How Hard Can It Be to Be an Indie Author?
I remember reading about Indie Authors like Zane and E.L. James and thinking to myself, how hard can it be? It’s hard. It’s hard to be an Indie Author because, well, let’s face it, the world of publishing was created to keep folks out, not to let them in. When I published Daddy Issues, a memoir, I wanted to learn everything I could about publishing. I researched, made decisions, some great, some not so great, and I seriously underestimated how hard marketing would be.
That was four years ago. A lot has changed. A lot hasn’t. Amazon continues to be the platform most Indie Authors use to publish, although we all know that, well, it sucks. But it’s not the only one that gets more from us than we get from it.
A few provide products for moderate fees. Others offer products like preformatted websites or online stores, where Indies pay monthly fees and companies take a percentage from each sale. Some platforms offer us the ability to promote our books to readers for a fee. There aren’t many platforms that offer real support and true service to Indie Authors. That’s what we need most. We need support. We need services and platforms that don’t just take our money, but are designed to provide us with the service and support we need to scale our brand, because doing everything alone doesn’t lead to effectiveness. It leads to burnout and discouragement.
I’m sure I am not the only one who feels as though no platform truly addresses my needs as an Indie. Needing a tribe isn’t a fault. It’s hard for Indies to find a tribe. There is an emptiness in the world of publishing that all Indie Authors encounter. This is a problem waiting for a solution. Understanding the emptiness as a real issue is what led to reevaluating the purpose of Camley Publishing. My partner and I are passionate about publishing and we’re excited to create a space exclusively for Indie Authors, so that every Indie Author can find their tribe.
Yes, I’m capitalizing the term “Indie Authors” because I’m putting some respect on that label.
On May 1, 2026, we’ll launch the new Camley Publishing website along with our exclusive line of Indie Author services and products. Our soft launch will reveal some of the best features we’ll offer to Indies. What’s most important about what I just wrote is the key word Indies. Camley Publishing is being designed exclusively for Indie Authors. We’re building a network of Indies. We’re designing a platform for Indies to scale their brands. We’re connecting Indies to Readers and connecting Readers to Indies. We’re creating accessible pathways for Indies to launch their book, connect with bookstores, partake in marketing opportunities, and most importantly, keep all their revenue.
We’re excited! And as I just wrapped up a session with our developers, who are probably sick of me changing my mind and wish I would unpublish the work they’ve done so far, I couldn’t help but think this would be a great time to get back into blogging. Honestly, I never really got into it the first time, but it’s different now. Now it feels right. Now it’s not just about me. It’s about all of us, and creating a space that we can all make our own.
Stay tuned for the soft launch on May 1, 2026, and feel free to visit http://www.CamleyPublishing.com as we build the site word-by-word.
To Blog Or Not To Blog? Like Many Indie Authors, I’m Still Trying to Figure That Out
A blog is no easy thing to maintain, but it doesn’t have to be too challenging either. For me, at least, I’m an overthinker. I want to figure out what the whole thing will look like, what the connections are and where am I going with it overall? Sometimes we just have to do as Natalie Goldberg says, “write down the bones” and maybe the rest will come. Last year, as I started to write more regularly, I’d often find myself facing a wall. I believe it’s called writer’s block. I was also facing a number of health issues which made it harder to focus on writing. So when I couldn’t figure out what to write, when the words just wouldn’t come, I’d go for a walk and listen to audiobooks from other writers.
I discovered some real gems. But the one that stands out the most was Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones. It was Ms. Goldberg that inspired me to travel outside of my comfort zone and try my typing fingers at writing a Haiku. Yep, I fell in love with Haikus once I truly understood what they were. Whenever I went for a walk, I’d make it a point to stop midway between mile one and mile two, and I’d write a Haiku. I never wrote anything fancy. Hell, I don’t even know if a real poet would have liked them. But they helped me warm up before I bunkered down to write a chapter of my WIP.
Writer’s block didn’t mean that I couldn’t write. It meant that I needed community. I needed to surround myself with writers who understood where I was in my Indie journey. A famley of writers is an environment where writing flourishes best. We are all our own island. When we come together, we can make one hell of a country. That’s what the Camley Famley is. We are all individual islands that have decided to come together to create our own collective space in the world of publishing.
Camley Publishing is building an Indie community where Indie Authors are supported and have the tools they need to push through their writing and publishing challenges to write the stories that are bursting to find a page. Creating this new site is a journey. Looking for our first Beta Cohort of Authors is thrilling. Welcoming them into the famley and building the platform with them will be even more so. It’s a new walk for me, for my partners, and for the Indie Authors who will join us on this journey. I’m looking forward to seeing the new world we create together. I’m looking forward to seeing you on the journey.
