BiblioBoardÂŽ works with partner authors and literary agents to deliver an innovative product for libraries, patrons and authors alike. With a multitude of New York Times, USA Today and Boston Globe bestsellers and plenty awardwinning novels, the Indie Rock Stars are a fresh, fiery and groundbreaking crew of self-published and hybrid authors.
Readers’ Choice Award Winners YALSA Award Winners
Winners and Finalists
Amazon Chart Toppers
CJ Lyons
Dozens of New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers
Emmy Award Winners
Rita Award
Hugh Howey
International Bestsellers
Barbara Freethy
2 Indie Publishing History
Authors Take Charge The act of self-publishing is as old as the written word itself, but is much easier today than it was with old-school clay tablets and papyrus scrolls. Beloved historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe published their own writing, making them some of the original Indie Rock Stars. From the explosion of personal blogs in the late 90s to mainstream authors such as Stephen King switching to self-publishing, the indie writer movement grows stronger each year.
A ROMANTIC STORY
The reasons authors self-publish are many, and some of the best self-published authors also embrace traditional publishing where it fits their own business plan and career goals. Regardless of how these “indie” and “hybrid” authors choose to publish, these Indie Rock Stars are in control and in high-demand with today’s readers. We are proud to make their work available to libraries affordably and in an unlimited multi-user business model.
Some of the greatest self-publishing success stories are found in romance novels, which are over 60% more likely to be bought in a digital format. Of this 60%, indie authors account for over two-thirds of the total eBook revenue. While writers with traditional publishers may wait a year to see their book in stores, indie authors have the advantage of writing books at their own pace, keeping their readers satisfied, yet craving more.
Romance author Barbara Freethy epitomizes the Indie Rock Star spirit, building a huge fan base looking for a steamy read with the privacy afforded by digital books. However, she wasn’t always the household name she is today. Barbara first sold her books with a traditional publisher until making the switch to self-publishing and skyrocketing her career to unforeseen heights. Barbara says self-publishing allows her to control her image and to write at her own pace without the pressures of traditional publishing. With total power over her career, Barbara was catapulted into author stardom and has since written over 30 romance novels and sold millions of digital copies.
BARBARA FREETHY
Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of All Time
4.6 million+ units sold
New York Times Bestselling Author
Romance Writers
3
Maggie Marr Self-proclaimed writer of “romance for the brave,” Jasinda has a fondness for sharing titillating tales about sexy men and strong women..
New York Times & USA Today
BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Over 1 Million Books Sold
#1 Amazon & International Bestseller
Before gaining fame with her beloved Victorian-era series, Courtney dabbled as a dog trainer and lawyer until pursuing her true passion of writing.
New York Times & USA Today
BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010
Rita award
Finalist
Maggie is an author of contemporary romance and amorous adult books with bad-boy heroes and feisty heroines. After her first book’s success, she was able to write full-time
More than 10 steamy novels Ghostwriter for Celebrities
Plus
3 popular series
great Romance titles from leading authors such as: Julie Bale Deanna Chase Cristin Harber Carly Phillips Roxanne St. Claire Sherry Thomas
4 Gripping Genre Fiction
Jana DeLeon Drawing from her childhood on the bayou, Jana writes mysteries about murder and intrigue amongst the gators and swamps of Louisiana.
New York Times & USA Today
BESTSELLING AUTHOR Stories inspired by Jana’s Bayou upbringing
Linnea Sinclair Linea combines the thrill of sci-fi with the allure of a love story to create what she calls an “interstellar adventure infused with romance.”
3 rip-roaring
over 15 out-of-this-world books
series
Starred reviews in Publishers Weekly
mystery
Winner of the
prestigious Rita award
Mari Mancusi Settling on writing about fire-breathing dragons since she couldn’t own one herself, Mari whisks readers away to quirky alternative universes where the impossible comes to life.
Emmy award winner recipient of multiple Yalsa awards
3 Gripping
Series
Plus
Contemporary Fiction titles from leading authors such as: Julie Bale Deanna Chase Cristin Harber Carly Phillips Roxanne St. Claire Sherry Thomas
Indie Publishing History 5
Hugh
“It all started with a short story...”
Hugh Howey’s Silo Series
One short story was all it took for Hugh Howey to set his career in motion. With just the opening chapters of his now famous Wool series available, he didn’t expect 1,000 copies to sell in the first month. Responding to the demand for more, Hugh rapidly released the next four eBook installments and subsequently shot to the top of several Amazon bestseller lists. Instead of settling for traditional contracts, Hugh became the first self-published author to keep his digital rights and sell the print rights to a major publishing house, allowing him to maintain control of his eBooks and further his career on his own terms.
