On August 2025, Neeta Gupta, who runs the virtual meetings of the Publishers’ Exchange, reconnected more than two dozen members of the group to a new web-based but hybrid real work publishing service and marketplace called Stck (https://stck.me/).
Founded by two publishing industry tech veterans, Ritesh Mehta and Samir Patil, Stck, which earlier focussed on connecting individual authors and self publishers directly to readers, recently decided to onboard small and independent publishers that want to engage its services in formatting and publishing books to reach and monetize readers across the world with either digital and printed books, or both options.
Stck has several interesting features as shown in the interactive webinar, including the ability to flow text into book formats in all languages, including the non-Roman Indian languages, and then sell and deliver these in digital or print format directly to readers and buyers across the world. It has tied up with short-run book printers and delivery services globally, including India.
The two founders, who seem like hands-on techies, are typically ready to solve any niche publishing need, are also knowledgeable about book publishing and reader behavior, having had some experience with online content and book delivery companies. One of the participants, an Indian language publisher, was able to speak about her thus far positive experience with Stck while several others shared their relevant business queries.
They describe their marketplace as offering “zero fixed costs” for authors and publishers in what they say is, “post-Amazon phase of book selling.” The implication is of all the long-tail benefits of targeted reach, especially to the Indian diaspora, without the penalties of surrendering intellectual property at a low price or incurring high production costs for short runs or single copies of books.
Publishers can apparently set up their own sites on https://stck.me/ and by requesting either Patil or Mehta (ritesh@stck.me) or Samir (samir@stck.me) to be upgraded to its Premium Pro features. While it may be free or nominally priced to start with, eventually there will be some subscription costs apart from the costs of individual production and delivery of books that will be automatically deducted with the proceeds going to the publisher.
Prior to reaching out to smaller and independent publishers in India, Stck had already connected about 10,000 authors to 1.5 million readers. It’s providing an alternative to Amazon with the prospect of much better returns with authors and publishers retaining their intellectual property and being able to reach their customers with printed copies.
Patil and Mehta see the Indian diaspora as a particularly lucrative market for Indian publishers who can suitably price their books for overseas readers and have them printed and delivered economically in their particular locality or region. The two Stck founders are planning to present their vision at the Frankfurt Bookfair this year and to also meet publishers at book fairs and festivals across India and Europe.
