For the authors, for the readers

Australia based, written and read worldwide.

Being an author is tough. Many, many people around the world dream of "making it" as a successful author. What does "making it" entail you ask? Well, let's be honest, it entails financial stability off the back of just selling your literary works. From the outside, it may seem like the path to "making it" as an author is simple: write book, sell book, profit. Just get on with it, silly author! Well, yes, it can be thought of as being that simple, but there is a heck of a lot more to it than you might think.

First of all, writing a book is hard work. Transcribing the vivid world inside your mind onto a page at all is a battle and a half, but writing in a way that will make and keep readers interested? It can be maddening, trust me on this. Then the second two points, "sell book" and "profit", are so complex they are genuinely out of reach for a huge number of authors out there. You might get (EXTREMELY) lucky and get picked up by a literary agent who is able to tie you to a major publisher, but that is very, very rare and there are many caveats, clauses, pitfalls, traps, and snares along the road. So, the vast, vast, vast majority of authors out there are "independent authors": authors who are not attached to any specific publishing company.

Independent authors have to go it alone, figuring it all out from scratch in their journey toward "making it". Where do you sell the book? How much do you spend on advertising? How much to spend on editors? What editors are trustworthy? How do you get artwork done? Should you make a website? What about mailing lists? The questions go on and on for independent authors, and the answer to each of them inevitably involves spending money. Not to mention, in the middle of all that, they need to keep the creative juices flowing and somehow find the time to actually write! It should come as no surprise to you to learn that the majority of independent authors never even turn a profit, never mind become financially stable just off the back of their literary work.

Well, we at The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine believe that more independent authors SHOULD be able to make some money. We believe that independent authors, not held back by the requirements of a publishing house, produce some of the most beautiful, creative, weird, wonderful works in the literary world, and we believe that those works should be celebrated. So, here we are.

We celebrate independent authors by featuring them in our magazine, at no financial cost to them, and we pay them for every single copy sold that contains their work. Buying an IFSM subscription directly supports independent authors and helps to get their name out there in the world, as it should be.

So please, join us. Support independent authors.

Pro auctores, pro lectoribus

About the editors.

J.D. Evans

J.D. Evans is the owner and editor-in-chief of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine. J.D. founded this magazine following their own experiences as an independent author trying to "make it", as well as hearing all the stories, trials and tribulations from their fellow authors about the long road to recognition in this space.

J.D. is a board and tabletop game geek with a passion for aviation that led them to a career in aviation which has, in turn, led them to... an MSc in Geology and running a fiction magazine. They can explain but would rather have that chat over a beer. J.D. loves travel, good company, a good fiction book, and all they really want in this life is to have a stone cottage on a windswept, cold little island where they can sit in front of the fire with a hot coffee, a writing desk, and a library. Oh, and if the library could have a rolling ladder thingy too, that would be great while you're at it.

Kura Jane Carpenter

Dunedin based, freelance cover designer and developmental editor, Kura Carpenter https://kuracarpenter.com/ won the 2019 Sir Julius Vogel award for Best New Talent and her debut urban fantasy was short-listed for Best Novel.

https://locusmag.com/2019/06/2019-sir-julius-vogel-awards-wi...

Kura loves world building and figuring out interconnected story systems and as well as writing a paranormal cozy mystery series, Kura has freelanced as a game-writer in the thriving NZ games sector. She has also edited, and co-authored a creative writing prompt book Contemporary Romance Meet Cute Story Ideas, and its follow-up Paranormal Romance Meet Cute Story Ideas.

For the past 3 years, Kura has been brushing up on her illustration skills, the culmination of which is the indie publication of her adaptation “Pride and Prejudice and Mice” which was recently shortlisted for Best Artwork in the 2026 SJV awards.

Connect with @kuracarpenter on Instagram where she mostly posts pictures of books, creative projects and greyhounds.