Saturday, May 11, 2013

Indies Who Are Making A Living

Hello, fellow writers!

In the summer of 2011, I tested the indie waters by publishing my first novel. By winter of 2011, being an indie was my full-time job.

Since then, I've been mentoring aspiring indies as well. One question I get asked a lot is: Is it possible to make your living as an indie or is success a fluke?

Well, yes. I just did an informal survey of indies, and within a few days, I had an enormous list of indie authors who make their living as writers.

Once upon a time, one of the blog sites would post the top 100+ indie authors of the month. But I think that was discontinued after August 2012. I don't know why -- unless it was because there were just too many indies on the list and it got to be too time-consuming!

I would love to bring that list back. But, just to get you started, here's a list of indie authors who are making their living with their writing. Some have been making such a great living, they've been scooped up by traditional publishers. 

But if anyone tells you that no one can make a living as an indie author, that success is just a fluke, I have 222 things you can say back to them (and the list is growing every day):

Names of Indies Who Are Making A Living Writing (along with Genre):
Aaron Pogue                                               
Abbi Glines                                                
Addison Moore                                           
Adrienne Thompson                                    
Aiden James                                                Paranormal
Alexa Grace                                                
Alexandra Sokoloff                                        Paranormal
Allan Guthrie                                              
Amanda Hocking                                          Paranormal
Amber Lynn Natusch     
Angie Fox                                                     Paranormal Chick Lit
Angie Stanton                                             
AnneMarie Novak                                        
Antoinette Stockenberg                                 
Artemis Hunt                                               Erotica
Artie Cabrera                                              
Barbra Annino                                             Paranormal
Barbra Freethy                                             Romance
Bella Andre                                                 Erotica
Bernadette Marie                                          Romance
Beth Orsoff                                                 
Beverly Kendall                                          
Blake Crouch                                               Horror
Bob Mayer                                                  Action-Adventure
Boyd Morrison                                           
Brett Battles                                               
Brian D. Anderson                                        Fantasy
Brian Kittrell                                               Fantasy
Bruce Blake                                                
C.J. Archer                                                 
C.J. Lyons                                                 
Camilla Chafer                                             Paranormal Chick Lit
Candice Hern                                              
Carolyn McCray                                          
Cassia Leo                                                 
Catherine Bybee                                          
Catherine Ryan Hyde                                   
Chanda Hahn                                              
Cheryl Bolen                                              
Christiana Miller                                          Paranormal Chick Lit
Christine Kling                                            Suspense & Thriller
Claudia King                                              
Cliff Ball                                                     Speculative Fiction
Colleen Hoover                                           
Connie Suttle                                             
Cora Carmack                                             
Courtney Milan                                           
Dale Mayer                                                 
Dani Amore                                                
Danielle Bourdon                                        
Dannika Dark                                               Paranormal
Darcie Chan                                                 Main-stream Lit
David Dalglish                                             Fantasy
David Gaughran                                          
David McAfee                                             
Dean Wesley Smith                                     
Deanna Chase                                             
Deanna Roy                                                 Chick Lit
Debora Geary                                               Paranormal Chick Lit
Debra Holland                                             
Dee Ernst                                                   
Denise Swank                                             
Diane Capri                                                
Diane Darcy                                                
Donald Wells                                             
Donna Fasano                                             
Donna McDonald                                         Romance
Edie Ramer                                                 Paranormal Chick Lit
Edward W. Robertson                                   Sci-Fi
Elizabeth Reyes                                           
Elle Casey                                                  
Ellen O'Connell                                          
Eve Langlais                                               
Gary Ponzo                                                
Gemma Halliday                                         
Gerri Russel                                               
Glynn James                                                Horror & Sci-Fi
H.M. Ward                                                 Paranormal
H.P. Mallory                                               Paranormal Chick Lit
H.T. Night                                                  Paranormal
Heather Killough-Walden                              
Hugh Howey                                               Sci-Fi
Imogen Rose                                              
J.A. Konrath                                                Horror
J.D. Hallowell                                            
J.R. Rain                                                    Paranormal
J.R. Tomlin                                                Historical Fiction
Jack Kilbourn                                              Horror
James Henderson                                         
Jamie Maguire                                            
Jana DeLeon                                               
Jasinda Wilder                                            
Jason Letts                                                 
Jay Allan                                                   
Jen Talty                                                   
Jennifer Blake                                              Romance
Jessica Sorensen                                          
Jillian Dodd                                               
Jinx Jamison                                              
Joan Hall Hovey                                          
Jody Morse & Jayme Morse                           Paranormal Romance
Joe Nobody                                                
Joel Goldman                                             
John Daulton                                              
John Locke                                                 
John O'Brien                                              
Joseph Lallo                                               
Joseph Nassise                                             Urban Fantasy & Horror
Jude Hardin                                                
Judy Angelo                                               
Kara King                                                  
Kary English                                               Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Kate Danley                                                
Kate Perry                                                   Romance
Kathleen Brooks                                          
Kathleen Long                                            
Kathleen Valentine                                       
Kathy Bennett                                             
Katy Evans                                                 
Kay Bratt                                                   
Kelly Harper                                               
Kelly McClymer                                          Chick Lit
Kirstie Cook                                               
Kristen Ashley                                            
Kristen Lamb                                              
Kristie Cook                                               
Kristine Kathryn Rusch                                
L.J. Sellers                                                 
L.M. Ironside                                             
L.T. Ryan                                                  
Lacey Weatherford                                       
Lauren Royal                                              
Lawrence Kelter                                           
Lee Goldberg                                               Mysteries
Liliana Hart                                                 Romantic Suspense
Lindsay Buroker                                          
Lisa Mondello                                            
Lisa Renee Jones                                         
Lisa Scott                                                   Chick Lit
Lizzy Ford                                                 
Lola Stvil                                                  
M. Louisa Locke                                         
M.J. Rose                                                  
M.P. McDonald                                          
Maggie Ingles                                             
Marie Force                                                
Mark E. Cooper                                          
Mark Tufo                                                  
Marla Braziel                                               Romance
Marti Talbott                                              
Matthew Mathers                                         
Melanie Nilles                                            
Melissa Foster                                            
Michael Bunker                                            Sci-Fi
Michael J. Sullivan                                      
Michael Prescott                                          
Michael Stephen Fuchs                                  Techno-thriller
Michael Wallace                                           Thrillers
Mike McIntyre                                             Travel Memoirs
Mimi Strong                                              
Minx Malone                                              
Monique Martin                                          
N. Gemini Sasson                                        Historical Fiction
Nick Spalding                                             
Noel Hynd                                                 
Paige Weaver                                              
Patrice Michelle/P.T. Michelle                       Romance/YA
Patricia Ryan                                              
Phoenix Sullivan                                          Thrillers
Quinn Loftis                                               
R.J. Parker                                                 
Rachel Astor                                               
Rachel Hanna                                              
Rachel Schurig                                             Chick Lit
Rachel Van Dyken                                       
Raine Miller                                               
Rebecca Donovan                                        
Rebecca Forester                                          
RJ Parker                                                   
Robert Crane                                               Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Robert Gregory Browne                                
Rose Pressey                                              
Roxie Rivera                                               Erotica
Russell Blake                                              Action-Adventure
Rusty Bigfoot Wilson                                  
Ruth Ann Nordin                                        
Ruth Cardello                                             
Ruth Cardello                                              Romance
Ryk Brown                                                
S.L. Baum                                                 
S.M. Reine                                                
Sandra Edwards                                           
Sara Fawkes                                               
Sarah Woodbury                                          Historical Fiction
Sarra Cannon                                              
Saxon Andrew                                            
Scott Nicholson                                          
Shadonna Richards                                      
Shalini Boland                                            
Shayne Parkinson                                         Historical Fiction
Sibel Hodge                                               
Stephanie Abbott/Emma Jameson                   
Stephanie Bond                                           
Stephanie Rowe                                          
Susan Fleet                                                
Susan Kaye Quinn                                       
Susanne O'Leary                                           Chick Lit
Suzanna Medeiros                                        
Sydney Landon                                           
Tallulah Grace                                            
Tammara Webber                                        
Teresa Wilde/Teresa Morgan                         
Terri Reid                                                  
Theresa Ragan                                            
Tina Folsom                                              
Tina Reber                                                 
Tonya Kappes                                              Mysteries
Tracey Garvis Graves                                   
Ty Johnston                                                Epic Fantasy
V.J. Chambers                                            
Victorine Lieske                                          
Will van der Vaart                                       
Willem Thomas                                            

