Publisher Chelle Honiker Reflects on the History of Indie Author Magazine and Looks to New Horizons for 2025
Three years ago, Indie Author Magazine was an idea that Creative Director Alice Briggs and I shared. It was a bold step into the unknown—much like any indie author deciding to take their manuscript and share it with the world. When we launched IAM, our goal was clear: to create a resource that would speak directly to authors about the business of writing. We wanted to empower indie authors with knowledge, build a sense of community, and celebrate the independent spirit that drives us all. Over the past three years, we’ve featured countless success stories, provided insights into an ever-changing industry, and created a space where authors could learn from one another.
Creating this publication meant building a startup, which was a process filled with challenges, lessons to learn, and moments where we felt like we were flying the plane while building it. As the magazine grew, we kept coming back to a single North Star question every time we considered a new project: What problem are we solving? We asked ourselves, “What else do indie authors need to succeed? What other tools, skills, and connections can we help provide?”
Today, we’re proud to say that not only have we grown beyond that initial spark, but we’ve also expanded our vision into a thriving ecosystem that’s here to empower authors at every stage of their journey. From the tools to help manage your career to training that demystifies the complexities of publishing to reaching readers directly and finding new ways to connect you with your ideal audience—we're all in.
As publisher, I rarely take liberties with the articles we publish. I have immense trust in our editorial team, and I leave the journalistic decisions in the capable hands of Nicole Schroeder, our editor in chief, who ensures that our content maintains the highest standards of quality and relevance for our community. But as we approach the start of our fourth year, I find myself compelled to reflect on our journey so far, and to share a glimpse into what lies ahead for IAM. This reflection is not just about our growth as a publication but also about the spirit of independence, resilience, and creativity that has driven us from the beginning—qualities that are shared by every indie author who has embarked on this path. Our story is a shared story. The challenges, the victories, the lessons learned—these are experiences that connect us as a community, and I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate that.
Introducing Our Sister Projects
Over the past few years, the question of what authors needed to succeed led us to launch three projects alongside the magazine: Indie Author Tools, which began shortly before IAM first published; Indie Author Training, which launched this past summer; and Direct2Readers.com, which came out of its beta phase in October. All are designed to echo our overarching theme: “when writing means business.”
Indie Author Tools (Indie Author Tools) is our way of helping authors navigate the often-overwhelming landscape of writing and publishing tools. Born out of a shared spreadsheet created during the pandemic by twenty-two authors who were writing together each day and sharing their lives online, it has grown into a curated resource to make life easier for any indie author. From apps to keep you organized to platforms that streamline your workflow, we've gathered a list of tools that can help you succeed. Think of it as a companion to your creative toolbox, providing a guidebook to the resources others have gathered so you can choose what works best for you.
Indie Author Training (Indie Author Training) is all about leveling up. Born from our inaugural Author Tech Summit, which proved so popular when it launched in 2022 that we realized we needed to create an evergreen resource, Indie Author Training has grown into an Etsy-like marketplace. It’s a space where the best and brightest instructors in our industry can host and lead their online courses with our support, and where students can scroll through lessons from industry leaders in one convenient space. Publishing isn’t just about hitting “publish” anymore, and mastering marketing, understanding algorithms, creating compelling book blurbs, and building websites has become an essential part of the book creation process. Indie Author Training curates courses and product walk-throughs, and informational webinars from the best in the industry, and it shares book club summaries of leading business books and strategies, making it possible for any author to tackle their challenges with confidence.
Direct2Readers.com offers readers a personalized experience to help them discover their next favorite book and connect directly with the author to purchase it. The site is a directory, not a traditional bookstore, so readers can easily find authors without the clutter of sales pages and algorithms that dictate what they see. It also features a dedicated chatbot and database that doesn't feed other large language models (LLMs) to help them find the kinds of stories they’re searching for. For authors concerned about their work being used in ways they aren't comfortable with, this closed system provides peace of mind while fostering authentic connections with their audience.
These projects are part of a bigger picture—to support authors not just in creating or distributing their stories but in thriving within the publishing industry. We want every indie author to say: “I’m not just writing; I’m running a successful, sustainable business.”
Freedom and Possibility
This past summer, I took a two-month sojourn—something that had been on my vision board for several years. I traveled to eight countries in eight weeks: Scotland, England, Finland, Denmark, Amsterdam, Germany, Belgium, and Sweden. I met hundreds of writers, shared stories at conferences, and soaked up every bit of culture along the way. All the while, I stayed connected with our vibrant indie community, proving that we aren’t just building a business but a lifestyle where authors get to create their own terms for success.
Like many of you, I chose this path because I wanted freedom: to tell my stories, to share knowledge, and to live life without boundaries. The goal behind IAM and its sister projects is to create that freedom and possibility for everyone in our ever-expanding community.
As we round out 2024 and look ahead to the coming year, the IAM brand is expanding too. IAM is closely partnered with Author Nation, where, as programming director, I've had the opportunity to curate a diverse range of experiences designed to support indie authors in every aspect of their journey, with the help of an amazing programming committee. We’re adding more variety to the ways in which we share the articles written by more than eighty contributors, including video, short-form content, and audio. Our new twice-weekly short-episode podcast takes deep dives into a single topic each episode, such as finding community, author finances, or the future of the publishing industry. Our partnerships with ALLi, Reedsy, Lulu, and ProWritingAid allow us to remain connected with some of the biggest organizations and businesses in the indie author community, allowing us to provide you with firsthand information on updates and new releases. We're even partnering with TikTok directly to create education and provide more opportunities for authors and instructors on Indie Author Training.
In 2025, Indie Author Training will continue to bring you a curated selection of even more courses led by experts who deeply understand subjects and innovations critical to indie authors, including direct sales, transmedia storytelling, intellectual property management, and the craft of writing itself. We’ll also continue to foster community within those spaces, with book club summaries and discussion groups for each course open to both students and instructors.
Direct2Readers.com is the next frontier for our organization, a space where authors will connect directly with readers via a directory of indie-published books and populated with direct sales links for any format. Our goal is to give authors more autonomy over their relationships with readers, and to help readers find the books they want in a way that’s not only beneficial to them but also best supports the authors.
Indie Author Tools is a free, crowdsourced resource that we are continuously expanding to better serve the needs of indie authors. In the coming months, we'll be adding more reviews, how-to tutorials, and other practical content designed to help authors make informed decisions about the tools they use. Our focus is on making this resource as engaging and useful as possible, with in-depth reviews, step-by-step guides, and contributions from the author community. Whether you need insights into the latest apps, workflow solutions, or helpful tech tutorials, Indie Author Tools aims to be your go-to companion in navigating the complex world of writing and publishing.
We've said it from the beginning, but we want to drive the point home: being an indie author isn't just about being self-published. It's about embracing a spirit of independence, taking control of your career, and defining success on your own terms. It means being resourceful, resilient, and ready to carve out your own path in an industry that's constantly evolving. Our story is your story—full of risks, growth, and unrelenting passion. Together, we’re proving that when writing means business, the possibilities are limitless.
Chelle Honiker
