For authors & publishers
In the traditional model an author is paid once, and a second-hand sale earns them nothing. Ownbound keeps the majority of the first sale with you and adds a royalty on every resale, turning the entire life of a book into income.
The split
Clear, generous economics with no surprises. Indicative splits below.
Compare with the 30% to 65% that major stores keep from independent authors.
A perpetual royalty flows to you automatically each time a copy is passed on. In the old model this income simply did not exist.
Author earnings
A popular title priced at $10.00, resold twice as readers finish it and pass it on.
| Event | Price | You earn |
|---|---|---|
| First sale to a reader | $10.00 | $9.00 |
| Resold second-hand | $5.00 | $0.37 |
| Resold again | $4.00 | $0.30 |
| Total to you | $9.67 |
In a traditional store the same title earns the author roughly $7.00 once and nothing thereafter. Enabling resale lifts the lifetime value of a single title for the author, not just the platform.
Figures are illustrative examples to show how the model works, not a forecast of earnings.
Why authors join
Earn on the first sale and on every resale for the life of the book. Your back catalogue keeps working for you.
Every sale, loan and transfer is recorded on a public ledger. See how your books move, without relying on a single platform's private reporting.
Readers can lend and resell, so books circulate and find new audiences instead of sitting locked in one account forever.
Each copy is encrypted and only its current holder can read it, with a per-reader watermark on the page. Copy-deterrence is handled by the system, not by chasing readers.
Everyone in the loop
| Who | What they get |
|---|---|
| Readers | True ownership, easy lending, and the ability to resell a book they have finished. |
| Authors | The majority of every first sale and a perpetual royalty on every resale, with transparent records. |
| Publishers | A new revenue stream from the second-hand market, and copy-protection handled by design rather than enforcement. |
We are onboarding our first independent authors now. If you would like your readers to own your book and to earn on every resale, we would love to talk.