Oh No A Hashtag! Introducing #IndieMatch

As an indie author and an avid reader, I delight in the breaking down of rigid traditional genre barriers. But as an indie author and avid reader, it's tough to ignore the fact that breaking down these barriers makes it gosh darn difficult to search for interesting books.

Which is why I am proposing a hashtag. That's right. A hashtag. Those things that make me squeamish. But this hashtag has a purpose. Introducing:

#IndieMatch

What is it? Well, pretty much what it says. What I will be doing, and what I am encouraging other readers to do, is tweeting this hashtag with up to three indie books that I've read that have a similar theme. Kind of like a 'if you liked {thing}, you'll love {other thing}' but in under 140 characters. By using the hashtag #IndieMatch and stating the unifying theme, others will be able to find these books and perhaps even add their own recommendations to the pot.

Here's an example (with fake books because I don't want to look like I'm favoring anyone). Obviously, the Twitter handles at the end would apply only if the author is on Twitter:

"Books w/ quirky characters: Goofy Book, Silly Tome, & Awkward Tale #IndieMatch @goofyauthor @sillyauthor @awkauth"

I have only one request and it's a huge one. I want to keep the recommendations genuine. I realize this can be seen as a marketing tool and I realize that 99% of the folks who are going to see this are indie authors. I don't see any reason why folks can't recommend their own books, but do so with other similar books, not just author buddies. And it goes without saying, please only recommend books you have personally read.

I've got several pairings all lined up and I plan to start tweeting this weekend. Who's with me?