From the IAG Yahoo! Group:
"The Independent Authors Guild (IAG) provides support and advocacy to authors who publish their work independently. Members share their skills and resources, offering peer reviews, editing swaps, and advice on everything from finding a publisher to promoting a book. IAG seeks to increase awareness among those who buy and read books of the undiscovered treasures available outside mainstream publishing channels."
"Have fun storming the castle!" – Miracle Max, The Princess Bride
"Never tell me the odds!" – Han Solo, The Empire Strikes Back
Independent publishing, like indy music and indy movies, offers two probabilities: that books will be published that probably should never have been published, and that books will be published that, despite their excellence, would never have made it through the near-impossible gauntlet that traditional publishing conglomerates have created. In all cases, independent production of the various media allows new artists to enter the market, and consumers hungry for new talent to discover it.
Key to the success of this new and burgeoning model are the many and varied forums for critical review, such as Amazon's and Barnes & Nobles' reader review features. The more we offer fair and balanced critical reviews, not only of independently published work, but also of the fare the big publishers tell us we should like, the better will be the quality of the reading material available on the market. Please take every opportunity to consider fresh, new work, and to offer your own critical review of its quality. Serious readers can, and should, take control of the market through which the product they so love is offered.
Come visit, and perhaps join IAG. Hope to see you there.
In the meantime, discover these fine IAG authors: