As my wife and I work our way back to our bookstore plans and try to rework something more sustainable, we are looking for your indie author recommendations. If you are, or know, an indie author, contact us to see how we can help each other. You can read on or go to our application page.

What Are We Doing?

We believe that every writer deserves to tell his or her story and, more importantly, have that story read. Authors can be more successful when they come together to support each other. We would like our future store to be a cooperative effort between indie authors to sell more books for everyone. Under very special circumstances, we will accept traditionally published authors work (i.e., We’re friends, or honestly, who would reject a personal overture from Neil Gaiman or Stephen King, especially if they can help us sell more indie books and put our store on the map?)

At the moment, I am working on setting up pages for authors on my website. The goal is to open a small bookstore focused on indie authors and their works. However, the backbone will be the website and its videos, photos, and other virtual information. We realize that a physical location may be problematic until the current crisis is over, and we want to deliver an experience online that rivals what you would get from another space. There will still be a physical space, but it will be focused on providing areas conducive to work with a smaller retail side.

Who Are Indie Authors?

Indie authors are those writers who have decided to forego the traditional route for publishing. For whatever reason, they’ve decided to publish their stories for themselves. Because they are independent, they don’t get advances from a company to support their writing, and they have to cover all the costs associated with publishing.

Why Support Indie Authors

Indie authors have a more difficult time getting their books into stores because they aren’t backed by a corporation. They have to be their own editor, book cover artist, marketing team, sales outlet, and manager for book tours (when that’s a thing again). Writing often takes a backseat to all the other things a writer has to do to get published through independent means, which is unfortunate because indie authors have the license to create some of the best, most original work available.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t support traditionally published authors. Supporting books is a great idea no matter who has written them. It’s just to say that traditionally published authors generally have better advertising and book placement than what indie authors can come up with.

How Can You Help?

If you are an indie author or you know an indie author, contact us to see if we’re a good fit, and we have space and financing available. We expect to start receiving inventory the second week of July but would like to get started on the author pages. That way the website is ready when the physical space is. Of course, we will start with the authors we know and have already recruited, but we’re open to new authors who have a wholesale or consignment rate for stores.

Check out these tips on how to help your author friend. If you want to read some indie author works, check out our indie author recommendations (Darren Lamb, Drue M. Scott, and Shad Engkilterra). You can purchase books directly from the author or through Amazon. This is an immediate help for the author you choose. Purchasing through Amazon if you use one of our links helps us, too.

If you want to help us in a deeper way, you can join our Patreon. For a monthly show of support, you get access to exclusive content focused on creativity and handmade stuffed penguins. You’ll also get updates about the store as it comes together.