Invest in an independent book platform built to help authors.
We're building something different, something that supports authors as much as readers.
We know how hard it is to get noticed, and we want to help you reach readers beyond family and friends. And we want to do that in authentic, fun ways.
That's why we created features like our 5 book recommendation list for authors to help you "bump into" readers who are most likely to love your book. It isn't Oprah-level traffic, but it's persistent exposure month after month to the right readers.
We also want to spot trending books and spread the word with more free publicity. That's why we built features like our favorite reads of the year event, which showcases reader-loved books across every genre.
And we're not stopping there. We've got a lot more ideas in the works, like a section for fun facts and true stories to help nonfiction (and some fiction). Or a "meet the characters" feature so readers can bump into your characters directly, as a new way to pitch books.
100% of your membership goes toward building new features for authors and readers.
Our small team is funded by authors and readers like you. We need your support to build this independent platform and keep innovating. Here is a timeline of the major features we have built and our future roadmap. We have big plans but need your financial support!
What are our 3 goals for authors?
Reach your most likely readers
You shouldn’t have to pay to get your book in front of the right readers. Shepherd connects your book with the readers most likely to love it—in a way that builds real interest in you and your book.
More publicity for trending books
When your book has that magical spark with readers, we help that momentum grow—not just to support your book, but to help more readers discover new books and authors they will love.
Grow your fan base
As Shepherd grows, we're making it easier for you to collect, grow, and tap into your fan base. This is my biggest frustration with Goodreads—and I am going to work my ass off to make it better for authors.
These goals are our foundation and influence every feature we build.
Reach more readers with our Book Boost perk.
Reach more readers with our Book Boost perk.
This perk shows your book to likely readers based on similar authors, books, and genres. And for children's and YA authors, we also target based on age groups.
How does it work?
What does the ad look like?
We've started with a pretty basic ad and will evolve it to improve click-through rate. Here is what it looks like right now:
Soon, we will test a new ad with a new pitch line and a larger book cover.
How many readers will I reach each month?
With our Support membership ($50 per year), members get one book shown to 100 of the most likely readers every month.
With our Champion membership ($100 per year), members get two books that each get shown to 100 of the most likely readers every month (or they can double the exposure on one book to 200 of the most likely readers).
This isn't Oprah level, but it means that over the course of the year, we help you meet an additional 1,200 to 2,400 likely readers. It is one of the many ways we thank you for your support in building the Shepherd platform.
Where will my Book Boost ads show up?
We place them all over the website, and here are 3 examples:
- On book recommendation lists: scroll down to see the ad spots.
- On bookshelves: scroll down the page to see where we place the ads.
- On "books like" pages: scroll down to see those ad spots.
Get 1:1 book marketing help from Ben.
Get 1:1 book marketing help from Ben.
Members can book a 30-minute slot for advice and book marketing support on any Thursday. I can share what I've learned, what I've heard from other authors, and I am not afraid to tell you if I don't know the answer 😄.
I've helped authors with things like:
- Analyzing book covers to ensure they meet reader expectations and comparing them to the design motifs used within their genre (as you want to match reader expectations).
- Analyzed Amazon book listing pages to ensure they convert the most visitors. And talking about tips and tricks, such as adding publisher areas, pitch lines, and formatting.
- Brainstormed free marketing techniques and ideas based on what the author enjoyed.
- Talked about pay-per-click marketing on Amazon, BookBub, Reddit, Facebook, and others. I've got a lot of experience in this realm, and if you want to go down this route, I can give you the pros/cons/roadmap.
- Talked about paid marketing and what is and isn't working.
- Given authors' overviews of the marketing ecosystem in general to help them understand why it is so hard to get in front of readers.
- Given authors' more info on where Shepherd is going in the future or deep dives into specific features.
And more...
Reach more readers with our New Book Spotlight perk.
Reach more readers with our New Book Spotlight perk.
This summer, we will be shipping a massive upgrade to our bookshelves. We have over 3,500 bookshelves, which are grouped by genre, topic, age group, and other combinations (such as science fiction, World War 1, or kids' books).
When we upgrade our bookshelves, we will add "new book" pages to each section to highlight new books. Here is a mockup of what those will look like:
And, members will have their new books shown on this same page in a special spot:
How long will my new book be shown on these bookshelves?
With our Support membership ($50 per year), members will have their book featured on all applicable bookshelves for 6 months.
With our Champion membership ($100 per year), members will have their book featured on all applicable bookshelves for 12 months.
How many readers will I reach each month?
That depends on the traffic to the bookshelves you are featured on. If your new book has the genres science fiction and space opera, it will be viewed by everyone who visits that "new book" section.
I'm not Oprah 😀, but over the course of the year, this will help you reach thousands of readers. It is one of the many ways we thank you for your support in building the Shepherd platform.
Will you join our quest?
Will you join our quest?
We are bootstrapped and don’t waste money. To start Shepherd, I funded it using my savings and sweat equity. To achieve sustainability, I need support from authors and readers like you 😃.
Become a member and unlock these perks!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Just email me at ben@shepherd.com, I'm an open book!
Thanks, Ben Fox
Founder
Frequently asked questions 😀
Frequently asked questions 😀
Do I get to share feedback?
Yes, I ask our members for feedback on new features, and you can help shape the platform's direction. I share those in our monthly membership newsletter (or directly if they are time-sensitive).
How is Shepherd funded?
We are bootstrapped and don’t waste money. Shepherd was funded using my savings and sweat equity (more about me and why I started Shepherd). To achieve sustainability, I need support from authors and readers through our membership programs.
Everything you see at Shepherd was built with one part-time developer and one part-time designer. Goodreads has 347 employees listed on LinkedIn; imagine what we could do if we could hire one full-time developer (or two).
What are Shepherd's costs?
- 20% - Servers, software, and book licensing costs.
- 30% - Our small team that runs the day-to-day operations.
- 50% - The cost of our fantastic part-time developer and part-time designer.
Is it easy to cancel (for whatever reason)?
Yes! I hate when it is hard to cancel a subscription. So, I made it super easy to cancel your membership. You can cancel by:
- Log in to our billing panel here and click cancel (if you paid via credit card or bank transfer).
- Or log in to PayPal to cancel there.
- If you have any trouble, email me at forauthors@shepherd.com, and I can turn off auto-renew or cancel it.
Do you have an FAQ?
Feel free to email me any questions you have! Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get:
- Who are you and why are you doing this?
- What is your business model?
- Every month I share traffic stats and how many visitors click bookstore links (plus demographics).
- What is your marketing plan?
- What is my long term strategy to help authors?
And answers to lots more questions on our FAQ.
I also write a Substack post every 2 to 3 weeks with an update on the behind-the-scenes process of building Shepherd.