Grendel Press

Welcome to GP Direct! This tutorial will guide you through the process of registering as an Author and uploading your first Story and cover image.

Step 1: Register as an Author

1. Sign Up:
2. Verify Your Email:
   • Check your email for a verification link from GrendelPress.com.
   • Click the verification link to activate your account.
3. Complete Your Profile:
   • Log in to your account.
   • Go to your dashboard by clicking on your username at the top left menu and selecting “My Account.”
   • Complete your profile by providing additional information such as your bio, payment details, and profile picture.
4. Click on the “Register” button located at the top right corner of the homepage.
5. Fill in the registration form with your personal details, including your name, email address, Pen Name, and preferred shop URL.
6. Agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy by checking the appropriate boxes.
7. Click the “Register” button to create your account.

Step 2: Set Up Your Author Store

1. Access the Author Dashboard:
   • From your dashboard, click on the “Author Dashboard” link to access your store settings.
2. Customize Your Store:
   • Click on “Store Settings” to customize your store name (your pen name), description, and banner image.
   • Set your minimum purchase requirements (if applicable).
   • Click “Save Changes” to update your store information.

Step 3: Upload a Story

1. Add a New Story:
   • From the Author Dashboard, click on “Stories” and then “Add New Story.”
   • Enter the title of your Story in the “Story Name” field.
2. Product Type:
   • Select Single Story or Collection. A Collection is made to bundle multiple single stories into one searchable product.
3. Product Price:
   • You may set your price at any time. To reflect it as on sale (with a markdown), use both the Price and Discounted Price fields.
4. Category:
   • You may use more than one category, but the first one you pick will determine the story URL. (Aka: https://grendelpress.com/store/darkfantasy/yourstory/)
5. Tags:
   • Tags are GP Direct’s universal way of sorting and promoting your story. Tags should include common tropes, trigger warnings (if necessary), etc.
   • Examples:
     • Splatterpunk might have #excessivegore #cannibalism #tasteless80sshowerscenes
     • Romance might have #enemies-to-lovers #MF #MM #darkending
     • Fantasy may have #fae #elves #ogres #countriesatwar #politicalintrigue #chosenone
     • Embrace the tags. You don’t have to spoil your books contents in order to make it easy to encourage readers to build their own collections. We promise, there will be some users that want to collect all the stores with #cannibalism or #enemies-to-lovers.
6. Story Short & Long Description:
   • The short description is a great place for your ‘elevator pitch’.
     It appears on a small window preview right next to the story’s cover.
   • The Long Description is a great place for your blurb and other pertinent story information.
7. Upload Your Story:
   • Scroll down to the “Downloadable Options” section.
   • In the “Files” section, click “Add File” and upload your Story file (e.g., PDF, EPUB).
     File Name should indicate whether the file is a PDF or Epub.
   • Leave the Download Limit and Expiration as it is to be unlimited or restrict how many times a user can come back and redownload the file by inserting a number.
8. Linked Products:
   • You can leave this blank, but if you have other stories in your store, you can link them here and encourage upsells and cross-sells (suggested stories).
9. Other Options:
   • These are mostly self-explanatory. Under Story Status, you can either Submit for Publishing or save it as a draft. Drafts cannot be seen by readers, so they are private only until you choose to publish.
     Visibility gives you options on where your story is visible. You will almost always want to leave it on visible so that it can be seen in GP’s online store.
10. Advertise Product:
    • Ignore this for now since the marketplace is new, but at some point in the future when the catalog is large enough to warrant it, there will be low cost methods to feature your story on the website, newsletter, and social medias.

Step 4: Upload a Cover Image

1. Upload Cover Image:
   • Scroll down to the “Story Image” section on the right side of the screen.
   • Click “Set Story Image” and upload the cover image for your Story. Ensure the cover image does not contain full nudity or any illegal content.
   • Size guidelines: Almost any image will work, but if you want it to aesthetically match the rest of Grendel Press’s products, you can use this template on Canva.
     • Copy that page and use it for your own simple designs.
       File -> Make a Copy
       Then don’t forget to unlock the design. Click the tiny lock on the top right of the image until it shows unlocked.
     • If you have a cover file already, you can upload and drag it into the cover area, or you can design one inside the template.
     • Note:Copyright is less strict with online goods since the image itself is not being printed or sold. It is merely a representation of your story, but be mindful still of ethical concerns. Be sure the images meet the guidelines outlined in our Terms of Service.
2. Additional Images:
   • If you have additional images, you can upload them in the “Story Gallery” section.

Step 5: Submit for Review

1. Review Your Story:
   • Review all the details you have entered to ensure everything is accurate and complete.
2. Submit for Review:
   • Click the “Save Story” button at the bottom right corner of the page.

Step 6: Approval Process

1. Review by Staff:
   • Our staff will review your Story and cover image to ensure they meet our guidelines.
2. Approval Notification:
   • You will receive an email notification once your Story has been approved and published on the Marketplace.

Step 7: Manage Your Stories

1. Monitor Sales:
   • You can monitor your sales and track performance from the Author Dashboard.
2. Update Stories:
   • You can update your Stories and cover images at any time by going to “Stories” and selecting the Story you want to edit.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully registered as an Author and uploaded your first Story on GP Direct. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact our support team at support@grendelpress.com.

Happy selling!