This round is no longer accepting investments, but others just like it are live now.

CLOSED

GET A PIECE OF BOOKSNIFFER INC.

Reading is good :)

BookSniffer is a new mobile and web-based platform which brings readers and authors together in a whole new way. Built on next-generation technologies and with more than 1,600 registered authors on the platform to date, we believe BookSniffer is poised to become a new leader in the book marketing industry.

Show more

This Reg CF offering is made available through StartEngine Capital, LLC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.
Company Image

$136,786.18 Raised

REASONS TO INVEST

Reasons Icon

Launched in 2020, BookSniffer has begun generating revenue as of October 31, 2020, with 1,600+ authors using the platform.

Reasons Icon

The mobile app market, currently worth $154 billion, is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 11.5% through 2027.

Reasons Icon

Within the book market, which is worth $122 billion, more and more authors are publishing independently, changing the landscape of the book marketing industry as a whole.

TEAM

Meg Jolly

Meg Jolly • Director

Megan Jolly is serving in the capacity of Director for BookSniffer, Inc. Meg is a USA Today Bestselling fantasy author under her pen name Meg Cowley. Since 2017, Meg has been a full-time writer and sold approximately 125,000 books worldwide. In addition to writing, Meg is also an experienced illustrator, having worked in a variety of fields from adult coloring books to private commissions. Currently, she operates a successful business illustrating fantasy book covers. Meg holds a First-Class BA (Hons) degree in Primary Education (with QTS), in addition to AAT qualifications in accountancy, with several years’ experience working in both fields.

Meg's primary occupation is being an author. She works approximately 10 hours per week for BookSniffer Inc.

Read More

Eric Knight

Eric Knight • Secretary & Director

Eric Knight is a co-founder of Bladeborn, LLC and is serving in the capacities of Secretary and Director for BookSniffer, Inc. In 2018, Eric became a full-time novelist and has multiple bestselling titles to his credit. Prior to his breakout success as an author, Eric taught Language Arts in public school for five years. Eric was last employed as a teacher at the Catalina Foothills Highschool in Arizona in 2015 and 2016, and as a Program Director for Desert Men’s Council in 2015. Eric earned his Masters in Social Work from Arizona State University, in addition to a Post-baccalaureate with Teaching of English certification and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing, both from the University of Arizona. 

Eric's primary occupation is being an author. He works approximately 10 hours per week for BookSniffer Inc.

Read More

Sean Hansen

Sean Hansen • CEO & Director

Sean Hansen is serving in the capacity of Chairperson and CEO for BookSniffer, Inc. Sean is responsible for all executive and management duties related to the platform, including leading our product design, development, systems integration, marketing, legal, capitalization, and administrative functions. In addition to this position, for the past five years, Sean has worked as an independent author and freelance consultant in the marketing industry. Sean’s professional background spans over 20 years in management, sales, marketing, and software product development, serving companies in the telecommunications, healthcare information, and document management industries. Sean is also a bestselling fantasy author (writing under the pen name Sean Hinn), entrepreneur, musician, graphic artist, animator, and father of three young adults. Sean graduated high school at the age of 16 and enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served and was discharged honorably in the Strategic Air Command in the capacity of Electronic Warfare System Specialist.

Read More

Overview


BookSniffer helps readers and authors connect without relying on overly expensive advertising

BookSniffer provides an affordable solution to authors and publishers looking to market their works. Readers using the app are able to discover and fall in love with new writers every day, and writers are able to advertise and reach fans on their own terms and within their own budgets.

Our recently released app, available for iOS and Android, already has an impressive average rating of 4.6 stars, with 1,600 authors and more than 3 million books on our platform. In a growing, $154 billion mobile app market, we believe we’re already off to a great start.

The Problem


The book business is undergoing a major transition right now

More and more authors have chosen the self-publishing route in recent years. This seismic shift has turned the industry on its head. According to Bowker, over 1.6 million books were self published in the US in 2018 (source).

Working writers- whether self- or traditionally-published - are an extraordinarily resilient bunch. Yet, these steely authors are facing exorbitant and rising marketing costs. This state of affairs puts the newest authors, with the least financial resources, at a major visibility disadvantage.

The Solution


Book Marketing Made Easy - and Affordable

BookSniffer helps indie authors and publishers alike reach rabid readers at a reasonable cost—and helps book lovers discover new voices on a safe, fun, next-generation platform.

