What Are Amateur Book Authors and How Can They Get Their Books Featured Online?

Updated

Amateur book authors are writers who publish without a traditional publishing contract, often sharing their work through community platforms rather than commercial publishers. On Literature.com, they can submit a book for potential featuring on a site that describes itself as a large collection of classic and modern books "collaboratively published by amateur book authors and contributing editors." The main condition is that you submit your book through the site's submission entry point; the available material does not specify review criteria, timelines, or whether every submission is accepted.

Amateur vs. professional authors

The distinction is about publishing path, not writing quality. Professional or traditionally published authors typically work through agents and publishers, while amateur authors self-publish or contribute to community platforms. Literature.com's own description places both groups side by side: its collection includes "famous and not-so-famous authors from around the world," published collaboratively by amateur authors and contributing editors. In practice, an amateur author on such a platform keeps control of the decision to share work but relies on the community and editors for visibility.

How to submit your book to Literature.com

Literature.com provides a direct submission path. Based on the site's own materials:

  1. Go to Literature.com and locate the submission entry point. The homepage includes a "Submit your Book" link and a "We need you!" section aimed at contributors.
  2. Prepare your book content in a form the site can publish. The site displays books as readable pages with title, author, year, and collection/category labels (for example, "Action and Adventure Collection").
  3. Submit the book through that entry point. The site's stated purpose is to feature submitted books on what it calls "the most prominent literature resource on the Internet."
  4. Wait for the book to appear in the catalog. Published books are organized by title and by author, with alphabetical browsing (A–Z) and a "New Books" listing.

The available material does not describe a multi-step form, account requirements, or a review process, so treat the above as the general path rather than a guaranteed sequence.

What happens after a book is featured

Once a book is in the catalog, it joins the same system as every other title on the site. Based on the site's features, you can expect:

  • Browsing and search: readers find books alphabetically by title or author, through keyword search, or via the "New Books" list.
  • Rating: each book page includes a rating feature (the sample page shows a star rating with a vote count).
  • Discussion: books can be "discussed through community features," and the site hosts a community discussion area.
  • Translation: books can be "translated to many common and not-so-common languages."
  • Author pages: authors get a profile page with a short biography and a follower count (the sample shows a "Follow" option and fan count).

Benefits and limitations

Benefits

  • Free visibility on an established literature site with an existing readership.
  • Community engagement through ratings, discussion, and followers.
  • Translation options that can widen your audience.
  • No need for an agent or publisher to get listed.

Limitations

  • The site does not state that submission guarantees featuring, so acceptance is not assured.
  • The available material gives no information on royalties, rights terms, or payment, so do not assume any revenue from being featured.
  • Community platforms generally offer less editorial, marketing, and distribution support than traditional publishers.
  • Details such as review time, editing support, and content guidelines are not specified in the available material and should be confirmed with the site directly.

If your goal is simply to get your book in front of readers and join a community of writers, submitting to Literature.com is a low-barrier option. If you need contractual terms, payment, or guaranteed publication, ask the site for those details before submitting.