Welcome to the indie creative collective

The Indie Creative Collective is a place where creatives, especially independent ones, can come to find resources, networking, and more. Over time, I hope to build this up even more. Currently, you can browse and find the following:

• Website & Link Building
• Selling Direct
• Hiring Professionals
• Publishing Books
• Marketing
• Building an Audience
• Fund Your Projects
• Tools for Writing & Designing
• Networking

Find Professionals

Below are professionals who offer creative services such as editors, artists, designers, and more. Please note that inclusion here does not represent a recommendation. While I have done my best to vet the list so as to not include those using AI for creative work or suspicious persons, I am not perfect. If you suspect someone should be removed, please use the contact button.

EDITORS:

Below are some editors who submitted their information to be included in this database.

BETA READERS:

Below are some beta readers who submitted their information to be included in this database.

PA/Author Assistance:

Below are PA businesses or freelancers who submitted their information to be included in this database.

Artists:

Below are artists who submitted their information to be included in this database.

Designers:

Below are designers who submitted their information to be included in this database.

Critique Partners:

Below are critique partners who submitted their information to be included in this database.

Contact

Hi, if you need to contact me, please do so either at [email protected] or via the form below. Thanks!

Website & Link Building Resources

It's important to have a website or master link that your audience and network can be directed to get in touch with you, follow you, and browse your offerings.There are plenty of free, low-cost, and more advanced options for achieving this.Tip: Add your link to your bio everywhere!

Creating a Website or Master Link:

Getting a Domain Name:

A domain name is a custom website URL. For example, I own www.vwalkerauthor.com and www.vwpublishing.com. Owning a custom domain name is not necessary, but it can help create a more professional look.Plus, it's a lot easier to tell someone to go to yourname.com than yourname.fsdfknsdnvs.comAdditionally, domain names are typically available for less than $20 a year, though it depends.

URL Shorteners & Management:

URL Shorteners and Link Management can help keep things organized for you. Additionally, if you sell books, it's helpful to have a universal link, which is a link that lists all the book retail locations on one page and typically will direct the user to the site in their country for that retailer.Link shorteners can help shorten links so you can post them on social media or elsewhere without taking up a ton of characters.

Resources for Selling Direct

Whether you're an artist, author, or other kind of creative, having the ability to sell directly is important because it allows you to make more profit off the already slim margins that independent creators face.

Platforms to Sell Direct:

Below are platforms where you can list your books, art, designs, and other creative work to sell directly. Some of them have a built-in audience (like Etsy or itch.io), and others would require you to drive traffic like Ko-Fi.Transaction fees vary by platform but typically there is a free option with a higher transaction fee. For example, Payhip charges a 5% transaction fee but no monthly cost or fees. However, some platforms do charge a monthly or yearly fee, such as BookFunnel.

Buying Shipping Labels:

If you choose to sell physical products, you'll need to account for shipping costs. Below are some places to purchase labels.Tip: USPS Media Mail is the cheapest for shipping books in the United States.

Shipping materials:

Typically, buying in bulk means a lower cost for shipping materials, but it's not recommended to do that until you have a steady stream of direct sales (unless you have the funds, of course).

business bank accounts:

Even if you're operating your creative selling under your legal name and not a business entity, it's highly recommended that you keep your business funds separate from your personal funds because it's easier to track expenses and profit, will save you a headache during tax time, and is legally safer.There are plenty of free or low-cost banking options that don't require you to own an actual business entity.

money management:

Below are some additional money management tools that can help with a range of things, including taking payments, managing expenses, understanding your tax needs, and accounting.

Resources for Hiring Professionals

This page contains information on places you can use to search for editors, designers, artists, and more. Before diving into those, I recommend clicking the "Indie Professional Database" button below.This will take you to a page where indie professionals have included their information directly, including pricing, genre specialities, and more.

• Indie Professional Databse

Platforms:

Below are some platforms where you can search for a range of freelance professionals for various needs, such as editing, designing, art, marketing, voice actors, and more.

Facebook Groups:

Below are some Facebook groups that assist with finding freelancers. While this can be a good place to look, it's always important, especially on Facebook, to be wary of scams. Don't pay anyone via Facebook and be sure to do your research.

