2024 Indie Author of the Year
The Indie Author Project is thrilled to announce Melissa Bobe of Uniondale Public Library, New York, as the 2024 Indie Author of the Year. Celebrating its sixth year, this annual award continues to honor outstanding indie authors, and Melissa’s achievement exemplifies the exceptional talent within the indie author community.
Melissa’s journey began with her victory in the 2023 New York Author Project contest, where her book Electric Trees won in the adult category. Electric Trees is a compelling collection of short stories that blend the supernatural and fantasy genres, grounded in a distinct voice that captures and represents Melissa’s generation.
Melissa is a fiction writer based in New York, known for her versatility across genres under the speculative fiction umbrella. She holds a PhD in literature and has a decade of experience teaching college English. Currently, she serves as a youth librarian and is the founder and organizer of The Writing Hive. Her dedication to the literary community is further demonstrated through her role as a Municipal Liaison for the New York City region of National Novel Writing Month and as a co-host for Word Magic Chat on Twitter.
Each year, one winner is selected from a group of authors who have had their titles chosen by librarian judging committees as the best indie-published ebooks in their regions through the preceding year’s Indie Author Project regional contests. The Indie Author of the Year is chosen by a team of industry experts on the basis of marketability, overall impact, personal brand, and potential for the author to break out. Melissa stood out with her exceptional storytelling, strong presence in the indie author community, and ability to inspire both readers and future authors through her writing, librarian expertise, and engaging public persona.
Melissa Bobe
2024 Indie Author of the Year
“It is with deep gratitude and excitement that I receive the 2024 Indie Author of the Year award, particularly because of who is responsible for this honor. The Indie Author Project defines itself as ‘a publishing community’ focused on bringing indie voices into libraries, where they can be discovered, explored, and celebrated by readers. I can think of no better organization to support rising indie authors than one that conceives of itself as a community, as that conceptualization speaks to the nature of both indie publishing and public libraries.
In my capacity as an indie author and a public librarian, I am beyond honored and touched to have been selected for this award. I hope to do the Indie Author Project proud by continuing my own creative journey and, in light of the remarkable support I am receiving, by finding new ways to uplift the voices of my fellow indies along the way.”
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