By Holly Kline
“Indie Unmasked: The Indy Author Event” is a clever name for an upcoming gathering of independently published romance novelists. Taking place Nov. 15 at the Fishers Banquet Center, this book signing and author meet-and-greet is open to the public and showcases the popularity of romantic novels.
Kate Roth is an Indianapolis romance author and one of the Indie Unmasked organizers. She confirmed that 48 independently published romance authors will be on hand at the event to sign books from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale at http://indieunmasked.weebly.com.
“We have nine New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors coming to Indie Unmasked and 21 authors are Indiana natives,” said Roth. Following the book signings, there will be a Masquerade Ball from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Roth and fellow Indiana romance novelists Bayli Lane and Britni Hill wanted to bring a romance author event to central Indiana and chose Fishers for its proximity to Indianapolis and because they liked the Fishers venue. Author events are big in the world of independent romance novels and highlight the enduring popularity of the genre.
“I think that the fact that in the last few years more self-published romance authors have made New York Times and USA Today best-seller lists show that the genre is popular,” Roth said. “Self-publishing lends itself to voracious readers who maybe want to read a new book each week because we can control our pricing and offer books at a lower price.”
Roth explained that being an independently published author is the same as self-publishing and the authors are responsible for securing their own editors, cover artists and distribution. Roth is getting ready to publish her seventh book and prefers the indie route. “I was traditionally published in the beginning and decided to make the leap to independent,” she said. “The author’s royalty is so much higher than with a traditional publisher.”
Indie Unmasked authors will have paperback books for sale at the event, located at 9775 North by Northeast Blvd., Fishers. Tickets are not available at the door, but book signing tickets and additional information is available through Nov. 15 at http://indieunmasked.weebly.com.
