Why We Created Bookcicle

By Krysta Maravilla, Co-Founder of Bookcicle

Bookcicle wasn't created because we wanted to build software.

It wasn't created because AI became popular.

And it certainly wasn't created because we looked at publishing and thought, "You know what this industry needs? Another app."

Bookcicle was born because my brother, Andy, and I were experiencing the same frustrations many authors experience, in our own ways. 

Around 2017, Andy was deep into writing his novel, Back Bay Murders, when something every author dreads happened. An entire chapter disappeared. Gone.

No recovery. No built-in protection. No safety net.

As both a writer and a software engineer, Andy was frustrated—because in this day and age, there is no excuse for that to occur, especially with his background. And thus, Bookcicle, our legacy writing app, was born.

In 2018, I began my own writing journey while working on Spark, the first book in my Of Fire and Shadows series. I drafted in Bookcicle, making suggestions to improve Bookcicle’s writing environment and testing every aspect of it. Once I finished my first draft, however, I stepped into an entirely different world where I discovered that writing "The End" wasn't actually the end.

It was the beginning of a completely new phase.

I learned how expensive the editing process was. And, of course, I needed multiple rounds of editing, with one edit alone costing over $7,200.

I learned that timelines don't go according to plan. In one instance, I waited eight months to receive my manuscript back from an editor, and only after I repeatedly requested it. Or another time, I received the edit 4 days before I was scheduled to publish. 

I learned how many moving pieces exist between a draft and a published book. Covers. Formatting. Revisions. Reviewer feedback. Publication requirements. Marketing assets. 

And with every stage came new files, new versions, new people, and new processes to learn, a new tool or professional that cost more money. 

None of this was anyone's fault. It’s just how the writing industry is. 

As Andy and I compared notes, we realized something important. His challenge had been protecting the manuscript while it was being written. Mine was everything that happened after the manuscript was written.

Both experiences pointed to the same opportunity: authors needed a workflow built around the life of a manuscript. So, we built a place where protection, editing, collaboration, translation, adaptation, and publishing preparation are connected rather than fragmented. A place built to help keep momentum and support the writer's journey, whether they use AI support or not. A place built around the reality of how authors work.

Bookcicle continues to evolve, but the reason we built it remains the same.

Because authoring is hard.

Finishing is harder.

Keep going,

Krysta Maravilla

Co-Founder, Bookcicle