Getting Started
Readers
- Open the Shelf.
- Choose a book.
- Buy with card or USDC when available.
- Read in the browser or download your copy.
- Sign in if you want a library that follows you across devices.
You do not need an account to complete a card purchase. An account is useful when you want a persistent library, rewards, re-downloads, or a smoother reader experience.
Authors
- Sign in.
- Open Account and set up Stripe before paid card sales.
- Add a wallet only if you want wallet-based identity or direct USDC flows.
- Open Publish.
- Enter title, author name, description, blurb, genre, language, tags, and price.
- Upload a cover when needed.
- Upload or paste a manuscript.
- Publish and wait for confirmation.
For EPUB-style books, upload text, Markdown, DOCX, or EPUB. For PDF books, upload a PDF; Basil Press keeps it as a PDF edition and adds the required publication page.
The current environment is still testnet. Card, wallet, payout, and cash-out flows may use test credentials or test balances until the production launch checklist is complete.
How To
Sign in
- Click the sign-in button.
- Enter your email address, or connect a wallet.
- For email, open the magic link from your inbox.
- For wallet, sign the Basil Press message.
Your account can have both email and wallet credentials. Linking them lets your library and author dashboard follow you whichever way you sign in.
Buy a book
- Open a book from the Shelf.
- Choose credit card or USDC if available.
- Complete the checkout or wallet transaction.
- Return to Basil Press.
- Open Library to read or download the book.
If you buy by card without signing in, keep the receipt link. Signing in later can attach eligible receipt purchases to your account.
Read or download
- Open Library.
- Click Read to open the browser reader.
- Click Download to save the book file.
EPUB books open in the paginated reader. PDF books open as PDF editions.
Publish a book
- Sign in.
- Open Account and connect Stripe if you want paid card sales.
- Open Publish.
- Fill out title, author name, blurb, description, genre, language, tags, and price.
- Add a cover image when needed.
- Paste text or upload a manuscript.
- Choose how to pay the publication cost when more than one option is available.
- Click publish and complete any required confirmation.
Paid books must meet the minimum price shown in the app. Publishing may pause if network fees are unusually high.
If you sign in with email, Basil Press defaults publication payment to Stripe checkout. If you sign in with a connected wallet, it defaults to wallet publishing. Linked email and wallet credentials still share one account; the active sign-in method just chooses the default rail. You can switch the rail in Publish before submitting when both options are available.
Publish EPUB-style books
Use pasted text, .txt, .md, .docx, or .epub. Text, Markdown, and DOCX are typeset into an EPUB. Uploaded EPUB files are used as-is.
Publish PDF books
Use .pdf when the book should keep fixed layout. If page 1 is already the cover, choose that option. Basil Press uses page 1 as the display cover, adds a legal page after it, then keeps the rest of the PDF. If you upload a separate cover, Basil Press adds that cover first, then the legal page, then the full PDF.
Link email and wallet
- Sign in with the account you want to keep.
- Open Account.
- Choose Add email or Connect wallet.
- Confirm the email link or wallet signature.
- Return to Account and confirm both credentials appear.
Set up earnings
Use Account to configure payout options. Stripe is required for paid card sales. Wallet-connected authors can receive direct USDC where supported. Email-only author wallets may show Coinbase cash-out when the hosted flow supports the balance. The active sign-in method affects the default publish rail: email defaults to Stripe, wallet defaults to wallet publishing.
FAQ
What is Basil Press?
Basil Press is a digital book platform for publishing, buying, reading, and downloading permanent editions.
Do readers need an account?
No. Readers can buy by card without creating an account. Signing in gives readers a persistent library, easier re-downloads, rewards, and a smoother browser reader.
Do authors need an account?
Yes. Publishing requires an account so Basil Press can attach books, payout settings, and publication history to the right author.
What file types can authors publish?
Authors can publish pasted text, .txt, .md, .docx, .epub, and .pdf. Text, Markdown, and DOCX become EPUB-style books. Uploaded EPUB files are used as EPUB books. Uploaded PDFs become fixed-layout PDF editions.
Should I upload a PDF or a DOCX/text file?
Use DOCX, text, Markdown, or EPUB when you want a reflowable ebook. Use PDF when layout matters and the pages should stay fixed.
Can readers download their books?
Yes. Books are DRM-free downloads. Readers can also read in the browser.
What does permanent mean?
Basil Press records publication events and versions so a book has a public history. New editions can be added as versions instead of silently replacing the old record.
How do authors get paid?
For card sales, authors set up Stripe. For supported USDC sales, earnings go to the author wallet or supported author wallet flow shown in Account.
Why does publishing sometimes use Stripe and sometimes use my wallet?
Linked email and wallet credentials can belong to the same Basil Press account, but the active sign-in method sets the default publication rail. Email sign-in defaults to Stripe checkout. Wallet sign-in defaults to wallet publishing. If both rails are available, choose the one you want in Publish before submitting.
Why is Stripe required for paid card sales?
Stripe lets card payments route to the author instead of Basil Press holding author funds. Basil Press should not generally hold author proceeds.
What is Coinbase cash-out?
For supported embedded author wallets, Basil Press can open a Coinbase-hosted cash-out flow. Coinbase handles account requirements, identity checks, bank connection, and availability.
What happens if I sign in with both email and wallet?
You can link credentials to one Basil Press account. Once linked, your library and author dashboard should appear whichever way you sign in.
What if a book is missing from my library?
Make sure you are signed in with the same email or wallet used for the purchase. If you bought by guest card checkout, use the receipt link or sign in with the receipt email to claim eligible purchases.
Are purchases refundable?
Current purchase copy says purchases are final. If something goes wrong on Basil Press's side, contact support so it can be handled manually.
Is this production?
Not yet. The current environment is testnet. Before production launch, Basil Press still needs the explicit go-live inventory for mainnet contracts/config, real Stripe mode, Coinbase production access, secrets, legal pages, monitoring, and rollback.