FreeRoot.io gives authors the technology to sell books directly to readers — and keep up to 9× more per sale than traditional publishing delivers.
We handle the technical infrastructure. You handle your readers. That's the whole deal.
Submit your print-ready PDF and cover art. We connect your title to our print-on-demand fulfillment network — no inventory, no warehouse, no upfront print costs.
You decide what your book costs. We generate a clean, professional storefront you can embed on your existing website or use as a standalone page at your own domain.
Payment is processed securely through our platform. Within seconds your order is routed to our fulfillment partner, printed, and shipped directly to your reader's door. You see it all in real time.
Your earnings — minus printing, shipping, the payment processing fee, and our flat $1.00 — hit your bank account on a rolling 7-day cycle. No waiting 6 months for a royalty statement.
On a $22.00 paperback with 275 pages. Every platform. No spin.
| Factor | FreeRoot.io | Amazon KDP | Traditional Publisher | IngramSpark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author earns per copy | ~$12.68 | ~$6.98 | ~$1.70–$2.20 | ~$3.50 |
| Monthly platform fee | ✓ None | ✓ None | ✗ N/A | $49/yr setup |
| You own your reader data | ✓ Yes — fully | ✗ Amazon owns it | ✗ Publisher owns it | ~ Partial |
| Exclusivity required | ✓ Never | ~ KDP Select (optional) | ✗ Yes, typically | ✓ No |
| Royalty paid on list price | ✓ You set the price | ✓ Yes | ~ Varies by contract | ✓ Yes |
| Payout frequency | 7 days | 60 days | 6–12 months | 90 days |
| Rights retained | ✓ 100% | ✓ Yes | ✗ Licensed to publisher | ✓ Yes |
| Direct relationship with reader | ✓ Yes | ✗ Amazon intermediates | ✗ Publisher intermediates | ~ Partial |
We built our pricing around the simplest question in business: what's fair?
No credit card required to get started. We make money when you make money.
I sold 200 copies at a speaking event and kept over $2,400. At my old royalty rate, that same sale would have put $340 in my pocket. The math doesn't lie.
My readers feel the difference. They're buying directly from me, I'm emailing them personally, and I know exactly who they are. That relationship never existed when Amazon was in the middle.
I still sell on Amazon. I still sell in bookstores. I just also sell directly now — and that direct channel is becoming my most valuable one because I own every customer relationship.
FreeRoot.io is a technology platform — we're in the same category as Shopify or Squarespace. We don't acquire any publishing rights. Most traditional publishing contracts allow authors to sell copies directly to consumers (often purchased at your author discount). You are responsible for ensuring your use of the platform complies with any existing agreements — we recommend confirming with your literary agent or attorney. Our contract is non-exclusive and imposes no rights claims on your work.
No. Every order is printed and shipped on demand directly to your reader. You never touch a box, buy bulk copies, or manage a warehouse. Each order triggers a print job automatically when a reader checks out on your storefront.
Our platform technology — the storefront, the order routing, the dashboard, the payment integration, the fulfillment connection, the data infrastructure, and the 7-day payout system. That's it. Payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) and print and shipping costs are passed through at exact cost with no markup. Our technology vendors are proprietary and confidential.
Absolutely. FreeRoot.io is entirely non-exclusive. Think of us as an additional sales channel running in parallel to wherever your book currently sells. Many of our authors use us for direct sales from their website, social media, and events while continuing to sell through traditional retail channels simultaneously.
You do. Every customer who buys through your FreeRoot storefront is your customer. Their name, email, and purchase history is yours to export, own, and market to. We do not sell, share, or use your reader data for any purpose beyond fulfilling their order. This is one of the most important differences between direct sales and selling through Amazon — Amazon's customers are Amazon's. Your customers are yours.
Most authors are live within 48–72 hours of submitting their book files and completing their payment account connection. We handle the storefront setup and print profile configuration. You approve the proof, and you're selling.