It’s one question we hear a lot – “How do I find good indie or self-published books?”
It can be difficult to find indie books. Most aren’t available in traditional brick and mortar stores, and with so many self-published books available online on Amazon and other online distributors, how do you know where to start? Well, don’t fear! We’re here to help you explore the world of indie and self-published books and find your next favourite read.
Here are where you can find a variety of high-quality indie books:
Indie Bookstores
Some book stores do stock indie books! While they may not be local to you, most sell books online and can ship internationally. Two of our favourite bookstores, The Broken Binding and Silverstones Books, have a dedicated section for indie authors. Even better, many authors include signed copies or bookplates with their books, so you’re guaranteed a high-quality printed book that has the author’s personal signature.
You can find a list of indie-friendly bookstores here.
Book Award Finalists
How do you find the best of the best indie and self-published books? A good place to start is with the finalists of some of the biggest indie-focussed book award competitions. The Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (AKA SPFBO) is hosted by Mark Lawrence, a prominent fantasy author, and is an annual competition where 300 self-published books are whittled down to 10 finalists and a winner. These finalists have been chosen by ten blogging teams as an example of the best self-published fantasy out there.
Other competitions also include the Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award (AKA BBNYA) and the newly created Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (AKA SFINCS).
The Reddit Best of Self-Published List
Every year, one of the biggest Reddit book communities, r/Fantasy, gather a list of their users favourite self-published books. These are all popular self-published books as nominated by multiple readers.
Here is the list from 2023, but keep an eye for the next poll in 2024 for more recommendations. You’re bound to find a fantastic read from this list.
Our Blogger Directory
If you need more recommendations, then what’s better than a trusted book reviewer, blogger, or booktuber’s opinion? Book bloggers have dedicated their spare time to reading and reviewing a wide range of fantasy books and they’ll surely be able to recommend a book to your tastes.
If you’re not sure where to find a book blogger or reviewer to follow, then we’ve got you covered there, too! Our blogger directory contains a list of review websites, book bloggers, booktubers, and podcasts who review and feature indie and self-published books along with traditionally published books. Pay them a visit and see what they have to say!
Our Book Collection
Here at Read Indie Books.com, our goal is to collect and review the best indie and self-published fantasy books! You can find our own personal recommendations by viewing our reviews, or for a quick overview of the books we’ve featured on our website, take a look at our book collection.