Add a book

Each book can be sold in several formats, like the ebook and the paperback, each with its own price.

Adding a book takes three steps on one page: Details, Formats & prices and Review & publish. The steps are shown at the top, and the button to go on is always at the bottom of the step, so you never scroll back up. Your book is saved as a draft when you leave the first step, so nothing is lost if you stop halfway.

1. Details

1. Go to Books and choose Add a book.
2. Fill in the details:
   • Title and Web address. The address is made from the title, like /books/your-book. You can change it.
   • Series and Book number, both optional. Leave it as Standalone if the book is not part of a series.
   • Blurb, the description readers see on the book page.
   • Release date, optional.
   • Genres, Tropes and Content warnings, separated by commas. A Heat level from 0 to 5 is there too if your readers look for one.
3. Tick the Formats you sell. Each one is added to the book, with the starting price from your Formats settings. A format with no starting price there waits for you to choose its price in the next step.
4. Upload a Cover. JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 20 MB. Square or 2:3 works best.
5. Choose Continue to formats & prices. If a field needs fixing, the message shows right under it.

2. Formats & prices

Each format has its own card. Under Price, choose Paid and type the amount, or choose Free to give it away. Tick For sale, and upload what readers get: the EPUB or audio files for ebooks and audiobooks, the print details for print on demand, or the copies you hold. See upload your book files. A format waiting for its price shows Not added yet: choose Paid and type the amount, or Free, then Add it (or choose Don’t sell this format). Until you do, the checklist shows “Set a price or choose Free”. Use Add another format at the bottom for a format you did not tick.

Choose Continue to review. Prices and stock you typed but did not save are saved for you, and a waiting format with a price chosen is added.

3. Review & publish

A checklist shows what the book still needs: a cover, a blurb and at least one format that can be sold, with its file uploaded. Each missing item has a Fix this button that takes you straight to it.

• Publish puts the book in your store. It stays greyed out, with the number of things left, until the book is ready.
• Save as draft keeps it out of your store until you come back.

The list also reminds you about things that do not stop you publishing: a signed copy with no stock, or Stripe not connected yet (readers cannot buy until it is). See connect your Stripe account.

Editing a book later

Open a book from Books to see every section on one page. A bar at the bottom of the screen shows the status (Draft, Live, Pre-order or Archived), whether you have unsaved changes, Save, and the next step: Publish when the book is ready, or how many things are left. If you try to leave with unsaved changes, we ask first.

Release dates in the future

A release date in the future marks the book as a pre-order until that date, and a note on the book page says so. Readers who buy it see it in their library with the day it will be ready.

At midnight on the release date, in your store’s time zone, the book opens in every buyer’s library and each buyer gets an email saying it is out. Readers who follow the series hear about it too. You get a summary by email the day before, with the number of pre-orders waiting.

Move the date and every pre-order moves with it. Set the time zone under Store settings, General.

Find a book

Books lists every book with its cover, number of formats, release date and status. Use the tabs to filter by status, or search by name.