[part three; wherein my teachers are going to be so proud of my research skills jk]
Inkitt keeps saying that you can get your book published, but let's take a look at the ones they've published successfully.
According to Inkitt's CEO on his 'Q and A' at 'wearewhitefox.com' :
'When Inkitt pitches a book to a publishing house, we already have dependable data that proves how strong a potential for success a new novel has. As a result, the novel becomes a lot more attractive to a publisher.'
Dependable data? Attractive? I wouldn't say so.
Let's get back to this photo because it includes more information than you might think.
Of course, since this is on Inkitt's 'get published' site, they must be big-time authors right? Big enough that the users will get interested?
Let's cross out Lauren from the list and look into the books of the other two. You might want to check this out...
1. 'Three Fat Singletons' by J.M. Bartholomew (Amazon only)
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't CreateSpace an independent publishing platform (as per the name) where you can publish a book yourself without the 'help' of Inkitt? So what exactly did they contribute to the book? What happened to 'pitching a book to a publishing house'?
2. 'Aureate Spectacles' by Eliott McKay (Amazon only)
Ahh well not a surprise. Inkitt says that if they aren't able to pitch your book to a publishing house then they'll publish the book themselves.
I checked and so far every book I've seen was published by Inkitt themselves. There's only ONE book that was published by an actual publishing house (Tor Books) and that's Bright Star by Erin Swan.
Let's insert Wattpad into the equation. Compared to Inkitt, they have been MUCH MORE successful in publishing books. We have Cupid's Match (Penguin Books), Clique Bait (HarperTeens), What Happened That Night (Penguin Books), and so much more.
I'm not going to lie, it's impressive compared to Inkitt. And to say that most of Wattpad's books were published by the 'Big five publishers' [search it up for more info]
-
Next:
Compared to Wattpad, Inkitt doesn't have ads. They don't have Paid Stories. They don't have the premium feature. So ask yourself this question: "How does Inkitt earn their money?"
Simple. They get their share from the books they publish.
As you all know, Inkitt's algorithm focuses on reader behavior. They determine whether readers enjoy the book and if it has the potential to be a best seller.
THIS is where my suspicion comes in. I knew there was a missing piece to Inkitt's mystery, and this might be it. I'm pretty sure everyone is already thinking about this but nonetheless, read on and let me know what you think.
I strongly believe (and to say that I have trust issues jk) that Inkitt's algorithm was constructed be that way so that the books they will be publishing will be a big hit [or at least that's what THEY think and what their system tells them].
Big hit = More people interested in buying = Bigger sum of money for Inkitt
Think about it. It MAKES SENSE to me. It's an amazing scheme, a bit simple but effective.
As Ali says, if the reader keeps on reading and reading like it's the end of the world then it's a good book, yeah?
The plot of the book doesn't matter. Nothing matters except the book's effect on the reader. It's now confirmed. BUT of course, this is just normal and we're already expecting that.
(That's how things work, it's life, so feel free to just ignore this lmao).
-
But wait there's more.
Take a look at this message (taken from fictigristle.wordpress.com wherein Lauren uncovers Inkitt's email to her asking whether she's interested in joining their writing program Galatea).
'Not only is Galatea a cool new way for readers to consume literature, but it also opens you up to a broader audience and allows you to access valuable customer data we can't access through selling on Amazon. That means, on the one hand, better reader retention for our authors: when an author releases a sequel or another work, we can contact every single reader directly through a pop-up, push notification, email etc. If a reader falls off in the middle of a story we can retarget them on Facebook to encourage them to continue reading, when a reader finishes a book in a similar genre we can refer them to your story as a constant source of cross-promotion. And on the other hand better acquisition: we can track performance marketing efforts in a very detailed manner that Amazon doesn't allow which gives us the opportunity to spend larger amounts of marketing budgets on campaigns. The sky's the limit!'
Take note of the bold text please.
At this point, these are what's running through my mind: "Access valuable customer data?" "What data?" "Is Inkitt serious?" "RETARGET THE READERS ON FACEBOOK?" "WHAT?" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN- I WANT TO KNOW MORE!!!"
As Vester puts it: "It's like your trying to move on but they're clinging on you like a toxic ex."
