Librinova

Librinova is a French self-publishing company that helps authors write, edit, publish, print and promote their books, with print-on-demand copies from a single book and distribution to online and physical bookstores. Its homepage headline is "Publier un livre : votre rêve, notre métier" (publishing a book: your dream, our job), and it promises publishing professionals to guide the author "à chaque étape" (at every step). The site, its services and its bookstore are in French, and the offer is built for French-language authors, from first-time writers to authors hoping to move on to a traditional publisher.

Why authors use it

The homepage gives three reasons. The first is support: "L'équipe de Librinova vous conseille à chaque étape de votre projet" (Librinova's team advises you at every step of your project), plus what it calls an exclusive literary agent service. The second is freedom: there is "pas de contrat ni d'exclusivité" (no contract and no exclusivity), and the author keeps full control of the work. The third is readership: books reach "200 sites libraires et 5000 librairies physiques" (200 bookstore websites and 5000 physical bookstores) and are read by Librinova's readers' committee.

The services

Librinova sells its services à la carte and as packages, grouped by what the author needs:

• Coaching en écriture (writing coaching): an online writing workshop and personalized coaching by publishing experts.
• Améliorer votre manuscrit (improve your manuscript): editorial advice, correction, proofreading and translation.
• Publier votre livre (publish your book): selling the ebook and/or print edition with what the homepage calls "la distribution la plus large du marché" (the widest distribution on the market), 200 online bookstores and 5000 physical bookstores.
• Imprimer votre livre (print your book): semi-pocket, standard and large formats, with Librinova printing and shipping to the author's home the number of copies wanted, "à partir de 1" (from 1).
• Promouvoir votre livre (promote your book): press releases, mailings to specialist bloggers, online advertising and book signings.
• Trouver un éditeur (find a publisher): a platform connecting authors and publishers, through which a manuscript can be submitted to more than 100 partner publishing houses.

The full catalog also lists book design services, publisher relations, audiobook services and translation, along with offers for professionals and for authors under 26, and a gift voucher.

Print on demand

Librinova's blog post on print on demand explains how it works for a self-published author. A physical copy is produced from a PDF, so the author no longer has to print a stock of 100, 500 or 1,000 novels in advance. Books are printed as orders come in, and the author decides the format, finish and cover. The financial risk, the post says, is minimal, since books are printed once they are sold and there is no stock to store. It also presents the model as ecological, because only the copies needed are printed, and as a way of working closely with French printers, an approach it says Librinova has supported since its beginnings.

The same post gives the entry prices: an on-demand copy printing service "à partir de 12,5€/exemplaire" (from 12.5 € per copy) and several formulas for selling the book in bookstores through the system "à partir de 40€" (from 40 €). Authors can have professional-quality layouts ("maquettes de qualité professionnelle") in the format of their choice that meet publishing standards. The post lists the points an author has to get right: cover, text layout, a format suited to the genre, print rules such as pagination and margins, paper quality, and finishes such as binding type and lamination.

The publishing packs

The homepage shows three packs at reduced prices, each with the crossed-out regular price:

• Pack Publication numérique, labeled "Le moins cher" (the cheapest): 75 €, down from 147 €. It publishes the book as an ebook on 200 bookstores and submits it to publishers, for authors who want to publish at the lowest cost.
• Pack Librairies Pro, labeled "Le plus vendu" (best seller): 399 €, down from 684 €. It publishes the book in digital and print editions, makes it available as widely as possible, lets the author manage sales, includes copies for the author, and submits the book to publishers. It is aimed at authors who want wide distribution and their first copies quickly.
• Pack Étoile: 1989 €, down from 2335 €. It covers professional editing and publishing with editorial, graphic, commercial and promotional services, for authors who want support "de A à Z" from editing through to publication.

Promotion offers

Current offers on the homepage add paid visibility. A portrait and interview in La Fringale culturelle costs 799 €; the homepage describes it as a cultural magazine read every two months by 70,000 readers. A feature in the trade magazine Livres Hebdo was on promotion at 299 € instead of 329 €, a 30 € discount with a code valid until 7 October. Librinova has also launched a French-to-English translation offer with two service levels ("Faites traduire votre livre avec Librinova !"). The site runs a writing competition, the "Prix des étoiles", and its own online bookstore with sections from romance and crime fiction to biographies, youth novels and self-help.

The literary agent program

Librinova also runs a route to traditional publishing. The homepage states "Un auteur Librinova sur 50 signe un contrat avec une maison d'édition traditionnelle" (one Librinova author in 50 signs a contract with a traditional publisher) and says that for 10 years Librinova has put its publishing expertise and network at authors' disposal through its "Programme Agent littéraire" to help them sign a publishing contract. The site lists more than 100 partner publishing houses and a page of books that have moved on to a publisher. The footer notes that Asteria is a member of the Syndicat Français des Agents Artistiques et Littéraires.

The homepage features Carène Ponte, "découverte par Librinova en 2014" (discovered by Librinova in 2014), who now lives from her writing and has won over hundreds of thousands of readers. She is quoted: "Aujourd'hui, Librinova est mon agent, mon équipe, mon pilier." (Today, Librinova is my agent, my team, my pillar.)

Who it suits

Librinova suits French-speaking authors who want more than a print file upload: coaching, editing, design, promotion and a shot at a traditional contract, with print on demand from a single copy underneath. The packs let an author start with an ebook for 75 € or buy a full service, and the absence of a contract or exclusivity keeps the author free to leave. The paid services add up, so authors who only need printing and distribution will look first at the print service from 12.5 € per copy and the bookstore formulas from 40 €.