According to author April L. Hamilton, “Since most people in the mainstream publishing industry acknowledge that manuscript rejections nowadays typically have more to do with the lack of TV show or movie tie-ins, merchandising opportunities and the fame of the author than with the quality of the book, it’s not surprising to see more and more authors choosing to self-publish. Mainstream publishing houses simply don’t have much to offer aspiring authors anymore. Only bestselling and prestige clients get big advances or promotional budgets, and for the rest of us, being signed by a major publisher isn’t even a guarantee that our book will one day show up on bookstore shelves now that those stores are reducing their stock of books, refusing to carry titles that move only one or two copies per month.”
Hamilton believes the time is right for authors to launch an “indie” movement of their own and proudly take their places alongside their indie peers in music and filmmaking. In addition to writing and publishing The IndieAuthor Guide, Hamilton maintains a website (http://www.aprillhamilton.com) and a blog (http://aprillhamilton.blogspot.com) filled with practical advice and free resources for authors wishing to take the indie leap.
“An indie author movement is not only long overdue,” adds Hamilton, “but with today’s hopelessly broken, blockbuster-
