Submission Terms
Last updated: August 15, 2026
These Submission Terms apply to books and related materials submitted to The Indie Book Index for consideration. By submitting a book, you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms.
Eligibility
The Indie Book Index is dedicated to independently published books.
Submitted books must be independently published or otherwise meet the current eligibility requirements of The Indie Book Index. Traditionally published titles may be declined.
Submission does not guarantee acceptance, publication, continued listing, promotion, or placement within the Index.
The Indie Book Index reserves the right to determine whether a submission meets its eligibility and editorial standards.
Authority to Submit
By submitting a book, you confirm that you are the author, publisher, authorized representative, or another person who has permission to provide the submitted information and materials.
You must have the necessary rights or permission to submit any book cover, description, author information, links, or other materials included with the submission.
Please do not submit books or materials on behalf of another person without authorization.
Accuracy of Information
You are responsible for providing accurate information about the submitted book.
This includes, where applicable, the book’s title, author name, publication information, genres, subgenres, formats, pricing, retailer availability, content information, series information, and links.
The Indie Book Index may make minor editorial or formatting changes for clarity, consistency, accessibility, or presentation.
We may contact you if information needs clarification before a listing can be approved.
Editorial Review
Every submission is subject to review.
The Indie Book Index may accept, decline, edit, categorize, postpone, or remove a listing when reasonably necessary to maintain the accuracy, quality, usability, or editorial standards of the Index.
Acceptance is not an endorsement, review, recommendation, or guarantee regarding a book’s quality, content, accuracy, or suitability for any particular reader.
Book Covers and Submitted Materials
By submitting a book cover or other promotional material, you confirm that you have the right or permission to provide that material.
You grant The Indie Book Index a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free permission to use, reproduce, resize, crop, format, and display submitted materials as reasonably necessary to review the submission, create and maintain the book’s listing, operate the Index, and promote the book’s presence on The Indie Book Index.
You retain ownership of your materials.
This permission does not transfer ownership of your copyright or other intellectual property to The Indie Book Index.
Public Listing Information
If a submission is accepted, information intended for the book listing may become publicly visible.
This may include information such as the book title, author or pen name, cover, description, genres and subgenres, series information, formats, pricing, content notes, retailer availability, website links, and other book-related information submitted for public display.
Administrative contact information provided for communication with The Indie Book Index will not be intentionally displayed as part of the public listing unless it was specifically submitted for public display.
Pricing and Availability
Prices, formats, retailer availability, Kindle Unlimited status, promotional offers, and purchase links may change after a book is submitted.
The Indie Book Index cannot guarantee that pricing or availability information will remain current at all times.
Submitters are encouraged to request an update when material listing information changes.
Purchase and External Links
The Indie Book Index may link readers to third-party retailers, author websites, publishers, audiobook platforms, or other external services.
The Indie Book Index does not control those websites and is not responsible for their availability, transactions, policies, products, services, security, or content.
Some purchase links may be converted to, replaced with, or presented as affiliate links where permitted.
The use of an affiliate link does not affect whether a book is eligible for inclusion in the Index.
Affiliate Relationships
The Indie Book Index may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through certain links, at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Affiliate relationships do not determine whether a submitted book is accepted, rejected, featured, categorized, or otherwise treated editorially.
Additional information is available in our Affiliate Disclosure.
Content Information
Submitters are responsible for accurately providing requested content information and other reader-facing classifications to the best of their knowledge.
The Indie Book Index may adjust classifications when necessary for consistency across the Index.
Content notes and classifications are provided as discovery tools and are not guarantees that every reader will interpret or experience a book’s content in the same way.
Updates and Corrections
Authors or other authorized representatives may request reasonable corrections or updates to an existing listing.
The Indie Book Index may require sufficient information to verify the requester’s authority to modify a listing.
We may also correct obvious errors or outdated information when they come to our attention.
Removal of Listings
The Indie Book Index may remove a listing when appropriate, including when a book no longer meets eligibility requirements, submitted information is materially inaccurate or misleading, rights concerns arise, links or materials create security concerns, or continued publication would conflict with the Index’s policies or operation.
An author or authorized representative may also request removal of a listing.
Removal from the Index does not necessarily require deletion of administrative records associated with the original submission.
No Guarantee of Traffic or Sales
Inclusion in The Indie Book Index does not guarantee page views, clicks, reviews, purchases, sales, rankings, publicity, or any other commercial result.
The Index is a discovery resource, not a promise of book performance.
Submission Records
Information submitted through our forms may be retained for administrative, editorial, security, and recordkeeping purposes in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Changes to These Terms
These Submission Terms may be updated as The Indie Book Index, its submission process, or its policies evolve.
The version posted on this page will govern new submissions made after the updated terms take effect.
Contact
Questions about these Submission Terms, an existing submission, or a published listing may be sent through our Contact page.