April is #IndieHeroes Month

indie heroes logo darkIt’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we began our #PublishingFoul coverage. At this point in 2015, we were just about to kick off our series about vanity presses and scammers, how authors could avoid falling prey to one, and what to do if you already have. We’ve archived all of those posts, by the way; you can find them by clicking here.

Now here we are, with April 2016 just a day away. And this year we’re doing something different. Instead of pointing out publishing’s bad guys, we’re going to make stars of the good guys – our #IndieHeroes.

If you hang around any group of indie authors, you’ll eventually hear some of the same names mentioned. Many of them have made the bestseller lists – and we’re not talking about an Amazon #1 Bestseller in the category of Armenian Hobo Wrestling or something, either. Some of them are hybrid authors, with both traditional and indie titles in their bibliographies. And some may still be scrabbling in the indie-author mosh pit. But what they have in common is their ability to inspire us – and, in many cases, their willingness to help other authors.

The IU minions have spent the past couple of weeks making a list of our own Indie Heroes. Next month, we’ll be sharing that list with you. Some of our heroes will be familiar to you; some, you may be learning about for the first time. Either way, we hope our posts will inspire you – to keep going when you’re discouraged, and to help other indies who might now be in a spot where you once were.

We’d love to hear from you, too. Which indie authors inspire you? Who is your #IndieHero? Let us know in the comments.

Author: Lynne Cantwell

Lynne Cantwell grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan. She worked as a broadcast journalist for many years; she has written for CNN, the late lamented Mutual/NBC Radio News, and a bunch of radio and TV news outlets you have probably never heard of, including a defunct wire service called Zapnews. But she began as a fantasy writer (in the second grade), and is back at it today. She currently lives near Washington, DC. Learn more about Lynne at her blog and at her Amazon author page.

16 thoughts on “April is #IndieHeroes Month”

  2. I’d like to nominate Rosanne Dingli as an Indie Hero. Her stories are superb, her writing is brilliant (I wish I could write like that) and she’s always willing to share her wealth of experience of writing and publishing whenever anyone has a question or a problem. She talks sense too, and makes the complex seem straight forward. Her words, and a few others’ have provided me with a lot of encouragement to keep writing and improve my style.

    Rosanne is not alone in this, the Evil Mastermind and his minions at IU are all heroes too, but I wont say too much about them in case it embarrasses them and they go all coy. Anyway, shouting about one hero (or heroine) per day is enough, surely.

      1. I’m overwhelmed. Thank you Ian, and Lynne for agreeing with him. I don’t see myself as a hero, but as one who has gone through hedges backwards, and doesn’t mind taking the time to show others through, even if they get a few leaves stuck in their hair.

  4. The Indie author who inspired me to become one was the late Vince Flynn, who self-published his first book, Term Limits. I heard him interviewed on a radio show, and immediately thought “Why not me?” Sadly, he died way too soon at the age of 47.
    Unfortunately, it’s getting harder and harder to succeed as an Indie author because so many have made the fateful decision to offer the fruits of their labor for free, or at prices that make it hard for others to earn a living. We have literally killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

  5. My indie hero has dedicated an entire site to us authors doing it for ourselves. That’s the self-publishing guru Joel Friedlander – I often refer to his advice and search his blogs. He knows a lot about typesetting, fonts, and everything else we need to make our books look professional. Where would we be all without Joel, who is so very generous with his knowledge?

Comments are closed.