Meet our Team
got questions? we’ve got answers.
1. How can I become a member of the Co-Op?
Submit Your Application: Fill out our brief form and provide a writing sample that showcases your unique voice.
The Quality Audit: Our Anchor Authors will review your submission for craft, grit, and professional potential.
Acceptance: If your work is a fit, you’ll receive an official welcome packet and your $100 annual membership invoice.
2. What are the Benefits of joining Moxie Books?
Why Moxie? Because the old rules don’t apply. In a traditional house, you’re a number. In solo-publishing, you’re an island. At Moxie Books, you’re a stakeholder. We’ve combined the prestige of a professional imprint with the radical freedom of independent publishing.
100% Rights, 100% You: You retain every ounce of your intellectual property—film, foreign, and audio.
The “Moxie 1000” Advantage: Skip the $125 individual ISBN cost. Membership grants you access to our professional ISBN block, ensuring your book has the “genetic code” to be stocked in libraries and bookstores worldwide.
The Direct-to-Reader Storefront: Sell your work on our Shared Shelf. We handle the tech; you keep the high margins.
Collective Muscle: Your marketing reach isn’t limited to your own followers. Every Moxie author cross-promotes the collective, putting your book in front of thousands of new readers.
3. How does Moxie help me?
Stop Shouting into the Void. When you promote yourself, you’re limited by your own follower count and your own energy. It’s a solo marathon that leads to “marketing burnout.”
When Moxie promotes you, we use the power of the collective. Your book doesn’t just reach your audience; it reaches the combined audiences of the Anchor Five and every member of the Co-Op. We call it “The Echo Effect”—one launch, a hundred megaphones.
Option 2: The “Cross-Pollination” Strategy (Business-Focused)
Best for: Your “Benefits” page or Author Prospectus.
The Power of the Collective “Halo” In the traditional world, you compete for attention. At Moxie Books, we cross-pollinate.
The Shared Newsletter: Your new release is featured in our “Moxie Reader” digest, going directly to fans who already trust the Moxie brand.
The “Shared Shelf” Synergy: A reader who comes for a science narrative by Author A discovers your historical fiction on the next digital tile.
Automatic Social Proof: Promoting yourself can feel like bragging; being promoted by a peer-vetted collective like Moxie provides instant credibility and the “Moxie Standard” seal of approval.
4. Is it more work to be a member of Moxie Books?
The Load We Lift (Less Work for You)
Infrastructure: You don’t have to spend hours researching ISBNs, setting up a solo storefront, or vetting dozens of shady editors. We’ve already built the “Moxie 1000” and the Shared Shelf.
Problem Solving: When you hit a roadblock (e.g., “How do I format for IngramSpark?”), you don’t have to spend a day on YouTube. You ask the Anchor Five in our private Slack and get an answer in minutes.
Brand Credibility: You don’t have to work twice as hard to prove your book isn’t “amateur.” The Moxie Standard logo does that for you.
The Contribution You Make (Your “Co-Op” Work)
Because we are author-owned, we do ask for a “Moxie Minimum”:
The Quality Audit: Occasionally, you’ll be asked to read and provide feedback on a fellow member’s manuscript (peer review).
The Echo Effect: When a fellow member launches, we ask you to spend 5 minutes sharing it with your audience. They will do the same for you.
Democratic Voice: Once a quarter, we have a digital “Moxie Salon” to vote on Co-Op decisions. You have a seat at the table.
5. Who owns the rights to my book once I join?
Short answer: You do. 100%. Forever.
Unlike traditional publishing houses that take your intellectual property in exchange for a small royalty, Moxie Books is a non-exclusive collective. You retain all copyrights, film rights, and foreign translation rights. We are simply the “infrastructure” and the “imprint” you use to bring your book to market. If you ever decide to leave the Co-Op, your stories go with you. We believe the “Genetic Code” of the book belongs to the creator, not the platform.
6. How does the money work? (Are there other fees?)
Transparency is part of our DNA. Your $100 annual membership fee goes directly into the “Moxie War Chest” to fund shared ISBNs, website hosting, and collective marketing.
Direct Sales: When a reader buys your book on the Moxie Shared Shelf, you keep the lion’s share. The LLC takes a small 5% transaction fee solely to cover credit card processing and site maintenance.
Retail Sales: For sales through Amazon, IngramSpark, or local bookstores, you keep 100% of the royalties those platforms pay out.
No Hidden Cuts: We don’t take a percentage of your sub-rights or your future movie deals. You are a stakeholder, not a product.
7. What is the “Moxie Standard” and how is my work vetted?
We aren’t gatekeepers; we are quality-control partners. To protect the reputation of the Moxie brand, every book on our shelf must pass a Quality Audit. This isn’t about “liking” your genre—it’s about ensuring professional excellence.
The Peer-Review: Your manuscript is reviewed by at least two of our Anchor Authors.
The Checklist: We look for professional editing, narrative “moxie” (that underdog spirit), and market-ready formatting.
The Goal: When a reader sees the Moxie logo, they know they are getting a “New York quality” book with an “Independent soul.” If your work isn’t quite there yet, we provide the feedback and resources to help you reach that standard.
8. I have not published yet, can I join?
Absolutely. In fact, we built Moxie specifically for you.
Many of the world’s most powerful stories are currently sitting in “Draft” folders because the authors didn’t want to navigate the publishing maze alone. We believe your first book should have the same professional “Genetic Code” as your tenth.
Here is how joining as an unpublished author works:
The “Moxie Standard” Audit
You don’t need a backlist, but you do need grit. To join, you will submit a 10-page sample of your work-in-progress (WIP) or your finished manuscript. Our Anchor Authors review it for:
Narrative Drive: Does the story hook us?
Craft: Is the writing polished and professional?
The “Moxie” Factor: Does it represent an unconventional or “underdog” voice?
Launching from the “Shared Shelf”
Instead of your first book launching into a void, you launch as part of a recognized collective.
Skip the “Newbie” Mistakes: You won’t have to guess about cover dimensions, metadata, or distribution. You’ll have a roadmap from day one.
Instant Credibility: Your debut will carry the Moxie Standard seal, telling reviewers and libraries that your work has been peer-vetted by award-winning authors.
The Infrastructure Advantage
As an unpublished author, the “start-up costs” of being an indie are the highest. Membership gives you:
A “Moxie 1000” ISBN: No need to drop $125 on a single barcode.
A Ready-Made Storefront: Your debut goes straight onto the Shared Shelf alongside established titles.
Peer Guidance: You get to learn from authors who have already been through the fire.