Reedsy

What Reedsy does

Reedsy Limited is a London-headquartered (483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS) two-sided online marketplace and content platform serving the self-publishing book industry. Founded in 2014 by Emmanuel Nataf, Richard Fayet, and Vincent Durand, the company's core product is a curated marketplace connecting authors and small publishers with vetted freelance publishing professionals — editors, designers, marketers, ghostwriters, translators, and web designers — for book production projects. Reedsy operates an integrated product suite spanning six surfaces: the flagship Reedsy Marketplace with 5,000+ listed professionals accepted at roughly a 1% rate; Reedsy Studio, a free browser-based writing and book-formatting application with EPUB/PDF export; Reedsy Learning, an education platform offering free and premium writing courses (including a $1,399 'How to Write a Novel' masterclass) plus annual Learning Memberships; Reedsy Prompts, a creative-writing community of 800,000+ authors running weekly contests and an annual $1,500 Reedsy Literary Prize; Reedsy Discovery, a book-review service; and Prompted, a literary magazine. The technology stack is cloud-based with Stripe for payments and identity verification, Zoom integrated as the mandated video conferencing layer, and social sign-in via Google and Facebook.

The platform has cumulatively served over 2 million authors and ranks among the most established trusted intermediaries in self-publishing, supported by a Project Protection guarantee, dispute resolution, and an SEO-driven content marketing engine built on an extensive publishing guides blog, the Bestseller Podcast, and 2,690+ writing prompts. Reedsy monetizes through a 10% commission charged on both the client side (inclusive of VAT) and the freelancer side (exclusive of VAT) of every marketplace Service Fee, supplemented by premium course sales and an annual Learning Membership subscription. Distribution is entirely self-serve product-led growth across global geographies through reedsy.com, with discovery primarily via organic content, contests, and community channels rather than paid acquisition.

The firm is privately held with no disclosed venture or private-equity backing beyond an August 2016 raise of approximately $1.24 million from EISMEA, plus prior seed rounds in 2014 (Seedcamp, DC Thomson Ventures) and 2015 (DC Thomson Ventures, DN Capital, Kima Ventures). Headcount is in the 11-50 range per the public firmographics, consistent with a lean, founder-led operation twelve years after incorporation.

Name

Reedsy

Legal name

Reedsy Limited

Website

https://reedsy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reedsy is a London-based online marketplace and content platform that connects self-publishing authors with a curated network of freelance editors, designers, marketers, ghostwriters, translators, and web designers, supplemented by writing courses, contests, and free authoring tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Author Services Marketplace

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (513140)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Author Service Marketplaces & Aggregators (Vetting, Bundled Services) (MPAJAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF), Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF)

Keywords

• Publishing marketplace
• Freelance author services
• Self-publishing platform
• Writing education courses
• Editorial services marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission - Client Side: Reedsy charges a 10% commission (inclusive of VAT) on the Service Fee from clients for facilitating the connection and transaction between authors and freelancers. This is the Reedsy Client Commission.
2. Marketplace Commission - Service Provider Side: Reedsy charges a 10% commission (exclusive of VAT) on the Service Fee from service providers (freelancers) for using the platform to find work and receive payments.
3. Premium Online Courses: Paid video courses such as the 'How to Write a Novel Masterclass' at $1,399 one-time payment with lifetime access. Includes 12-month Learning Membership with access to live events and conferences.
4. Learning Membership: Subscription access to live masterclasses, online publishing conferences (6 per year), and event replays for 12 months. Can be purchased separately or bundled with courses.
5. Contest Entry (Free with Prize Sponsorships): Weekly writing contests are free to enter with $250 prizes; Reedsy Literary Prize has $1,500 prizes. Revenue is indirect through community building and brand engagement rather than direct entry fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Reedsy operates an online marketplace connecting authors with a curated network of publishing professionals (editors, designers, marketers, ghostwriters, translators, and web designers) for book projects, charging a 10% commission on both client and freelancer sides. The platform is complemented by a free writing application (Studio), a paid learning platform with courses and masterclasses, a book review service (Discovery), and a writing prompts community with contests.

Product overview

Reedsy is a comprehensive literary ecosystem comprising a marketplace for hiring publishing professionals, a writing application, educational courses, creative writing resources, and community-driven competitions. The platform consists of six main products: Reedsy Marketplace connects authors with vetted editors (2,699), designers (967), marketers (59), ghostwriters (262), translators (233), and web designers (89); Reedsy Studio is a free writing and formatting application with EPUB/PDF export capabilities; Reedsy Learning provides premium courses (including the flagship How to Write a Novel masterclass at $1,399), free courses, and live events; Reedsy Discovery offers book reviews; Reedsy Prompts delivers weekly writing contests and 2,400+ creative prompts; and numerous free writing resource tools including generators (book title, character name, plot, pen name), industry directories (literary agents, publishers, magazines), and editorial guides. The platform serves over 2 million authors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reedsy Marketplace

Quantifiable outcome

• ~1% acceptance rate for freelancers ensures high-quality professional network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe is Reedsy's payment processing platform, handling all Service Fees and Reedsy Commissions. Stripe Identity is also used for freelancer identity verification during registration.
• ZoomsupportingTechnology or IntegrationZoom provides the video/call platform (V/C Platform) for Reedsy users to communicate about service contracts. Automatic transcripts are created and shared with call participants.
• GooglesupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle sign-in integration allows users to register and log in using their Google accounts across Reedsy platforms including marketplace and learning.
• FacebooksupportingTechnology or IntegrationFacebook login integration allows users to register and log in using their Facebook accounts on Reedsy platforms.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lulu: Lulu is a self-publishing platform offering print-on-demand, distribution, and a marketplace of professional services for authors, paralleling Reedsy's Marketplace, Studio, and Discovery offerings. Both compete for self-publishing authors seeking production help.
• Smashwords (Draft2Digital): Draft2Digital (parent of Smashwords) is an ebook distribution and production platform used by self-publishing authors for formatting, distribution, and related services. It competes with Reedsy at the production and distribution stage of the self-publishing workflow.
• BookBaby: BookBaby provides self-publishing services including editing, design, formatting, and marketing, directly competing with Reedsy's marketplace for the same self-publishing author segment. Both target authors who need end-to-end production support outside traditional publishing.

Emerging players

• Canva: Canva is a self-serve design platform used by self-publishing authors for book covers and marketing assets, competing with Reedsy's design and cover-design marketplace professionals. While not a service marketplace, it addresses the same author need at a lower price point.
• MasterClass: MasterClass is a premium online course platform with high-profile instructors, comparable in price point ($1,399 masterclass for Reedsy) and learner experience to Reedsy Learning. Both sell premium video-based craft education, including writing content, to consumer learners.

Broad incumbents

• Fiverr: Fiverr is a broad freelance marketplace where authors can hire editors, designers, and marketers. While not book-specialized, it overlaps with Reedsy's Marketplace for editing and design services targeting a similar SMB author buyer with a similar take-rate model.
• IngramSpark: IngramSpark (Ingram Content Group) provides print and distribution services widely used by self-publishers, with growing bundled editorial and marketing services. As a much larger incumbent, it competes with Reedsy for the same production-stage author workflows at greater scale.
• Amazon KDP: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the dominant self-publishing distribution platform and increasingly a destination for authors needing design and marketing help. As the largest incumbent in the self-publishing ecosystem, it shapes the demand for upstream services Reedsy provides.
• Upwork: Upwork is a large freelance marketplace used by authors to source editors, designers, ghostwriters, and marketers. It targets a broader professional services base but competes for the same freelance publishing services dollars as Reedsy's marketplace.
• 99designs (by Vista): 99designs is a design marketplace specializing in logos and graphic design including book covers. It overlaps with Reedsy's design and cover-design categories, serving authors needing visual production services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReedsyHQ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/reedsy
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearereedsy
• Instagraminstagram.com/reedsy_hq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reedsy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reedsy