Indie Authors Seek Gatekeeper Access

Many self‑identified 'indie' authors publicly reject traditional publishing yet privately measure success by the same gatekeepers (Big‑Five contracts, major reviews, awards). That creates a structural hybrid: a large pool of creators who rely on indie distribution for survival while still optimising for institutional validation. — This matters because it reframes the indie‑vs‑trad divide: the cultural fight is often about status and access, not markets, so debates over AI, platform hiring, and publishing reform should focus on credential capture, incentives and who controls cultural gatekeeping.