In the past decade the ability for Indie authors to not just publish their work, but also promote their work (especially through the free-ness of social media) as increased dramatically. There are a great many talented authors out there, whether they are Indie authors, traditionally published authors, POD (print on demand) authors or a mixture of both.
Personally, I have been writing since I was a ten, started with short stories and poetry. I was one of those brooding poetry driven teenagers who only wrote my feelings on paper. In 2004, I wrote my first full-length novel, and I got the bug. The novel-writing bug, and it's been growing from there (over 100 novels later). Anyway, I got my first acceptance from a POD publisher, and published a few books with that company (two of my books are still under contract by them) and my other books, I have chosen to self-publish.
Out of all of that, over 11 years of writing, publishing, promotion, and whatever else, I also like to assist other authors promote their works, share my experiences, and give advice. I have created a "social collaboration" learning page on Facebook where people can share information and learn from each other.
A few things I've learned ...
Just because someone CAN publish their writing, does not mean they SHOULD. Not everyone is a good writer. Yes, anyone can write, but that does not mean they are a writer. Some may have the ideas, and need someone else to write them for them (ghost writer) and that's fine, too.
Not all authors can self-edit (but some can and are very good at it).
Not everyone is going to like what you write. (Reviewers can be harsh as well as wonderfully inspirational).
Every writer has his or her own writing style.
Even the best author/writer has a typo now and then.
Even the classic works have been criticized.
Never give up on yourself, and don't rely on family/friends to be honest about your work. (They probably are, but they could be biased).
A writer is his or her own worst critic. (I know that I'm mine).
Never judge a book by it's cover, because it does not always tell the story.
Never judge a book by its reviews, because everyone has an opinion, and some write them without even reading the book.
Indie Author appreciation
On this blog, I offer services (paid and free) to other authors, such as editing, promotion and tutoring.
I think it's important to help those who deserve it to get their work recognized. I read more Indie authors work than others because I also have a Amy's Bookshelf Review Blog. I also look for interesting books that I might not always notice via emails about reduced or free Kindle books (Book Bub as well as other emails).
For the month of JULY :
If you know an author who deserves appreciation, let me know. I am offering a one-time post to add an Indie author to my blog (that would include author photo, author bio, website links (up to 2), and some book information) up to 1000 words per post (not including the links).
Click here to send me an email about the nominated Indie author (please do not promote yourself, I have other services that allow for author promos).