For authors
Get early reviews on your book, before launch
The Early Shelf connects indie authors with advance readers — real people who read your book before release and leave honest, disclosed reviews to build hype and social proof. Your manuscript stays protected behind a watermarked, in-app-only reader. You stay in control the whole way.
What it is
An early-review engine for indie authors
Early reviews are the single hardest thing for an indie author to generate. The Early Shelf exists to solve that — not by paying for reviews, but by offering a limited number of advance copies to readers who genuinely chose your book, in exchange for an honest, disclosed review.
Reviews that build hype
When readers find you on Amazon or Goodreads, they see a book that already has a living reader community around it.
Protection built in
Public readers never get your original file — only a watermarked, in-app view of the portion you choose.
A community, not a transaction
Build a reusable roster and ARC teams so every book returns to a warm audience.
Everything you can do
Your complete author toolkit
From listing to launch to follow-up — here's everything you control as an author on The Early Shelf.
Create a listing
- Three listing types: public, private, or both
- Upload a PDF, DOCX or EPUB manuscript
- Add cover, genres, blurb, synopsis, content warnings
- Set a review deadline within the next 3 months
- Choose immediate or scheduled release with a live countdown
Control the 20% share
- Choose 20%, 50%, 75% or 100% for public readers
- Public readers get an in-app view of only that portion
- Even at 100%, public readers can never download
- Default is 20% — enough to hook and review, safely
- Change it later by editing your listing
Manuscript protection
- Public readers: watermarked, paginated, in-app only
- No download button, no original file, ever
- Downloadable copies only for your trusted team members
- You choose your audience: public, private, or both
- Private-only listings are invisible to the catalog
Set the review link
- Add your Amazon, Goodreads or BookBub URL
- Readers get a one-click button to leave their review
- Adding this makes reviews actually happen
- Reviews include a mandatory honesty disclosure
Approve your readers
- Manual approval: review each application and answers
- Or auto-approve: instant access, skip the queue
- See each reader's reputation score and history
- Set an ARC copy cap to limit approvals
- Write your own application questions
ARC & Street Teams
- Dedicated teams for trusted early readers
- ARC teams get the full book; you choose in-app or download
- Street teams for promotional supporters
- Application questions, max members, visibility settings
- Team page with checklist, posts and assets
Reusable reader roster
- Keep a list of trusted readers across books
- Pre-approve roster readers on new listings
- Invite via email; they claim and are approved automatically
- Build a loyal group you return to book after book
Reviews & replies
- See every review with rating, text and verified status
- Reply to reviews publicly
- Proof screenshots mark reviews as Verified
- Dispute process if a review doesn't arrive
- Private notes to readers
Performance stats
- Per-campaign requested, approved, reading, reviewed counts
- Completion rate per book and overall
- Live totals: reviews, avg rating, active readers, followers
Automated reminders
- Deadline warnings at 7, 3 and 1 days via email + in-app
- Overdue reviews flagged automatically
- Stalled readers get nudged
- Pending requests auto-decline at deadline
- You never have to chase readers yourself
Public presence
- Each book gets a public page with cover and links
- Readers can follow your campaigns
- Books appear in public browse and past campaigns
- Top reviewers on a public leaderboard
Settings & profile
- Display name, author bio and photo
- Save a default application-question template
- Notification and privacy preferences
- Hide sidebar sections you don't use
The 20% share, explained
How much of your book do readers see?
This is the heart of the protection model for public readers.
When you create a public listing, you choose a share percentage: 20%, 50%, 75% or 100% (default 20%). Early Shelf Readers — the readers who find you in the public catalog — get an in-app view of only that portion of your manuscript.
- At 20%, an approved catalog reader reads the first 20% in-app — enough to hook them, leave an honest review, and build buzz, without handing the whole book to a stranger.
- Raise it to 50%, 75% or 100% if you want approved public readers to have more.
- Even at 100%, public readers always read in-app only — watermarked and never downloadable. The share controls how much they see, not whether they can download.
- Your ARC & Street team members always get the full book (100%), regardless of the share — because they're readers you've chosen and trust.
You're a reader too
Authors get full reader access
When you join as an author, you also get a complete reader account — same as any reader.
Your sidebar includes a full Reader's Table: My Library, the Catalog, Reading, My Reviews, Reader Stats, and Community. This lets you experience the platform exactly as your readers do — so you can write better application questions, set a better share percentage, and understand the review flow. It also makes you part of the community: read, review, and support fellow indie authors, and build the reciprocal goodwill that earns you more reviews in return.
How to use the site
Step by step
From sign-up to your first reviews — here's the path.
Sign up
Choose Author as your account type and fill in your display name and profile.
Create your first listing
Work through the form: listing type, manuscript + share %, book details, deadline and release timing, approval mode, application questions, and your review destination link.
Submit for approval
Public listings are reviewed by our team (usually within 2 business days) then go live. Private listings are live immediately.
Manage requests
Review each reader's answers and reputation, then approve or decline — or switch on auto-approve to skip the queue.
Watch reading progress
Check Reader Activity to see who's reading and who might need a nudge.
Collect reviews
Readers submit ratings, text and proof. Reply to reviews; use the dispute process if one doesn't arrive.
Check your stats
See your completion rate and per-campaign performance.
Build a roster and teams
So your next book returns to a warm audience.
The early-review engine, done for you
Honest, disclosed early reviews from real readers — with your manuscript safe behind a watermarked in-app reader, you controlling exactly how much public readers see, and a reusable roster and ARC teams for repeat success.
Join as an author