The Market


Combining a massive book market with an even larger mobile app market

BookSniffer operates at the intersection of two major global industries: the $154 billion mobile app market (source), which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% through 2027 (source), and the $122 billion book market (source), which comprises more and more indie authors.

There are 45,000+ authors in the U.S. market today (source). Over 1.6 million books were self-published in 2018 (source), and the number of ebooks sold and published by independent and small-press authors has already overtaken the number of ebooks sold and published by Big 5 publishers (source).

Our Traction


Readers, writers, and strategic partners are taking notice

In October of 2020, BookSniffer opened the castle gates and offered a limited Beta version of its sponsorship products. Within 30 days, BookSniffer generated nearly $30,000 in sales on a shoestring marketing budget.

BookSniffer recently rolled out an updated version of its .com website, and is in active development of new features for its iOS and Android applications.

Traction with authors:

Technical milestones include:

  • An advanced, proprietary, next-generation book search engine

  • Over 3 million titles on our platform, including the latest bestsellers

  • Technologies to index millions of additional books per month in the coming months

  • Direct author-to-reader messaging

  • A proprietary book memes and quotes engine to allow readers to share fun and meaningful content

  • Advanced graphical library builder, designed for readers to share their favorite reads with friends and family

  • An advanced authors portal, with self-serve tools where authors and publishers can purchase advertising on the BookSniffer platform

  • Easy-to-use tools for authors, including AdMakerMcAdmakerFace, a free tool helping authors make attractive book ads they can use anywhere

  • KeywordThingy, a product to help authors find and identify thousands of advertising keywords, customized to their titles, with just a few clicks

  • Hundreds upon hundreds custom server-side applications to enable the above, many of which we believe may be patentable

What We Do


A tailor-made app to benefit readers and authors alike

Authors on BookSniffer can:

  • Create custom book landing pages to display books and link to social media

  • Send messages, news and deals to fans and followers

  • Create book ads using our AdMakerMcAdmakerFace tool 

  • Build lists of thousands of relevant keywords for advertising using our KeywordThingy tool (in Beta)

  • Purchase reasonably priced Sponsorships to display books more prominently on shelves and in keyword searches (in development)

Readers can:

  • Access book deals we’ve collected from across the web

  • Build and share custom virtual libraries

  • Rate books within our proprietary BookSCAPE system, which allows ratings based on Story, Characters, Action, Prose and even Editing

  • Follow authors to get news about their latest releases, as well as direct messages with exclusive content

  • Search for books using a super advanced search engine

  • Host private book discussions and clubs (coming soon)

gif

The Business Model


BookSniffer is committed to a differentiated, ethical advertising model

BookSniffer generates advertising and subscription-based revenues from independent and self-published authors, ad agencies, and publishers.


BookSniffer attracts readers through its advertising and referral programs.

How We Are Different


 BookSniffer empower authors to connect with their fans on their own terms, without the artificial barriers erected by other platforms

Goodreads, a social media network with approximately 90 million users (source), provides shelving and other search and organization features similar to BookSniffer. However, after being purchased by Amazon, Goodreads no longer offers self-serve advertising, and authors aren’t able to connect directly with readers.

Another popular platform, BookBub, a book deals newsletter and marketing platform with approximately 15 million users (source), rejects more than 80% of applicants for featured placement due to low availability (source).


BookSniffer has lots of space, and we don’t require bidding wars for our authors to access it.

Platforms like Amazon suggest per-click bid prices as high as $2 or more for some keywords. This is because they use an auction-based system, where the highest bidder gets the most visibility. You can’t sell a 99c book at $2 per click. It’s unsustainable, and it doesn’t only hurt authors – it also hurts the readers out there who want to find new voices. If new authors can’t afford to advertise, readers won’t know they exist. The only winner in this scenario, with an ever-increasing “slice of the pie”, is the platform - and in some cases, the cost of the click exceeds the price of the pie. 


BookSniffer has a better approach.


BookSniffer offers fixed-bid advertising. That’s right - no highest bidder auctions. Right now, in 2021, our maximum cost per click is 18 cents flat – and sometimes lower.

The Vision


BookSniffer aims to break the stranglehold the Big Tech platforms have on authors.

