If you didn't get enough literary nerdiness at last weekend's FenCon, never fear. The indie publishing industry descends on Dallas this weekend with vengeance. Indie Vengeance. As in IndieVengeance Day.
Get it? No? Either way it goes down Saturday, October 12 at Half-Price Books (5803 East Northwest Highway).
IndieVengeance Day came about because event organizer, best-selling author and podcast personality Amber Jerome~Norrgard wanted to hang out with her co-host of the podcast, Tweep Nation with Amber and Dionne. Jerome~Norrgard and Dionne Lister became fast friends working on Tweep Nation, interviewing other authors, talking about writing and going off the cuff. The only problem: Jerome~Norrgard (@ambernorrgard for all her tweeps) lives in Dallas while Lister is all the way in Australia. How are two word nerds to get non-Apple face time?
The beauty of the indie publishing movement -- aside from providing hungry readers with all the poetry, memoirs, fantasy and erotica they can handle -- is the ability for writers and editors to connect with each other despite the oceans between them. Word spread quickly about Lister's North Texas travel plans to visit Jerome~Norrgard, and soon others wanted to join. Seventeen indie authors from the U.S., Canada and Australia will come together this Saturday to say, "Take that, distance!" The catch-phrase, penned by author and editor Scott Morgan, gives the middle finger to the miles of distance that typically separates these illustrious members of the indie-publishing movement.
"We're calling it a once-in-a-lifetime event," says Jerome~Norrgard, "because who knows when we will all be available to do this again."
In addition to Jerome~Norrgard, Lister and Morgan, authors slated for the event include Justin Bog and Charity Parkerson. Names unfamiliar? Not for long. This is a serious collection of talent. Not just award-winning, best-selling authors but the cornerstones of the indie-author movement.
What makes this event different from other author events? "There will be so many of us!" says Jerome~Norrgard. And with a broad range of genres -- autobiography, essay, romance, poetry, fantasy, erotica and even resources for writers -- book lovers can pick their own flavor of indie talent. And forget that typical set-up: stand in line, author behind table, awkward exchange of smiles, sign book, move on. These guys want to actually talk to their readers and learn from them, find out what they like and don't like. Again: to eliminate the distance.
Jerome~Norrgard and friends will meet and entertain readers at Half-Price Books from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday. Click here for more info.
