Last December the biggest news was the new Kindle Fire, Amazon’s entry into the tablet wars. Many praised it for its tight integration with Amazon’s amazing cloud services and its very desirable price point (less than half the price of the iPad). It was probably the most hyped and anticipated item for Christmas.

And sales did not disappoint. Analysts estimate nearly 6 million Kindle Fires were sold, which–despite what naysayers claim–is impressive for two reasons. First, that’s roughly how many iPads were sold when it was launched. Second, no Android tablet has made much of a mark in the tablet market until now.

It’s obvious why this is good for Amazon. But why is it good for Indie Writers?

Because it means the eReader market just got a little bigger and a little broader. Studies have shown certain types of people tend to buy the iPad, the iPhone, Android phones, etc. The Amazon Fire was aimed at a different group than the iPad, and this different group is important. Works from Independent authors represent a broader range of stories, because they publish what they want, not just what they think will sell best. A broader audience means broader tastes and more opportunities for other types of works to find a fan base than just those you’ll find on the shelf of Barnes & Noble. Now a different group has a great new eReader and have already started filling it up with content, including independent eBooks. I’ve my sales go up a lot since its launch. I’m sure the Kindle Fire isn’t solely responsible, but I’m pretty sure it had an effect especially all the publicity about eBooks and eReaders that went along with its launch.

And lest we forget the Nook, a new version, the Nook Tablet was launched and the Nook Color got a nice new price tag. This will help bring even more readers into the flock, although their tastes probably will be similar to that of the current bookstore niche.

And the tablet wars have only begun. eBook sales will only go up from here. Who says war isn’t good for anything?