In an effort to further encourage strong relationships between indie authors, local libraries, and readers, we have partnered with curators and libraries across the U.S. and Canada to find the best indie-published books.
Indie Author Project
The Indie Author Project (IAP) is a publishing community that includes public libraries, authors, curators, and readers working together to connect library patrons with great indie-published books. IAP has helped hundreds of libraries engage their local creative community and assisted in getting almost 20,000 indie ebooks into their local libraries. Most importantly, the project has worked with top curation partners and librarians to identify hundreds of these as the best indie ebooks available to readers—so they can be sustainably circulated to library patrons with confidence.
Through this publishing community, authors can submit ebooks directly to their local public library to then be vetted by industry editorial partners and librarian editorial boards. Being selected by these curators can lead to expanded discovery, distribution, and networking opportunities.
Indie Author Project
The Indie Author Project (IAP) is a publishing community that includes public libraries, authors, curators, and readers working together to connect library patrons with great indie-published books. IAP has helped hundreds of libraries engage their local creative community and assisted in getting more than 12,000 indie authors into their local libraries. Most importantly, the project has worked with top curation partners and librarians to identify hundreds of these as the best indie ebooks available to readers—so they can be sustainably circulated to library patrons with confidence.
Through this publishing community, authors can submit ebooks directly to their local public library to then be vetted by industry editorial partners and librarian editorial boards. Being selected by these curators can lead to expanded discovery, distribution, and networking opportunities.
“Libraries don’t just hold books—they shape conversations, preserve diverse voices, and ensure stories are heard.”
“Librarians are as endowed with knowledge as the books they keep, and they help you push boundaries, connecting you with other writers and readers… Libraries are the very soul of a community, an equalizing force with unlimited access to knowledge, and I’m eternally grateful to have their support.”
IAP Contests
The mission of the Indie Author Project has always been to connect independent authors and local libraries, and to foster this relationship in a way that elevates quality indie books and gets them into the hands of patrons in their author’s own communities and beyond.
The annual Indie Author Project contests do just that, by collecting the best indie ebooks from across the US and Canada and connecting those authors to their own local libraries. In addition to having an opportunity to win the contest, authors who submit their writing will have a chance to make their ebooks available to participating libraries in their state or province through the Indie Author Project program.
The contests are held annually, and one winner and two runners up are chosen in each of the following genres: Mystery/Thrillers, Romance, SciFi, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, General/Contemporary Fiction, Memoir, and Young Adult. Submissions are accepted from April 1st – May 31st, with the winners being announced during Indie Author Day in November.
Get Involved
Are you ready to place your library at the heart of the #IndieAuthorMovement?
Note: this form is intended for libraries to express their interest in the involvement of this community. If you are an author, please see our authors page.