IndieRecon 2015 - A Not to Be Missed Online Writers Conference For Authors By Authors

Novice or pro, we can all benefit from advice and insight about indie publishing from those who have bravely gone before us and paved the way. This is the best time to be an author, and with the proper tools and training those of us with the talent and commitment to bring our work to the next level may well realize our indie author dreams. IndieReCon 2015 is one awesome tool that can put you on the path to success without having to leave your home or adjust your schedule.

IndieReCon runs April 15-17. It’s a free, three-day, 24-hour online publishing conference whose goal is to “make indie publishing a mission possible” for any writer who wants to embark on the journey. Run for authors by authors, IndieReCon meets the needs of authors in all stages and levels of self-publishing. Co-founders Ali Cross and SR Johannes started it in 2013 with the ambition to change the stigma associated with self-publishing.

“Self-publishing is hard!” says Johannes, author of the award-winning and bestselling YA thriller “Nature of Grace” series. “And many people don’t know how to get started. Ali and I decided to help the indie community learn more about how to create outstanding, high-quality books.”

They struck a nerve: More than 10,000 authors attended the first conference. In 2014, IndieReCon had 25,000 visitors.

In 2015, IndieReCon will be presented by the Alliance of Independent Authors.

“To be honest, we never expected IndieReCon to get this big, and we are thrilled that the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) have joined forces to help grow the conference even more,” says co-founder Cross, founder of Novel Ninjitsu and author of angsty young adult fantasies and middle-grade adventures.

ALLi Director and Founder Orna Ross says,“The indie author movement is the most important development in publishing today, and IndieRecon and ALLi are right at its heart, providing the support and information authors need to decide what’s best for them — and do it.”

The conference features an unprecedented number of the world’s most famous and best-selling independent authors and publishing professionals presenting content via blog posts, seminars, workshops, Twitter chats, Google Hangouts, and master classes. Estimated attendance is 50,000 authors from all over the globe. The conference also includes live streaming of the Indie Author Fringe Fest from The London Book Fair’s Book and Screen Week on Friday.

Here are some highlights:

Over 30 bestselling indie authors and experts covering topics that span the entire process of indie publishing, including: Porter Anderson, Futurebook; Joanna Penn, Author; Bella Andre, Author; CJ Lyons, Author; Joel Friedlander, The Book Designer; Mark Coker, Smashwords; Jane Friedman, Digital Media & Publishing; and more. A full list of speakers is available here.

Sessions: Common Mistakes New Indie Authors Make, Ali Cross; Basics of Online Retailers: Where Do You Go to Sell and Why?, Miral Sattar; How to Make a Living with Your Writing, Joanna Penn; Book Design For Authors – The Basics, Joel Friedlander; How to Approach Ad Sites & Make Your Book Desirable, Neil Baptista; The Importance of Reviews, Seth Dellon. A full schedule is available here.

Contests:

Grand Prize Giveaway - Indie authors from all over the world have donated e-books for one purpose: to be used in a library or school. With the generosity of KOBO, an e-reader will be packed full of these indie titles and one lucky library or school will win that e-reader!

A Book Cover Contest to recognize indie book covers, authors, artists, photographers and designers that have raised the bar for the rest of us. My upcoming YA novel Swim Season is one of them!

And a Book Description Contest to recognize those indie books that best capture a reader’s attention, including Swim Season. 

Sponsors: Ingram Spark, Bublish, Books Go Social, Bibliocrunch, Draft2Digital, FicShelf, Mereo, Reedsy, Rethink, Kobo

I attended last year's conference, and it was three days packed with information on all things indie. The best part is that the content remained online long after the conference ended so I could access it when it was convenient and take advantage of everything offered. There’s no need to stress out over how you’re going to manage the sessions you don’t want to miss while balancing your writing, blogging, marketing, day job, and other responsibilities. It's all online, available 24/7, and waiting for you.

To register visit indierecon.org.

IndieReCon Links:

Website: indierecon.org

Twitter: @Indie_Reon

Official hashtag: #IndieReCon2015

Media Contact: Miral Sattar miral@bibliocrunch.com

ALLi Contact: Orna Ross orna@allianceind

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