Read Indie SFF Month Challenge

Leslie at Books Are the New Black and Veros at Dark Shelf of Wonders are hosting READ INDIE SFF MONTH during the month of May. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I love sci-fi and fantasy, so I’m going to give it a try. I only have a couple of books on my TBR for this, so if you think of any that fit a category, let me know!

What is Read Indie SFF Month?

It’s pretty simple- read more Indie sci-fi and fantasy books! Of course, we won’t be sticklers for the rules and the goal is to just read more Indie authors! There is a bing board, which you can fill out the whole board, one line, or just pick random prompts! This is laid back and for fun, so don’t stress yourself out. There is a Storygraph Challenge to help share recommendations! This is also a part of an interactive element, and two prompts connect with the SG Challenge. I can’t wait to see many amazing recommendations!!

What is an Indie Book?

Indie books are published by the author or independent publishing companies. Basically, they are not owned by the Big 5 (Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster). As long as they are not a part of the Big 5, they count!

The Prompts

There are 12 Reading Prompts and 4 of what we’ll call action prompts. The action prompts are to help boost the authors in small, but big ways!

Actionable Prompts: These can be found on the inside of the board in a light blue color.

Post A Review – On any social platform or blog.
Give a Rec on The StoryGraph Challenge – Go into the SG challenge to prompt #12 and give a rec there to create a pool of recs available for reading prompt #12.
Request Book at Your Local Library – If you’ve read an indie book you loved ask your library to buy it! You can do it through Libby or a lot of libraries have official channels to accept requests.
Post an Indie Bookish List – If you use socials, post a list of Indie Books. It can be your favs or ones you want to read, it can be themed in any way. Be creative and spread indie book love!

Reading Prompts: These can be found on the outside of the board in a white color.

Published Within The Last Year – Since May is early in the year we’ll count from May 2025 to May 2026.
Middle Grade Fantasy or Sci-Fi.
Novella.
Book With Your Fav Trope – Pick a trope you love and find an indie book that includes it.
Cover Pick! Don’t Read Synopsis – What it says on the tin. Go in knowing as little as possible. With a caveat that if you need to look up content or trigger warnings, that’s fine. Mental health always comes first.
A Kissing Book: Romance is Present – Whether it’s the main focus or a subplot, it counts.
Set On A Ship. Ocean or Space, It’s Up to You – Or even an airship if you’re in more of a steampunk mood. Just give me a ship!
First In A Series – Ready to start a new series? I sure hope so!
Winner of an Award – Could be SPFBO, BBNYA, or any other award of your choice that honors indie books.
Books on the Cover – Take a look at the cover art, are any books anywhere on there? Excellent!
Written by an Author You Follow on Socials – Could be any social platform! If you’ve been wanting to support an author you follow, now is your chance!
Try A New-to-You Author from a Rec – This is where the StoryGraph challenge comes in. Head over to the #12 prompt and pick any recommendation that sound good to you. Or if you have an indie book rec from a friend that works just as well!