First, we wanted to say thank you. If you’re here as an indie author, you’ve put a lot of time, blood, sweat, and years—I mean tears—into the books you’ll be sharing on our platform as ARCs (advance reader copies). If you’re a reader, just you being here shows you care about indie authors, indie bookshops, and a creative space that values people and the experiences we have.

I wanted to take this time to address a few of the questions we’ve been receiving since we opened up the waitlist.

Is this legit?

Yes. It’s legit. As an indie author myself, I’m no stranger to the handful of spam emails we get from agents or agencies who want to help make sure our book reaches the masses. We’re real people who have been in your shoes, and we just want to write books, read books, and keep AI at the door. (Is that too hard to ask for?! Lately, it feels like maybe it is…)

Who are we?

Well, I’m Jade. As mentioned, I’m an indie author and marketer by trade. My sister, Misty, is the software engineer building the platform as we speak. We spend nights and weekends building the app for this new ARC platform, and we’re so excited that so many of you have shown up for the mission we’re here for too.

When will NovelTalk be live?

Soon! Our goal is to open up the platform to our waitlist in December. Some of that hinges on the time we can put into it outside of our full-time jobs, family, and other things life entails. However, as part of our waitlist, you’ll be the first to get updates on everything that’s coming up. (If you’re interested in being a part of the beta, please feel free to respond to this email or reach out and let us know!)

How can you help?

This is a question we didn’t expect to receive, but have gotten and are grateful for. Our platform can only work if we have enough indie authors with AI-free ARCs to share and enough readers who value indie authors and AI-free stories. So please tell your author and reader friends about us. Follow us and share our content on Instagram and TikTok. Tell them to join the waitlist, because we need both authors and readers to show up for December so we can show up for you.

What will NovelTalk cost?

For readers, NovelTalk is free (with the option to join a paid tier to help support and sustain the platform). For authors, we will be charging them to collect ARC reviews for their books. We haven’t finalized numbers yet, but if you find you are wanting to use the platform but aren’t in a place where you can afford it, please reach out. Like I said, I’m an indie author, and I understand the financial positions and risks it can take to follow a dream. So please don’t hesitate, and we’ll do our best to make it work for you! 

That’s all for now. We’ll try to send monthly newsletters with updates leading up to launch (so make sure you are on the waitlist to receive them!), but if you have any questions, comments, or concerns until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Sincerely,

Jade Kim Monsen