just right. As we crossed the dazzling and beautiful portico, we felt very insignificant compared to the big lawn and building lying ahead.
Mother was wearing all the jewellery she had got, including the big old-fashioned necklace, earrings and shiny bangles. Father was wearing a velvet coat, brother had put on a light orange shirt with a black check coat, I myself was wearing a red salwar kurta with a net dupatta. I had put on a necklace with red beads which at the time of wearing looked very pretty to me. Now looking at the other guests, I felt all four of us must be looking like clowns who had come for a fancy-dress competition. I felt my brother and parents were also feeling self-conscious and uneasy now.
Live-in relationships are legal in the eyes of the law. Read on to know more on the rights of women in live-in relationships.
Live-in relationships may sound exciting. But sometimes they become complicated, especially for women and the children born from a live-in relationship. It’s important to be aware of rights of women in live-in relationships.
Live-in relationships are where a woman and man live under one roof with mutual consent, like husband and wife, but without getting married. This has become very common in metropolitan cities these days, where two independent people simply do not want to get married. This relationship can be terminated without the consent of the other party.
Live-in relation may not be recognized completely at the social level, but Indian law does consider this relationship to be legal.
Being a 'dependent visa wife' can be challenging for women who want to follow their dreams. But, if you are driven, you can still find opportunities and make a mark.
Being a ‘dependent visa wife’ can be challenging for women who want to follow their dreams. But, if you are driven, you can still find opportunities and make a mark.
Today, when I look back, I can remember Steve Job’s commencement speech that he gave at Stanford University.
I came to the USA as any other expat, with a lot of dreams and aspirations. Being a management graduate, I aspired to work in the Human Resources field. But, since I came here on a Dependent Visa, I wasn’t allowed to work until I got my work permit.
Bhumika Anand, once a cubicle dweller, found her home at the Bangalore Writers Workshop (BWW). This is her story in the world of words.
You know how you start out thinking that if I have my own business, I will make time for this, that, and the other thing?
It never happens.