Give Me Indie Authors Over The Big Publishers Any Day

I used to spend hours in book stores, browsing endless spines, looking for my next great adventure. Yet, I often felt like my choices were still somewhat limited.

Rarely could I find an independent author. My choices were limited to what the big publishing houses thought I should want. Seriously, these major publishers are notorious for passing on huge successes, like Harry Potter.

Then, the day came when I got my first tablet. The only reason I wanted one was to read e-books. I had no idea what was about to happen to me.

The Flood Gates Opened and I Couldn't Read Enough

Suddenly, there were no limits. Authors with incredible stories to tell were at my fingertips. Why weren't these books in any of the physical bookstores I frequented? Easy. They were all by indie authors. These were amazing writers who were either turned down or got tired of their stories being so drastically edited and watered down that they published all on their own.

I couldn't believe how many books had been held back from the general public just because some editor didn't think it'd be the next best seller.

I can't imagine how many of these indie books would've been best sellers if they'd just been given a chance.

I was thrilled to find $0.99 specials to read the first in a series. Most of the time, I then bought the entire series, if it was already available.

Right now, I have several hundred indie books stockpiled on my Kindle app. Will I ever get through them all? Probably not. Will I still buy more? Definitely.

Give Indie Authors a Chance

If you tend to stick to bestseller lists or major book club titles, take a break and see what you're missing. I know indie authors have a bad reputation, but usually the same things can be said about traditionally published authors.

Indie books are full of grammatical mistakes. It's too distracting to read.

Admittedly, I've ran across a few like this. I'd say at least 90% of indie books I've read are extremely well edited.

I've also read numerous books from major publishers that were riddled with errors. I've had some where the spelling of the main character's name changed throughout the book. Remember, these publishers have editors on hand to fix these problems. And, the errors still made it through. You pay more and still get errors.

Indie authors aren't real writers. If they were, major publishers would've picked them up.

Wrong. Think about shows like American Idol and The Voice. How many incredible vocalists audition and perform on these shows? Many of their voices are far better than artists currently topping the charts.

The only difference is those artists just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Often, it's more luck than anything.

Indie authors are real writers. If their stories suck, guess what? Readers will let me know. And, you can check out the ratings before you buy. I know we can all agree that many "bestselling" authors should've never been published.

Indie authors just write fan fiction.

Nope. Sure, some do get their starts with fan fiction. Even bestselling books often come from fan fic.

But, indie authors are filled with creative ideas that often go beyond the tropes and stereotypes big publishers push down our throats.

I've found such a wide array of stories since I started reading indie books. I'd never find this selection with traditionally published authors.

I Get To Support Authors Directly

Another thing I love is more of what I pay goes directly to the author. There isn't a big publishing house that needs to take their massive cut.

Remember, indie authors do everything themselves. This includes cover design, editing, marketing, formatting for various platforms, etc. Some of this they outsource.

By buying their stories, I get to help support their dreams. They take me on adventures and I help them turn their dreams into reality. It seems like more than a fair trade to me.

I used to use Kindle Unlimited, which is filled with indie books. But, now I have such a stockpile, I just buy the books directly. Try some indie authors and you'll wonder why you waited so long.