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!