4 Great Independent and Self-Published Authors

Like new music, it's great to come across an author's work that you just have to share with others. Well, in the process of working on my own book, I've found some really amazing independent authors.

You may have heard of Amanda Hocking whose stellar success has propelled her into a book deal with St. Martin's, a graphic novel deal with Dynamite Entertainment and she's had one of her books optioned for a major motion picture.

Lorna Suzuki, author of the Imago series, has also achieved great success which includes having one of her books optioned for a major motion picture.

The other authors I'd like to discuss include Michael Hicks and Keary Taylor.

I like finding non-mainstream talent - musicians, artists, authors. There is a lot of talent out there that goes unnoticed because it doesn't fit into corporations formulas and pigeon holes for success. Despite that, there are numerous talents such as nerdcore hip hop artist MC Frontalot, author Keary Taylor, and the vast numbers of crafters and artists on sites such as DeviantArt and Etsy.

Many of these folks make a substantial income and some have even left their day jobs to focus on their craft, be it music, writing or art. There's something more authentic and pure about their work that is often times lacking in mainstream work.

So many times talented people get shut out. How sad it would be to not have their work available! For example, Amanda Hocking was denied by publishers time and time again. Yet she became one of the top selling authors on Amazon, making millions of dollars through her talent and hard work.

Plus, if I'm going to spend my hard earned money I'd rather most of the profit go to the actual talent and not a bloated corporation. So, those are the reasons why I go out of my way to find independent authors. Not only do they serve up amazing stories (or other art) with great skill and a high level of quality but I'm also helping out a person, someone like me who has followed their passion and honed their talent.

Amanda's story, like others, is a taste of the American dream and I enjoy supporting that.

Self-publishing is serious business. It's the author bringing their work directly to the reader. Some people look down on self-publishing as the path of an ego maniac or someone who's writing isn't worthy of a publishing house. I've always thought that was odd because that's like looking down on musicians who perform despite not having a label deal or an artist selling their work despite not having a gallery.

In any case, self-publishing has really gained traction with the growth of e-books like the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and others. Growth in the market has been significant and it has really helped propel some authors into writing as a legitimate full-time career.

Numerous articles have talked about Amanda Hocking going from a caretaker to a millionaire. But others, like Michael Hicks, have left their day jobs to focus on the craft of writing. Still others, like stay-at-home-mom Keary Taylor, are looking for a creative outlet and gaining quite a following along the way.

The first book I read by Amanda Hocking was My Blood Approves. It was an enjoyable paranormal romance story about vampires. The second book I read by Hocking was Hollowland which is an amazing post-apocalyptic zombie survival story.

My Blood Approves

Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham's life feels out of control after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave hits aside, Jack's unlike anyone she's ever met.
Then she meets his brother, Peter. His eyes pierce through her, and she can barely breathe when he's around. Even though he can't stand the sight of her, she's drawn to him.But falling for two very different guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood... [From Amanda Hocking's Blog]

Hollowland

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies. [From Amanda Hocking's Blog]

Lorna has written the Imago Chronicles series which has been optioned for a movie trilogy. (Nice!) The Imago Chronicles consists of four books. Lorna has also co-written The Magic Crystal which is book 1 of The Dream Merchant Saga.

A Warrior's Way (Imago Chronicles Book 1)

Nayla Treeborn and her People are about to engage in the next great war that will decide the fate of all mankind and Elves in Imago. [More]

Keary Taylor is a fellow Pacific Northwesterner and author of 4 books - The Fall of Angels Trilogy and Eden. The only book I've read so far is Eden and I loved it! It's another post-apocalyptic story with a great twist.

Eden

Eden is about humanity falling to a medical technology advancement which was intended to save people. It’s very similar to zombie survival stories. But rather than eating human flesh, the Fallen seek out humans to convert their living flesh to machinery. It is a mandate of the infection that seeks to replicate itself that drives the hunters. [Full Review]

Michael has written 6 books in the In Her Name series. He's also written the bestselling Season of the Harvest and his own guide to help writers - Path to Self-Publishing Success. I was immediately drawn to In Her Name: Empire because it was a free download. Little did I know that it would be such an amazing story! It's a wonderful mix of adventure, love, conflict and violent action. It would make a wicked cool movie series, that's for sure.

In Her Name: Empire

There is a war taking place against humankind by a race of beings known as the Kreelan Empire. Through unfortunate circumstances, the main character, a child by the name of Reza Gard, must fend for himself in the galaxy. He is sent to a world filled with orphans where they are treated as no more than slaves. His unique personality allows him to create strong ties and affection for his comrades. The war follows him and he is taken prisoner by the Kreelans. His circumstances force him to grow into manhood in the hands of his captors, until in the final scene, when he is forced to make a decision between who he is, and what he was. [Full Review]

I hope you enjoy the work of these authors as much as I have. Not only are they great writers but they're also friendly and you can chat with them on Twitter.

If you read books by independent and self-published authors and you've found some great books please leave a comment below! I'd love to find some more great authors.