New Site for Self-Published Books

Public relations professional and author Amy Edelman is launching IndieReader.com, a Web site devoted to marketing and selling self-published books. The site will launch in early June and offers self-publishers their own Web page as well as 75% of the sales of their books—all for an annual fee and a “submissions” charge for each book selected for the site.

Edelman, who is both a self-published and conventionally published author, emphasized that the site will also be selective about the books it accepts. An editorial board made up of an editor, agent, book marketer and a consumer reader, will vet each title before it goes on the site. IndieReader is nonexclusive and will charge self-publishers $149 a year to sell through the site ($99 if you sign up before the launch). After the first book (the first submission charge is included in the $149 annual fee), the site charges an additional $25 fee to cover submission costs for each book. If the book is rejected, IndieReader will refund the yearly charge, but not the submission fee. Once a book is listed on-site, IndieReader will notify self-publishers of purchase requests by e-mail and the author is charged with fulfillment. Authors set the retail price and are free to add all kinds of content to their author pages.

Edelman emphasized that she and her partner, publicist Claire McKinney of SallyAnne McCartin & Associates, will promote the site to consumers. IndieReader also has a partnership with Blurb.com, which will promote itself to IndieReader authors and IndieReader will promote Blurb.com to its authors. While Edelman said the site will attract “consumers looking for something different,” she also expects IndieReader.com to “attract publishers and editors looking for books they missed.”