Beem Weeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "indie"
Indie Is...
Indie. The word saturates the cyber world like blood on a battlefield. Those who claim this name wear it with pride. But what exactly is indie? The Oxford American College Dictionary defines indie as: adj.(of a pop group or record label) not belonging to or affiliated with a major record company;(of a movie) not produced by a major studio.
Since my dictionary saw it's birth a dozen years ago, it fails to mention indie in terms of writers. In 2001, there wasn't the glut of online publishing available that we enjoy today.
Everybody is indie today. It's a badge of courage worn with a fierce streak of, well, independence. That's what indie really is, after all. We are independent of the big companies that tell authors the who, what, where, when, and how-much-we'll-pay-you-for-it old order of business. But is indie really all it's hyped up to be? Or is it, as many would have us believe, just the poor man's route to becoming published?
Since 2001, the publication date on the above-mentioned Oxford American, the world has witnessed a super-explosion in online publishers. There's a million of the little buggers, each promising that you, too, can be just like Stephen King or J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, selling millions of copies of your story to devoted fans around the globe. Everybody is an author in today's world. "Have an idea? Write it down and we'll get it to eager readers worldwide." It's seriously that easy. "Can't spell? Don't you fret none. We'll still get that book into print--for just a few hundred dollars up front, please."
Not every indie author is a writer. There are plenty out there who need crash courses on sentence construction, character development, proper POV, or all of the above. But for every ten bad ones, there are gems and amazing finds waiting for discovery. What's the difference between indie author Stephen Geez and megastar Stephen King? Geez is a better writer! Don't misunderstand me; King is a fantastic storyteller. But that doesn't make him a great writer. Geez scores well on both accounts. Usually, if you can do one or the other, you'll do well as an author; readers will buy your work and find themselves entertained by your imagination.
Those who aren't skilled in telling stories or constructing sentences are the ones laying that black mark against indie--the mark that says all indie authors suck, the stories are garbage, the quality isn't worth a dime. But that's so far from the truth. Indie writers are some of the absolute best in the trade. I've been privileged to discover many of these bright voices. Lately I'm buying and reading more indie authors than I am the established corporate writers.
Look what indie-produced music has done to the record industry. Big labels are fighting for their survival against the digital revolution. Have a band? Record your song with software on your laptop, mix it with that same computer, and promote it on YouTube. Bands and singers are selling millions of downloads, leaving the once-greedy corporations scrambling for the loose change that slips through an open hand. That will be the world of publishing before too long. More and more readers are discovering great stories at lower prices. And if they like a novel, they can email the author and tell him/her so. Can you email J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer with a realistic expectation of hearing back from them?
Take heart, fellow indies; we're already on board this fast moving train to the future of publishing. Dig in and make names for yourselves, your brand, your work. Great stories outlive their creators. A memorable read has made many a writer immortal.
Since my dictionary saw it's birth a dozen years ago, it fails to mention indie in terms of writers. In 2001, there wasn't the glut of online publishing available that we enjoy today.
Everybody is indie today. It's a badge of courage worn with a fierce streak of, well, independence. That's what indie really is, after all. We are independent of the big companies that tell authors the who, what, where, when, and how-much-we'll-pay-you-for-it old order of business. But is indie really all it's hyped up to be? Or is it, as many would have us believe, just the poor man's route to becoming published?
Since 2001, the publication date on the above-mentioned Oxford American, the world has witnessed a super-explosion in online publishers. There's a million of the little buggers, each promising that you, too, can be just like Stephen King or J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, selling millions of copies of your story to devoted fans around the globe. Everybody is an author in today's world. "Have an idea? Write it down and we'll get it to eager readers worldwide." It's seriously that easy. "Can't spell? Don't you fret none. We'll still get that book into print--for just a few hundred dollars up front, please."
Not every indie author is a writer. There are plenty out there who need crash courses on sentence construction, character development, proper POV, or all of the above. But for every ten bad ones, there are gems and amazing finds waiting for discovery. What's the difference between indie author Stephen Geez and megastar Stephen King? Geez is a better writer! Don't misunderstand me; King is a fantastic storyteller. But that doesn't make him a great writer. Geez scores well on both accounts. Usually, if you can do one or the other, you'll do well as an author; readers will buy your work and find themselves entertained by your imagination.
