There are two kinds of people in this world. There are the ones who "go with the flow"--who frequent big-budget Hollywood movies, listen to Top 10 radio, watch network tv and read mostly The New York Times bestsellers. It is these people who drive the multi-billion industry we know as "popular culture."
But the second type of person is equally important. We'll call them the pioneers. These are the people who helped move indie films from the art house to the Oscars. They listened to Kurt Cobain long before he was signed to a major record label. These are people who take pride in being the ones to discover--and pass along--the newest indie film, garage band and self-published book.
The fact is, both indie films and indie music have become more accessible these days, more akin to popular culture than cutting edge. Which makes indie books--published and produced by the person who wrote them--practically the last frontier for those itching to discover a new talent. Take, for instance, Amanda Hocking, a self-published author of paranormal books who became a million dollar indie author, later signing a deal with St. Martin's Press. Or John Locke, who just passed the one million sales mark for Kindle downloads, something only seven other authors in history have achieved: Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins and Michael Connelly.
There are many more great indie authors where John and Amanda came from. And while it will take the "go with the flow" type of people to make them bestsellers, it will first take the pioneers to discover them. So, if you're the kind of discriminating reader who doesn't want to peruse the same book that's on everyone else's night table, then an indie book might be just what you're looking for.
Yes, the wild and wooly world of indie books can be overwhelming. But we've got 5 tips below to help you explore the terrain.
