Novelist
Sole-proprietor publishing venture run by author Roger Reid, producing the Jason Caldwell young adult adventure novel series (Longleaf, Space, Time) sold directly to teen readers through the author's personal website and live events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPaige, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Novelist does
Roger Reid Books, operating under the name 'Novelist,' is a sole-proprietor publishing venture run by author Roger Reid and focused on writing and selling young adult adventure novels. The company's output centers on the Jason Caldwell saga — a series of interconnected novels including 'Longleaf' (set in Alabama's Conecuh Forest), 'Space' (set at the Conrad Swanson Observatory in Huntsville, Alabama), and 'Time' (set at a significant carboniferous-era fossil trackways site). Each title combines mystery and adventure narrative with educational content drawn from natural sciences, paleontology, astronomy, and environmental awareness, targeting teenage readers who appreciate STEM-infused storytelling. A fourth Jason Caldwell novel, set in a swamp, is in active development.
The business operates with no proprietary technology, no employees beyond the author himself, and no formal corporate structure or external funding. Revenue is generated through one-time book sales via direct-to-consumer channels — primarily the author's personal website (rogerreidbooks.com) and in-person event appearances and speaking engagements. There is no third-party retail or wholesale distribution partnership disclosed. Marketing relies on the author's Emmy Award Winning television pedigree from his work as writer, director, and producer on the 'Discovering Alabama' public television series, podcast appearances (notably the 'Books and Ideas Podcast'), and literary endorsements from established authors including Homer Hickam ('Rocket Boys'), Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), and Virginia Pounds Brown. Books are sold at standard retail pricing with no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue model.
The company serves a single primary customer segment — young adult and teen readers with an interest in nature, science, and adventure fiction — using a horizontal segmentation approach. No enterprise, institutional, or B2B customers are referenced. The author retains full creative and operational control, and the website indicates that additional content is being added, suggesting continued but measured product and digital surface expansion within the existing Jason Caldwell franchise rather than a shift into new business lines or markets.
Novelist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Novelist
- Legal name
- Roger Reid Books
- Website
- https://rogerreidbooks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sole-proprietor publishing venture run by author Roger Reid, producing the Jason Caldwell young adult adventure novel series (Longleaf, Space, Time) sold directly to teen readers through the author's personal website and live events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Novelist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Young Adult Fiction
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where Novelist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paige
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Novelist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Book Sales: One-time purchase revenue model from selling physical or digital copies of novels (Longleaf, Space, Time). Author sells books directly through website and at events.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Novelist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Novelist (operating as Roger Reid Books) is a solo author publishing enterprise that writes, publishes, and sells a series of interconnected young adult adventure novels featuring recurring protagonist Jason Caldwell. The novels blend mystery and adventure storytelling with educational content about natural science, paleontology, astronomy, and the Alabama wilderness, sold directly to readers through the author's personal website and at in-person events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Longleaf
Companies that use Novelist
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Novelist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Novelist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Novelist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hugh Howey: Hugh Howey built the self-published 'Wool' / Silo series entirely through direct and indie channels before a high-profile trade-publisher acquisition. He is the canonical reference point for a solo author turning a single sci-fi premise into a multi-title series and a D2C-driven audience — directly analogous to Roger Reid's Jason Caldwell model.
- Mark Dawson: Mark Dawson is a self-published thriller author known for disciplined D2C marketing, email-list building, and Facebook/Amazon ad funnels — the operational template Roger would need to replicate to scale beyond personal-website traffic.
- Bella Forrest: Bella Forrest built one of the largest self-published YA/paranormal catalogs through aggressive D2C and Amazon publishing. Comparable as a high-volume indie YA author running a one-person publishing operation selling direct and via digital retail.
- Andy Weir: Andy Weir self-published 'The Martian' as a low-cost ebook and built demand through direct reader access, eventually trading up to a major publisher and film deal. Same archetype as Roger Reid: technically credible author with a self-contained adventure/sci-fi premise sold first via D2C.
- Lindsay Buroker: Lindsay Buroker is a long-tenured self-published fantasy/adventure author with a deep backlist sold primarily through Amazon and her own site, mirroring Roger's combination of adventure/sci-fi-adjacent fiction and indie D2C distribution.
- Amanda Hocking: Amanda Hocking broke through as a self-published YA paranormal/fantasy author selling hundreds of thousands of copies via Kindle and her own site before a reported seven-figure deal with St. Martin's Press. The most direct comparable for Roger on the YA + self-publishing + D2C axis.
- Michael J. Sullivan: Michael J. Sullivan self-published the Riyria fantasy/adventure series through his own imprint after being dropped by a traditional publisher, then re-signed with a major house while retaining indie rights. Closely matches Roger's profile: series-driven adventure fiction sold direct, with a trade-publisher upside path.
Others
- IngramSpark: IngramSpark provides print-on-demand and wholesale-to-bookstore/library distribution for indie authors. Enabling this channel would unlock the retail and library reach Roger currently lacks; relevant as a strategic distribution enabler rather than a competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing: KDP is the dominant self-publishing platform whose retail and D2C-print infrastructure any indie YA author competes against or could leverage. Directly relevant because Roger is currently absent from this channel and adopting it would change the addressable market materially.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat1 record
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Novelist social profiles
Digital presenceNovelist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Novelist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Novelist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Novelist 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 Novelist
What does Novelist do?
Novelist (operating as Roger Reid Books) is a solo author publishing enterprise that writes, publishes, and sells a series of interconnected young adult adventure novels featuring recurring protagonist Jason Caldwell. The novels blend mystery and adventure storytelling with educational content about natural science, paleontology, astronomy, and the Alabama wilderness, sold directly to readers through the author's personal website and at in-person events.
Is Novelist a public or private company?
Novelist is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Novelist founded?
Novelist was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Novelist based?
Novelist is headquartered in Paige, United States, in the North America region.
How does Novelist make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are Novelist's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hugh Howey, Mark Dawson, Bella Forrest, Andy Weir, Lindsay Buroker, Amanda Hocking and Michael J. Sullivan. IngramSpark is listed as an others. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Novelist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Novelist.
What industry is Novelist in?
Novelist's product category is Young Adult Fiction. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAE, Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales). Its NAICS code is 711510 and its SIC code is 2731.