While the presidential nominees turn their attention toward issues on race, the economy, healthcare and global warming, the publishing industry has focused their eye on indie authors.

Since the emergence of the ebook, independent publishing has been the focal point of debate within our industry. Do self-published books have value? Are indie publishers significant contributors to American literature? Is traditional publishing still the best gatekeeper for great books?

This year has seen major developments in the indie publishing world and top issues have taken a positive turn for those involved.

Hybrid Publishing – From Vanity to Viable

Once a totally foreign term to those inside and outside of the publishing industry, hybrid publishing is starting to make its mark. This publishing model that lies between traditional and self-pub was once considered another version of the vanity press – a pay-to-play option that received little respect or reputability.

As the model grows, though, authors, publishers and major industry players are recognizing the benefit of having a professional platform and an invested author backing their book – both financially and conceptually.

These books are winning major indie awards, gaining readers, receiving starred trade reviews and, in some cases, getting offered traditional book deals from the Big 5 publishers. Though each hybrid model has different methods and criterion, 2016 was the year where the idea of authors “paying to published” transformed.

Refined Self-Publishing

While hybrid publishing really came into its own this year, self-publishing also saw a renewal. Though this model has been accepted as a legitimate option for years, the same complaint has stuck around – no one is regulating quality within the self-pub arena.

Though this is frequently the whining war cry of those unwilling to embrace publishing in the digital age, there is plenty of substantiation to the claim. There are great self-published authors out there who do their due diligence, hiring editors and designers, but there are also those who slap some words on a page and upload it to Amazon. For years now, the self-published community has carried the weight of their sloppy comrades with little help from the major self-publishing platforms.

According to Bowker, in 2013, 458,000 books were published via indie publishing. If even a fraction of those books were low quality, poorly-edited pieces, that’s thousands of books tarnishing the self-pub name.

As of February 2016, Amazon is helping to chip away at that problem. Though there still aren’t many (any?) standards to publish on the Kindle store, books that receive reports of typos, poor formatting and bad reading experiences will be removed from the platform and returned to the author for improvements. Though this still dents the industry by allowing low quality in, it helps reduce the spread of the problem by helping to ensure only quality books remain available long-term.

Honing in on Book Marketing

Being an indie author doesn’t just mean being independently published. It means being independently marketed as well. Even in traditional publishing, the ability to market yourself and find your target readers has become quintessential to landing a book deal. In the indie world, it’s the only way to survive.

Soon, gone will be the days where authors are expecting to hit publish and make bank. The market is flooded with books and to stand out you have to stand up and own your marketing strategy.

A few strong marketing options for today’s authors have really come into their own in 2016:

• Facebook Advertising – For many authors, the idea of a paid ad is painful. There’s nothing organic or artsy about it, but with the increasing need to reach people on social media, sponsored posts have become a real option. Without the flashing blatancy of a website ad, Facebook delivers your book to a target audience of your choosing. It has even become the primary marketing method for indie authors with major sales.
• Instagram – Who would have thought a social media platform based around images would be the perfect place to promote text-based products? Sure enough though, the mega social media platform has become a go-to home for book lovers. “Bookstagrammers” command hundreds of thousands of followers and work with top publishers to share stunning images and reviews.

• Community – More than anything, 2016’s indie authors are realizing that writing isn’t a solo game confined to “a room of one’s own.” Independent authors today need online communities of writers, access to hubs where readers go to gather, like BookBub, and a following of their own, comprised of intentionally forged, earned relationships.

Awards, Coverage and Reviews

Indie authors found their place long before the traditional industry gave them one. Self-published books now make up 31% of ebook sales on Amazon Kindle – an amazing feat considering the limitations that have been put in their path. For a long time, book bloggers, trades and the media looked down their nose at the idea of an author publishing work without a traditional publisher. Some still do.

With the rise of quality independent publishers, hybrid publishers and invested self published authors, the traditional world has begun to take notice and participate in the indie game.

This year, our own hybrid presses have seen a major surge in reviews from prized trades and features on major media outlets.

From starred reviews on Publisher’s Weekly to features on Bravo TV, indie authors are getting recognition in 2016 they couldn’t have even dreamed of a couple short years ago. And the more these top outlets embrace indie authors, the better it is for everyone, creating a domino effect that opens the doors for all authors.