I am a #Writer, an Independent Author.

I’m a person who scribbles words, words that make sentences, sentences that make paragraphs, paragraphs that make articles, essays and books.

The pen and the keyboard are my chosen tools of the trade, wielded as weapons if necessary but more usually as a paintbrush, to paint the picture of my life.

8^th – 15^th June is Indie Author Week UK and so this week I’ve been thinking a lot about being an indie author and what it means to me.

You’ve probably heard my story before, because it’s a common one.  As a child I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up, well that or a ballerina!  Anyway, I grew up and surprise, surprise, I wasn’t either of those. Life happens, huh? But I never gave up the dream and could often be heard saying, “One day I’m gonna write a book”. Sounds familiar, right?

And then I blinked. It was 2020 and I was a 50-year-old widow living in a global pandemic.  It was my ‘put up or shut up’ moment. I knew that I should do it or give up saying that I would. So, I did it. My first book was published in 2020 and here I am, three books later spending my time as an author and writing coach, helping other people fulfil their writing dreams too.

But why did I choose to be an independent author rather than going down the traditional publishing route? For me there are two key reasons, firstly, that sense of urgency in 2020, I did not want to have to wait, I was impatient and there was a ‘now or never’ feeling driving me on. I simply did not want to have to wait and go through the process of looking for agents and a traditional publisher. Secondly, I’m a bit of a control freak, well that’s what people tell me anyway! Being an independent author allows me to go at my pace, make my own decisions (creative and otherwise), and of course keep control of my own work.

I’m a member of The Alliance of Independent Authors, whose 2024 report ‘The Big Author Data Drop’ highlights some interesting points:

• Self-published authors earn more than traditionally published authors;
• Younger authors are making self-publishing their first choice;
• Self-Published books made up more than 50% of Kindle’s top 400 books in 2023.

Sometimes there can be a narrative that independent authors are just authors who failed at securing an agent and a contract. That’s now a fairly outdated view as I know many authors, like me, who have chosen this route quite deliberately and have no intention of spending time in an attempt to secure a publishing deal with one of the big publishers. In fact, I’m in a group full of like-minded individuals, The Kilted Scribblers, feel free to pop over and say hi.

I really believe that anyone can write a book, and with the right support and work it can be a brilliant book.  So if this is your 2020 moment, your ‘now or never’ and you need a helping hand, get in touch and maybe we could work together on making your dreams come true.

Whatever your dreams, keep on reading, keep on writing!

Love and writing wishes

Claire