The platform for African talent

Publish. Read. Without borders.

The Bearing is where independent African authors write, publish and get booked for events, and where readers find and read their books. Free to join, and authors keep 100% of their royalties.

Start writing free Start reading free

Free to join. Takes about 30 seconds.

The Bearing includes:

For authors

Writing studioWrite and organise your manuscripts from any device, with autosave and version history.Writing helpSuggestions as you type, and a consistency check across your whole manuscript.Cover designCreate a book cover with AI, or order one from a vetted designer.Publish and exportExport to PDF, EPUB and DOCX, and get a public page for each of your books.Get found and bookedBe discovered by event organisers and get booked for events and conferences, with the booking managed for you on The Bearing.

For readers

Your libraryKeep every book you are reading, want to read or have finished in one place.DiscoverFind new books and authors from across Africa and the diaspora.Reading circlesRead together in circles, follow your favourite authors and share what you think.

What you can count on

100%

of your royalties stay with you

Free

to join, for authors and readers

5 languages

English, French, Swahili, Hausa and Yoruba

Every book starts with a single page.

Start writing free Start reading free