July 11, 2010

on re-naming myself (and using too many parentheses)

when i first started this writing journey, i couldn't even call myself a writer. i felt like i was just a "wanna-be." it took 2 years of writing to admit my addiction - er, i mean calling? and that was after 2 years of my husband and children telling me i was a writer.

so now i'm ok with calling myself a writer (on most days anyway, though lately, i'm once again feeling like a wanna-be).

then came admitting to people i was a self-publisher. friends who didn't write (and some who did) responded with, "Wow! That's so cool. Where can I get a copy?"

acquaintances who wrote (and were trying to get a traditional publisher to buy their stories) nodded politely or raised a skeptical eyebrow, and said, "Oh, that's nice." (there are days when i feel like i'm the rock in the middle of the traditional publishing stream that people bump into or try to go around.)

the other day, as i was perusing blogs, trying to decide how much i wanted to promote my book (a subject that rolls around in my head on a regular basis), i came across a title that intrigued me: Indie Author. i plugged it into google and found several indie author sites. i even emailed one of them to get a definition.

April Hamilton was gracious enough to give me this answer:

Here's my definition of "indie author", as stated on my website:

An indie author is an author who has made the conscious decision to bring his or her work to a readership independently after carefully researching and considering all available options. If you are publishing and promoting your work yourself, without the intervention of any corporate middlemen, whether the product is a hard cover, paperback, Ebook, Kindle™ book, podcast, or online serialization, congratulations: you are an indie author.

I hope that clears it up for you. =') It's not a function of *how* your work finds its way into print (e.g., POD, offset print run, ebook, etc.), it's function of who's running the show and calling the shots.


and now, since the definition definitely applies to me, i am proud to say, i am an indie author. (besides, i think it sounds better than self-publisher. has a more defiant ring to it or something.)

anyone else?

3 comments:

Nighfala said...

You're a renegade adventurer, like Indiana Jones!

That's what I always think of when I see the phrase "Indie author."

Lisa J Yarde said...

It took a little time for me to get used to calling myself a writer. I didn't feel qualified to claim the title until I published something. Indie author sounds great, but it still has the connotation that we're renegades, bucking the system.

Michelle Gregory said...

Christine- renegade and adventurer are two words i never thought anyone would use to describe me. makes me bold.

CF-H- i can't think of a better name for you.

Lisa- another confirmation that i'm a renegade. and *aren't* we bucking the system?