Inkspired Product Blog

Inkspired Product Blog -

Introducing Inkspired v2.5

In less than a month since we introduced Inskpired Mobile 2.4, we are very proud to announce that our latest release (version 2.5) has been launched in both App Stores. The timing is a huge statement to underline our commitment to fast development to keep Inkspired up there at the highest level.

This new release is not just "any" release. This is a major change not only in the features we are introducing but in its technology and what we will be introducing next. Without further ado, here is the feature description of our newest release.

Several bug fixes of random crashes and performance. We continue to solve old issues and make our service better, faster, and strong. Every new release aims to provide you with the best user experience possible

New Events tab! Including writing contests, webinars, challenges, tutorials, and more. This is a major addition to Inkspired, as we will start producing and broadcasting different kinds of content while keeping you engaged with contests, challenges, and other media all along. We are so much excited to have the opportunity to show you soon what we have prepared.

The creation of Interactive stories is now supported in the app. When we introduced this new app from scratch back in January, we knew we will be missing (for a bit) the ability to create interactive stories. We made it possible for readers to interact with them, but limiting its creation to the website was a major "must-do-soon", and here we have it! Let your readers experiment with different storylines and alternative endings, right from the palm of your hand.

We have added a search history to help you find things faster, plus the ability to see the trending hashtags, search for them and show all the stories, microfictions, and universes within each.

Reading Visual stories in the app is now supported.

We have added a "Continue reading" notification for the last story you were reading.

At the end of each story, we are now showing information about its author.

Access well-detailed story lists from the discover screen, so you can browse what you want to read from a vertically-scrollable list rather than just a carousel.

Improved Library with the incorporation of story lists to help you browse better between the stories you are following, the stories you have purchased, and the newest releases of your favorite authors. Plus, now the library loads faster ;-)

We have added the ability to share and "Vote" all the Reading Lists.

From the black menu, now you can have direct access to all the Rewards Credits' benefits per level and their value per action.

Enjoy reading in full-screen reading, including (optionally) the ability to hide the header bar while reading.

An improved download of offline stories.

Stories profiles now include a total word count.

Access to a direct form to apply to become an Inkspired Ambassador.

We have added nice labels on users' profiles showing who is "new" in the community (if you have 15 days or less on the platform) or if you are a seasoned Ambassador.

Following our product blog post earlier this month, we continue to be present and committed to our mission to make publishing more democratic and help emerging creators in their paths to becoming the next bestsellers. Expect further additions, improvements, and transferrals of features from our website to mobile in the next weeks and months.

Best wishes,

Galo

Inkspired's CEO

July 24, 2022, 9:14 p.m. 2 Report Embed 44

Inkspired Mobile v2.4 is here

A new update of our flagship mobile app is available today in the App Stores, and with it, we welcome and celebrate the availability of the Ukrainian language! From today, Ukrainian native speakers will be able to use Inkspired in their native language as we keep expanding our language accessibility to more regions.

Among all other additions to our app in this update are:

Several bug fixes, particularly for some Android users that have been experiencing having to log in again every time they re-open the app. We have also fixed a problem when updating the profile picture from the app.
Ranking of stories for each category and subcategory. One of the biggest additions this month has been the acclaimed ranking. It has been a request for years, and finally, we can bring it to Inkspired, with it fully incorporated into our website and mobile app. It's available in our catalogs in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Personalize your homepage. You can now add/remove content blocks directly from the app, including the favorite categories you want to see plus if you want to allow mature content or not.
Improvements in the reading screen. Listening to our readers' pleas, we have added a faster way to like and comment on the chapters right from the header bar; plus added more reading recommendations at the end of the story.
Browse popular stories. Linked with the previous option, we have decided to showcase the best-ranked stories every week under the new "Popular" category on the search screen. Now it's easier to find great quality stories with just one "tap".
More accurate "Stories you may like" recommendations, right on the main app's screen!
Some miscellaneous improvements such as the addition of more language options for microfictions, Russian translations for the mobile app, a section of recommendations of trending local authors for some countries, overall performance improvement throughout the platform, and new subcategories!

We assure you that even bigger surprises are coming this summer, so stay tuned as our Inkspired community continues its path of growth and constant improvement of our tools and community engagement.

Best wishes,

Galo

Inkspired's CEO

July 5, 2022, 7:52 a.m. 2 Report Embed 44

New mobile apps, a new Inkspired era!

Inkspired has started the new year with a massive launch that will the course of the platform and maximize all we offer to our creators and readers. We have revamped our former Inkspired Writer mobile app and transformed it into the ultimate Inkspired mobile experience you have been asking for. Spoiler: you can now write and read in the same place! We have got all the Inkspired spirit in just one app, and we can't be more excited about what's ahead. The new Inkspired is now faster, stronger, more stable, full of new options, and beautiful (we are not the only ones who believe that, just read the app reviews). More than just that, it will also switch our platform's development approach from "web first" to "mobile-first"; finally!

If you have Android, Download Inkspired Mobile now!

If you have iOS, Download Inkspired Mobile now!

So what's new on this release?

