Barnes & Noble has launched its self-publishing platform PubIt, giving pre-registered writers and independent publishers the opportunity to reach a mass audience.

Available as of Monday, the program lets do-it-yourself authors and publishers offer contribute works through the bookseller's website and digital bookstore. PubIt hits the market later than expected. B&N had originally said the service would launce in the summer.

B&N said the service adds tens of thousands of titles to its online bookstore, which offers more than a million digital books and periodicals. Content uploaded to PubIt will be available within 24 to 72 hours.

"The launch of our PubIt! platform further reinforces our long-standing commitment to authors and writers, and offers a significant opportunity to provide an even greater selection of reading material to our millions of customers," Theresa Horner, director of digital products at B&N, said in a statement.

In launching PubIt, B&N also announced pricing for the first time. Publishers and writers can price their titles between 99 cents and $199.99. People who price works at between $2.99 and $9.99 can earn 65% of the list price. Publishers pricing works outside of that range will receive 40% of the list price. B&N says there are no additional charges, regardless of file size.

B&N is promising copyright protection through its digital rights management technology. All submitted writings will be offered in the ePub format, a standard developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum. Members of the IDPF include HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill and Random House.

EPub-formatted books are supported by a variety of electronic readers, including B&N's Nook, Borders' Kobo and Sony's Reader. Amazon does not support the format in the Kindle, opting instead to focus on its own proprietary DRM technology.

Amazon also offers its own do-it-yourself publishing service. The online retailer in June increased to 70% the royalties paid to participants in Amazon's Kindle Digital Text Platform. To qualify, the books have to sell for between $2.99 and $9.99.

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