The publishing industry has been missing the mark in different ways for a very long time. This was more understandable in the past. Given the printing costs involved and the warehousing of unsold books, taking a chance on a new author or genre was risky. Now, with print-on-demand and e-books, there’s little reason to be so cautious.
There is no reason not to watch Indie authors and ‘try before you buy’.
Many writers feel that there is a stigma attached to being an Indie author. Sadly, many readers still believe that if you aren’t published by one of the big publishing houses, you aren’t a legitimate writer.
I seek out Indie authors on Amazon as long as they’re enrolled in KU. I hope others do the same. That said, with the ease of self-publishing, readers have a lot of matter to sift through and it may be difficult to choose a new author.
This culture of social media, branding, and putting oneself on display does not help matters. That an author is lauded on social media does not mean, that the writing is good or compelling. I have picked up books that have few to no ratings and found them wonderful to be wonderful hidden jewels that have no way to shine.
DEE HARPER LEWIS 