Question: What Shouldn’t You Say To An Indie Author?

Answer: Have you tried getting your novel published?

There’s a whole lot of wrong in that question. Yet it’s something I get asked all the time.

First of all, if I’ve released an e-book, or found a way to do print-on-demand, or funded a printed edition of my book on its own, and said book is available for sale online and/or in bookstores, than the book IS published. It’s an indie book.

Such a question is playing into the stigma that accompanies being an indie author. Unless we can smack a little penguin or the words Random House somewhere on the cover, than it’s not really a book and I’m not really an author. I can only be legitimate if a big corporation has deemed my work worthy of bearing their name.

It’s a frustrating notion, and one that I, and many other indie authors all over the world, are working very hard to overcome.

What I don’t understand is the different approaches people have towards writing and music. In music, indie artists and bands are the ones on the cutting edge. They attract die-hard followers who apparently love them BECAUSE they aren’t accepted by the mainstream establishment. Those same die-hards often turn their backs on musicians when they sign with a major label.

Writers are expected to sign with a publisher the first chance they get and should be aspiring to write for Hollywood. Musicians have to slave away on the road and the minute they do a commercial or write a hit song, they’re accused of selling out.

I don’t get it.

I’m an indie author not because I’m not good enough to get signed with a major publisher but because I dislike the establishment and don’t want to have a large corporation profiting off of my hard work. I want to be in full control of my career, and if that means I have to work harder to find an audience, I welcome the challenge. I’m every bit as much a rebel as your favorite Indie band, and if you want to be on the cutting edge, you should be reading indie authors like me.

So don’t ask me why I haven’t tried to get my novel published with one of the major publishers. Instead, ask me why the publishing industry is undergoing a revolution and how I’m helping to make it happen.

I’m an indie author and proud of it.

Check out Decater's novel, available now at Amazon. Plus, don't forget his other books: They Both Love Vonnegut, Ahab's Adventures in Wonderland, and Picasso Painted Dinosaurs.