With the ease of technology and just a few clicks on a keyboard, ebooks are easily accessible to eager readers. And we, as readers, devour these books, living multiple lives through the words and imagination of our favorite authors. Sometimes we even find ourselves wondering if we can fabricate a tale worth reading. For some, the answer is obvious and we find ourselves nodding – yes, of course we can!

Since 2008, we have seen a substantial growth within the literary community, many of which are comprised on independent authors. With this growth, the amount of books to choose from are overwhelming, thus leaving literary gems invisible to the public eye. Fortunately some authors have found an answer – a key way to standout amongst the vast sea of endless authors. They have cleverly integrated themselves as a vital part of the indie community through their interactions with bloggers, other authors, and readers, making it difficult to look at the indie community without incorporating them as a part of it.

Silla Webb is a prime example of that. She is the owner/operator of Momma’s Secret Book Obsession with almost 5,000 followers, an active participant in the virtual indie world, Personal Assistant to a fellow author and is now debuting her highly anticipated novel, Covered in Coal. The book is scheduled to be released March 18th and already there is a stirring of eagerness throughout the indie community. Reviews from her Beta Readers, individuals she trusts to read her novel and provide her with necessary feedback, have been outstanding, leaving many of her readers with a hangover and greedy for the second installment in her series. Webb is in the process of setting up her blog tour and the response from fellow bloggers has been outrageous with bloggers recognizing Webb’s talent and avid in their desire to help her reach readers.

L.A. Casey is releasing her debut novel, Dominic, on March 17th, and already has a loyal fanship restless to read the second book in her Slater Brotheres series. Casey’s approach to promotions has been through her own blog, Just My Bucking Book Blog, as well as through giveaways in which she has provided readers with Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) of Dominic. The response? Amazing! Already she has 15 reviews on Goodreads, each hailing Dominic for its brilliance. She has further used Social Media to connect with readers and to promote her novel with the help of her street team.

Even with the necessary evil that is Social Media, some authors remain obscurely hidden, rarely reaping the profits their hard work and talent deserve. Like beggars on a street corner, they email blogs requesting reviews, all too often shut down like mangy dogs unworthy of their times. It’s not that bloggers have this holier than thou viewpoint, but simply that they are busy. They receive a surreal amount of requests from eager authors, just waiting to make their big break. They can’t review each book requested, any more than they can live off of caffeine and the written word.

But authors shouldn’t let the idea of rejection deter them, because what if. What if, this time, they are granted a review from that big blog they’ve been putting all their hopes and dreams on? And it won’t be just any kind of review, but a review so great it validates why they ever put their fingers to the keyboard in the first place. A review that removes the dark clouds and gives the author a glimmer of hope for their future. Maybe, just maybe, that particular review will reach the right person and the prospect of living hungry under a bridge almost becomes nonexistent.

That’s all an author needs – that one person who will help make their novel go viral, creating a storm of desire for their work, thus closing the gap between reader and writer. The capability is there; every new author that emerges knows it and looks for the castle in the air to hang all their dreams on. They just need more readers.