Startup Offers Free Ebooks So No Good Book Goes Unread
The Launchpad
is a series that introduces Mashable readers to compelling startups. If
you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please
see the details here.Name: Screwpulp
One-Liner Pitch: Screwpulp helps indie authors find an audience with pricing driven by demand.
Why It's Taking Off: Readers can download free books in exchange for reviewing them, and as reviews and download rack up, book price increases translating into better earnings for writers.
The music industry was democratized by YouTube and Soundcloud, news by Reddit and Twitter and many other categories by Kickstarter. But for first-time authors, the publishing industry is still very top-down and although it's easier than ever to self-publish a book, finding readers who will buy it doesn't always follow.
Screwpulp launched last year to help independent authors get their books in front of readers and the site now has 70 books from 55 authors, and just raised its first round of funding. The site allows authors to list their books as a free download in all major ereader formats, and readers that download a free book must review it before downloading another free book. This engagement loop forces honest feedback to the author, which Screwpulp co-founder Richard Billings says not only helps curate books for readers but could inform writers.
If you give away 25 books and get 10 negative reviews, he says, maybe it's an indication that the book needs more work (but could be re-listed at a later date). It's a method similar to what entrepreneurs refer to as "fail fast."
The commitment to honest reviews also means the best books will rise to the top, while 'early adopter' readers benefit from a better price.
The goal for Screwpulp is to find the sweet spot in pricing — for some books, that will be $3, and for others it could be $10. After a book is downloaded 25 times, the price goes from free to $1, and up from there based on demand. Authors keep 75% of sales on Screwpulp, compared to 40-70% on Amazon.
While innovation in the publishing industry tends to be slower and less flashy than others such as film and music, tech entrepreneurs are starting to pay attention. NoiseTrade, a music site founded by artist Derek Webb where fans can download albums for free and leave tips, recently launched NoiseTrade Books — the same concept but for authors and books. In both versions, the artist is able to collect email addresses of fans which can be valuable for promoting products later on. Last October, Mashable covered Swoon Reads, a site that uses crowdsourcing to decide which romance novels should be published by Macmillan.
Screwpulp already has a great hook for readers by offering free books but if it can catapult the breakout of a few bestselling authors it could soon be Kickstarter for the publishing world.
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