Nope! Indies & Ink is completely free to join. There are no upfront or listing fees for having your very own Author page! If you would like to be a part of the Indies Author Market, we only take a small 18% fee from each sale to help keep the site running plus any shipping/printing cost. If you don’t sell anything, you don’t pay anything.

Not at all! Selling directly through the site is optional. If you’d rather link your book to another platform (like Amazon, your website, etc.), we’ll include a purchase link on your author page. You can still take part in all marketing opportunities even if you’re not selling directly on our site.

We make selling your books easy, no inventory, no shipping headaches. Here’s how it works:

You Submit Your Book Digitally

• Send us your print-ready files (PDF, cover art, etc.).

• We set it up on our trusted print-on-demand service.

We Handle Printing & Shipping

• When a customer orders your book, we print it and ship it directly to them.

You Earn Royalties

• We take the amount of printing and shipping, alongside a small 18% service fee.

• You receive the remainder of the retail price as your royalty.

Example Breakdown

• Retail price: $20

• Printing & shipping: $8

• Indies&Ink service fee (18%): $2.16

• Author royalty: $9.84

This ensures your book is delivered professionally while you earn money, and we handle all the logistics behind the scenes.

Why This Works

• No upfront costs for you — no need to print or store books.

• Scalable — sell as many copies as you like without worrying about inventory.

• Professional fulfillment — your book arrives looking polished, every time.

Every author gets one free custom t-shirt design created by us to sell on the website. You’ll choose between three base styles and personalize it with your book title, character names, or quotes. You don’t receive a free physical shirt, but you can purchase one through the shop if you'd like to own it. If you want more than one design listed, there’s a $10 one-time fee per additional design.

As an author with Indies & Ink, your primary responsibilities are:

• Providing accurate product information (book details, descriptions, pricing, etc.)

• Submitting any required files or assets (print-ready files, cover images, digital files, merchandise input forms)

• Completing a W-9 form if you're based in the U.S., so you can receive payments

• Reviewing and approving custom merchandise mockups before they go live on the site

• Promoting your page and products, if you'd like to increase visibility and sales

Indies & Ink handles the rest, from product listings and order fulfillment to customer service and monthly payouts.

We welcome all types!! Fantasy, cozy, dark fantasy, paranormal, magical realism, sci-fi, dystopian and any and all storytelling that fits within a whimsical or imaginative world. Physical Books, downloads, merchandise, can all be accepted, as long as it’s appropriate. We love spice here at Indies & Ink but let’s keep the visuals in words and not in prints or covers.

Yes! Just reach out to us anytime if you want to update your book info, author bio, product images, or anything else.

Authors are paid monthly on the 15th of each month, for any sales made the previous month. Payment methods include PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, etc. (you choose your preference during onboarding). If you don’t have any sales that month, no payment is sent.

Absolutely! You can still have your very own Indie Author Page on our site. We’ll feature your books and include direct links to where readers can purchase them, whether that’s Amazon, your personal website, or another shop. You can also upload digital downloads or Kindle copies to sell directly through us, and your custom author shirt will still be available in our store. And if you change your mind later and want to join the marketplace with physical products, just send us an email and we’ll get you set up!

We try to review all applications within 1–2 weeks. We’re a small team (and big bookworms), so thank you for your patience while we read, review, and prepare your place on the shelf!

You can end your partnership at any time for any reason. Just let us know, and we’ll remove your author page and products from the website.

The mission of Indies and Ink is to help indie authors build their brand and share their stories with the world. We provide each author with their own dedicated space and even offer custom merchandise, like the personalized tees, to help get their name out there. Authors can showcase their work and choose to sell through our online shop, giving them another avenue to reach readers.

Our long-term vision is to attend markets, book fairs, and other events to sell our authors’ books in person and spread the word about our platform. One day, we hope to grow Indies and Ink into a full brick-and-mortar bookstore where indie voices can truly shine. We may be starting small, but our dreams are anything but!