We believe BookSniffer has the opportunity to solve a major industry challenge: making room for new authors while creating fair and affordable advertising opportunities for authors at any stage in their career.

Although we expect to appeal initially to indie authors and small-press publishers during our product launch cycles, we believe that as our platform, user base, and potential marketing reach grow, our advertising products become viable to the broader market while maintaining our ability to serve new and emerging voices.

OUR LEADERSHIP


Founded by independent authors who know the struggle is real

BookSniffer is proud to be a diverse, majority-woman-owned company, composed of individuals who have been successful in various industries. Our Board of Directors is made up of authors who have worked together to slay the book marketing dragon.

We've also been fortunate to attract a brain trust of brilliant minds from the technology, legal, and finance industries who have helped bring our mission to life. 

On the marketing side, we’re excited to partner in 2021 with Harmon Brothers, makers of some of the world’s most vibrant and viral video ads, such as SquattyPotty, Purple Mattress, and Lumè Deodorant.

Why Invest


The reading revolution begins with you

The power in the book business is largely concentrated in the hands of a few behemoths, at the detriment of the hard-working, talented authors who bring fantastic stories to life, who educate, who inspire, who thrill and entertain.


We hope you'll join us in our author-and-reader powered revolution.

Quick Insert

ABOUT

HEADQUARTERS
600 W. 6TH STREET, STE. 400
Fort Worth, TX 76102
WEBSITE
View Site
BookSniffer is a new mobile and web-based platform which brings readers and authors together in a whole new way. Built on next-generation technologies and with more than 1,600 registered authors on the platform to date, we believe BookSniffer is poised to become a new leader in the book marketing industry.

TERMS

Booksniffer Inc.
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$0.36
DEADLINE
Jul. 20, 2021 at 6:59 AM UTC
VALUATION
$18.42M
FUNDING GOAL
$10K - $250K
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$249.84
MAX INVESTMENT
$106,999.92
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
27,777
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
694,444
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
SHARES OFFERED
Series B Common Stock

Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares

*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See bonus info below.

COVID Relief

This offering is being conducted on an expedited basis due to circumstances relating to COVID-19 and pursuant to the SEC’s temporary COVID-19 regulatory relief set out in Regulation Crowdfunding §227.201(z).

Offering maximum.

In reliance on this relief, financial information certified by the principal executive officer of the issuer has been provided instead of financial statements reviewed by a public accountant that is independent of the issuer, in setting the offering maximum of $250,000.

Expedited closing sooner than 21 days.

Further, in reliance on Regulation Crowdfunding §227.303(g)(2) A funding portal that is an intermediary in a transaction involving the offer or sale of securities initiated between May 4, 2020, and February 28, 2021, in reliance on section 4(a)(6) of the Securities Act (15 U.S.C. 77d(a)(6)) by an issuer that is conducting an offering on an expedited basis due to circumstances relating to COVID-19 shall not be required to comply with the requirement in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section that a funding portal not direct a transmission of funds earlier than 21 days after the date on which the intermediary makes publicly available on its platform the information required to be provided by the issuer under §§227.201 and 227.203(a).

Investment Incentives and Bonuses

Early Bird*

Friends and Family - First 72 hours I 15% bonus shares 

Super Early Bird - Next 72 hours I 10% bonus 

Early Bird Bonus - Next 7 days I 5% bonus shares 

Volume*

Tier 1 perk - ($1000 +) Advertising credit of $1,000 

Tier 2 perk - ($5,000+) 110% value in advertising credit on the platform 

Tier 3 perk- ($10,000+) perk 2 + 5% bonus shares 

Tier 4 perk - ($25,000+) perk 2 + 10% bonus shares 

The 10% StartEngine Owners' Bonus

BookSniffer Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. Owner's bonus.

This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Series B Common Stock at $0.36 / share, you will receive 110 shares of Series B Common Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $36. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.

This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the Company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are cancelled or fail.

Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.

*Investors participating in both the Early Purchase Bonus and the Volume Bonus may claim the greater of either bonus, not to exceed 15% in total. 

Bonuses will be computed based on each purchase transaction. If an investor makes purchases of our stock in different transactions the bonus will be computed on each purchase meaning that the amounts from different pw·chases will not be aggregated to calculate bonus tiers. Investors are suggested to, if possible, purchase your shares in one transaction as soon as possible. 

Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share. 

Any advertising credits received when purchasing our stock will have no cash value and will be nontransferable. All advertising credits will expire two years from the date of your stock purchase. All advertising credits will be used at BookSniffer's then applicable advertising pricing and will be subject to BookSniffer's advertising standards at the time the advertising is run. Advertising pricing and advertising standards may be changed from time to time with no notice to you. 

For an example of bonus calculation, if you bll.ly 100 shares of Series B Common Stock at $0.36 I share during the second 72 hours of our Early Purchase Bonus, you will receive 110 shares of Series B Common Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $36. If you make a second purchase later, your bonus will be computed on the shares you purchased in that transaction with no regard to your earlier purchase. 

Irregular Use of Proceeds

Example - The Company might incur Irregular Use of Proceeds that may include but are not limited to the following over $10,000: Vendor payments and salary made to one's self, a friend or relative; Any expense labeled "Administration Expenses" that is not strictly for administrative purposes; Any expense labeled "Travel and Entertainment"; Any expense that is for the purposes of inter-company debt or back payments.

ALL UPDATES

07.07.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

05.28.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

04.29.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

04.19.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

04.07.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

03.23.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

03.12.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

03.12.21

BookSniffer files for provisional patent protection for new book giveaway platform

We've had a "eureka" moment here at BookSniffer.


First: THE Question

We have extensive conversations with readers, authors, publishers, and investors every day, and the #1 question we get is this: Why would someone search for books on BookSniffer, as opposed to just going to Amazon?

Our answer is, well, we've got all this cool stuff! Library management, a really powerful search engine, tons of daily deals, book memes and quotes, and so forth.

"Yeah, that's cool! I like that stuff! But why would I search for books on BookSniffer, as opposed to just going to Amazon?"

The question persists... and what we're hearing is that we needed a simpler answer. Something really unique, easy to explain, a real, obvious value proposition that will appeal to a wider audience. 


Second: Authors have been asking do to giveaways.

Book giveaways are a great way to get exposure for a title, get reviews, get followers, and get readers to fall in love with an author so they read the rest of their books. Book giveaways are not a new idea... but doing them well... no one has really cracked that nut yet. Authors and publishers want real value for their giveaway, rather than just giving people books who might not ever read them. We've had lots of authors ask us what we plan to do about giveaways, and we've been listening to ideas for over a year now on how to really do giveaways right. 


Third: No affordable platform exists right now where authors and publishers can do extensive market testing on their books.

Those of us in the book business know there are three things that sell books: covers, blurbs (the short description of a book), and targeting. What we don't know (and constantly second guess): is our cover resonating? Is our blurb well-written for the audiences we target? Is it too long, too short, just right? Is the premise of our book enticing, compared to other books in our genre? In short, how well does my book "packaging" stand up to my competitors?


What if we could answer all these questions in one shot?


What if when readers search for a book on BookSniffer, they had a chance to win that book... or one of many other books being offered by our sponsors, just by giving feedback on covers, blurbs, and plot ideas?


Well, we thought, now that's a simple, unique reason to search for books!


Announcing BookLuckTM: a fun new book giveaway platform by BookSniffer.


On BookLuck, readers have a chance to win any book they search for... and by rating book covers, blurbs, and other data points, they can earn points to win more books. Or, if they fall in love with a book while checking it out, we show them where to buy it.

By hosting a BookLuck campaign, authors and publishers will get:

 - Feedback on their covers

 - Feedback on their blurbs

 - Feedback on their book premise

 - Comparative analytics to other titles in their genre, on all the above points

 - Feedback on their audience targeting

 - The ability to split-test concepts

 - Also-like reports, so authors and publishers can learn how to better target their advertising

 - More reviews

 - More followers

 - More SALES


We're going to do giveaways right. Fun for readers, and unheard of value for sponsors. We're launching BookLuck in the U.S. on March 17th, and we've already sold nearly 100 campaigns to authors and publishers in our early-bird offering. And in discussions with our team, we've decided our our idea is unique enough that it deserves patent protection - so we've filed for a provisional patent with the USPTO.


If you smell what we're cooking, please consider investing! The faster we can raise capital, the faster we can scale this platform and fully integrate it with the BookSniffer applications.


Hope you're well... see ya next time!

03.04.21

Notice of Funds Disbursement

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Booksniffer Inc. has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Booksniffer Inc. be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.


This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.


Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

02.26.21

Lots of new stuff from BookSniffer rolling out!

Hi there fellow BookSniffers! We've got three important things to share with you today:


Our first Author Spotlight content series is live!

We try to go above and beyond for our author investors, and a great way we can do that is to feature those wonderful writers so our readers can learn about them and the worlds they create. Our first spotlight is author David Estes, international bestselling author of the Fatemarked series. David's work is ubiquitous in the epic fantasy genre, and for good reason... he's a brilliant author who knows his craft. 

If you're an author investor with BookSniffer, watch for an email for us - we'll let you know when it's your turn in the spotlight!

We've launched our BookSniffer Secrets content series!

On the BookSniffer site you'll soon see articles popping up giving tips and advice to authors at any stage of their career. Our first article was written by our very own JA Andrews... on the dread topic of writing your author newsletter! (Makes your stomach drop, doesn't it - no worries, JA has some great tips on how to make it fun and engaging.)


SO many authors are becoming investors!

We're grateful to every single individual who invests in BookSniffer. It's really special, though, when authors invest - that tells us that authors out there believe in what we're doing, and they see the value. When your target client market wants to own a piece of the pie, we think that's a heck of an endorsement. 

Of the 155 investors who have participated in our StartEngine campaign so far, 93 are authors. When we add our founders and earlier-round investors, we're now proud to say we have over 100 author-owners of the BookSniffer platform!



OK, we have four things to share. Four and a half, really.

Coming REALLY soon... Publisher Accounts!

The demand is real. We've had lots of conversations with publishers lately who want their own publisher dashboard on BookSniffer, so they can advertise ALL their authors. We're building it now... along with something particularly fun that's also been in high demand. Look for our next update to see the newest property BookSniffer is rolling out!


Be safe, enjoy your weekend, and GO READ A BOOK!


Sean & Team Sniff

REWARDS

Multiple investments in an offering cannot be combined to qualify for a larger campaign reward.
Venture Club

Venture Club

Venture Club Members earn 10% bonus shares on top of this and all eligible investments for an entire year. Not a member? Sign up at checkout ($275/year).

$1,000

Tier 1 perk

Advertising credit of $1,000

$5,000

Tier 2 perk

110% value in advertising credit on the platform

$10,000

Tier 3 perk

perk 2 + 5% bonus shares

$25,000

Tier 4 perk

perk 2 + 10% bonus shares

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

0/2500

AB
Andrew Brickson

3 years ago

Any update?

0

1

EB
Edward Beale

4 years ago

Interested to see an update. The company web site is not SSL and the non-secure site says it it "parked" with GoDaddy. http://www.booksniffer.com/ What's the latest on this investment?

Show more

2

0

EB
Edward Beale

4 years ago

Found this site: https://booksniffer.app which appears correct. The app for iPad says there is a SSL issue and won't load or allow searches for content. Might be a temporary thing, I'll try again later.

Show more

0

nm
niki moyer

4 years ago

In this age of cancel culture, does your product discriminate in any way against conservatives, Republicans, or Trump supporters (ie. make the books or search terms less available to them)?

Show more

1

0

SH
Sean Hansen

Booksniffer Inc.

4 years ago

Thanks for your question Niki. The only stuff we restrict is anything that isn't family-friendly, like hard core erotica and such when we find it. Our platform is meant to be suitable for all ages, hence those restrictions. We may someday end up with a BookSniffer After Dark product for adults; that's been suggested by a lot of authors. Aside from that though, we don't have the manpower to screen millions and millions of books for content; we just list stuff that's available for sale on major retailers, and readers can choose which authors and titles they wish to support or not.

Show more

0

SA
Sarvish Arora

4 years ago

Why is the UX so old and outdated. I mean UX isn't too hard. Having a great UX/UI is the only way to create a successful app and to be honest you don't have it

Show more

0

0

BS
Ben Sobieck

4 years ago

Hi Booksniffer - Where are you sourcing the metadata from to index your search engine and catalog? Are you pulling it from retail websites?

Show more

0

0

BT
Brittany Tripp

4 years ago

I'm interested but I was wondering if it's possible to invest the minimum initially but have the option to upgrade later to the $1,000 investment in order to be eligible for the advertising credit?

Show more

1

0

SH
Sean Hansen

Booksniffer Inc.

4 years ago

Sure! We don't have a specific mechanism for this through StartEngine, but if you decide to go this route, reach out to us once you get your Investor Welcome message, and we'll combine your investment totals for you to give you appropriate credit!

Show more

0

KC
Kristi Cramer

4 years ago

Thanks for your answers, Sean! It's kinda what I thought, and it is nice to get confirmation. (And I didn't mean to flag your comment as inappropriate. I didn't know what the exclamation point was for!)

Show more

0

0

KC
Kristi Cramer

4 years ago

Hey there, I'm really tempted to invest in BookSniffer, but I couldn't find any indication of how it would pay off, if indeed it could pay off. I mean, I'm all for supporting an alternative to Amazon ads, but "investing" sounds like I could (eventually) see a fiscal benefit to supporting it. I know investing is a gamble and I'm willing to take it, but I'd like to hear how the investment could pay off, more than just the existence of an alternative.

Show more

1

0

SH
Sean Hansen

Booksniffer Inc.

4 years ago

Hi Kristi! Was just looking at your books, Sherwood Rogue looks really cool! So, generally with early stage companies like us, early investors will have an opportunity to sell their shares if we have an "exit" event, like if we were purchased by another company or we go public. The other possibility is that if we become profitable, we might choose to pay dividends on shares. Or a combination of those things. We're way too early in our life cycle to know which way things will go for us, but I can share with you that the sentiment in our board right now is that, if things go well, we'd be most likely to either go public (and list on a stock exchange) or just keep working as a going concern and pay dividends to our shareholders. I want to make clear though that we're along way from those targets; we have so much to build, and even if (when, we hope!) we're crushing it on revenues, we plan to re-invest in growing and improving our platform. So, whatever you'd decide to invest, I think it would be prudent to treat it as a long-term investment, meaning, don't invest so much that it creates a hardship for you in any way, and expect it could be a long time before your investment could be liquid. Again, assuming we do well - we're an early stage company, and we certainly believe in our own potential to succeed, but there's a zillion things that can go wrong and we could never make it to the finish line. So do what's right for you - if we're too early for you, that's OK we sill love ya :)

Show more

0

WW
Writerly Writer

4 years ago

Why is BookSniffer still not available in my region, Australia? It’s a bit difficult to invest, when you cannot see the item for yourself.

Show more

1

0

SH
Sean Hansen

Booksniffer Inc.

4 years ago

You can go to our website (which I am not allowed to link here) and most of the functionality is there. We expect to roll out in Australia in just a few weeks, it's the next country on our international rollout!

Show more

0

sh
steven hightower

4 years ago

I'm interested in investing. One question honestly, who picked the name? Really...what comes to mind when you think of a person sniffing a book? Starts with a P ends with ervert. Book Finder? or maybe Book Locator? You really think you will be taken seriously?

Show more

1

0

SH
Sean Hansen

Booksniffer Inc.

4 years ago

We get a little pushback on the name sometimes, but you have to admit, it's memorable and evocative! The concept is behind two things, first, that lovely smell when you crack open a new (or old) book... nothing like it! Second, we sniff the web for deals and books all day every day. So that's the etymology of the name. There's even hashtags and memes out there about sniffing books... my favorite is, "how book nerds get high" hehe. As for whether we'll be taken seriously, so far, so good! Who knows though, someday we might decide to go with a different name, logo, branding, etc. Right now, we hope people will think it's fun, and they'll 'get' it for the most part. We do get a LOT of messages from people saying they absolutely love it. So, maybe it's a love-it-or-hate-it thing. We tend to prefer to be fun in the way we name things, though, like our free ad maker product for authors: AdMakerMcAdmakerFace :)

Show more

0

HOW INVESTING WORKS

Cancel anytime before 48 hours before a rolling close or the offering end date.

FAQ Timeline

WHY STARTENGINE?

Rewards Icon
REWARDS

We want you to succeed and get the most out of your money by offering rewards and memberships!

Lock Icon
SECURE

Your info is your info. We take pride in keeping it that way!

Ellipse Icon
DIVERSE INVESTMENTS

Invest in over 200 start-ups and collectibles!

FAQS

With Regulation A+, a non-accredited investor can only invest a maximum of 10% of their annual income or 10% of their net worth per year, whichever is greater. There are no restrictions for accredited investors.

With Regulation Crowdfunding, non-accredited investors with an annual income or net worth less than $124,000 are limited to invest a maximum of 5% of the greater of those two amounts. For those with an annual income and net worth greater than $124,000, they are limited to investing 10% of the greater of the two amounts.

At the close of an offering, all investors whose funds have “cleared” by this time will be included in the disbursement. At this time, each investor will receive an email from StartEngine with their Countersigned Subscription Agreement, which will serve as their proof of purchase moving forward.

Please keep in mind that a company can conduct a series of “closes” or withdrawals of funds throughout the duration of the campaign. If you are included in that withdrawal period, you will be emailed your countersigned subscription agreement and proof of purchase immediately following that withdrawal.

StartEngine assists companies in raising capital, and once the offering is closed, we are no longer involved with whether the company chooses to list shares on a secondary market or what occurs thereafter. Therefore, StartEngine has no control or insight into your investment after the close of the live offering. In addition, we are not permitted to provide financial advice. You may want to contact a financial professional to discuss possible investment outcomes.

For Regulation Crowdfunding, investors are able to cancel their investment at any point throughout the campaign up until 48 hours before the closing of the offering. Note: If the company does a rolling close, they will post an update to their current investors, giving them the opportunity to cancel during this timeframe. If you do not cancel within this 5-day timeframe, your funds will be invested in the company, and you will no longer be able to cancel the investment. If your funds show as ‘Invested’ on your account dashboard, your investment can no longer be canceled.

For Regulation A+, StartEngine allows for a four-hour cancellation period. Once the four-hour window has passed, it is up to each company to set their own cancellation policy. You may find the company’s cancellation policy in the company’s offering circular.

Once your investment is canceled, there is a 10-day clearing period (from the date your investment was submitted). After your funds have cleared the bank, you will receive your refund within 10 business days.

Refunds that are made through ACH payments can take up to 10 business days to clear. Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the bank, but we will do everything we can to get you your refund as soon as possible. However, every investment needs to go through the clearing process in order to be sent back to the account associated with the investment.

Both Title III (Regulation Crowdfunding) and Title IV (Reg A+) help entrepreneurs crowdfund capital investments from unaccredited and accredited investors. The differences between these regulations are related to the investor limitations, the differing amounts of money companies are permitted to raise, and differing disclosure and filing requirements. To learn more about Regulation Crowdfunding, click here, and for Regulation A+, click here.

RAISED
$136,786.18
INVESTORS
257
MIN INVEST
$249.84
VALUATION
$18.42M

Important Message

IN MAKING AN INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS MUST RELY ON THEIR OWN EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUER AND THE TERMS OF THE OFFERING, INCLUDING THE MERITS AND RISKS INVOLVED. INVESTMENTS ON STARTENGINE ARE SPECULATIVE, ILLIQUID, AND INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT.

www.StartEngine.com is a website owned and operated by StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc. (“StartEngine”), which is neither a registered broker-dealer, investment advisor nor funding portal.

Unless indicated otherwise with respect to a particular issuer, all securities-related activity is conducted by regulated affiliates of StartEngine: StartEngine Capital LLC, a funding portal registered here with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and here as a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), or StartEngine Primary LLC (“SE Primary”), a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and FINRA / SIPC. You can review the background of our broker-dealer and our investment professionals on FINRA’s BrokerCheck here. StartEngine Secondary is an alternative trading system (ATS) regulated by the SEC and operated by SE Primary. SE Primary is a member of SIPC and explanatory brochures are available upon request by contacting SIPC at (202) 371-8300.

StartEngine facilitates three types of primary offerings:

1) Regulation A offerings (JOBS Act Title IV; known as Regulation A+), which are offered to non-accredited and accredited investors alike. These offerings are made through StartEngine Primary, LLC (unless otherwise indicated). 2) Regulation D offerings (Rule 506(c)), which are offered only to accredited investors. These offerings are made through StartEngine Primary, LLC. 3) Regulation Crowdfunding offerings (JOBS Act Title III), which are offered to non-accredited and accredited investors alike. These offerings are made through StartEngine Capital, LLC. Some of these offerings are open to the general public, however there are important differences and risks.

Any securities offered on this website have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. StartEngine and its affiliates do not provide any investment advice or recommendation and do not provide any legal or tax advice concerning any securities. All securities listed on this site are being offered by, and all information included on this site is the responsibility of, the applicable issuer of such securities. StartEngine does not verify the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information. Neither StartEngine nor any of its officers, directors, agents, and employees makes any warranty, express or implied, of any kind whatsoever related to the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information on this site or the use of information on this site.

Investing in private company securities is not suitable for all investors. An investment in private company securities is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. It should only be considered a long-term investment. You must be prepared to withstand a total loss of your investment. Private company securities are also highly illiquid, and there is no guarantee that a market will develop for such securities. Each investment also carries its own specific risks, and you should complete your own independent due diligence regarding the investment. This includes obtaining additional information about the company, opinions, financial projections, and legal or other investment advice. Accordingly, investing in private company securities is appropriate only for those investors who can tolerate a high degree of risk and do not require a liquid investment. See additional general disclosures here.

By accessing this site and any pages on this site, you agree to be bound by our Terms of use and Privacy Policy, as may be amended from time to time without notice or liability.

Canadian Investors

Investment opportunities posted and accessible through the site will not be offered to Canadian resident investors. Potential investors are strongly advised to consult their legal, tax and financial advisors before investing. The securities offered on this site are not offered in jurisdictions where public solicitation for offerings is not permitted; it is solely your responsibility to comply with the laws and regulations of your country of residence.

California Investors Only – Do Not Sell My Personal Information (800-317-2200). StartEngine does not sell personal information. For all customer inquiries, please write to contact@startengine.com.

StartEngine Marketplace (“SE Marketplace”) is a website operated by StartEngine Primary, LLC (“SE Primary”), a broker-dealer that is registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and the SIPC.

StartEngine Secondary (“SE Secondary”) is our investor trading platform. SE Secondary is an SEC-registered Alternative Trading System (“ATS”) operated by SE Primary that matches orders for buyers and sellers of securities. It allows investors to trade shares purchased through Regulation A+, Regulation Crowdfunding, or Regulation D for companies who have engaged StartEngine Secure LLC as their transfer agent. The term “Rapid,” when used in relation to transactions on SE Marketplace, specifically refers to transactions that are facilitated on SE Secondary, This is because, unlike with trades on the StartEngine Bulletin Board (“SE BB”), trades on SE Secondary are executed the moment that they are matched.

StartEngine Bulletin Board (“SE BB”) is a bulletin board platform on which users can indicate to each other their interest to buy or sell shares of private companies that previously executed Reg CF or Reg A offerings not necessarily through SE Primary. As a bulletin board platform, SE BB provides a venue for investors to access information about such private company offerings and connect with potential sellers. All investment opportunities on SE BB are based on indicated interest from sellers and will need to be confirmed. Even if parties express mutual interest to enter into a trade on SE BB, a trade will not immediately result because execution is subject to additional contingencies, including among others, effecting of the transfer of the shares from the potential seller to the potential buyer by the issuer and/or transfer agent. SE BB is distinct and separate from SE Secondary. SE Secondary facilitates the trading of securities by matching orders between buyers and sellers and facilitating executions of trades on the platform. By contrast, under SE BB, SE Primary assists with the facilitation of a potential resulting trade off platform including, by among other things, approaching the issuer and other necessary parties in relation to the potential transaction. The term “Extended”, when used in relation to transactions on SE Marketplace denotes that these transactions are conducted via SE BB, and that these transactions may involve longer processing times compared to SE Secondary for the above-stated reasons.

Even if a security is qualified to be displayed on SE Marketplace, there is no guarantee an active trading market for the securities will ever develop, or if developed, be maintained. You should assume that you may not be able to liquidate your investment for some time or be able to pledge these shares as collateral.

The availability of company information does not indicate that the company has endorsed, supports, or otherwise participates with StartEngine. It also does not constitute an endorsement, solicitation or recommendation by StartEngine. StartEngine does not (1) make any recommendations or otherwise advise on the merits or advisability of a particular investment or transaction, (2) assist in the determination of the fair value of any security or investment, or (3) provide legal, tax, or transactional advisory services.