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 confirm your USDC earnings wallet before paid 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 USDC.
- Complete the wallet transaction.
- Return to Basil Press.
- Open Library to read or download the book.
Buying requires a wallet with USDC on Base. Email sign-in can still be linked to your account, but the purchase itself is wallet-based.
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.
- Connect the wallet you want to use for publishing and USDC earnings.
- 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.
- Click publish and confirm the storage, etch, and listing transactions from your wallet.
Paid books must meet the minimum price shown in the app. Publishing may pause if network fees are unusually high.
Wallet publishing is the launch rail. Email-only author publishing and card-funded publishing are deferred.
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 connect the wallet that should receive author earnings. Wallet-connected authors receive direct USDC where supported.
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?
Readers can browse without an account. Buying requires wallet sign-in with USDC on Base so Basil Press can attach the purchase to a library.
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 supported USDC sales, earnings go to the wallet that authored the book.
Why does publishing use a wallet?
The wallet rail lets Basil Press record publication on-chain and route USDC sales without Basil Press holding author proceeds. Linked email and wallet credentials can still belong to one Basil Press account.
Can I pay by credit card?
Not at launch. Basil Press is evaluating compliant card providers, but the current public version supports USDC on Base.
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?
Sign in with the wallet that bought the book. If you later add email sign-in, link it to the same account so your library follows both credentials.
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?
Basil Press is moving toward a crypto-only public launch on Base mainnet. Card payments and email-only author publishing are deferred.