I am a big supporter of the indie movement. I do find myself shopping at larger chain businesses when money is too tight to be able to do otherwise (and the indie can't reasonably price compete.)

I also buy from a chain when there is NO indie in my area. I actually live in a pretty small town, but don't particularly like announcing my location to strangers on the internet, which is why I randomly picked a place.

But when I can, I support indies, whether it is indie stores, indie bands, indie publishers, indie filmmakers, you get the point. I believe that the indie guy should be allowed to play, and a world dominated only by big business is a world that's bad for everyone.

Though I have mixed feelings about things like amazon.com. Arguably that's a big business. And while it's bad for indie bookstores, it's good for indie filmmakers, musicians and authors, because the doors to amazon are wide open to them. So I definitely feel pulled in two different directions here. I support indie bookstores whenever I can, but I can't ignore the power of amazon for my own needs as an indie myself.

I also respect all artists be they musicians, writers, filmmakers, etc. who choose to create their own independent label to produce and promote their art. Yes, not all of what is produced will be a masterpiece, but indies can and do produce great work.

I'm excited especially about what changes in the book industry in the past 5 or 10 years can mean for indie publishers (be they very small presses, or authors using an 'indie label')

I'm of the opinion that we'll end up having major chains pretty much online, and indies will eventually dominate the brick and mortar store environment. The reason I think this is because it's already happened with music. (When was the last time you bought music at a music chain? I rest my case.) But indie stores provide something large chains don't. They provide personality, niches, human beings who know about books. For selection people are going to go online. (though I think indies could cash in on that as well. Allowing them to bring a larger selection to those who visit their establishment.)

I'm also a writer. And while I think a big New York publisher can be great to have, it's very hard to get, even if you have talent. Not to mention the contracts for a newbie are rarely anything to get super excited about. At the same time though, having publishing run exclusively by 5-6 megacorporations controls our entertainment options in ways I don't find particularly tenable as an American. I also feel there is little a small publisher can do for me that I can't do for myself (since very often they can't get on bookstore shelves either.) So, I'm going indie as well.

Viva la resistance!

Zoe
http://zoewinters.wordpress.com