Life as an Indie Author

Now, I’m not one to complain and this isn’t a blog to do that. I will not be calling names out or is this an attempt to slam my fellow Indie authors. In fact, I love each one of them. I’m honored to be in the same arena as them and enjoy seeing all their new releases. The beautiful covers and reading some amazing stories that if I were not in the author world might have missed. However, I must say over the last three year I’ve felt a sense of being unwelcomed. As though I’m the unpleasant stepsister from Cinderella, but without the horrible singing.

I was so excited to get my first book out, followed by my second then my third and now three years later I’m about to put out my sixth solo novel. It’s a surreal feeling to see your name in print. To see the characters that were once only in your head come alive on pages. Between a beautiful cover that tells a story of its own, that you personally created or picked out. A lifelong dream of mine had finally came true, I was a published author. And although I prepared for the bad critics, I never thought I would have to prepare myself for being invisible to fellow authors.

I had been told how welcoming the indie world was. How we all stuck together, lifted one another up and helped one another when times got hard. I was welcomed into anthologies, met some outstanding authors but as quickly as I was welcomed in, I started to feel pushed out. Started to ask myself, had I done something wrong? Question my writing. Maybe my teasers or promos were not to par. It’s a crazy thing to question why nobody shares your post. Nobody comments when you ask a question.

I thought, just keep interacting. Offering my group as a place to share their releases. Post about their upcoming releases on my author page. Offer to make them teasers for free. Comment and play on their post. Yet, still when the time came for me to share a new release, I heard crickets and had limited support. Then I felt unwelcomed again, bitter even, as I didn’t understand what I needed to do to be noticed? I mean we all started as newbies, right? What was I doing that was so different?

Now, I’m not calling anyone out and I’m not by any means saying the Indie world has been horrible because regardless on how I’ve felt or been received by majority of my fellow authors I’ve met and been welcomed by some I would do anything for. And I know, I’m not the only fellow indie that feels this way and I suppose that is the main reason for this blog. To ask for all those that feel ignored or unwelcomed, those that feel like the kids outside looking in on the popular group. Why?

Why are we overlooked? Why are we not interacted with? Why are our post not shared? Why are our questions not answered? Being a newbie indie author is hard, even harder when you’re trying to be noticed in a big pond but the other fishes swim past you without looking back.

Anyway, to whom read this thank you for allowing me to express my feelings. To any of my fellow authors who might have some advice, words of wisdom I welcome them. I love being part of the indie community, just wish I didn’t feel so alone in it.

Happy Reading

Michelle Savage