And for all the aspiring indies, keep at it and I'm sure it won't be long before you join the list as well!

11 comments:

  1. Great list. I hope it goes without saying that I appreciate the mention. Many of us arent getting rich, but time was only a few years ago that it was a rarity for an author to even make a modest living with their work. That list shows how much things are changing.

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    1. You're welcome! Actually, the percentage of people getting rich is growing too. What makes me happy is that so many writers are now making their living from their writing. They don't have to write in their spare time while working a day job. They're making what they should have been making all along, instead of watching the middle men get rich while they're barely making enough to pay their bills.

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  2. Thanks for including me. I do make a living wage as an indie, but I don't technically do it as a full time job because I'm still keeping the EDJ. Never know what might happen in this environment.

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome. Hmmm. That is a dilemma. But you sell over 11,000 books a month, so your income as an indie is more than ample enough to support you and your family, if something ever happened to the day job. So... I think you still belong on the list. :-D

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  3. Great list and great idea!

    I found diversity has been the key to making a living. Many pen names, writing the things I feel passionate about, and never letting all my eggs be in any one retailer's basket.

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  4. This list is great to see. Thanks for compiling it!

    I noticed you have genres listed for some authors. In case you are missing that information and are interested in keeping track, my books so far are all fantasy.

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  5. It's great to see a GMTA author on here! Way to go Brian! (Mythos Press Imprint Author). Thank you for posting this list, congratulations to all the Indie Authors may your success continue! :)

    Kitty Bullard, GMTA Publishing, LLC

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  6. Well, the face of publishing certainly is changing.
    It's time authors signed up with the big fish started asking for more.

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