Indies need to work together to succeed

It is Good Friday and I have spent the having a look around the town centre in Stroud.

I often wonder whether the decline in most of our high streets is unavoidable. Do ebooks accelerate this effect?

As an advocate of the opportunities that digital publishing provides I feel conflicting emotions because, deep down, I love paper and print. I do not want the independent booksellers and small publishers going out of business. Amazon is just too powerful.

But technology is neither good nor bad intrinsically. I believe that indie authors, booksellers and publishers need to get organised. We need to pool resources and ideas to combat the negative effects of globalisation.

In America the independent booksellers are ganging up to (maybe) produce a rival to the Kindle ereader. Google ebook technology has been used to successfully increase revenue for some independents. In my walk around town this morning I noted many businesses that could benefit from collaboration. Book shops, cafes, game shops and others that could all share some of the 'digital pie.'

My point is that, as Indies, we need to be smart,  get organised and work together.