#1 Bestseller on Amazon
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Kindle Book Review’s 2012 Best Indie Rock Book
Hugh attributes his great career success to his growing fan base of return readers. “The number one challenge any author has is building an audience,” says Howey. “Once they have an audience, they have an opportunity to grow their work professionally. Libraries can play a major role in helping new authors gain the readership.”
6 Gripping Genre Fiction
To the library and beyond! Libraries are alive and well, yet constantly evolving in the dynamic bookindustry ecosystem. According to literary agent Kristin Nelson,
“Libraries and librarians are key players in the battle for discoverability.” From librarians’ word-of-mouth recommendations to in-house visits by authors such as CJ Lyons, libraries continue to be the powerhouses behind indie writers’ success. Cultivating a strong relationship between libraries and emerging authors is crucial to the future of self-publishing. With BiblioBoard, authors and librarians can team up for a mutually beneficial collaboration that allows the authors to grow their following while libraries expose readers to new content with no frustrations, turnaways or waitlists.
Literary agent Kristin Nelson represents Hugh Howey and other top indie publishing superstars.
HYBRID PUBLISHING SUCCESS Originally working exclusively with traditional publishing houses, CJ’s “Thrillers with Heart” quickly won national recognition, and her fans clamored for more. Finding it difficult to keep this stamina alive with slower release schedules of traditional publishing, CJ jumped into eBook self-publishing. With this one decision, CJ not only found a tremendously effective way to expand her readership, but also took control of her career. By combining the powers of traditional publishing and the freedom of self-publishing, CJ was able to fulfill her needs as a hybrid author. Today, CJ is a highly sought-after speaker and an inspiration to the indie author community. With multiple bestsellers and over a million copies sold, CJ is proof that tailoring your career to fit you and your fans’ needs yields extraordinary results. • New York Times and Usa Today Bestselling Author
• Thriller Writer’s prestigious Thriller Award
• Readers’ choice award
Indie Publishing History 7
Carolyn Jewel A lover of history and all things peculiar, Carolyn fearlessly fused her own distinct style of historical paranormal romance novels featuring everything from spirited heroines to “smoking hot elves.”.
USA Today BESTSELLING AUTHOR Rita award
3 unique series
Finalist
Ava Miles Coming from a long line of journalists, Ava believes she was destined to embrace writing. With a background as unique as her characters, she shares her gumption and remarkable experiences through her diverse fiction collections.
New York Times & USA Today
BESTSELLING AUTHOR
2 million+ ebooks sold
romantic times reviewer’s choice award nominee
Liliana Hart After devouring every romance novel she could get her hands on, Liliana decided it was time to write her own. Soon, she found herself with a 150,000-word romantic thriller readers couldn’t get enough of.
usa today bestselling author #1 spot at Barnes & Noble &
Amazon’s Top 20 List
#1 National best seller
Plus
notable fiction from authors including: Laurence MacNaughton Paula Reed Allison Winn Scrotch Lisa Shearin Kimberly Reid Shanna Swendson Morgan Rice Emma Knight Geroge Mangum
! s e i r a r b i L , y e H Do you want to help find the next Indie Rock Star?
SELF-e is an innovative collaboration between Library Journal and BiblioBoardÂŽ that enables authors and libraries to work together and expose notable self-published eBooks to voracious readers looking to discover something new. Libraries are equipped with a branded submission portal where local authors can submit their eBooks. From there, authors can opt to include their books in a collection featuring fellow writers from their own state and may also submit their book to Library Journal for potential inclusion in best-of-the-best genre Modules accessible nationwide. The eBooks will be available for unlimited use by patrons, making it easier than ever for self-published books to gain recognition by new fans and possibly set their authors on the path to becoming Indie Rock Stars.
Our Partner Libraries
Learn more at self-e.libraryjournal.com
BiblioBoard is the PatronsFirst™ mobile library. Digital collections of books, images, articles, documents, audio and video from leading publishers around the world are curated by subject and accessible from anywhere with no checkout, returns or multi-user limits. BiblioBoard is transforming access to information by providing a world-class user experience for both mobile devices and the web that thrills library patrons and is sustainable for publishers.
Learn more at www.biblioboard.com