I have decided to make a conscious effort to read more self published books this year. I noticed last year, almost every book I read was published by one of the big five publishers and their imprints. I read a lot of popular books that everyone was reading, and they were a lot of fun to read, but this year, I’d like to try something different. I want to read primarily self published and small press books. I still intend to read a few of the big books that come out, but I want to focus on independent books. The purpose of this post is to outline why I’ve decided to embark on this journey when I’m starting out. I’m sure my motivations and interests will evolve as I learn more about self publishing and independent publishing, but I want a snapshot of my thoughts at the beginning of the journey. The three main reasons I have found for reading self published books are authenticity, impact, and challenge.