Those who aren't skilled in telling stories or constructing sentences are the ones laying that black mark against indie--the mark that says all indie authors suck, the stories are garbage, the quality isn't worth a dime. But that's so far from the truth. Indie writers are some of the absolute best in the trade. I've been privileged to discover many of these bright voices. Lately I'm buying and reading more indie authors than I am the established corporate writers.
Look what indie-produced music has done to the record industry. Big labels are fighting for their survival against the digital revolution. Have a band? Record your song with software on your laptop, mix it with that same computer, and promote it on YouTube. Bands and singers are selling millions of downloads, leaving the once-greedy corporations scrambling for the loose change that slips through an open hand. That will be the world of publishing before too long. More and more readers are discovering great stories at lower prices. And if they like a novel, they can email the author and tell him/her so. Can you email J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer with a realistic expectation of hearing back from them?
Take heart, fellow indies; we're already on board this fast moving train to the future of publishing. Dig in and make names for yourselves, your brand, your work. Great stories outlive their creators. A memorable read has made many a writer immortal.
Rave Reviews Book Club
So you’ve written the next great novel, put in the time and effort to get the manuscript polished to a high sheen, and spent untold amounts of money to get your masterpiece edited and published. It’s there on Amazon for everybody in the world to buy, read, and review—if only they knew the book exists! Sure, you’ve tweeted about it, posted short blurbs on Facebook, joined amazing author sites like Koobug.com and Goodreads. Maybe you’ve even spent a little extra money to have a web site set up. Is this enough? Are there other things an author can do to push sales closer to something resembling respectable?
Have you considered joining a book club? I don’t mean your grandmother’s book club, either. I’m talking about the Rave Reviews Book Club.
“Rave Reviews Book Club,” you wonder. “What exactly is Rave Reviews Book Club?”
I’m glad you asked. Rave Reviews Book Club is a unique group of authors and readers joined together by a desire to help lift the indie publishing industry to new heights. Let’s face it, there are many amazingly talented authors whose work is languishing on the e-shelves of Amazon.com, Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, and other internet outlets, never to be read or even acknowledged.
This is where Rave Reviews Book Club comes into play. It’s a simple concept, really, one designed to benefit member authors. Here’s how it works:
An author joins the club. This author submits the title of his/her book(s). Eventually, this book becomes one of the club’s selected reads. Fellow members purchase copies of the selected book, they read it and post reviews on Amazon.com, Koobug.com, Goodreads, Barnes&Noble, and any other site that accepts book reviews.
The author benefits from sales and reviews. The reader discovers new favorites.
Each member agrees to buy, read, and review at least four (4) of the selections over the course of the year. Think about it; that’s just one book every three (3) months. Easy enough, don’t you think? Promoting indie authors is the primary goal of this growing membership.
Rave Reviews Book Club even offers prize giveaways, Twitter support, and a weekly Author Spotlight blog tour.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, just visit the website for further details on becoming a member yourself.
http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordp...
And don’t forget to tell them Beem sent you!
Have you considered joining a book club? I don’t mean your grandmother’s book club, either. I’m talking about the Rave Reviews Book Club.
“Rave Reviews Book Club,” you wonder. “What exactly is Rave Reviews Book Club?”
I’m glad you asked. Rave Reviews Book Club is a unique group of authors and readers joined together by a desire to help lift the indie publishing industry to new heights. Let’s face it, there are many amazingly talented authors whose work is languishing on the e-shelves of Amazon.com, Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, and other internet outlets, never to be read or even acknowledged.
This is where Rave Reviews Book Club comes into play. It’s a simple concept, really, one designed to benefit member authors. Here’s how it works:
An author joins the club. This author submits the title of his/her book(s). Eventually, this book becomes one of the club’s selected reads. Fellow members purchase copies of the selected book, they read it and post reviews on Amazon.com, Koobug.com, Goodreads, Barnes&Noble, and any other site that accepts book reviews.
The author benefits from sales and reviews. The reader discovers new favorites.
Each member agrees to buy, read, and review at least four (4) of the selections over the course of the year. Think about it; that’s just one book every three (3) months. Easy enough, don’t you think? Promoting indie authors is the primary goal of this growing membership.
Rave Reviews Book Club even offers prize giveaways, Twitter support, and a weekly Author Spotlight blog tour.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, just visit the website for further details on becoming a member yourself.
http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordp...
And don’t forget to tell them Beem sent you!
