The words “indie romance” may conjur a lot of different ideas. Though there are still some people who try and relegate it to a lesser tier, most romance readers have collectively decided that traditional publishing is not the mechanism that makes a book “good.” It might make it easier to promote, more convenient to purchase, and infinitely easier on the author, but it doesn’t make the book worth reading. Authors do that, and many of them have a foot (or a hand, as it were) in both traditional and indie publishing.

Libraries, however, have been slower to match that indie energy, and it’s time we stepped fully into the present. Indie books are here to stay, and that’s a good thing. Not only are they often the trendsetters, they are also a big driver of diverse materials. If you want to diversify your collection or if you want to buy backlist of some of your patrons’ favorite authors, chances are good you’ll be diving into the indie waters.

WHERE TO START

So now that we’ve established the why, let’s talk about the how. There are a lot of independently published romance books in the world, and the numbers grow weekly. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Start with authors you may know from traditional publishing. Many authors who circulate well in libraries, including Farrah Rochon, JoAnn Ross, Kit Rocha, and Talia Hibbert, are what’s known as “hybrid” authors, meaning they have written or are writing both indie romances and traditionally published romances. If you’re looking to add indie romances to your collection, starting with authors you already know can ease the way.

Look by subgenre to help narrow it down. Trying to buy all of any kind of romance, even just the ones labeled “indie,” is an exercise in futility. It is much easier to start small and work your way up. Pick a subgenre that your patrons are particularly drawn to, and see what indie titles are available. If your patrons truly love paranormal romance, doing a search for that and “indie author” will lead to popular authors you may have missed. Same with historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense.

Look for the helpers—the romance ecosphere offers a lot of help. From longtime romance blogs to Goodreads lists, romance authors and readers love to categorize things for easier finding. Yes, you can find lists that just include indie books, but most of the lists include both without a distinction between the two. “Indie” is a distinction more important to publishing professionals than to people who just want to read good books.

YIMBY!—Yes, in my backyard. Look for local authors who are publishing, perhaps under your radar. If you have a local romance writers group in your area, that’s a great place to look for potential authors.

PACE YOURSELF

When it comes to ordering books, indie publishing moves at a different pace. It’s not unusual to order traditionally published titles months in advance. For indie books, that rarely happens. A month or two is probably as far out as you’re going to be able to order. And often, you’ll be ordering them as they are appearing in the marketplace for sale. Sometimes, titles are only available in digital form at first and then appear in print or audio after the initial release. This can sometimes lead to having a diverse collection in digital but not in print. Baker & Taylor doesn’t stock most indie romance, but Ingram has the vast majority of these titles. If it isn’t at Ingram, then Amazon is my next best hope. Between the two, I can usually find a print copy of most indie romance titles.

Get used to checking sites like WOC in Romance (wocinromance.com) weekly to stay up on new releases. Because most indie authors are doing their own marketing and promotion and there isn’t a central gathering place for every author to advertise their books, it takes a concerted effort to keep up with indie releases.

Lastly, pay attention to page counts and price. Indie authors can, and do, charge whatever they want and can give you whatever they want for that price. While the overwhelming majority of indie authors aim to give you a quality product at a fair price, there are some unscrupulous people looking to make a quick buck at a reader’s expense. Check page counts and make sure you’re not paying $12.99 for a 45-page book. If something is labeled a novella, be aware that it will likely be shorter and there should be an accompanying price reduction. Pay extra special attention to pricing on Overdrive. The digital space is like the Wild West when it comes to pricing, and it is perfectly acceptable to just say no to high prices from untried or unknown authors.

Some popular indie authors to start with are Christina C. Jones, Tasha Harrison, Katrina Jackson, Roxanne St. Clare, Jess Michaels, Melissa Blue, Lydia M. Hawke, and Natasha Blackthorne. Hybrid authors who should be in your romance collection include Rebekah Weatherspoon, Talia Hibbert, Alisha Rai, Courtney Milan, Kit Rocha, Shiloh Walker, JoAnn Ross, and Vanessa North. The result of your work will be a more robust, diverse, and exciting collection.

Robin Bradford is Collection Development Librarian, Pierce County Library System (WA), and was the 2016 RWA Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year.