Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) August 3, 2010 — The Association of Independent Authors presents a clear vision of the future in publishing – independence is the preferred, and first choice for all authors. To achieve this, the AiA engenders a culture of excellence, teamwork and professionalism in a supportive community environment.

“The publishing industry is undergoing monumental changes,” says spokesperson Melanie Walsh, “including an ongoing exponential growth in e-book sales, a change in book buying trends, and a new generation of readers who want everything now on their reading device.”

The AiA plans to be at the forefront of this change, representing authors who choose independence over traditional publishing. “It seems difficult for some people in the industry to understand and accept, but there is a large contingent of new-breed authors who choose to self-publish up-front because it is best for them. It’s not a case of settling for an easier alternative,” says AiA administrator, Cara Edwards. AiA member Zoe Winters explains this attitude in her video series, “Zoe Who?”

Planning is underway for the AiA’s inaugural conference to be held in San Francisco in July 2012. A Call for Submissions has now been issued, and given the quality of early responses, organizers expect to deliver a relevant, valuable program on all aspects of self-publishing. Interested speakers have until 1 November 2010 to make a submission on a range of topics including market forces, the process, design, technology, professionalism, and innovation. A strong delegation of independent authors is also expected, and a social program will be a highlight of the three-day conference.

The AiA is pleased to announce the following additional member releases for summer:

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finalist, Karen Cantwell releases Take the Monkeys and Run: A Barbara Marr murder mystery about a soccer mom and film lover, who is on the brink of a dream: launching her own movie review website. However, on her 45th birthday, this stay-at-home mother of three unwittingly launches herself and her suburban housewife friends into the middle of their own explosive action adventure just like the movies–except these bullets are real. 

Al Qaeda plans to attack Minnesota’s Prairie River Nuclear Power Plant as a means to return the downtrodden terrorist organization to international prominence in John L. Betcher’s, The 19th Element: A James Becker thriller. The first book in the series, “The Missing Element” was similarly based in John’s hometown in the Mississippi River community of Red Wing, Minnesota where he has practiced law for the past 25 years.

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries the moment her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime as a child. It’s Murder My Son is her third book and the first in The Mac Faraday Mysteries set in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, where Lauren and her family often go for vacations. Having inherited a mansion in Spencer, Maryland, Mac Faraday is about to realize the closed gate community he is about to join has more suspicious deaths than his DC workload as a homicide detective. With the help of his late mother’s journal, this retired cop puts all his detective skills to work to pick up where the local investigators have left off.

The Association of Independent Authors (http://www.independent-authors.org/) is a membership organization of independent authors predominantly from the USA, Canada, Asia, UK and Australia. Membership is also open to authors who have published traditionally who are now planning to publish their future work, and reverted rights, independently. Directors of the AiA are Stephen Windwalker and April Hamilton (USA), Fiona Ingram (South Africa), Kev C. Webb (Australia), and Leigh K Cunningham (Singapore). There are currently three Fellows: JA Konrath, RW Ridley, and Stephen Windwalker.