StoryBundle
StoryBundle is a pay-what-you-want DRM-free ebook bundle platform that curates themed collections of independent author works across genres, retaining a 30% commission and passing 70% to authors, serving indie readers and self-published writers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersFremont, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What StoryBundle does
StoryBundle is a DRM-free ebook bundle service operated as Idea Bundle, LLC, a privately held California limited liability company founded in 2013 by Jason Chen, a former editor at Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com. The platform curates themed collections of independent author works across genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror, humor, romance, mystery, game books, and writing tools, selling them through a pay-what-you-want pricing model with a $5 minimum for basic bundles of three books and a $30 bonus tier unlocking up to 15 total titles. All ebooks are delivered DRM-free in EPUB format to any device, with payment processing handled through PayPal, Amazon, and Stripe, and direct Kindle delivery supported for Amazon customers.
The business model is a transaction-fee structure in which StoryBundle retains a 30% commission on each bundle sale and passes the remaining 70% to participating authors. The company serves two primary customer segments on a horizontal basis: independent and self-published authors seeking exposure, and ebook readers seeking curated quality indie titles at self-determined prices. A third, secondary segment comprises cause-driven consumers who can optionally allocate 10% of their purchase to charity partner Deep Vellum, a nonprofit publishing house. Marketing is conducted primarily through an email newsletter, a Facebook page, a Twitter (@storybundle) account, and on-site content marketing on the company website.
Operationally, StoryBundle is a lean organization with 11-50 employees, no mobile app, no disclosed funding, and global digital distribution. The product surface includes the core bundle platform plus ancillary offerings such as digital gift cards with timed delivery and email newsletter subscriptions. The company has produced 400+ themed bundles since inception, with standout catalog items such as Alex Shvartsman's Unidentified Funny Objects anthology series (over 100,000 copies sold). Ownership is founder-controlled with no disclosed outside shareholders or institutional investment.
StoryBundle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StoryBundle
- Legal name
- Idea Bundle, LLC
- Website
- https://storybundle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- StoryBundle is a pay-what-you-want DRM-free ebook bundle platform that curates themed collections of independent author works across genres, retaining a 30% commission and passing 70% to authors, serving indie readers and self-published writers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
StoryBundle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Book Distribution & Bundling
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where StoryBundle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fremont
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
StoryBundle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Bundle sales commission: StoryBundle takes a 30% commission on all bundle sales, with the remaining 70% going to authors. The pay-what-you-want model allows customers to set their own price, with higher payments unlocking bonus books.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Basic Bundle - 3 books for $5+ |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Bonus Tier - 15 books for $30+ |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
StoryBundle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StoryBundle is a pay-what-you-want digital ebook bundling platform that curates themed collections of DRM-free EPUB titles from independent and self-published authors. Customers pay a minimum of $5 for a base bundle of 3 books or $30+ to unlock a bonus tier of up to 15 books total. StoryBundle retains a 30% commission, passes 70% to authors, and offers an optional 10% charity donation (e.g., Deep Vellum) at checkout, with delivery via web download, email, or direct Kindle sync.
Product overview
StoryBundle is an ebook bundling platform that curates themed collections of independent author works using a pay-what-you-want pricing model. The core offering consists of genre-themed bundles (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, humor, thriller, etc.) where customers pay a minimum of $5 for basic bundles of 3 books in DRM-free EPUB format, or $30+ to unlock bonus books (up to 15 total). The platform splits 70% of revenue to authors and allows optional charitable donations to partner Deep Vellum. Additional offerings include gift cards with timed delivery and email newsletter subscriptions for bundle availability alerts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Themed Ebook Bundles Pay-what-you-want themed bundles of independent author ebooks sold directly to readers via storybundle.com. Customers pay a minimum of $5 for 3 books in DRM-free EPUB format or $30+ to unlock bonus books (up to 15 total). Covers genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, thriller, YA, game books, and writing tools.
- The Seriously Funny Bundle A curated humor bundle featuring 15 comedy novels and anthologies edited/authored by Alex Shvartsman, including the Unidentified Funny Objects series and titles by Grady Hendrix, Mike Resnick, Jim C. Hines, Gini Koch, and others. Sold at pay-what-you-want pricing with bonus tier unlock.
