Indie or Trad...or both?

[Gareth]

Do you prefer reading established authors from Traditional Publishers or are you more likely nowadays to try out new and exciting Indie authors?

[Roger]

Hi, you guys. I just joined this group and I'm still trying to figure out how to contribute. My debut novel The Interview was recently published by Joshua Tree Publishing, a traditional publisher based in Chicago.

As for the question posed, I've been reading more and more indie-published novels, particularly from authors who I know personally.

Anyway, if you have any suggestions for me as a new group member, do let me know!

[Tym]

I find I like to buy/read a mix of indie and traditional. There are a number of traditionally published authors that I love and will read anything they publish. That being said, I love finding a good indie book that isn't constrained by what publishers see as current market trends.

[Gareth]

Tym wrote: "I find I like to buy/read a mix of indie and traditional. There are a number of traditionally published authors that I love and will read anything they publish. That being said, I love finding a go..."

Would you say the AUTHOR is the main draw of the traditional stuff you read whereas the GENRE/STORY is what draws you to Indie stuff?

[Tym]

I would say that is a very fair assessment

[Roger]

Hi, you guys. So you're actually online right now? Cool!

My response to the question would be another question: Does "Indie" mean self-published?

[Gareth]

Tym wrote: "I would say that is a very fair assessment"

What genre, or sub-genre, are you most excited by that's not particularly marketed by the traditional publishers?

[Gareth]

Roger wrote: "Hi, you guys. So you're actually online right now? Cool!

My response to the question would be another question: Does "Indie" mean self-published?"

Nowadays, yes. Indie authors used to be those operating outside of the BIG FIVE, being published by smaller, independent publishers. Today it refers to the vast swathe of self-published authors who maintain complete creative control and rights to their work.

[Tym]

Gareth wrote: "Tym wrote: "I would say that is a very fair assessment"

What genre, or sub-genre, are you most excited by that's not particularly marketed by the traditional publishers?"

I love old school style pulp fiction (ie ERBurroughs, Doc Savage, etc) I look for a lot of that, but what excites me most is something that sounds like nothing I have read before. Survival fiction is something else I look for a lot.

[Barb]

I read both indie and traditional, although when reading YA, I tend to read more traditionally published authors.

[Aila]

Over the last few years I've definitely read more Indie than anything else. It started out as a research mission—I figured I needed to know all I could about the community I wanted to enter.

Despite my discovery that the Indie publishing world is inundated with bad work, I have found several gems and I find myself going back to these outstanding Indie authors first when I am looking for something new to read. I'm sure I've picked up some biases along my journey, but who hasn't?

[S.J.]

Hmmm. I tend to read more traditionally published books UNLESS they're written by people within my writing community. I wouldn't see a lot of the Indie published books otherwise.

In general, I stick to authors I know regardless of how they were published.