Bublish
Bublish is a cloud-based self-publishing platform and professional services provider that helps independent authors write, publish, market, and distribute books globally through a subscription dashboard, proprietary Book Bubbles social-marketing technology, and editing, design, and distribution services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMount Pleasant, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Bublish does
Bublish, Inc. is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, that operates a cloud-based self-publishing platform and professional services business for independent authors. The platform is anchored by the Authorpreneur Dashboard, which combines writing tools (eBook Creator), proprietary social marketing technology (Book Bubbles — enriched text excerpts with author commentary distributed across social channels to roughly 600,000 readers weekly), an AI Positioning Report and AI Toolkit, sales/royalty metrics, and global distribution to 40,000+ retail and wholesale channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, libraries, and bookstores. The company is led by founder and CEO Kathy Meis, a veteran editor and ghostwriter with 30+ years of industry experience, with Joy Capps as CMO.
Bublish monetizes through a hybrid model: (1) recurring subscriptions — a free Emerging Author tier and a $99/year or $9.99/month Authorpreneur Premium Dashboard; (2) professional publishing services — ghostwriting, developmental/line/copy editing and proofreading (priced per word or page), cover and interior design, formatting, and audiobook services; (3) distribution, where Bublish retains 15% of net royalties from online retailers and wholesalers while authors receive 85%; and (4) partner/affiliate referral commissions, paying 10% on referred first purchases across a general Partner Program and a specific Bookstore Partner Program. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve onboarding, sales-led expert consultations, channel partners (independent bookstores, partner publishers such as BQB Publishing, and author affiliates), and event-driven demand generation via monthly Lunch & Learn webinars. The customer base is a long tail of SMB/individual self-published authors globally, with no disclosed enterprise anchors; industry association memberships (ALLI, IBPA) and BBB A+ accreditation provide credibility signals.
The company has raised approximately $713K in disclosed equity across a 2014 round, a 2019 exempt offering, and a 2023 SEC Form D exempt offering of up to $1.25M (with ~$370K sold), the last associated with a 2023 reincorporation merger between the South Carolina and Delaware entities. Bublish remains in operating status with a small team (1–10 employees) and no disclosed institutional investors.
Bublish firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bublish
- Legal name
- Bublish, Inc.
- Website
- https://bublish.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bublish is a cloud-based self-publishing platform and professional services provider that helps independent authors write, publish, market, and distribute books globally through a subscription dashboard, proprietary Book Bubbles social-marketing technology, and editing, design, and distribution services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bublish industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Publishing Platform
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Book Printing (2732)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals) (MPAJAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF), Self-Publishing Distribution Aggregators (Wide E-book/Audiobook/Print) (MPAJAJAC), Ghostwriting & Collaborative Writing Services (MPAJAJAI), Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Audiobook Self-Publishing & Production Services (Narration, Studio, ACX-style) (MPAJAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Bublish is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mount Pleasant
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bublish business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Services: Bublish offers tiered subscription plans for the Authorpreneur Dashboard platform. The Free Emerging Author Dashboard allows one book upload with unlimited book bubbles. The paid Authorpreneur Premium Dashboard ($99/year or $9.99/month) provides unlimited books, full metrics, AI positioning reports, and distribution capabilities.
- Professional Publishing Services: A la carte and package-based professional services including ghostwriting, multi-level editing (developmental, line, copy editing, proofreading), cover design, interior layout and formatting, eBook conversion, and marketing services. Services are customized based on author needs and quoted individually.
- Distribution Services: Bublish takes 15% of net royalties from online retailers and wholesalers, while authors receive 85%. The company provides distribution to 40,000+ retail and wholesale channels globally.
- Partner Referral Program: Bublish operates an affiliate/partner program where partners (authors, booksellers, writing coaches, etc.) earn 10% commission on referred clients' first purchases, typically ranging from $50 to $200 per referral.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free dashboard for emerging authors with basic features |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium subscription with full platform access |
| Subscription | Annual | Per-book marketing technology subscription |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Professional editing services (developmental) |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Professional editing services (line editing) |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Professional editing services (copyediting) |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Professional editing services (proofreading) |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Custom professional service packages |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Bublish product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bublish provides a cloud-based self-publishing platform that lets independent authors write, publish, market, and sell their books globally from a single dashboard. The platform combines the Authorpreneur Dashboard, eBook Creator, and award-winning Book Bubbles social marketing technology with a global distribution system reaching more than 40,000 retail and wholesale channels. Bublish also delivers professional publishing services including ghostwriting, multi-level editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing services, and operates partner programs for bookstore and author referrals.
