With the news of another big-publishing merger, the space for indies and divergent publishing is squeezed even further.

What can we (readers, authors, indie publishers) do? Some ideas

1) Support indie book shops, indie authors, indie publishers. If all you have nearby is a chain book shop - request the book from your favourite indie author through them! Every door that opens for an indie is significant. They will be thankful

2) If low on spending power, word of mouth is immensely powerful. A recommendation to a friend is so valuable

3) For independent publishers: we have a responsibility not to continue the extortion of people in the creative industry. Pay authors their fair share. Give credit to artists.

4) For indie authors: please, please, please consider moving away from Amazon as your only source of income. It does not care about you. Consider a reputable independent publisher (ask for references from current authors!)

(cont) Or perhaps set up your own web shop on your website. Your fans will find you there. Setting one up is a bit confusing, but it has a very low barrier to entry. Many shop plug ins for Wordpress are free. Own your own means of distribution for resilience

5) For pretty much everyone in the creative industry: know you deserve fair compensation, and know you deserve rest. We make amazing products, yes, but not at the cost of our health, bodies, or sanity. (I highly recommend unionising, if possible.)

6) Collaborate! Considering the size of the book market, we are not in competition. Avid readers will buy dozens of books in a year. Work together, find new ways to lift each other up. The work book bloggers, Youtubers, and Instagrammers do in this regard is amazing

7) Support those who are inevitably going to be excluded by the major corporations. People across all intersections (race, disability, queerness, class) will struggle. Emotional support, even if it is a kind tweet, makes a difference

We would love to share other people's suggestions! While the merger news is a blow to many indies, we do believe there is space for everyone in the book industry - if we fight for it