But sometimes, if you dig hard enough, you come across a true indie gem. There are lots of them out there, books so professional-looking and polished and well-written, you can't tell them apart from the traditionally-published ones. Now that self-publishing is being taken more seriously, the quality of the books seems to be improving. People are working hard and making a living off self-publishing, and that is fantastic. The stigma is lifting. We have choices. We can take control. It's an exciting time to be a writer!
So, I've decided to compile a small list of some true Indie Gems I have read so far this year:
New Adult. This was an "easy" (haha) choice. Started out as an indie but I heard it was picked up by a traditional publisher. Oh, this book. Lucas. *swoon* I was hooked from the start. Great writing, great story, great voice. Sexy as hell. New Adult is a very popular self-pub genre because apparently it's hard for an agent to sell. But boy, does it sell the self-pub way.
Young Adult Contemporary. This one has romance, mystery, suspense, bullying, and some really heart-wrenching moments. Compelling story and characters. Tight writing. I'll be sure to check out Amity Hope's past and future books.
New Adult. Another swoon-worthy, sexy romance with so much more. Ms. Sorensen is extremely talented at sprinkling backstory only when it's needed. No info-dumps here. Great chemistry between the main characters. Just enough mystery and intrigue to keep you reading. And there's a sequel (or two?) coming!
Young Adult Paranormal. Mystery, suspense, likable narrator, twists, turns, hot guys, dead people...what more can you want? And look at this beautiful cover! Cara is a fellow Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award finalist and I'm a big fan of her writing. She sure leaves me hanging with those endings of hers.
All I can say about this indie author is damn, he can write. This incredible, riveting, post-apocalyptic story is split into five parts. The first one is free, and only 56 pages, so you can test it out risk-free. You can also buy all 5 parts together. As for me, I read the first part and then RAN to Amazon to buy the entire book. Ridley Scott wants to turn this book into a movie! Now that is an indie success story.
That's it for now, but I'm positive this list will grow as I discover more talented indie writers.
What are some of your favorite Indie Gems? Let me know and I'll be sure to check them out.
Aw. You're such a doll! Easy did indeed sell, to Penguin in a *two* book deal, + International rights all over the place. Whoop!
ReplyDeleteYour book was an easy choice for my list too. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome about Easy. I'm so happy for her! Love hearing indie success stories.
These all look so good - especially Twisted, might have to look that one up!
ReplyDeleteI've hear all the hype about Easy, it sound really good but every time I look at the cover I want to cut the male model's hair! Yes, I'm shallow.
Great post!