Small Business Saturday
Indie Authors Are Small Businesses—Here’s How to Support Us This Weekend
Indie authors don’t have “cute little side hustles.” We run small businesses.
We’re the writers, the marketers, the accountants, the distribution teams, the graphic designers, the PR departments, the shipping clerks, the entire C-suite… and we do it fueled by caffeine, passion, stubborn delusion, and the hope that our stories will land in the hands of someone who needs them.
So when Small Business Saturday rolls around? We’re not just participating. We ARE the event.
And honestly, with the country in the state it’s in — loud, chaotic, politically exhausted, capitalism screaming at us like I scream into the void — your dollars have never mattered more.
You want to make an actual impact this weekend?
Shop small. Shop indie. Shop human. Especially authors.
Here are a few ways to do that — featuring some incredible storytellers I adore.
Buy Direct From Authors Whenever You Can
Buying direct = more money actually reaches the creator. It pays for:
cover art
editing
formatting
audiobooks
newsletters
websites
everything that keeps their business alive
Start with these:
Kristina Carmela Romance with humor, heat, and heart — plus stunning covers and a brand that radiates joy. Kristina’s store is a GREAT place to support indie directly.
Des DeVivo One of the brightest stars in indie fantasy romance. Gorgeous prose, magical worlds, and a community-centered heart. Shopping with Des supports an author who actively lifts other creatives.
Emlynn McDermott Romance and women’s fiction full of soul, tenderness, and characters who feel like friends. Even when you buy on Amazon, you support her ability to keep writing the quiet, powerful stories readers love.
Jennifer J. Coldwater (that’s me!) Queer + spiritual contemporary romance, rich with heart, grief, healing, and joyful second chances.
Share Indie Work Like It’s Free (because it IS)
Not ready to spend? No worries — you can support us without spending a dime.
Share links
Repost book graphics
Add books to your wishlist
Comment on our posts
Write a review
Tell a friend
Request our books at your library
Every share is a mini billboard. Every review is gold. Every “OMG you need to read this” is a lifeline to an indie author who’s doing everything herself.
Leave Reviews Like You Mean It
Seriously. Reviews = visibility = survival.
Leave them on:
Amazon
Goodreads
The StoryGraph
BookBub
TikTok / Instagram / Bluesky / Threads
Your blog if you have one
An email to your friends!
They do NOT have to be long. Three sentences and a star rating can change an indie author’s month.
Gift Indie Reads This Holiday Season
If you’re shopping for:
your romance-obsessed sister
your book club friend
your queer hearted bestie
your spiritual rebel coworker
your niece who reads faster than she sleeps
Give them stories written by real humans who care deeply.
You’re not just giving a book. You’re giving your support to someone’s art, someone’s healing, someone’s livelihood.
Follow, Subscribe, Join, Hang Out
Every indie author has:
a newsletter
preorder links
ARC teams
upcoming releases
shop pages
behind-the-scenes goodies
Following their journey is free. Encouraging them? Also free. And honestly? It matters more than you think.
And Finally… Pick One New Indie Author to Support This Weekend
Make it a ritual: One book. One merch item. One audiobook. One direct sale.
Choose someone whose work moves you, excites you, or comes from a voice the world desperately needs.
Here are a few more indie authors worth exploring this Small Business Saturday:
And so many more. Indie publishing is an ocean — and it’s full of treasure.
Small Business Saturday is about people — not corporations.
It’s about stories being told that traditional publishers ignore. It’s about voices that deserve space. It’s about queer stories, BIPOC stories, disabled stories, spiritual stories, stories from survivors, stories from dreamers… stories like yours and stories like mine.
So this weekend, if you can, support the humans creating the art that sustains you.
And if you can’t spend? Your voice still matters. Your shares still matter. Your love still matters.
Indie authors aren’t asking for much. We’re just asking to matter.
And this weekend? You can help make that happen.
