Michel Sauret – Award-Winning Army Journalist | Independent Author Award-Winning Army Journalist, Independent Author
I’ve never been big on New Year resolutions. I’ve always found them gimmicky and contrived.
In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I set a resolution just because a new year was approaching. Rather, I’ve seen daily life as the opportunity to improve (and repent) each and every day.
When I decided to get back to writing and to publish “Amidst Traffic,” I set myself a schedule that started right away (and it was the middle of August!). I didn’t say, I’ll wait until January…
But this time, my New Year resolution is more of a 2013 project:
I will read books published only by independent (self-published) authors or released by small, independent publishing houses.
Why such a silly goal?
Well, if I expect other readers to support me (an independent, unknown author), then I better be the first to support other indie authors out there.
Not every indie author is worth reading, of course (just like not every big-publishing house book is worth reading), but there’s plenty of independent books out there that are worth praise and support. And my goal is to find them and give them the credit they’re due!
I already have a couple of books lined up that I really want to read…
The first up is “The Bet” by David R. Brown.
I discovered this book when it was posted as a freebie on Facebook. It’s more of an action thriller than what I typically read (I’m more of a literary fiction reader), but the premise of the book really caught me.
After a man with a successful firm loses everything, a stranger approaches him with an intriguing bet. The wage is $10 million that the stranger can hunt him down within 30-day span and a 24-hour head start.
If I like it, I plan on reviewing the book on this blog.
Next, “Fires of Our Choosing” by Eugene Cross
This book is not self-published, but it was released by Dzanc Books, which is a non-profit publishing house dedicated to the literary craft.
This book is already extremely well reviewed, and from the praise it got, it’s not a bunch of fluff, either. It got raves from Dan Chaon and Richard Bausch for goodness sake!
It’s also a collection of short stories, which is one of the few things that are still right with the world of literature today.
So how do I intend on finding all of these wonderful, undiscovered authors?
The amount of resources out there are insane. There are so many websites dedicated solely to indie authors, and here’s just a few of them:
And there’s plenty others.
Oh, and I plan on reading all of these books on my Nexus 7 reading tablet using my Kindle App. As much as I love paper books, our house is too small to stockpile a bunch of hardcovers and paperbacks. The Nexus 7 fits neatly in my pocket and I can take it with me everywhere I go. I’ll never be without a book. Unless I’m on a plane, and they tell me to shut the thing off…
By the way, if you’re an Indie Author, please don’t ask me to review your book unless you’re willing to review “Amidst Traffic” in return. For the most part, I want this to be a discovery experience for me. I want to be free to pick and choose whatever book I please and discover worthy books on my own. I can already foresee being bombarded by a bunch of emails asking me to review random books, and I’d like to avoid that.
If you’re an independent or self-published author, the best way of getting me to read and review your book is by starting a genuine conversation with me. Either hit me up on Facebook, Twitter or just leave a thoughtful comment below.
What about you?
Do you have any resolutions or projects in mind for 2013 that you intend to keep?
To enjoy “Amidst Traffic”.
Have you had a chance to start reading it yet?
No, not yet. Maybe, this spring. Have started The Old Testament and hope to read Denis Johnson’s ‘Tree of Smoke”. I’ll get around to it though, honestly; I’ll let you know how I liked it.
Fantastic! Thanks so much. Do you plan on reading it in paperback or on Kindle?
Maybe ePub? Not real familiar with digital.