On 23^rd May, a fantastic crew of indie authors, editors, audio producers, artists and readers gathered at the Flaxmill Maltings, Shrewsbury for Spotlight Indie Live 2026. Only our second event, the crowd was small but mighty – and despite ending the day running on nothing but pure adrenaline, with the soles of my sparkly platform trainers worn down a good inch and a half, I can sit back now and bask in the glow of a day filled with wonderful people sharing a passion for storytelling. Much like year one, back in 2024, Spotlight Indie Live was many things. But mostly, it was a celebration of all that is positive and joyful about this community.

Now, I use the term ‘sit back’ loosely. Because I’m me and, well, sitting is something I don’t do very well. Despite my adamance that the entire team take a well-earned two-week break following the event, less than 24 hours later my kitchen looked like a scene from CSI: Indie. There are plans and Post-It notes as far as the eye can see (or at least as far as my kitchen table will allow). So, as I begin to map out the next 12 months, I thought I’d share some of the plans already in place and explain how people can get involved in what we’re doing.

In the run-up to the event, we received a number of emails and messages asking about the various ways to participate in Spotlight Indie. If you’re one of those people and we haven’t gotten back to you yet, apologies – our inbox has been rather busy lately – but hopefully this article should answer some of the questions asked.

How Do I Become a Speaker at an Event or Panel?

Speaker slots at our events, both online and in person, are by invitation. There are a number of reasons we do it this way, but primarily it allows us to ensure the speakers on each panel have the required experience and knowledge in the subject matter. We choose trusted speakers with a recognised history of doing exactly what they’re talking about and delivering it well.

Our aim is to promote, support and champion indie authors and creatives, and we would be doing a disservice to that by putting the wrong people on the wrong panel. That’s not to say that if you asked to be on a panel, we wouldn’t put you on one, simply that it’s not guaranteed.

What Other Ways Can I Get Involved?

As it says on our website, we’re here for the beginners, the overthinkers, and the imposter syndrome wrestlers. We don’t guarantee fame, fortune, or success; what we do guarantee is a place to meet like-minded creative people and hone your craft. Everyone is at a different stage of their journey and while we can’t endorse every indie author, what we can do is support every indie author. This is where getting involved in our community-based activities comes into play.

Begone! and Live Writing Sprints: Our live writing sprints and Begone! videos are an opportunity for writers to take part in our online activities regardless of experience level. They are less about giving advice and more about sharing the journey, making them a great way for beginners to step into the indie community online. If you’d like to take part, drop Frasier or Alex a message with your details.

Spotlight Library: Our short story audio library features on our YouTube channel and is a nice way to showcase your work if you’re not yet feeling camera-ready. You can submit stories for consideration to our email address: spotlightindieteam@gmail.com

Guest Posts and Interviews: If you’d prefer to stay off camera, you can submit guest posts for consideration to our email address (same as above) for feature on our website and/or Patreon. For an idea of the kind of things we’re looking for, check out our recent series of posts by the wonderful Phil Parker. We can also arrange things like cover reveals and text interviews. Please note we do not currently have the capacity to take on review requests.

So, What’s Next?

Over the next 12 months, a huge part of our growth will be our partnership with The Stagedoor Studios, home of the brilliant folks behind Spellbound, who provided our readings and live entertainment at Spotlight Indie Live.

Through this, we will not only have access to a permanent venue, but also to a professional team of artists, performers, photographers and videographers who will be helping us explore storytelling not just on paper, but through exciting alternative mediums.

The great news is that this not only makes Spotlight Indie part of a growing community of creatives, but also allows us to add the following events to our 2027 schedule:

Indie Writer Retreats: Coming in 2027, our Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter one-day writers’ retreats will focus on delivering workshops, facilitated writing sprints and author meet-and-greets. We’ll be providing opportunities for indies of all experience levels to spend the day together learning about writing craft, publishing, marketing and storytelling.

Essential Indie Marketing Starter Days: Currently in the works are plans to provide one-day, marketing-focused events designed to help indie authors put their best foot forward when showcasing their work. These events will include marketing workshops, personalised consultations, help with building your marketing plan, and a package of professional headshots, promotional photographs, video reels and promotional materials to get you started. Costs and details are still being finalised; however, further info will be announced later this summer.

The Big Indie Weekend: Our next big online event will take place from 25^th to 27^th September 2026 and will feature 20 live online panels across three days.

I’ve been spending the last few days trying – and failing – to take a break. Because as much as I’d like to sit in the sun and bask in the joy of all the wonderful people I’ve spent the last few weeks with, relaxing has never really been my forte.

To all those who joined us recently, be it at our event or online, thank you for being part of our unfolding story. We really hope you’ll stick with us, because things are getting pretty exciting.