Agencies:

Below are some businesses and agencies specializing in certain needs.

Tools for Writers, Artists, & Designers

This page has a list of tools for creatives. Some are free, some are paid.

Writing Tools:

Editing Tools:

While it's recommended to hire an editor for your book or story, it's also important to self-edit. And, as I'm sure you know, hiring an editor isn't always possible due to funds. Below are some tools that don't replace editing, but can certainly assist.

Book Formatting Tools:

If you can't afford to hire a book formatter, simply don't want to, or want to begin formatting other people's books, the following tools are common and popular in the industry.

Design Tools:

Below is a range of tools for designing, ranging from budget to higher cost. If you're new to designing, you may want to start with the free and budget options before moving up to more advanced tools.There are also some places below to find commercially licensed stock photos or assets.Reminder: Always read through and confirm licensing to understand if there are commercial limitations! For example, you need an extended license purchase ($79) from Adobe Stock to use on merchandise.

Cloud Storage Tools:

Regardless of what you're creating, it's incredibly important to back up your projects and save them in multiple places. One, you can access them from anywhere with the internet. Two, if your technology dies or is lost/stolen, your work isn't.

Marketing Resources

Marketing.....oh, marketing. Every creative's favorite thing.....Below are resources for marketing, focused on a range of topics, and I've also added a list of recommended social media accounts to follow or websites to check out.

Email Marketing / Newsletters:

It's extremely likely that at some point, possibly right this exact moment, you have said to yourself, "Why the hell do I need a newsletter?"And maybe you don't. Right now. But it's important to consider that your audience on social media doesn't belong to you. A platform could disappear at any time, or even your account could.By building a newsletter list, you are creating direct access to your audience that you own.

Social Media Tools:

Whether or not you like social media, it's still an incredible and important tool for building an audience and marketing both your brand and your creative work.Below are some social media tools that can help you manage the time-consuming aspect that social media is.

Mockup Tools:

At some point, you may find it helpful to create mock-ups of your art prints, book covers, or other merchandise. Below are tools to assist.

General Advertising platforms:

Below are general advertising platforms, mostly social media but also a few others.

Book Related Advertising:

If you're an author, utilizing book-centered advertising can help you reach audiences that others own while making sales and finding new readers. There are actually a lot of options for books, though some are quite costly.

Art & Design Advertising:

Below are some advertising options for artists and designers.

Platforms for Artists & Designers to Sell:

If you want to sell your art or designs, consider the following platforms for opportunities to reach new customers.

Advertising on Podcasts:

Podcast advertising can actually be very affordable, and it allows you to tap into a new market with listeners who are likely to be interested in your book, art, games, or other content.

Tools for Giveaways:

Giveaways can be helpful for any creative because it is a form of marketing that brings in new, possible customers while also helping to build your audience.Tip: Make it mandatory to join your email list to be eligible to win. I did a launch giveaway for my book and got over 100 subscribers from this strategy, and the unsubscribe rate was low. That said, your mileage may vary.

Resources for Building an Audience

Unless you have the contact information, such as with a newsletter, for your customers and audience, you don't actually own that audience. The social media or other platform does. What happens if it gets taken away?Be sure to work on building your audience. It can be a slow process, but it can also be rewarding.

Author Specific:

Social Media:

Extra Cash & Funding

There are several ways to fund your creative projects and work. These aren't necessarily fast money or a ton of money, depending, but you will find a mix of grants, awards, contests, and mini side hustles that don't require much time. Some of these aren't tied to creative work at all, so you could use them to supplement income as well.

Mini Side Hustles:

Grants for Projects/Creative Work:

Contests:

Publishing Resources for Authors & Writers

Below are common publishing and distribution platforms for authors.

Print on Demand for Physical books:

eBook Distribution:

Audiobook Distribution:

Bookstore & Library Distribution:

Networking Resources for Creators

Networking and building community is more than just building brand and connections - it's about building a support system and offering that to other creatives as well.It's not just good for your business, it's good for your mental health too!

Facebook Groups:

Reddit Groups:

Websites & Forums:

Professional Organizations: