a new home for stories
There is always room for a story.
Shelf is a reading room and publishing home for African voices. Discover, buy, own, and read books from African authors. Or publish your own and get paid directly into your bank account.
Join 740+ early Nigerian readers & authors in our Founding Community
what we do
Bringing publishing, discovery and reading together.
There are stories being written every day and readers are constantly looking for something new. But getting from “I wrote a book” to “someone read it” can still be harder than it should be. We want to make it easier for those stories to find their readers.
So we’re building Shelf.
Publish
Have something worth sharing? Put it on Shelf. Publish your books, notes, guides, stories, or other work and make them available to the people who need them.
Discover
Find books and writers worth knowing. Discover publications from African authors including voices you may have never come across before.
Read
Buy your books and keep them in one place. Shelf gives readers a personal library where their favourite stories are always within reach. Read anytime, anywhere.
how it works
Two sides. One Shelf.
Whether you write or read, Shelf connects the people creating stories with the people who want to read them.
Publish. Reach. Earn.
Publish
Upload your book, add the details, set your price and publish
Reach
Get your books in front of readers looking for their next story.
Get Paid Directly to Bank
Earn from every sale of your book.
Discover. Buy. Read.
Discover
Find books, authors and stories across genres.
Buy
Choose a book you want and purchase it directly on Shelf.
Read
Access your purchased books and start reading.
tailored experience
Built for those who read and those who write.
Explore how Shelf provides a dedicated home for both sides of the literary ecosystem.
For Authors & Writers
Whether you’re an established novelist or an emerging voice writing short stories in your notes app, Shelf gives you full control over your work and earnings.
- Direct NGN payouts into your local bank account
- Zero publisher gatekeeping or lengthy submission delays
- Retain 100% ownership of your intellectual property rights
- Analytics on local reader engagement & chapter completion rates
For Readers & Story Lovers
Discover books from new voices, independent writers and stories you might never find anywhere else and build your personal digital library. Read distraction-free on any smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
- Pay in Naira with local debit cards, transfer, or USSD
- Tactile digital bookshelf with realistic wood grain aesthetics
- Offline reading mode for low-connectivity environments
- Exclusive founding member badges and book club discussions
the founding community
Help us build Shelf.
Shelf isn’t finished yet and that’s the point. We’re bringing together a small group of readers and writers who want to be here from the beginning.
Tell us what you need
What would make publishing or reading easier for you?
Test what we’re building
Experience parts of Shelf early as they become ready.
Give feedback
Tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what we should rethink.
Shape what’s next
Help influence the product we’re building.
Come build with us.
As Shelf gets closer to launch, members of the Founding Community will have the opportunity to join our closed beta, experience what we’re building, share ideas, meet people and help us improve it before we open the doors more widely.
building in public
Watch Shelf become real.
We’re building Shelf in public , sharing the ideas, experiments, decisions and progress along the way.
Crafting a tactile bookshelf interface for mobile
How we designed digital shelves to feel as warm and physical as browsing an independent bookshop in Yaba or Ikeja.
Designing the local reader discovery loop
Rethinking algorithmic recommendations in favor of community book circles across Nigerian universities and writing hubs.
Why we’re building Shelf
Exploring why global publishing platforms fail local creators when the barrier between writing and earning disappears naturally.
frequently asked question
Everything you need to know
Got questions about the Nigeria pilot, publishing terms, or waitlist access?
What is Shelf?
+Is Shelf only for African Stories?
+Who can publish on Shelf?
+Does it cost money to publish?
+When will Shelf be available?
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The shelf is the point
A place for the stories you come back to.
“Every story needs a home, and every reader needs a refuge.”
