General Info

The Basics

• What is Book Country?
• What can I find on Book Country?
• What literary categories are available for workshop and critique?
• What if I don't see my literary category?
• Does it cost money to use Book Country?
• Can I submit my manuscript in other languages?
• Will Penguin read my manuscript?
• Can I read books without joining the site?
• Do I have to be a writer to use Book Country?
• Is my book safe from plagiarism?
• If I upload a manuscript, who owns the rights?
• Do you have a mobile app?
• What are your supported browsers?

What is Book Country?

Book Country is the most supportive writing and publishing community on the web. Book Country gives writers the strongest resources to write their best books. At Book Country, writers can find and connect to writers just like them, workshop their manuscripts, learn about the craft of writing and the business of publishing, and build their first audience as they prepare to publish their books.

Writers interested in traditional publishing have found that Book Country is a great place to get discovered as they polish their manuscripts. Writers interested in self-publishing appreciate they can publish their finished manuscripts through Book Country with the click of a button and distribute their eBooks to all major retailers.

Writers have choices. We believe that the support of a community helps writers make the best decisions for their books.

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What can I find on Book Country?

Connections: We believe that the support of a community is an essential element in the writing and publishing process. You can connect with writers who are just like you. You can build your first audience and create a network of supportive people who want you to succeed. When you connect to another Book Country member, you can send private messages to further your conversation.

Genre Map: We understand that it's hard to figure out what you're writing. We created the Genre Map to help you visualize the different literary categories. Clicking into the category that interests you will give you a description of that category, any sub categories (for example: Contemporary Romance writers will find their subgenre under Romance), the category's must-read books, books in that category by other Book Country writers, and discussions about that category.

Peer Review:You can post your manuscript in the Peer Review community in order to gain valuable feedback from other writers. Because we believe in the importance of community, you must give a review in order to receive one. Peer Review is a great way to build your first audience.

Forum Discussions:This online community allows you to connect with readers, writers, and published authors from around the world. You can share ideas, learn about the publishing industry, and learn more about your genre.

Publish:With a variety of services available, including a free option, we want you to be able to put your book on the map. We make it easy for you to move from our Peer Review with your polished manuscript to our Publish section where you can publish once and distribute everywhere with the click of a button.

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What literary categories are available for workshop and critique?

We chose the 60+ literary categories on the Genre Mapbecause we believed that these categories are the ones whose writers could benefit the most from writing and publishing within a community.

Writers can connect with other writers just like them if they write:

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What if I don't see my literary category?

We expect the literary categories on the Genre Map to remain fluid as new ones emerge and others fall out of fashion. If there's a literary category you'd like to see, please contact us at: support@bookcountry.com.

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Does it cost money to use Book Country?

No. Joining Book Country is absolutely free. We believe in the importance of connection writers to each other so they can create their best books.

If you publish an eBook with Book Country, we offer both a free DIY package as well as optional paid services.

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Can I submit my manuscript in other languages?

Not yet. But if this is something that interests you, please tell us.

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Will Penguin read my manuscript?

No. Although Penguin editors and other staff members may choose to participate in the community (just as staff members from any publishing house or literary agency could participate), Book Country is not a channel for the submission of unsolicited manuscripts to Penguin editors.

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Can I read books without joining the site?

No. Registering is free, so why not join?

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Do I have to be a writer to use Book Country?

No. The heart of Book Country is to create a supportive writing and publishing community. Whether you're a writer, a publishing professional, or a reader interested in helping writers, you're welcome at Book Country. You can join Book Country just to read and review other members' manuscripts.

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Is my book safe from plagiarism?

We do our best. We're very concerned with protecting your work and have taken numerous steps to make it difficult for someone to copy or distribute your material. Within the Reader we have disabled both the "right click" and the "copy and paste" functionality. Additionally, you cannot print from within the Reader or download the material. You must be logged in to read books. Unfortunately even our best efforts probably won't stop someone who is absolutely determined to plagiarize someone else's work. So, please note that by common law, the moment you create a work it is automatically copyrighted to you. No publication, registration or any other official act is required to secure basic copyright protection. For more information about copyright and other legal concerns, read theseFAQs.

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If I upload a manuscript, who owns the rights?

You do. You retain all rights in your content, including the copyright; posting your content on the website does not change your ownership rights. Here's the full explanation in the Terms of Use.

Do you have a mobile app?

Not yet. We’re always working on ways to make the Book Country experience better, so this is probably something you’ll see later. Keep checking back! Write to us if there is something you’d find especially useful.

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What are your supported browsers?

Please use the latest versions Firefox or Chrome for the best experience with Book Country. While Book Country will operate on most browsers, including tablets and mobile, it is optimized for Firefox and Chrome.

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