Frequently asked questions

Genuinely free, forever — everything you need to start swapping. All three swap types (Solo, Feature, Mention), unlimited books, an interactive color-coded calendar, algorithmic star ratings, an analytics dashboard, vacation mode, paid swap slots, and the Ethics Agreement system. One pen name and one email provider integration included.

If you cancel before the trial ends, you won't be charged and you'll move to the Free Forever plan — no surprises. You keep all your books, swap history, and profile data. You just lose access to paid-tier features until you upgrade. If you keep your subscription, billing starts automatically after the 14-day trial.

Nope. The Free Forever plan needs no card at all. For paid tiers you enter payment when you start your 14-day trial, but you're not charged until it ends — cancel during the trial and pay nothing.

When you sell a swap slot, BookBridge takes a 7% platform fee on the Free Forever and Indie Basic tiers. On Indie Pro and above, the fee drops to 0% — you keep everything except the card processing fee.

Yes. Upgrade instantly for immediate access to new features. Downgrade anytime — it takes effect at the end of your billing period, so you keep what you've paid for. See full pricing →

Your content is yours — we never delete your pen names, books, swap history, or data. When you cancel, you keep full access through the end of your paid billing period, and three days before anything changes you'll get a reminder with a clear breakdown. After a downgrade, tier-gated features simply freeze to your new plan's limits: if you had 5 pen names and move to Free Forever, you choose which one stays active and the rest lock rather than disappear. In-progress swaps finish normally. Upgrade anytime and everything unlocks right where you left off.

Every author digitally signs it before any swaps — a commitment to transparency, follow-through, and honest engagement. Translation: fewer flaky partners, fewer ghosted swaps, and accountability that actually sticks. Paired with algorithmic star ratings based on measurable actions rather than subjective reviews, it's the trust system other platforms don't have.

Your central hub for confirmed swaps — each partner's verified subscriber count, open rate, and click-through data, plus tracking-link performance and records for paid swaps, all in one view. Available on Indie Basic and above.

An interactive color-coded calendar that prevents double-booking. Group promos with AI banners and reader landing pages. Built-in real-time messaging. Ethics verification. Algorithmic star ratings. A Confirmation Center with verified partner stats. Vacation mode with automatic rescheduling. And the ability to change your book link after a swap is confirmed — because life happens. You get proof and accountability in one place, instead of juggling separate tools and hoping for the best.

Bookie is the built-in AI assistant with personality — knows your name, your books, your swap calendar, and speaks with genre-appropriate flair. Think: helpful, not corporate. Available on Indie Basic and above; free-tier users get the FAQ AI Helper for instant platform guidance.

Where authors browse and join multi-author group promotions — genre filtering, auto-generated tracking links, share date calendars, and reader-facing landing pages. Indie Basic members can browse, join, and buy featured or premium spots. Indie Pro and above can also create and organize their own promos, with AI-generated banner galleries as an add-on (included free on Indie 4 Life).

ReaderBridge gives your fans direct access to your books — read securely right in the browser, no separate app. Use it for reader magnets, ARCs, and gifting, all pulling from your BookBridge catalog. Included on Indie Pro and above.

Direct book sales lets you sell books from your own website through integrations with WordPress, Shopify, and other platforms. Books are delivered securely through ReaderBridge, so your readers get a seamless experience while you keep full control. It's included in Indie 4 Life, and available as a paid add-on for Indie Pro members.

On Indie Pro and above you can grant Virtual Assistant access. Your VA can manage swaps, edit books, view your calendar, and send or accept requests — but cannot touch billing, account settings, or delete your account. Revoke access anytime.

16+ and counting: MailerLite, Mailchimp, Kit, Klaviyo, AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, EmailOctopus, Moosend, Beehiiv, SendFox, Systeme.io, Flodesk, Author.Email, and more. Both API-key and OAuth2 supported. Don't see yours? Reach out — we add new ones regularly.

No download limits on any tier. Sending one more file shouldn't cost you more. Unlimited downloads are available on Indie Pro and above.

Audiobook support is coming — as a paid add-on for Indie Pro and Indie 4 Life. Audio delivery is expensive to host, so we're keeping it separate to keep your base subscription affordable. Pricing will be announced at launch.