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.