The Early Shelf
Read early. Review honestly.
$1.99 · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
The Early Shelf connects readers with independent authors who want honest early reviews.
Browse new and upcoming indie books, request early access, and read a preview in a protected reader. Then share what you really thought. Your honest review helps the author, and your reading history builds your reputation as a trusted reader.
FOR READERS
- Discover books by genre, rating and release date
- Browse every author on the Authors tab, with their live books, past books and upcoming books
- See how past campaigns finished, with reader counts and ratings
- Message the author of a book you've requested (18+ only, with block and report)
- Follow authors and books you love
- Read previews in a protected in-app reader, with illustrations shown where the author placed them
- Jump between chapters from the contents list
- Save books to read offline
- Get reminders when reviews are due
- Earn badges and climb the leaderboard
FOR AUTHORS
- Manage your campaigns and approve readers
- Track reading progress and reviews
- See your campaign health score
- Share your invite link so readers can join your book
Authors set the preview length and the age rating. Books rated R18+ are only shown to readers who have confirmed they are 18 or over and switched them on in their profile. Books are read inside the app, with no downloads or copying.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
New in 4.0.0:
- Messages: chat with the author of a book you've requested, and authors can message their readers. Messaging is for members aged 18 and over, and you can block or report anyone at any time.
- OpenDyslexic reading font, with words never split across lines.
- Chapter lists now match the website.
- Illustrations in books show where the author placed them.
- Fixes and improvements.
The developer, Kelly Thompson, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Contact Info
- User Content
- Identifiers
- Other Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Kelly Thompson
- Size
- 29.9 MB
- Category
- Books
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 15.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 15.0 or later. - iPod touch
Requires iOS 15.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
13+
- 13+
- Infrequent
Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Realistic Violence
Profanity or Crude Humor
Mature or Suggestive Themes
Horror/Fear Themes
Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug Use or References
Sexual Content or Nudity
Contests
Guns or Other Weapons
Contains
Messaging and Chat
User-Generated Content
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Early Shelf
