Re-defining Indie: Charting the course of independent authors in the digital age

The Alliance of Independent Authors, together with Learn Self Publishing, commissioned CREATe (the Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy based at the University of Glasgow) to conduct research into the independent (indie, or self-publishing) author market. In particular, this research considers whether, in contrast to authors who rely on traditional publishing routes, indie authors evidence a different, more progressive, trajectory for authorial success in respect of both their earnings profile, and in the diversity of cultural content produced in this market. Our report, drawing on insights from a global survey with 2,359 respondents and supplemented by in-depth interviews sheds light on a sector that has greatly changed over the years. Once characterised by its grassroots authenticity, the indie publishing market has now matured into a highly competitive arena.