HELL YEAH, I CAN'T AGREE MORE. IT'S SKETCHY. NOT TO MENTION WEIRD, INAPPROPRIATE, AND JUST OFF-PUTTING. Why in the world would Inkitt consider this? And they're using it to lure the authors!!!!
-
Let's take a look at Inkitt's Publishing Contract (yes I went that far, sorry not sorry). It's available on their site so if you want to check it out I'm not stopping you...
It's written there that:
'SECTION 12: TERMINATION REVERSION OF RIGHTS
If we decide to terminate this contract we will give you a minimum of 10 days notice.
We promise to generate at least $1,000 in sales in the first year. If we don't meet that guarantee, you can end the contract and rights will be returned to you.'
I'm sorry but why is the statement contradicting itself? For your information, the word 'promise' means 'assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen.' [Oxford Dictionary]
'IF WE DON'T MEET THAT GUARANTEE?' SEARCH IT UP PLEASE. Here we are with money again (let's face it tho it happens).
-
Here's what other people think (credits to thatdrowningfish for the others!)
Another thing about Inkitt is that the likes (or votes) are per book and not per chapter. For me, this means as a writer, you won't be able to know more on what part your reader likes most. Their comments are also per chapter and they don't have the feature of inline-commenting, which again, hinders the writer's knowledge on what scene the readers like/dislike most.
In addition, Inkitt doesn't have a reads function so both as a reader or writer, you wouldn't how many users already viewed the book. The only place you can see it is to view the analytics, which is only available on their website and not on the app.
-
Before I end this, let's move on to the good things Inkitt holds for us.
1. The review option. This is a good way to get feedback from your readers and know what they think of your story! Also, if you're looking for books to read, you'll know which ones to read by checking their rating and review.
2. Reading history. Even if you didn't add the book to your library, it'll still show on your history. Let's say you accidentally exited the book and wanted to get back to it, you can go check your history because there's no doubt it'll show up.
3. Community Groups. Inkitt also has a community tab that functions similarly to Wattpad's forums. The thing here is that Inkitt allows you to access the community groups on both their app and their website, unlike Wattpad wherein it's only available on the latter.
4. Book Showcase. If you scroll through Inkitt's homepage, it's not only the books' covers that are included but also the book blurbs, giving you much more insight into the story. Not to mention they also show the star rating! Unlike Wattpad which only includes the covers.
5. Liking Feature. If you post on your message board on Inkitt, your readers have the ability to like it. Unlike on Wattpad, this is a good improvement which boosts convenience. Their comments also have this feature.
6. Profile Links. Inkitt lets you add links to your profile. We have a homepage URL and 'Support Me' URL. You can take advantage of this, your readers will also be able to support you further.
7. Reading List Subscription. You have the ability to subscribe to other users' reading lists, which will appear on the tab 'Reading Lists' on your profile. Not only can you make reading lists of your own but you can also keep track of others. It is also visible to the public. This is a great feature and I recommend Inkitt to notify the users when the reading lists they subscribe to get another book added to it. That way, it'll be much better.
-
I'm not going to lie, Inkitt has cool features that beat Wattpad on that department. But Wattpad's interface and design is much more user-friendly. It's also easier to read and write on Wattpad's app and website because Inkitt still hasn't reached its full potential as a writing app/website, for its buggy for most people and again, their interface can still be improved. In terms of getting recognition and staying in touch with your readers (also building your fan base), I strongly recommend that you stick with Wattpad, no matter how frustrating the app's becoming at some times. (There's more but I'm sure I already made my point on the previous chapters).
I gotta leave my detective badge for a while yeah? It's been days since I last worked on my WIP and I don't want to take advantage of my reader's patience xD THE END.
"All good things come to an end."
-
(Don't mind if I doooo- feel free to ignore this lmao)
**DISCLAIMER: I'M NOT TELLING YOU NOT TO USE INKITT. I ONLY WROTE THIS BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHARE WHAT I DISCOVERED. IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHETHER YOU WANT TO TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT.
[Hi Vester I hope this is good enough for you HAHAHAHA. And I hope I wasn't too harsh on Inkitt this time ✌ I tried my best]
[it's a wrap; thank you guys for sticking with me till the end i gotta go write now byeee]