Product overview
Bublish is a comprehensive self-publishing platform and service provider for authors, combining cloud-based publishing technology with professional services. The core platform consists of the Authorpreneur Dashboard, which integrates the eBook Creator for writing and the award-winning Book Bubble social marketing technology. Authors can enhance their experience with AI-powered tools including the Positioning Report and AI-Toolkit for writing assistance. The service layer includes professional publishing services (editing, design, ghostwriting), marketing services (ads, PR, social), and global distribution to 40,000+ retail and wholesale channels. Bublish also operates partner programs for authors and booksellers to earn commissions through referrals. The platform targets 'authorpreneurs' seeking to professionally publish and market their books while maintaining creative control and ownership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Authorpreneur Dashboard Cloud-based self-publishing platform dashboard that lets independent authors write, publish, market, sell, and track sales of their books from one place. Available as a free Emerging Author tier and a paid Premium subscription ($99/year or $9.99/month).
- Book Bubbles Award-winning social marketing technology that lets authors share enriched book excerpts ('bubbles') accompanied by author insights across social channels; available as a standalone $99/year subscription with a two-week free trial.
- AI Toolkit
Quantifiable outcome
- Authors can distribute to 40,000+ retail and wholesale channels globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bublish
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bublish technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Bublish partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- esofia (Greece)minorGreek publisher that purchased foreign rights to 'Where Is Happiness?' by Katie M., a children's book published through Bublish. This demonstrates Bublish's ability to help authors sell international rights.
- Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI)coreBublish is a Partner Member of ALLI, a global nonprofit association supporting independent authors. This membership demonstrates Bublish's commitment to the independent publishing community and provides credibility as a professional publishing service provider.
- Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)coreBublish is a member of IBPA, the leading trade organization for independent publishers. Membership signifies adherence to industry standards and best practices in publishing.
- BQB PublishingminorPartner publisher that uses Bublish's book promotion and social tools to help their authors. BQB Publishing President Terri Leidich has been interviewed about how they leverage Bublish's technology for their author clients.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bublish competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Reedsy: Reedsy is a leading marketplace and platform connecting self-published authors with professional editors, designers, and marketers. It is directly comparable to Bublish in serving indie authors with both professional services and self-publishing tooling, though Reedsy is generally better capitalized and has a larger marketplace.
- Draft2Digital: Draft2Digital is a leading e-book and print distribution aggregator for indie authors, offering wide distribution to retailers including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. It competes directly with Bublish's distribution services and Bookstore platform offering.
- IngramSpark: IngramSpark is a print-on-demand and distribution service from Ingram Content Group, providing access to 40,000+ retailers globally. It is a direct competitor to Bublish's distribution offering and is widely used by indie authors and small publishers.
- Lulu: Lulu is a self-publishing platform offering print-on-demand, distribution, and author services. It competes directly with Bublish across publishing tools, distribution, and professional services for indie authors.
- BookBaby: BookBaby provides self-publishing services including editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing for independent authors. It is directly comparable to Bublish's full-service publishing and distribution offering.
- Smashwords (Draft2Digital): Smashwords is an e-book distribution and publishing platform serving indie authors globally. Now part of Draft2Digital, it remains a direct competitor in the self-publishing distribution space where Bublish operates.
- PublishDrive: PublishDrive is an e-book and audiobook distribution platform with AI-powered marketing tools for authors. It overlaps with Bublish on distribution plus AI-enabled author marketing features.
- ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange): ACX is Audible's audiobook self-publishing platform, enabling authors to produce and distribute audiobooks. Bublish now offers audiobook services, putting it in direct competition with ACX for indie author audiobook production and distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Amazon KDP is the dominant free self-publishing platform for indie authors, offering e-book and print distribution to the world's largest book marketplace. While not a direct feature-for-feature competitor, it sets the floor on pricing and defines author expectations for self-publishing platforms.
- Barnes & Noble Press: Barnes & Noble Press is the self-publishing arm of Barnes & Noble, offering free e-book and print-on-demand publishing and distribution to a major US retailer. It competes with Bublish for indie authors seeking simple distribution to the B&N ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bublish social profiles
Digital presenceBublish financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bublish leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bublish funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bublish M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bublish
What does Bublish do?
Bublish provides a cloud-based self-publishing platform that lets independent authors write, publish, market, and sell their books globally from a single dashboard. The platform combines the Authorpreneur Dashboard, eBook Creator, and award-winning Book Bubbles social marketing technology with a global distribution system reaching more than 40,000 retail and wholesale channels. Bublish also delivers professional publishing services including ghostwriting, multi-level editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing services, and operates partner programs for bookstore and author referrals.
Is Bublish a public or private company?
Bublish is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bublish founded?
Bublish was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bublish based?
Bublish is headquartered in Mount Pleasant, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bublish make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Services are the primary driver. The others are professional Publishing Services, distribution Services and partner Referral Program.
Who are Bublish's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Reedsy, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Lulu, BookBaby, Smashwords (Draft2Digital), PublishDrive and ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange). Broad incumbents are Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Barnes & Noble Press.
Does Bublish have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bublish.
What industry is Bublish in?
Bublish's product category is Self-Publishing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAA, Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals), with a secondary code of BPAMAJAF, Self-Publishing & Author Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.