It’s cool to be an indie

It’s official. It’s now cool to be an indie. “Cool” meaning we are no longer looked down upon because we self-publish our work. By no means am I implying that we are better in any sense than traditionally published authors. I don’t buy into the “indie” vs. “traditional” mindset. We are all scribes, and now thanks to the advances in technology, we all have more ways to get our books to the people who count: readers.

If you’ve been paying attention to the publishing industry lately, you may have read about this change in perception toward self-pubbers. Authors Amanda Hocking, J.A. Konrath and John Locke have had tremendous success indie publishing. Konrath has been traditionally published, but there are many others including Hocking and Locke who have not. Some of Konrath’s colleagues have followed his example.

International best-selling author Barry Eisler turned down a half a million dollar deal with St. Martin’s Press, opting to self-publish. NY Times and USA best-selling author L.A. Banks stepped into the self-pub arena with her YA novel, “Shadow Walker.” Christian authors, Tiffany L. Warren, Sherri Lewis, and Rhonda McKnight teamed up to form their own press, 3 Sisters Books. They released their first book, “A Woman’s Revenge,” last year. These examples and many others have been hailed throughout cyberspace as the “indie revolution.” Authors no longer need literary agents and publishers to act as “gatekeepers.”

Mind you, this so-called revolution is barely a year old. When I self-published my non-fiction book, “The Spiritual Root of Slavery,” in early 2010, I did it the old-fashioned way. I sent the manuscript and cover design to a printer and paid a couple of hundred dollars for a short print run. At that time, traditional publishing was still the goal for aspiring writers, and self-pubbers were still hoping their sales would attract the attention of a literary agent. Not so much anymore.
Writers are gleefully indie publishing their own works. Traditionally published authors are putting their out-of-print back lists up on Kindle, Pubit and Smashwords. They are celebrating this new found sense of control. Now, they have a say in everything from the cover design, trim size and price to the simple pleasure of writing what they want. Would you like to do a sequel? Oh, yes… Would you care to take this character from your novel and use her in the short story you are writing for e-publication? Sure, why not…

New authors are hiring editors, copy-editors, cover designers, and typesetters to whip their manuscripts into shape. Many are learning to perform these tasks on their own, and saving money in the process. In addition to e-pubbing projects, U.S. authors can use Create Space and Lightning Source to produce the print versions of their masterpieces. U.K. scribes can also use Lightning Source and Xin Xii (for e-books)
The genres that are selling well as e-books thus far include thrillers, mysteries, erotica, horror and romances. It would be interesting to see if literary fiction, children’s books, and my personal favorite, historical fiction does as well.

So, if you’re an indie. Be proud. You’re in good company. True, not all of us will pull in the money that some of the above mentioned authors have. However, seeing your work in print is a huge reward in itself. And now you can. It’s a lot easier to do than ever before.
Another phrase that is going around cyberspace and echoed by commentators on various indie blogs is this: It’s a good time to be a writer. And it’s now cool to be an indie.

I am an Indie

My name is Marcella Denise Spencer. And I’m an indie. I write and produce my own work.

Though, I will confess, I did not want to self- publish. I went into self-publishing “kicking and screaming.” I wanted the traditional route badly. Even while I was researching self-publishing, learning how to form my own company, etc… I was still sending out queries to agents and small presses.

The general responses to my queries to literary agents were the same: No. There is no market for your work. And it’s the truth. I could’t find books similar to what I write in the bookstore. I was unable to reference books like mine, to see who their agent was, what publisher released the book, or how that book sold. Why? I write Christian, historical, multicultural books, a niche audience for certain. I found plenty of Christian fiction, many historical as well, but none set in ancient times with African characters.

Four years ago, when I opened my publishing company Hamitic Press, publishing outside the traditional routes was still looked down upon. And now? Now self-publishers are getting respect. Now on Amazon’s Top Selling Kindle List there are several indies. And now I have two completed works done under Hamitic Press, with a third book due for release this spring 2011. And I started a new imprint, Date Palm Publishing (A division of Hamitic Press). Under the Date Palm imprint, I intend to write and publish stories based entirely in the ancient Near East.

Being an indie appeals to my entrepreneurial side, I love having my own business. Although having to do everything, and I do mean everything by myself has been both fun and frustrating. Why do I keep going? I love it. I enjoy the entire process of producing a new book; and I intend to keep doing it whether the books sell or not.

I hope that my upcoming novel, “The Scepter and Diadem,” is better written and better plotted than my last project, “And the Sons of Ham.” My goal as an indie writer and publisher is to keep improving with every book.

I will be a regular guest blogger here on Black Authors Books. If you’re an author, I’d love to hear about your journey to publication.

Black Authors Books - Marcella Denise Spencer

Author's name: - Marcella Denise Spencer

A little bit about yourself: - My featured book, "The Spirtual Root of Slavery" is non-fiction, though my passion is writing histotical fiction set in ancient Africa.

What Inspires You?: - Knowing that there is still a lot of African history waiting to be written.

What 2 tips would you share with a budding writer?:
Tip 1: Write what you love to read.

Tip 2: Do your homework. Learn what you can about the Industry, everything from crafting query letters to marketing techniques.

An Outline of your Featured Book?: - The ancient Egyptians held the Hebrews bondage from 1870-1440 BC.

the Europeans enslaved the Africans from 1440-1870 AD.

Is there a connection? Can seeds sown in antiquity harvest in the modern era?

Read Marcella Denise Spencer's Biography


Purchase the Book: - And the Sons of Ham - out now

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