I've been publishing as an indie author for fourteen years. I am very grateful for the publishers who see merit in my work, and all those who publish my pieces. Being an indie author is aggressively hard, but I'm trying to keep telling myself that I have to keep going. Especially on the days where it is hard.
It is frustrating to me that they say "indie author community" because I don't feel like a part of the indie author community, the poetry community, or any writing community. People pick and choose who they want to support, and they let the rest of us flounder around like a fish out of water. I do my best to keep my head above the water and just keep swimming. But sometimes it is really exhausting when you don't have much of a support system.
The wild thing to me is that people on the internet are sometimes more supportive than friends and family and people I know in my real life. I just can't imagine seeing someone you know having a dream and not supporting them. Like people will support celebrities all day every day - these billionaires who won't even notice you even if theydo acknowledge you once or twice in your life; but they won't spend $10 or $15 to buy your book. I get that things are expensive, but if you can afford to support a billionaire; I think you can support your friends.
All I know is I've reviewed books for the promise of getting a review that I never received, I have bought books from people who have never supported my titles or shown interest in my work; and that's going to stop. In the future only the writers and people who support me are getting my support and my money. Life is too short to invest in people who don't see your worth.
