I received great news the other day – my newest book, Byzantine History in the 11th Century – A Brief Introduction, was awarded the coveted Indie/B.R.A.G. Medallion! That means that all of my books have earned this honor.
What is Indie/B.R.A.G.?
The Indie/B.R.A.G. organization has writers and readers who have volunteered their time to review indie books not traditionally published. The group’s organizer, Geri Clouston, started B.R.A.G. when she realized that while many self-published/indie books lack the polish that traditionally published books have, many of them do and should receive recognition for that quality.
And quality does not just mean writing. Formatting, editing, lack of serious typos, and book covers count as well. Indie books have to look as polished as any traditionally published book does. Consequently, this rigorous process means that most books (at least 75%) submitted to them do not receive the medallion. Another great aspect to these books is that I’ve found their topics are more varied than what you will find with traditional publishers who focus on the newest “hot” trend.
Why go indie?
I pitched my Byzantine books to agents at different writers’ conferences for several years without success. Instead, the eras popular with readers and publishers (e.g., Tudors, World War I and II) had the agents’s complete attention. No agent had an interest in putting my books in front of a publisher. Indie, or self-publishing, was my only avenue if I wanted to write about the Byzantines – which is the only subject I ever expect to write about.
Fortunately, Amazon, Kindle, Nook, etc. have meant that we are in a golden age for indie publishing. The Indie/B.R.A.G. Medallion demonstrates to readers that books so honored are worth any reader’s time and money. Please checkout their website: www.bragmedallion.com, for great book suggestions. I know you won’t regret it!
