Why Indie?

Written by Deanna Dee

I’d like to say I went indie for all the traditional reasons. I’ve read many author interviews of self-published authors, and one question that comes up a lot is “why indie?” Answers often have key elements in common—power over content, royalty rates, freedom with deadlines. I can’t say I’m too different. I like the royalty rates offered by self-publishing. The deadline freedom isn’t bad either, but I’d say that my biggest reason for going indie is having complete power over the content of my work.

I write romance for geeks. What does this mean? Allow me to break it down. I read an article before beginning my self-publishing career. The author expressed her disappointment with existing “geeky romances.” She argued that geeks are often socially shy creatures. Thus, they might not start their sexual experiences until later in life than more socially gifted people. That was the key to my romances. I wanted to write about people who weren’t confident as sexual individuals. Do they have sex? Sure, but not on the page. They are a little too shy.

So romance novels free of sexual descriptions are called “clean.” For a while, I figured I fit there. After some research, though, I hit a wall. “Clean” often also meant no foul language.

Hi, problem. Geeks curse. Granted, not all do, but many have an extensive vocabulary of words to make their grandmother’s blush. I didn’t want to go overboard on the cursing, but I didn’t want to leave it completely out either. Not only are these geeks, they’re college students. Find me an entire group of college kids who don’t curse, and I’ll buy you dinner. The cursing (not much, as it was) was staying in, but I no longer fell under most definitions of “clean romance.”

Right. So how am I going to sell these books? “Dear Editor. Please find attached the first three chapters of my new adult clean romantic comedy contemporary romance with some foul language.”

Uh…

That wasn’t going to work.

Now what?

Next step.

Self-publishing.

Bingo! I’d found the answer to my categorizing woes. Not only did self-publishing give better royalties and come with a freedom from deadlines, it gave me the creative flexibility I needed to write my books my way. I could have cursing and no sexual descriptions. It was, in short, everything I wanted.