What motivated you to become an indie author?
My biggest motivation to become an indie author was that I could become an indie author. Technology has freed us all to write if we so wish and to then go out and market to the world. The best is that we don't even have to leave our kitchen table, garden lounger, the bus stop, or wherever we happen to be. We are all free to publish when we want and with a few constraints, what we want.
I did try with traditional publishers, for a short while, but they found me to be trying and I found them to be indifferent and arrogant. I eventually became seriously concerned about the health of agents and publishing juniors having to murder so many "rubbish" manuscripts every tedious day. Opinionated seniors only ever seemed prepared to read the work of writers who were in their golf clubs, their own families or already in the public eye. Things are changing now, as the traditional publishers try to catch up with the new technological world, but at the time I was trying to get a deal the industry was basically closed to new writers and new ideas.
Will I, will others, continue to seek traditional deals? Yes of course, and traditional publishing will reinvent itself where necessary. Personally, I like the freedom of self- publishing. One still has to be disciplined, listening to advice and particularly to our editors, but as self-publishers we are free to write whatever we wish to, when we wish to, however we wish to, and we keep control right into our readers hands.
My view is that readers benefit. There are now more books, so more choices, than there have ever been. A percentage are good and a percentage are bad, according to whatever criteria we chose to apply. This has always been the case, and always will be.
I do what I can to help readers find indie books of a good standard, by reviewing for various organizations and according to my own volition. Obviously, my reviews are biased towards the sort of books I like, though, I do try a review across genres and between them. Even if you chose not to read my own writing I hope that you will seek out some of the authors I have reviewed on Smashwords and elsewhere.
If I have reviewed a book it will in my opinion be good. I am only arrogant enough to say that what I like is good, not that what I don't is bad. I don't like liquorice, that doesn't mean it isn't nice.
Who are your favorite authors?
Nearly all my reading is directed at my support for self-published and independent authors. My main web site is dedicated to promoting my reading discoveries, as much as it is to shouting out about myself.
http://richardbunningbooksandreviews.weebly.com
My favourite author is usually the one whose book I am currently reading. A good book draws one too deep into the moment to have outside views. This may sound trite, but it is true.
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