Monday, February 16, 2015

Got Indy?

Now that the eyes, work and life in general have settled down I've been looking for some indy author titles to add to my TBR. I confess I haven't read much in the way of indy since LJ Cohen blew me away last summer with her indy YA SF Derelict so I do need to make more of an effort.

I guess the main problem is print is always my #1 format preference. I know, with all the technology involved in reading these days the paper book is going the way of the dinosaurs, but then I am, too. Print books for me are always going to be the real deal; they're easier for me to read and I just like them better. So the first thing I look for with any indy title is a print edition option. Not many authors opt for print, however, so I then have to eye the electronic alternatives. Since I don't have a working e-reader I use Adobe for .pdfs (love being able to print them out, too, hint hint) my Nook thing on the PC, or that idiot Amazon Cloud thing (don't get me started on that; I just this week finally figured out how to reopen a book on it.)

My latest indy purchase was from LJ, as she has a new indy title out: Time and Tithe, which is the sequel to The Between. Along with all the electronic incarnations she has a print edition available on Amazon, which I happily ordered and will have by Tuesday, according to the e-mail. I could complain about having to wait three years for the book, but that might jinx the sequel to Derelict so I'm keeping my mouth shut.

Having been burned more than a few times I generally don't buy indy titles from writers I don't know anymore. Sad but true; I just can't gamble on new-to-me indy authors the way I can while browsing the brick-and-mortars; there are just too many indies who are simply not writing at a professional level. I have a select few authors who are doing both traditional and indy publishing whom I trust to deliver every single time, and I'll buy anything they publish indy-wise. Some favorite authors of mine are now independently publishing backlist titles for which they've had their rights revert, and if there's something I've never read I'll grab those. I'll also occasionally buy indy titles from authors I'm watching (not in the stalkerish sense, but more to see if they overcome various rookie/early career writing problems and develop into the storytellers that I think they could be.)

Considering how many debut indy titles I have I think the bulk of my purchases are to support writers I know who have opted to fly solo out the starting gate -- like our blog pal B.E. Sanderson, who has gone indy with her first novel Dying Embers. Although B. has a print edition option I bought the Kindle format so I could use it as a test book on their stupid Cloud thing. It turned out to be my good luck charm novel, too, because with it I finally figure out how to close/go back/reopen my purchases. Which means that once I finish B.'s novel I can also read that Anne Stuart Kindle-only book I bought like two years ago and have never been able to reopen.

Are you buying more indy books these days? Got any title recs you want to share? Let us know in comments.

6 comments:

  1. OMG, I'm so... over the moon? Chuffed? Ecstatic... that you chose mine as an indy you wanted to read. Thank you so much, and YAY for it being your good luck charm. Now I just hope it lives up to your expectations. =o)

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  2. I must check out Time & Tithe as I really enjoyed Derelict. I thoroughly enjoyed B E's book, Dying Embers and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more from her. I buy Emma Holly's books now she's publishing her own & I think Lara Adrian is going that route too. I like to try new authors but prefer recommendations before spending my money. Your blog is an excellent source of recommendations and I've picked up some of my favourite authors from here.

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  3. I've read the sample for Time and Tithe and was impressed. After hearing your thoughts on her other books, I'm going to add them as well to my To Read list.

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  4. I'm buying more Indy but I think it's because amazon doesn't recommend a lot of trade authors on my acct so when a fave author releases, I'm always caught off guard or weeks behind sometimes months

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  5. These all look really good...cause my TBR pile needs more on it. :) I just finished The Smoke Scented Girl, by Melissa McShane and loved it. And she releases both in ebook and paperback which is another happy on my list. Hard to find that in Indy, but some folks still do it.

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  6. I really enjoy Shannon Mayer and Mac Flynn. They're writing the action/adventure UF that I really love.

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