How it works
From the book page to the reader’s inbox
You write the books and send readers to your store. Lanternbee takes it from the checkout to the download link.
01Your store
A store at your own address
You start at yourname.lanternbee.shop. Connect an address like shop.yourname.com whenever you’re ready.
Pick your colors and fonts and add your logo. Privacy, terms and refund pages start from a template. You read them over and make them yours.
02Your books
One title, every format
Add a title with its cover, description and genres, then switch on the formats you sell: ebook, audiobook, paperback, hardcover. Each edition starts at your default price, and you can change any of them.
A cookbook works the same way as a novel. If you write series, drag the books into reading order and readers see “Book 3 of 5”.
03Checkout and payments
Readers pay you directly
Readers check out through Stripe with just an email address, no account. Stripe Tax adds the right VAT or sales tax for their country.
The Stripe account is yours, so you are the seller and the money goes to you. Discount codes work at checkout, and a bundle charges less when the reader already owns one of its books. Turn on cart reminders and anyone who leaves books in the cart gets a nudge by email.
04Delivery
In their inbox as soon as they pay
The download links arrive by email right after payment. Ebooks can go straight to a Kindle, and audiobooks download or play on any phone or computer. Instead of DRM, each EPUB carries a line with the buyer’s email.
If the email goes missing, readers sign in with their address and find every book they bought from you. You answer fewer “where’s my book?” messages.
05Print
Print, from a printer or your own shelf
Choose BookVault or Lulu for each print edition and upload the print files once. Sending each paid order to the printer, so it ships straight to the reader, is being built now. You’ll pay the printer’s price with nothing added.
To post copies yourself, set your shipping zones. Lanternbee counts your stock, so you never sell a copy you don’t have.
06Readers
Every buyer joins your list
Each buyer’s email comes to you, tagged with the book and the format they bought. Write to the readers of one book or one series on release day, or switch on a welcome email.
If you use MailerLite or Klaviyo, keep them. New readers are copied there too. Your readers and orders download as a spreadsheet whenever you want them.
07Moving from Shopify
Bring your Shopify store with you
Connect Shopify and the importer turns products into books and editions, and collections into series. Readers, orders and discount codes come across too.
You check a preview before anything goes live. Old product links keep working after you switch.
08Later
Coming after launch
- Signed and personalized copies, with a signing queue and packing slips
- Pre-orders before release day
- Special-edition campaigns, with tiers and stretch goals
- One library for readers, with every book they bought from any Lanternbee author
- EU VAT on ebooks handled for you, with Lanternbee as the seller of your digital editions
- The Studio plan, for several pen names under one login
Not open yet
Save your place
We’re opening Lanternbee to authors a few at a time. Leave your email and we’ll write when your store is ready to set up.
Free to join. No card.