FastPencil
Publishing simplified. (FREE writing, collab, & marketing tools. Publish & print books + author services, too.) #WriteYourStory.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
| N/A | $100k | Debt | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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FastPencil operates as a cloud-based platform providing end-to-end content management technology for the self-publishing market. The company was founded in 2007 by Steve Wilson and Michael Ashley. Their core offering is a web-based publishing engine that enables authors and publishers to write, collaborate, design, publish, and distribute books in both print and e-book formats.
The platform serves a diverse clientele, from individual authors and self-publishers to larger enterprises and publishing houses seeking a customizable, white-label solution. Revenue is generated through a freemium model. While basic tools for writing and publishing are available, the company's business model leans on the sale of premium services. These are offered either à la carte or as packages and include editorial services, design, marketing, and distribution. Customers can also purchase their own ISBNs and create custom imprints, giving them full control over their branding. FastPencil's technology has also been licensed to major industry players, having powered platforms for Barnes & Noble's Nook Press, Books-A-Million's BAM Publishing, and On Demand Books' SelfEspress.
A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition in April 2013 by Courier Corporation, a major American book manufacturer and content management firm. This deal was intended to merge FastPencil's digital platform with Courier's extensive printing capabilities and retail distribution networks. However, following Courier's own acquisition by R.R. Donnelley, FastPencil was sold back to its co-founder, Steve Wilson, in May 2015. At that time, the platform had a community of approximately 125,000 authors. Notably, the platform has also integrated with tools like Evernote, allowing writers to import their notes directly into the book creation workflow.
Keywords: self-publishing platform, book creation software, e-book publishing, print-on-demand, author services, content management, digital publishing, collaborative writing, publishing engine, book distribution, custom imprint, ISBN services, Nook Press, author tools, book marketing, manuscript editing, cover design, online publishing, Steve Wilson, Michael Ashley