It’s not easy being an independent author—a truth all indie authors, and we here at Koehler Books, know well. But the challenges of independent publishing come with immense benefits: an even playing field for diverse voices, attentive and personalized care for each and every book, and of course, a sense of community often only found at smaller scales.

Jeffrey K Schmoll, author of The Treasure of Tundavala Gap, knows what it means to be an indie author well, and he also knows that hard work pays off. Recently, his novel was featured at his local Barnes and Noble, placed next to award-winning novelist Tom Clancy. 

“The process was kind of funny,” Jeffrey said. “I walked in with all kinds of backup loaded for bear. I had printouts of my book awards, the comments from notable authors, even ten or so of the 70+ reviews on Amazon with the 4.8 out of 5 rating prominent on the page. I barely started talking and the manager said, ‘Oh, we like to help local authors.’ No arguments or persuasion needed. They put it on one of the up-front tables! Pretty cool.”

But Jeffrey’s been hard at work outside of the bookstore as well, his novel being recognized by a variety of literary award programs. The Treasure of Tundavala Gap was recently named a BREW Readers’ Choice Finalist, an Eric Hoffer A
ward nominee, a finalist for the IAN Book of the Year Awards, a Readers’ Favorite five-star pick, and a Nerdection Must Read selection.

If there’s any lesson to be taken from Jeffrey’s experiences—which he says include the Good, the Bad, and, yes, even the Ugly (to be read in your best Clint Eastwood voice; his words, not ours)—it’s to be bold and personable. In fact, one of his many marketing strategies includes carrying a dot.card in his wallet at all times. The card is scannable and opens to a link with information about Jeffrey and his book. “I’ve shared this over fifty times,” he says, “including on the top of some local mountains during long hikes.” After all, you never know with whom or where you might make a connection.

Jeffrey says that “it’s a long haul, so it’s good to think in terms of months and not weeks. The multifingered approach using internet tools, contact with individuals, and larger group contacts, such as bookstores, book clubs, libraries, etc., is what makes the most sense to me.”

So basically, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Despite living in the digital age, your digital footprint isn’t the only thing that makes an impact. (Though it’s pretty important—Jeffrey lists his personal website second on his “Good” list, only after reaching out to authors for endorsements. Although he says it was time-consuming, it was also worth it, as he was able to secure an endorsement from Mike Maden, a writer for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series. A bold choice that paid off.)

Jeffrey’s experience shows that, sometimes, one of the best things an author can do is make real-life connections in their community. Turns out, something as simple as walking into your local bookstore and introducing yourself to the manager could be the difference between your book sitting on your bookshelf at home, or sitting next to Tom Clancy’s at Barnes and Noble.