How should I put this?
I have opened an online fantasy bookstore for indie authors. That pretty much sums it up. ArcaneTomes.org showcases indie authors who write fantasy books, but it doesn't directly sell the books itself. It links to other websites where readers can choose to purchase the books in question.
So is it a bookshop, or just a website/blog? Well. Kinda both. It is in the business of selling books, but doesn't make a profit. I have downplayed the blog aspect of the website, focusing instead on the Bookshelf in which all of the books are listed alphabetically.
I also have plans for a separate bookshelf which list by author last name.
I am using the blog section as a way to post updates to the website and to organize the different subgenres of fantasy, including:
- Afro Fantasy
- Dark Fantasy
- Epic Fantasy
- Fairy Tales and Folklore
- Fantasy Anthologies
- Fantasy Magazines
- Heroic Fantasy
- Low Fantasy
- Paranormal Fantasy
- Sword and Sorcery
- Urban Fantasy
For the readers, this is potentially an easier way to find indie authors that they might enjoy because they can choose to browse specific subgenres.
And for the authors, this means that readers can more easily find their work, and that they hopefully aren't wasting time trying to promote their book via Facebook/etc and other spammy websites. (Seriously, I rarely go on Facebook any more because it is so full of spam.)
Arcane Tomes also affords me another venue for promoting Peasant Magazine, my fantasy/historical fiction magazine.
And my YouTube channel that I use for unboxing videos and book reviews (mostly of fantasy books), this means another place where I can post the videos that concern indie fantasy books. I haven't done so yet, but I will be doing it sometime in the near future.
My focus currently is on attracting indie fantasy authors so that I can expand the number of authors and books listed on the bookshelf.