It's been a while since I've posted a rant. There's been lots of talk about the new wave of authors hitting the shelves and most of them are independent. If you're an indie author, you're, in many cases, looked upon as if you've been infected by some hideous plague or just given a dismissive, "oh."
Independent authors aren't real authors. They're just no talent hacks that are flooding the market with garbage. To that, I must say... HORSE SHIT!
Yeah, there's lots of stuff floating around by independents that are pretty bad, on the other hand, there's a vast amount of amazing work being done by some incredible new voices. If you don't have a major publisher on the spine of the book, does that automatically make it sub-par? I hate to be the one to point it out, but major publishers release crap, too. When it comes to awards, indie authors are frequently left out. Why? Would the AMPAS ignore a groundbreaking film and snub it at the Oscars because it was indie? No way.
I believe indie authors deserve a lot more respect than they are getting. Those authors work just as hard as any other writer working today. In fact, I would say they work even harder. They don't have a publishing house backing them and doing all the groundwork. The indie does it all. I've even noticed some big name authors making the transition away from publishers to taking it on alone.
Just because there is, or isn't, a publishing logo on the spine, doesn't add or detract quality. We've always been told, "it's what's inside that counts." One should never judge a book by it's cover or an author by his/her publisher or lack thereof.
