Indie Book Event 2011 - Promoting Indie Authors And Publishers

 The Indie Book Event, now in its second year, was created to offer independent publishers and self-published authors the opportunity to promote their work. The Indie Book Event offers writers a platform to showcase their latest publications, and provides aspiring writers with an opportunity to glean invaluable information and key networking. 

The schedule included a speaking panel with publishing and editing veterans as well as bloggers, social media experts, eBook professionals and author branding experts who provided important leads, tips, ideas, etc. There were discussions about the growing importance of e-publishing, the opportunities e-publishing presents to independent authors, and the significance that digital books has within the print publishing industry.

The three founders of the Indie Book Collective, Carolyn McCray, Amber Scott and Rachel Thompson were on a panel of experts and were kind enough to answer a few questions:

1. How did the Indie Book Event go?

The event was GREAT! There was a nice cohesion of indie publishing representatives on both the panels and in the audience: authors, social media experts, editors, book bloggers and publishers. Lots of great dialogue that is still continuing in blog posts as we speak! 

 2. What was the most important thing you learned that you would like to pass on to other indie authors?

From our perspective, it’s never too early to establish your social media presence. There are many planks to your platform (Twitter, blogging, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.), and even as you’re writing your book you need to be out there branding yourself. We discuss this idea thoroughly in our bestselling eBook guide Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success available on Amazon for only $2.99. We also recommend that you ePublish your book, clearly a requirement for a successful sales platform from this point forward. Many indie authors are still reticent to jump into social media and ePublishing and for us, the two are critical to success.

3. What makes it a special event and why should indie authors attend next year? 

We think #IBE12 will only grow as the potential for indie authors continues to increase exponentially. This event spotlights all aspects of self-publishing and how to help indie authors flourish. Melissa of @indiepride deserves a hand for bringing light to our community and nurturing the spirt of indie!