Indie. It is a shortened version of the word independent, in that it's free from the giant corporate conglomerates that dominate the world. It's a medium that's free to experiment and unconstrained by interference from those who care only about money, not art. Indie music. Indie film. You can find an indie version almost anything artistic, including books.
You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that before. And I, who has a whole #booksoverlooks blog series about the importance of valuing thought and reading over superficial materials, agree - when it comes to people. But, when it comes to books, I say, yes you should! The cover is part of the whole book experience and a lot of thought likely went into the artwork. So - go ahead - judge it!
I grew up in a government family, so acronyms became words whose meanings I rarely understood. Some of them I even thought were just words being used wrong. My family would say something that sounded like "scissor" in a sentence where the word "scissor" had no place! I realize now it's some sort of acronym, I still don't know what it means though.
First, you write a book. Then, you try to get an agent or you try to get a publisher. Or you try to get both. Let's say you're successful. That feels amazing. But, unless you're one of the lucky few who lands a big-time publisher who thinks you are worthy of a mass marketing campaign, being a published author doesn't mean you just get to write for the rest of your life and watch the checks roll in. Here are a few lessons on being an author (both from my experiences and the experiences of others.)
My first book, The Travelers, just came out on October 2, 2016. The journey to this point took a long time and, along the way, I learned several important lessons. While I’m still on this path of publishing, I wanted to impart the wisdom I’ve gained on this crazy trip so far to help any other aspiring authors trying to find their way through the land of publishing. (Alright, I will dispense with the traveling puns now.) Best Advice I Was Given – What’s the harm in trying? Here’s the truth, it terrified me to let anyone read my book, let alone send it to publishers.
K.L. Kranes 