Top Ten Tuesday: Indie/Self-Published Books

This week’s topic, Indies/Self-Published Books, was submitted by Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits

If you are interested in indie or self-published authors (beyond those whose books I am recommending today) go to the blog Book Club Mom where she has a regular feature on indie/self-published authors.

I have chosen self-published authors (or those that at I believe to be self-published).

Back in my master’s in library science program, “vanity publishing” (as it was called in the late 1980s) was derided as “schlock”. Today, changes in technology and the rise of the Amazon Kindle have made self-publishing impossible to ignore or deride.

Finally, Happy Birthday to my favorite reader—my Mom!!

And, yes, I know most of you just look at the pictures! I felt like writing a lot today!

Authors I “Know”

I haven’t met either of the first two in real life, but I know their friend in real life)

The author is has become an online friend. This is the author’s memoir of his family’s survival of World War II in Romania and landing in Central Ohio where they remain. It is very compelling. You can visit his website, The Maroscher Story, by clicking the linked title.

The same friend who introduced me to Gerhard, introduced me to Emily Humphrey’s The Dark Ferret Society, and it’s sequel, The Rise of the Narcoleptic Turtles! These books are  high school coming of age stories about kids who didn’t go off drinking or having sex or whatever. The story is very good. Now that I think of it, I almost think I recall that Gerhard was a teacher at Emily’s high school! What a creative small town.

Unlike Gerhard and Emily, my good friend Susan over at the blog, Girls in White Dresses, and I have come to know each other in “real” life. Susan has written and self published several books. My favorite is her memoir of growing up in John Mellancamp’s famed “Small Town,” albeit a few years after John. My reviews are on what remains of my old blog, so I am giving a link to the book and to my review. As I said, I Love To Tell The Story, (Amazon link) her memoir, is my favorite. Here is my review. She also has written biographies of Mad King Ludwig–Not So Happily Ever After and a young person’s biography of the current Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, Queen in Waiting. Susan has also written two chapter books for children: Sophie, Pay Attention (Rhoda, you too) and A Dog Called Naaman.

Here is a link to an interview I did with Susan on what remains of my old blog, September Author Interview

You can read about a trip Susan and I took to one of the homes of Hoosier author, Gene Stratton Porter, HERE. She was an author who, in her day, sold like John Grisham and similar do today. Her books are wonderful. Yes, at least one has a now-objectionable word in it, but I stand by her books as wonderful. She was also a naturalist–moths being a favorite of hers.

A Few More By Author’s I Don’t Know

Back when the Duggars came on TLC I did a ton of research and tried to spread the word via my two blogs about the cult they were in. Along the way, I read and enjoyed two books by “fellow travelers” if you will. While I may not agree on politics or religion with these authors (I do occasionally on some small areas) I enjoyed both of these books. The Castleberry family, whose Courtship books were written for Quiverfull families (and are a HOOT to non-Quiverfull readers) began farming/homesteading in the sort of derelict Wisconsin farm houses I spent Kindergarten and 1st grade touring with my farm-obsessed father and willing mother. My brother and I were too young to object! So, I enjoyed Our Homestead Story a lot for that reason. Ten Peas in a Pod was later republished by a religious group that catered to Quiverfull families like the Duggars but which died the death it deserved for shady, cultish practices. I’ve chosen to show the original, self-published cover.

Hard to look back and see I got THOUSANDS of hits on the Quiverfull posts and on my eventual Quiverfull “wiki”–albeit a blog as wiki’s weren’t a thing then. Just a collection of links to everything I could find back then on the shady IBLP/ATI to which the Duggars and Bates (the two tv families) belonged.

Finally!

Other Self-Published Books

Here is a post from what survives of my old blog that discusses the then (2011) hot topic of making it to commercial publishing via self-publishing

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Self-publishing– a new path to the bestseller lists?

Years ago, my great-uncle, artist Edwin Fulwider, gave me the first self-published book I’d ever read. His friend and neighbor had written a book about life in Northern Idaho during his boyhood and young manhood in the early 20th century. Mark the Wind’s Power was an interesting look for me at the land I loved to visit on vacation up above Coer d’lene. [Update 2023: Link is to a reasonably priced used copy of this book]

Self-Publishing, or “Vanity Publishing” as it used to be called, is often seen as “less than” publishing. But, people may be changing their minds. After all, personal finance mega-star Dave Ramsey started out selling his own self-published book and later saw the updated version, Total Money Makeover, of it on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Recently, I’ve enjoyed a few other self-published or micro-press published books. One excellent example is Quivering Daughters by Hillary McFarland–a story that needed to be told but hadn’t yet made it to the radar of big-time publishers. With all the attention the Quiverfull lifestyle is getting from TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” (aka The Duggar Family) I’m hoping Hillary’s book will go much farther up the bestseller list in the future. (Meanwhile, buy a copy!!)

Right now I happen to be reading a self-published novel based on the experiences of the author’s in-laws during World War II. In This Hospitalable Land by Lynmar Brock, Jr., came to my attention in and advertisement on one of my favorite websites–Good Reads. I had a little trouble tracking down a copy thru interlibrary loan, but it finally arrived a few days ago and I have been enjoying it.

Eventually, the author’s self-published work was recognized for it’s merit and “republished” by Amazon Encore–a new “service” of Amazon to help recognize overlooked talent based on ratings and reviews written about the book on Amazon. The books they publish are also available in KINDLE format.

Finally, several years ago, I enjoyed a pleasant memoir by a military wife from Indianapolis on the joys and struggles of a posting to Japan in the 1960s. I have not been able to trace that book–even thru the Indianapolis-Marion County Library catalog. It was a nice view of “expat” life, the little idiotic things that drive you crazy. I remember one thing this wife missed was Lowry’s Seasoned Salt! She had her mother mail her a jar–I guess even the base PX didn’t carry it! I read it not long after my on “expat” days in the Peace Corps so I really could relate to that little memory!

So, struggling authors out there–don’t give up! Get Amazon to sell your book and generate some reviews. Who knows? You could join financial guru Dave Ramsey on the bestseller list! His book was originally self-published. Look at him now!! Wow!

Check out the rules at That Artsy Reader Girl and join in next week!