Dear Bookstore Owner,
As you probably know, over 50% of the books that people read are borrowed or bought used.
Yet the authors receive nothing for all that usage of their works, which isn't fair.
AE provides a solution: an app that lets readers tip authors.
If you like the idea, you can help get it off the ground.
How You Can Help
Ask the authors you deal with to check out AE.
Display the sign below at your store's register.
Goal
The goal is to answer two questions:
- Will readers tip?
- Will authors promote AE?
If non-trivial numbers of readers and authors do their parts, proof of concept will be achieved.
Slow Growth
If proof of concept is achieved, we expect slow, steady growth as readers, authors and bookstores learn about AE via word of mouth and social media.
Bookstore Compensation
20% of the tip volume goes to the bookstores that help.
This 20% is shared equally.
Example: if tips total $1,000,000 and 100 stores help, each store receives $2,000.
Each store in a chain receives a separate share.
Terms may change.
Estimated Income
For the first year at least, tip volume will probably be very low. As to the potential? Who knows? GoFundMe took from 2010-2013 to reach 1 million donations. Now, there are ~63 million per year and ~$40 billion has been given.
Ultimately, over $100 million annually in tips is realistic if authors promote the app.
At this stage, though, all estimates are fiction. In that vein, imagine $100 million annually in tips. That would yield $20 million for bookstores. If, say, 500 bookstores were participating, that would equal $40,000 per store. Likewise, $1 million annually in tips would equal $400 per store.
Uncollected Tips
Some authors will not collect their tips. After 5 years, an author's uncollected tips will be distributed equally to bookstores promoting AE.