Online store for self-published kids’ books runs as pilot project

A new online store for self-published Australian picture books has launched as a pilot project.

Self-published author Suzanne Barton launched the retail pilot, called Top Indie Kids’ Books, as a way of helping support her fellow self-published authors. For the pilot, 80% of the purchase price will go to the creators.

The retail site includes 12 titles by Australian picture book creators, which Barton says were chosen through a combination of research, word-of-mouth and recommendations from book bloggers. The criteria for inclusion is based on the quality of the book, but also ‘how proactive the author is in terms of their craft and cross-promoting fellow creators’, says Barton. ‘It’s all about creating community and strength in numbers,’ she says.

Currently, listings on the site are limited to one title per author, and the pilot will only feature Australian creators and domestic shipping options, but Barton says that these are ‘certainly areas that could change’.

The pilot will last for roughly six months, though Barton says it is ‘looking promising’ based on initial feedback.

View the online store here.

Tags: picture booksretailself-publishing

Category: Junior Local news