Do Indie Authors Still Suck? I Don’t Think So

While browsing through the KDP community boards, I came across this interesting piece called “Why Indie Authors Still Suck.” It was supposedly written by someone in the publishing industry who could not believe the amount of crappy pieces being churned out by indie authors. Now, being an indie author myself, my first instinct was to rip this to shreds, but I decided to leave that for the active comments section that seemed to be filling up fast. Instead, I read through it carefully to see if they had anything new to say.

The main points of the post were that in order to be a successful indie author, you needed to be established, you needed a good, professional editor, and you needed to have money. Now, I’ll agree with the second point to some extent, but the first and last are not exactly true.

Just like with independent films, there are some authors who have always wanted to create something special. However not everyone gets a chance to play with the big boys, Some are talented enough to break through, especially if they write something a publisher finds marketable, but others are handed rejection after rejection. Does this mean their book is horrible? No, it doesn’t. It just means that a publisher doesn’t feel that they can sell it. So what do these poor souls do instead, they take what they have and use any available means necessary to create their vision. Usually this is done with very little money, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

You know what, just because it doesn’t come in a nice, shiny package doesn’t mean it isn’t worth anything. Look at all the blockbuster movies and novels that have come our way, ones that have spent millions of dollars only to be utter pieces of crap. Throwing more money at something doesn’t make it good, it just makes people think it is. Should an indie try to spend as much as possible? Of course, because you want to look as professional as possible. But everyone was an amateur at some point, and we should all remember that.

So yes, indie authors should try to seek someone else to edit their work, A fresh pair of eyes is always a good thing. But just because someone charges an arm and a leg for their services doesn’t guarantee quality. Let me also get this out now before anyone thinks I’m out against publishers. I am not against traditional publishing. Nope, not all. Any writer who has found a publisher to put their work out there has my deepest respect. But so does an indie author who managed to make a diamond out of coal.

Now, I realize by writing this, my work may be torn apart by some, but that’s OK. I have sought out professional services to edit my stuff, and followed the suggestions of many as to how I should change certain things. I may not be perfect, but I like to think I am improving with each and every one.

Okay, rant over. Now back to some writing.