Looking Ahead at … Community
For a career that is often portrayed as a lonely endeavor—one in which the author sits at their desk late into the night, a cup of coffee (or something stronger) beside them as they feverishly tap away at a keyboard or scratch pen against paper—writing rarely seems to be a solo act. Author coaches, editors, […]
Looking Ahead at … AI
Authors understand the power of a strong launch, but describing OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT simply as “strong” feels like an understatement. In the first five days after an early demo of the generative AI chatbot released in late November 2022, the site had already amassed more than one million users, according to Forbes. That surge […]
The Future of Publishing Is … Wide
Since Amazon launched the earliest version of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) in 2007, the business giant—which controls an estimated 50 percent or more of the online retail market in the US already—has maintained an unwavering influence over the self-publishing industry. Sixteen years later, Amazon boasts 85 percent of the book market share, with Apple Books […]
Looking Ahead at … Direct
When Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson smashed Kickstarter records in March 2022—earning more than $41 million over the course of his campaign, almost half of that in the first seventy-two hours—he sparked a shift in the indie author world. Sanderson was not the first to discover the potential for crowdfunding as part of an author’s launch […]
Editor’s Letter- September 2023
To anyone who thought the discussions around AI might be quieting down, let this past month be an assurance: among authors, at least, the debate rages on. On August 7, author and industry expert Jane Friedman wrote a blog post expressing frustration with Amazon and Goodreads after she discovered a series of nonfiction books, which […]
Editor’s Letter- Grammarian Gratitude
Ah, editing. The stage of the publishing process every author always seems eager to reach … until they reach it. Don’t feel bad. Editors get it. We know you’ve probably frowned at your screen in confusion at some of our questions (“How do you want me to style your ellipses?”), or you’ve grumbled not-so-nice words […]
Editor’s Letter: A New View on Metadata
Some of the best things about being an editor for Indie Author Magazine are the gems of wisdom I come across in our writers’ stories. Take Eryka Parker’s feature on keywords in this month’s issue. Like many of you, I’m sure, I’ve always viewed managing metadata as a bit of a chore—something we do to […]
Editor’s Letter: Protecting What’s Precious
Once you’ve written “The End,” how do you prepare for your manuscript to go in front of new eyes? By “new eyes,” I mean those of your editor, beta readers, or ARC team—that special selection of people who get to see your “book” before it’s truly a book. Putting your published book out into the […]
Editor’s Letter: Author Milestones
Ever since I started my author Instagram account, the app has been one of my biggest time sucks. A lot of it stems from the fact that I can—almost—justify the time I spend there as being productive. Watching other authors’ Reels and scrolling through aesthetic Bookstagram photos counts as research, right? But the app does […]
Editor’s Letter: More than Two Sides to the Story
At IAM, we have always prided ourselves on our ability to dissect and disseminate technology information for authors. From the beginning, we’ve understood the importance of having the right tools for your business and knowing how to use them. So it felt only right for us to dedicate an issue to breaking down the newest—and […]