INDIEfeatable

A group for self-published diverse and marginalised authors to support each other and grow their reader base

Why should I join?

Being an author is hard. Being a marginalised author is harder. Being a self-published, marginalised author is setting the difficulty to ‘extreme’!We’re the unsung, one-person-bands of publishing, with a lot to juggle.
Between PR and social media management, fighting the algorithms and trying to get our content seen, attempting to carve out something resembling success amid the larger populace of both traditionally published and self-published non-diverse authors/titles, and then actually writing, there are so many spinning plates it’s a wonder we’ve not sprouted extra arms!Or dropped the whole crockery cupboard.Self-publishing has become one tough gig and burnout is a constant threat.Nobody can wave a wand and level the publishing playing field overnight (particularly since even trad-pubbed marginalised authors are playing with disadvantage), but maybe together, we can unite and build a solid network of support, friendship and enthusiastic championing that will make the game that bit easier. In the very least, a place to come together with like-minded individuals to weather the storm is much needed for many of us. Publishing a book takes a village, they say—but what if you don’t have one?That’s what I hope INDIEfeatable can be.But it’s not just about networking and the ‘hustle’ of self-publishing. INDIEfeatable aims to offer a place for venting and catharsis, for sharing in wins and successes and the joy of putting our oft-overlooked voices down on the page, and thereby helping readers feel represented and seen. I hope it will become a place in which we can build a community together.

Speaking of readers...

It’s not easy to find self-published books! Many readers do almost exclusively enjoy self-pubbed books, but these are often either specific genres (romance, for example) or titles featuring straight/white/cis/abled characters who do not represent the very readers we’re trying to reach. Browsing catalogues like KU and coming up short can be exhausting and demoralising, and many readers simply give up trying to read self-published titles because of this.INDIEfeatable aims to develop resources for readers, helping marginalised bookworms find the books in which they are the heroes, front and centre and never playing second fiddle. To begin with, this might look like regularly updated lists, compiled in an approachable format that doesn’t turn book-hunting into a chore, but going forward (far forward!), the hope is to offer something more sophisticated on a dedicated website.

What do you mean by 'marginalised' and 'diverse'?

INDIEfeatable, by design, aims to include instead of exclude, so the definitions here are presented as broadly as possible without losing sight of the fact that, in our society, marginalisations truly do have a heavy impact on our lives.Diverse titles/authors are considered such if the main character and/or author shares an identity that has been traditionally overlooked and, literally, marginalised, side-lined by history and society both. These identities might include titles and/or authors who are or feature a main character who is:

  • queer

  • BIPOC

  • disabled

  • neurodiverse

  • a member of a non-dominant religion in the collective West* (e.g. religions outside of the umbrella of Christianity/Catholicism)

  • mentally ill

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather seeks to cover the more prominent demographics that describe marginalisation in our current society.(* as an English-language group with a majority of members living and writing in the UK, US and Europe, we are subject to a society where Christianity is the dominant culture of religion, and therefore the practise of religions outside of this are viewed and treated as ‘minorities’. By extension, an author/main character who is Christian/Catholic who is also a member of another marginalised community is enthusiastically welcome!)

INDIEfeatable aims to:

Short term:

  • bring marginalised self-published authors together to form a strong and supportive community, offering a Discord server to chat as well as talk ‘shop’

  • help support one another on social media by engaging, offering advice and tips for content creation, collaborating on content, and championing one another’s work

  • share knowledge of craft (writing, editing, software, etc) and offer advice, find beta readers, etc

  • pool and compile valuable resources, e.g. artists for cover design and commissions of character art, etc; trusted editors, formatters, etc; sensitivity readers, and so on. (Members might also offer (compensated—whether a fee or service trade) sensitivity reading to one another.)

  • organise promotional events on social media

Long term:

  • build an INDIEfeatable website to allow easy, permanent access to pooled resources for both authors and readers

  • (t-shirts??)

  • work toward a funded anthology of diverse stories, raised through a channel such as Kickstarter or Patreon

INDIEfeatable aims to be a long-term project that will grow along with member count and experience, working towards becoming a solid resource for self-published authors, without losing track of the importance of community and the fact that we’re stronger and greater when we come together in our marginalisations, instead of pulling apart and going it alone. A place for celebrating, commiserating and for weathering the hardships of diverse self-publishing—and doing it all together.Because it is together that we are INDIEfeatable!