I was beyond thrilled this week to see in my inbox another stellar editorial critique for my debut, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir. The unexpected surprise was courtesy of IndieReader, and one of the perks of entering Chained Birds in IndieReader’s 2025 Discovery Awards book competition. I had forgotten about this bonus “verdict” on the submission, so I was doubly delighted to see another editorial view full of praise for my book. I’ve been collecting these cherished reviews since last summer, and this one stands out not only for its succinctness, but for jam-packing a horde of quotable gems and phrases into such tight copy π π
Practically every line of this critique carries something worth quoting, and it was hard to choose what to highlight and leave out of this post’s featured image. But here are some of my favorites:
“… a gripping exploration of the U.S. prison systemβs underbelly …”
” … a raw and unflinching narrative …”
“… evocative storytelling …”
“… the bookβs compelling narrative definitely ensures a broad readership …”
“Without any doubt, this impactful read lingers long after the final page.”
See what I mean? How does one chooooose? π₯Ή
IndieReader’s book review service was founded by Amy Edelman in 2009 to try and “level the playing field for self, hybrid and small press published authors.” At the time Amy β who was both traditionally published with Simon & Schuster and Crown, plus was a self-published author β felt the indie-pubbed crowd was left out as far as review services (and distribution) went.
Now, 14 years and thousands of reviews later, IR has expanded into marketing and visibility services, while maintaining its core of evaluating titles pre-and post-publication, and offering constructive feedback. During this time, Amy has seen the landscape of indie book, hybrid, small press, and self-publishing shift into nearly equal acceptance with its traditional Big-5 and midsize counterparts. Indie books, she says, now regularly make the best seller lists, win awards, and sell hundreds of thousands of copies.
From her lips to my debut!
Chained Birds was entered into the True Crime and Best First Nonfiction Book categories of the Discovery Awards. (There are about 50 combined fiction and nonfiction genre sub-categories in all.)Β My book has passed the first phase of being read by someone from IR’s review team, which includes working journalists, editors, librarians, and published writers β one of whom wrote this outstanding “verdict.”
The first, second, and third place winners will be announced at the end of May. And the very top winners receive cash prizes, and two oh-so-hard-to-come-by industry nuggets: a recommendation to a literary agency for representation (Dystel, Goderich & Bourret), and some national press coverage. Now those possibilities are worth the price of admission π₯³ ποΈ
Good luck to all the entrants, and fingers crossed for Chained Birds!
Here’s a screenshot of Chained Birds’ full “verdict” from IndieReader:
Carla Conti is a true crime journalist, storyteller, and prison reform advocate. Her debut book, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir of Justice, Survival and Redemption Behind Bars, is out now with WildBlue Press.
