1999

iUniverse Incorporated was founded in October 1999 and quickly became the leading provider of publishing technology solutions. The company initially focused on business-to-consumer (B2C) print-on-demand publishing with two facets: new title publishing (through the Writer's Club Press imprint) and back-in-print publishing.

Barnes & Noble invested in the company and soon started offering iUniverse books for order online at Barnes & Noble.com (bn.com) and through Barnes & Noble retail stores.

2000

iUniverse expanded its focus to include a business-to-business (B2B) emphasis by creating a format neutral content repository that would be used by publishers for custom and print-on-demand publishing.

2001

Warburg Pincus, a technology group, invested in iUniverse Incorporated, supporting the rapid expansion of the iUniverse digital platform that eventually emerged as the key technology for providing mass customization, personalization, and print-on-demand services within the publishing industry and beyond.

Partnerships were formed with IDG Books Worldwide—publisher of the best-selling For Dummies books, Frommer's Travel Guides, and CliffsNotes—Microsoft, Adobe, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Publishers Group West.

iUniverse set a new industry milestone by selling more than 500,000 books with nearly 10,000 titles published.

iUniverse author Ralph Fertig took his book Love and Liberation: When the Jews Tore Down the Ghetto Walls to number four on the Los Angeles Times best-seller list.

iUniverse and Weekly Reader, the leading educational publisher of elementary and secondary periodicals, announced a partnership to implement a publishing program allowing students and teachers in classrooms across the country to create and publish their own high-quality paperback books.

2002

iUniverse began to focus primarily on author publishing.

2003

iUniverse received the coveted Editors' Choice designation from PC Magazine in a comparison of six print-on-demand companies. The article was published in the magazine's May 27, 2003, issue.

Susan Driscoll, traditional publishing-industry veteran of more than 20 years, was named iUniverse president and CEO. Driscoll's publishing and marketing expertise were noted as the key attributes necessary to position iUniverse as the only publishing services provider with the proficiency and knowledge to help authors achieve their publishing goals.

2004

The first iUniverse title hit the New York Times Best Seller list when author Amy Fisher published her book If I Knew Then. The title climbed to number 14 on the list and eventually became the best-selling book in iUniverse history, selling more than 34,000 copies.

Publishing veteran Diane Gedymin was hired for the newly created position of editorial director, and iUniverse became the first publishing services provider to introduce an extensive selection of professional editorial services, which previously were unavailable to most self-published authors.

2005

iUniverse launched the new Star Program. The Star Program focuses on identifying talented individuals within the growing community of iUniverse authors who have proven commercial success and have the potential to earn a traditional publishing contract.

2006

iUniverse teamed up with Barnes & Noble to offer the Publisher's Choice designation. Publisher's Choice rewarded authors whose books met key editorial and industry retail standards with the opportunity to have their titles placed in a local Barnes & Noble store for eight weeks — or longer if the book was selling.

2007

Author Solutions, Inc., the leading company in the world focused on helping authors publish, promote and sell their books, acquired iUniverse in September.