New Indie Book Recommendation Sites On The Rise In 2021
The pandemic has caused multiple cinematographic productions to cease and take a break – no more new movies or series, so people turn to other alternatives for entertainment. This is how books have gone back into trends over 2020 and their popularity seems to go even higher in 2021. However, in a world where everyone knows the classics, it looks like newcomers are more appreciated than ever. Indie books represent the new big thing today and new releases pop up on a daily basis.
As a direct consequence, websites promoting and reviewing indie books – as well as other aspects related to this industry – are on the rise too. Being around for years, JoelBooks and 1618Words have become some of the primary choices for indie enthusiasts recently. The portals are aimed at both indie writers and readers. Being approached by more and more writers for the services provided, they grew and became solid sources of information for readers looking for the next best thing.
Wien, Austria, February, 29th, 2021
The indie industry is overwhelmed with writers trying to breakthrough, as well as portals and platforms providing access to their work. Since more and more people are after new writers and potential treasures, it makes perfect sense for these platforms to grow in no time. But a few reviews here and there will not necessarily make the difference.
Some of these platforms – JoelBooks and 1618Words – have managed to build a bridge between self-published authors and readers in a very efficient manner, hence the growing popularity. They allow readers to submit plots themselves. Readers are less likely to read the same plot they find everywhere – instead, they find a deeper story that comes straight from the author, maybe a chapter as well.
The growth is not necessarily a surprise for the indie industry. Most of the market today is based on indie books, so it makes perfect sense for the industry to dominate classics today. However, after a few years of continuous growth, 2020 has simply pushed the field to another level, thanks to a series of factors that fell together like in a puzzle.
Initially, 2020 seemed to be a disastrous year. With so many businesses and domains completely shut, it looked like booksellers, writers and other parts involved would go bankrupt. While not considered essential, many of these businesses had to lock their doors and just hope for better days – they are still waiting.
But on a different note, the pandemic has changed everything about today’s society. While many aspects of life have been altered, some businesses or industries gained popularity and managed to find a market. Indie books and all the associated parts – such as indie book recommendation websites – took advantage of the pandemic.
Initially, the virus forced millions of people into their homes – alone, isolated and by themselves. Restaurants, bars, cafés, cinemas and other venues ended up closed – not essential. With millions stranded at home, two industries skyrocketed – gardening and books. People ended up having time for their families again, organizing their gardens, renovating their homes and reading in their spare time.
An old passion from childhood resurfaced. Those who already spent time reading suddenly ended up with plenty of extra time on their hands, meaning they had all the time in the world to explore new territories, find recommendations over indie websites, try out some new genres and discover new authors and styles.
Then, from another point of view, many other industries were shut. Those who love spending days in front of their TVs were suddenly hit with old series or replays. There were no new movies coming out in cinemas either. Running out of options, they turned to long lost hobbies, such as reading, which helped the indie industry even more.
When something experienced an unexpected growth, everything related to it follows the same trend. Indie books became extremely sought after, so people trying to find good ideas and new authors ended up overwhelming indie book recommendation websites, which obviously gained an incredible amount of traffic as well.
According to Joel S. Stafford of JoelBooks, “we have experienced an unexpected growth during the spring and summer of 2020. It was pretty clear – people are staying home and have nothing to do. Nothing is better than a good book. We made more recommendations than ever – plus, we had many writers getting in touch with us for promotion. Simply put, everyone had something to earn out of this pandemic, so we tried to strike while the iron is hot.”
But here comes 2021 and while indie recommendation websites kept growing over the past few years, every new year will bring extra challenges and difficulties. During 2020, indie booksellers and writers were able to adapt in no time, moving their services online. The new year does not seem very different so far. While there are a few vaccines out there, chances are it will take a while to get everyone out of risk, so lockdowns will still hit occasionally and people will still be limited in what they can do.
Experts in the indie industry except 2021 to be even better for their industry. While no one is happy about the evolution of this pandemic, the industry was already on a slight rise, with its peak during 2020. In 2021, chances are more indie writers will push their luck for exposure, while more and more people will rediscover the passion of reading books. Only time can tell whether or not the industry will move up.
About JoelBooks and 1618Words
Joelbooks and 1618Words are currently among the leading new indie book recommendation sites on the market. Both portals provide multiple tools and services for writers to introduce themselves to the world, as well as small parts of their books. Readers from all over the world rely on them to discover new names and novels, but also to connect with their favorite authors – they can be accessed over https://joelbooks.com and https://1618words.com.
Joel S. Stafford, Joelbooks