Do you like reading? Books? Small publishers need you!

You might think you’re just one of 7 billion on this planet but you’re so much more than that. Each one of you reading this has the power to help books and ensure future generations continue the love of reading. So if you love books and reading, read on.

As a small publisher, we are Indie Blu(e) have come up close and personal with the diminishment of publishing. By this we mean, less people read books than ever before. We all read more but we read memes, blogs, social media etc. While this has plenty of value it’s not the same as cracking open a book and reading it from cover to cover.

Why does this even matter? Because if you were that child who climbed your tree house and dived into a favorite book away from the cares of the world, or if you are that adult who wants to bequeath that love of reading for your kids or grandchildren then this really does matter.

The dearth of reading has been put down to varied causes: Attention deficit, being too busy, distracted and doing other things, etc.

What does it matter why as much as that it’s happening? And for small publishers like ourselves, it’s a lament to think of a world where reading has become an almost rare activity.

Obviously there are pockets of readers, where books are plentiful, bookstores surge and new publishers spring up. But if we are talking ‘typical’ the typical today is a far cry from even 30 years ago. Sure, progress is great, we love it, but we also harken back to the days where a book could change your life. Because we still think it can.

Indie Blu(e) Publishing attempts pretty successfully to publish books we think can change lives. We began with poetry, because we’re big poetry fans and think poetry is one of if not the, best ways of expressing emotion and experience. We have evolved from publishing poetry-alone to becoming a fully fledged publisher of all necessary words, including fiction, chapbooks and basically anything that makes us salivate.

But we can’t do it alone. Publishers in general are struggling because people are less inclined to spend money on a book as they would say, other things. Once-upon-a-time, investing in a book was really a big thing but nowadays with advances in technology, we could be forgiven for thinking what’s the big deal in owning a book?

The big deal is … you help publishers like us continue to put out works that might otherwise never see the light of day. You also help us keep it real by sourcing those gorgeous voices that might otherwise not seek to be published. We want those special people who electrify you with their minds and their words, the unforgettable, the marginalized, the unique.

When you purchase an Indie Blu(e) title you help us keep going and you support an indie author. If it were a family member you’d not think twice about it, but maybe that Starbucks cup of Joe is more important than being the proud owner of an amazing book? A book that one day might be a classic.

After all … The yellow Wallpaper, The Price Of Salt, even Wuthering Heights, they were all, along with many others, books that started off humble and small and became over time classics we have now all read and adored. That’s the process. We don’t always become famous in our life time, and maybe we don’t seek fame. But good books deserve to live on and that’s what we are attempting to do. Give books a legacy.

So if you can buy a cup of Joe at Starbucks, maybe think of forgoing a cup and supporting a small publisher with a purchase of one of our beautiful books. We promise you won’t regret it and this will be an investment you have for life, to pass on to loved ones, to say ‘hey have you read this? It’s amazing!’ and to inspire you on those dark Winter nights.

That is the crux of why we continue to cherish and adore books and we’re hoping you will join us in ensuring books remain relevant and read. The only way to do that sometimes is to show your support with a purchase. We appreciate that and you – very, very much.

Oh and incase you wondered … we haven’t bought Starbucks in a VERY long time because we at Indie Blu(e) also believe in supporting independent bookstores and authors and we spend a lot of our own personal funds on doing just that. So we’re not asking for anything we don’t do ourselves. Although if someone does have some coffee, we’d definitely say yes to a cup 😉

Happy New Year dear ones. Thank you for supporting an independent publisher. We couldn’t do it without you. And frankly? We wouldn’t want to. www.indieblu.net