diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcab8ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+
+### needs a setup.py so that readthedocs.io can successfully build
+##
+#   tip from https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs.org/issues/7030#issuecomment-624669745
+#
+# [...] And Brett Cannon (a Python core developer) gives the minimum setup.py file:
+#
+
+
+import setuptools
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    setuptools.setup()