- Genre-Themed Bundle Archive Themed ebook bundles covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, romance, YA, game books, and writing tools. Archive includes hundreds of past bundles from 2013 to present, browsable by genre.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards allowing purchasers to send a redeemable code for any future StoryBundle bundle, with optional timed delivery for controlled gifting.
Quantifiable outcome
- Authors receive 70% of bundle sale proceeds
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use StoryBundle
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
StoryBundle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
StoryBundle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Deep VellumminorDeep Vellum is a nonprofit publishing house that receives 10% of customer purchases when selected as the charity option. The partnership allows StoryBundle customers to donate a portion of their bundle purchase to support the nonprofit's mission of bringing the world into conversation through literature.
- PayPalminorPayment processor for StoryBundle transactions
- AmazonminorPayment method option and Kindle direct delivery partner for ebook distribution
- StripeminorPayment processor for StoryBundle transactions
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
StoryBundle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DriveThruFiction: DriveThruFiction is a digital storefront for indie fiction including sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. It competes for the same indie speculative-fiction author and reader base that StoryBundle targets through themed bundles.
- itch.io: itch.io is a pay-what-you-want marketplace for indie digital creators, primarily in games but with growing book and zine categories. StoryBundle shares the PWYW mechanic and indie creator-friendly positioning.
- BookBub: BookBub helps indie authors and publishers promote discounted ebooks to large reader audiences via daily deals and newsletters. It addresses the same indie author discovery and reader acquisition problem that StoryBundle solves through bundling.
- Smashwords: Smashwords is a major indie ebook distributor offering DRM-free EPUB delivery and author-friendly royalty splits. StoryBundle shares the indie author focus and DRM-free positioning but bundles titles rather than selling individually.
- Leanpub: Leanpub is a self-publishing platform where authors write and sell ebooks in progress, often at pay-what-you-want prices. StoryBundle shares the indie author orientation and PWYW ethos with overlapping DRM-free delivery.
- HumbleBundle: HumbleBundle pioneered the pay-what-you-want digital bundle model across games, books, and software, with proceeds split between creators and charity. StoryBundle applies the identical PWYW bundle mechanic to a focused ebook-only niche.
- Bundle of Holding: Bundle of Holding offers pay-what-you-want bundles of RPG and fiction ebooks. StoryBundle overlaps directly in the indie ebook bundle category with similar PWYW mechanics and themed curation.
Emerging players
- Wattpad: Wattpad is a large platform for amateur and indie writers to publish and serialize stories to a community readership. It addresses indie author discovery from a different angle and competes for the same indie writing talent pool.
Broad incumbents
- Kindle Direct Publishing: Amazon KDP is the dominant self-publishing platform for ebooks globally, with massive distribution and Kindle reader integration. StoryBundle positions against KDP by offering DRM-free EPUB and a better author revenue split.
- Storytel: Storytel is a major subscription audiobook and ebook service operating across multiple geographies. It competes broadly in digital book consumption but is a walled-garden subscription rather than an indie-focused PWYW bundle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
StoryBundle social profiles
Digital presenceStoryBundle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StoryBundle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
StoryBundle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StoryBundle 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 StoryBundle
What does StoryBundle do?
StoryBundle is a pay-what-you-want digital ebook bundling platform that curates themed collections of DRM-free EPUB titles from independent and self-published authors. Customers pay a minimum of $5 for a base bundle of 3 books or $30+ to unlock a bonus tier of up to 15 books total. StoryBundle retains a 30% commission, passes 70% to authors, and offers an optional 10% charity donation (e.g., Deep Vellum) at checkout, with delivery via web download, email, or direct Kindle sync.
Is StoryBundle a public or private company?
StoryBundle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was StoryBundle founded?
StoryBundle was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is StoryBundle based?
StoryBundle is headquartered in Fremont, United States, in the North America region.
How does StoryBundle make money?
One revenue line is on record: bundle sales commission.
Who are StoryBundle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DriveThruFiction, itch.io, BookBub, Smashwords, Leanpub, HumbleBundle and Bundle of Holding. Wattpad is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Kindle Direct Publishing and Storytel.
Does StoryBundle have an API?
No public API is recorded for StoryBundle.
What industry is StoryBundle in?
StoryBundle's product category is Digital Book Distribution & Bundling. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAB, E-book Subscription & Bundling Services, with a secondary code of MPAJAJAE, Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.