Now that I've talked about what indie authorship is and why authors like me choose it, let's talk about why – and moreover how – you should support us!

Why Should I Support Indie Authors?

I’m biased, of course, but here’s four big reasons why I’m proud to be part of the indie author community and why I think we deserve more credit:

......Indie authors put an incredible amount of time and energy into getting their books out there. Finishing and polishing a book is hard enough, and any author nowadays is expected to do their fair share of the heavy lifting when it comes to marketing, but for us this is especially true. Our book’s success or fade into obscurity depends entirely on our efforts – there’s no publishing house to help shoulder some of the burden. A passionate and vocal readership alleviates this burden – every 'like', every share, every sale, every review not only helps us work the algorithms, but puts a pep in our step!

......The indie publishing field allows unique voices and ideas to flourish. We’re not beholden to marketing trends, nor do we have to “make the cut” for the list of ten titles a publishing house can release this year. To drill down further: by supporting diverse voices, you are doing your part to subvert the homogenization of publishing. This means you get stories you might not have otherwise!

......You are, in essence, supporting a small local business rather than a big conglomerate. While a traditionally-publishing author may only see 15% of a sale, an indie author may see more like 50% (or even more, if you buy from them directly!).

......You’re helping a wider creative community flourish. Whether it’s the impact of exposure or money, it’s felt much more strongly in the indie community: readers find more books they love (maybe even inspiring future authors!), artists and designers get more exposure, independent publishing as a whole grows – it’s all good for the ecosystem.

How Can I Support Indie Authors?

The crucial thing to remember is that all types of support are valuable. Today's climate (and household budget) can mean we're unable to support our artists in the way we truly want. Don't let this stop you! Even if you can't afford to buy a book or don't have time to be part of their creative team, there are still plenty of quick, easy, and often free ways you can lend your support. That's why I'm grouping my recommendations by support style. You'll probably find you're a mix of the styles, or that your style shifts as your circumstances change.

Most of these recommendations have "increase our social proof" at their heart. "Social proof" simply means the number of people who have tried and liked our books. We are up against big marketing teams and algorithms that, frankly, try to bury our hard work. By helping our numbers look good, you're helping our chances at being seen. Just one person sharing one minute of their time could connect us with our next reader – or our next ten!

The Three Support Styles

* Always ensure we're whitelisted / added to your safe-senders list. Actually opening emails decreases the likelihood over time that we'll be labeled as spam, which can eventually hurt our delivery success.

Where to Look, Who to Support

Fantasy- and SFF-Specific

• Author Rob J. Hayes posts a list of self-published fantasy every month on his blog.
• Indie Fantasy Addicts not only has a searchable database, but hosts a summer reading challenge and a holiday market!
• The annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO), hosted by community veteran and author Mark Lawrence, is a year-long event that is fun to follow! 2026 marks its eleventh year running, and you'll often spy its gradually-shrinking list of competitors on places like r/Fantasy as something of a reading guide.
• Narratess hosts a sale of indie SFF books every April and August! Follow them on Bluesky to be kept in the loop.

To Conclude...

All in all, I hope that should the opportunity present itself – whether it’s with me, or with any other independent creator or business – you will choose to support someone who will feel and appreciate it keenly, rather than a billionaire or a faceless corporation that will scarcely notice. Stories are our oldest and perhaps dearest heritage. In these current times where creative expression, even truth, is subject to question or suffocation, supporting your storytellers will always be worthwhile.