Hugh Howey

Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.

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From the Indie Side

15 replies to “From the Indie Side”

Crap. You got ME choked up.

Most people hoard their brand power all to themselves. You freely share it. Good on you.

Thank you Hugh for contributing to the anthology. It’s a crazy thing to see something held up in your hands that was just an idea six months ago. It all began with an interview with you that put me on the indie path and began the journey of “From The Indie Side.”
Since then I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing authors who are trailblazing the way for others. You have passed the baton on, and so many have taken it up. The authors who contributed to “From The Indie Side” connected with us through a synchronicity that is a story in itself. But they are certainly some of the best storytellers writing in the speculative genre today.

I am really proud to see the book in so many hands, including yours. And to any authors out there who are thinking, gee I’d like to part of this indie revolution. Don’t wait. It starts with an idea and then you just put one word after the other, and before you know it someone is holding your book in their hands. Ain’t life amazing?

Here’s my blog post on “From The Indie Side” with some background information and with the traditional unboxing. http://susanmaywordadventures.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/from-indie-side.html It was pure coincidence that Hugh and I posted a video blog on the same day. We couldn’t live farther apart. I am in Perth, Western Australia and he’s in Jupiter, Florida. Crazy, crazy world and business where distance doesn’t matter anymore.

Thanks Hugh for getting involved. You sure are making a difference in a lot of careers.

Hi Susan,

Great to see more authors based in Australia. We may be a small community here, but I reckon we’ll come on stronger and stronger in the coming years.

Regards,

Jason

Hugh,

Thank you for writing such a heartfelt forward for this anthology. You have redefine what it means to be an indie writer. As all of my novels have been rejected by agents & publishers alike, it’s tempted to see being an independent author as a default and not a choice, like the kid that doesn’t get picked for either team in the playground. But to see you and others wilfully embracing your indie status when you could command massive publishing deals is inspiring. Sure, my sales aren’t stellar, but my fans are genuine and I’m able to do what I love without the onerous restrictions of the publishing world. And as for edgy, experimental grunge rock, yeah, I think my writing qualifies in that regard too :)

Indie and proud!

Cheers,
Peter

Well said. I needed to hear this tonight, and I can’t wait to read-weave-pass-my-mind-through-a-sieve these stories.

Just ordered my copy, thanks for posting this video as I never would have known otherwise. On a side note, you should seriously consider releasing an anthology of your own short stories, they are damn good. “Mouth Breathers” is great, but the one that has haunted me is “Nothing goes to waste”. I read that story well over a year ago and it still sticks with me. That would also be a great title for the anthology in my opinion :)

Many, many thanks to Susan May for asking me to be a part of this wonderful project and for introducing me to the world of Indie Publishing. Honoured to be in the same anthology and to represent the UK. A great foreword, Hugh, and even better to hear you reading it. :-)

Hugh,
I really enjoyed Mouth Breathers. After reading it, I decided to read it to my two children in 3rd and 1st grade. I’m a US Naval Officer and moving soon with my family to Bahrain. I thought they might relate to the story – starting a new school, moving to a foreign place, dealing with unusual customs and new relationships.
We read to our kids a lot, but I didn’t know how they’d react or if they would be able to follow it. They loved it! They had many questions and stayed engaged with the story. I might have left a sentence out here and there to keep them focused and prevent me from having to explain too much, but they got it. The story especially stuck with my eldest, who might have to go back one grade because of the move. She related to Cort’s displeasure in having to re-take 4th grade.
So, thanks Hugh, Mouth Breathers was a story we could all enjoy. As for From the Indie Side, I also enjoyed The Man with Two Legs, and Made of Stars was so good I read it twice.

Keep up the great work! You’ve inspired me to pick up the pen….

Awesome video. Yourself and other authors like you certainly do inspire small fish like me to write and publish for ourselves in order to entertain and maybe one day choose the trade of writing as a full time career. Thanks.

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