This new Inkspired mobile experience brings you:

You can now browse thousands of stories in any language, marketplace, genre, category, and subcategory. More than that, you can sort them as you like, and even get search results segmented by "Stories", "Authors", "Microfictions" and "Universes" in separate tabs.
Read Offline Stories has been totally revamped. Now, instead of "only chapters", you can download up to 3 complete stories to read; and even go unlimited offline if you are Premium.
Commenting has never been easier and in your control. All the options available on the website have now been transferred to the mobile experience: comment and reply comments as you please in chapters, announcements, and microfictions; even delete your own comments or interact with Ambassadors through private ones.
All notifications reimagined: from new and precise push notifications directly in your smartphone to the way you see and open notifications from your notifications' list, or the way you access the Inkspired's product updates. Now all of them link conveniently to the exact screen you always wanted to go to.
Interactive stories are finally supported in mobile! After almost 2 years of its official launch on the website, finally, the interactive stories have the justice they deserve and can now be fully read on the website. In our next update, you will also be able to create them directly from your phone!
The Microfictions have been redesigned with a more appealing look and will incorporate micro-threads soon, so you can tell your micro-stories in parts and keep your audience engaged.
Announcements maximized. Not only is already possible to post announcements right from the app, but now they have gotten further relevance. All your announcements will now be notified to your followers and they can also have them handy directly in their Library in case they missed out on one.
The best of the Library is at your disposal. One of the most important aspects of any reading platform is its library, and we have totally put a lot of effort into it. From your library you can now access all the stories you have followed, your favorite authors and their announcements, your recently read stories, create and manage your reading lists, and also access your Offline Stories.
The Writing Contests finally make an appearance in our mobile app for the first time. Get entertained participating in the ones that are open in your own language, and claim the top prizes if you win!
Purchase stories from your favorite authors, support them, and subscribe to their memberships, or simply sign up for a Premium subscription: all the checkout process is now fully integrated with the website so you can get what you want with a couple of clicks without having to sign-in again.
Inkspired Wallet is available! Complementary to the point above, it is possible now to Top Up your Inkspired Wallet right from our mobile app, and also use your stored credit to purchase stories in-app.
Universes are more integrated: we have further integrated the use of Universes within the app in the way you can now see and search for them, and also see and filter all the Glossaries linked to your favorite stories.
More options for authors: start co-authoring, scheduling chapters, ordering promotion packages, Boosts, or requesting priority for verification. They have all been incorporated.
Blogs designs; blogs have always had a particular design on Inkspired with dedicated features, and these are now reflected in our new mobile experience.
New "Home" screen with quick access to news, featured stories, your reading lists, trending stories in your country, promotions, recommendations about stories you may like, and new releases in your favorite categories and universes.
Full iPad/Tablet support not only for writing but for reading stories as well.
Share everything you like: your favorite story, chapter, your favorite author's profile, or simply a microfiction. Share everything, everywhere.
Overall accessibility: everything is faster and more accessible now - from clicking in any avatar picture in any place of the app to making the notifications more intuitive, and accessing the related content anywhere you are browsing. Ambassadors will have an easier way to make an impact in-app too. The app has been designed with the user experience of fast and reliable browsing in mind. We have fixed all the issues, bugs, and design flows that we learned with our former app, and you can expect fewer crashes, lag, or server overloading :-)
Inmmersiveness: part of our commitment to going "mobile-first" is to try to avoid redirecting you to our website. This is another firm step towards that vision across all the app, and you can expect it to go further deep in our next app update.

This is only what is new in our huge app update. We also wanted to remind you a bit of what was there before (and also improved):

Full-length writing and publishing of novels, short-tales, microfictions, and blogs.
Offline writing if you do not have an Internet connection.
The interface is fully translated into English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Geman.
And much more, all described in the product release article posted a year ago. The promise we made to unify both apps in 1 back then has now been fulfilled :)

But the best of all? We are just getting started! You will hear about more updates in our mobile apps more frequently thought this year. Bring it on 2022!

Best wishes to all,

Galo

Inkspired CEO

Jan. 13, 2022, 8:33 p.m. 6 Report Embed 23

Product Update - Memberships for Creators

It's been a long year for many of us, but finally, we are able to officially announce the first of a series of biggest changes that will be coming to Inkspired from now until the end of the year: Memberships for all creators!

If you are an active user on Inkspired, you may have noticed a few changes around the dashboard's user interface around this feature. We have compacted the "Followers and Following users" section into one core page called Audience, where you will be able to check who is following you, who are you following, and also the list of all of the Paid Subscribers you may have gotten and even a list of e-mails for your future newsletters. This is a big change! But let's explain what is Paid Subscribers and how does that relates to Memberships.

Paid Subscribers & Memberships

Paid Subscribers are like followers who are paying you a monthly or annual membership fee directly to you. As a creator or author on Inkspired, you can set up your own membership, and have people subscribe to you directly from your user profile for a fee, in exchange to access to exclusive content you produce.

Using the new Monetization section on the dashboard, you can create as many memberships as you want, set the price you want for each month or as a yearly payment, and then include your stories among any memberships. It's also possible to leave your stories for free (like always), or put them at a one-off sales price, or even combine pricing (one-off payment) for non-subscribers with a membership, which means that anyone who is subscribed to you can access that story without extra payment. If you get creative, you can even create multiple memberships with tiered access. It's really up to you as an author!

Furthermore, you can now activate payments and pricing directly from the new Monetization section, and after a one-time application request, you will no longer need to "apply" to put your stories on sale. From now on, it's just as easy as "activate" or "deactivate" payments, set up the price, and start monetizing your audience, and also view all of your sales in the "Sales" tab on top of that page. We have also reduced the number of requirements needed to activate them: we eliminated the exclusivity clause and reduced the minimum amount of followers needed. Premium members also benefit from even fewer requirements and fewer administration fees as well ;-)

How my readers can subscribe to my Memberships?

Readers can find the memberships you are offering directly in your User Profile. They can also see them whenever they reach the paywall in your stories that require a membership to keep reading. For them, it's just as easy to click on the "Subscribe" button. On the checkout page, they just need to choose between a Monthly or Annual payment plan, choose the payment method and hit confirm payment to fill in the billing information. They can also cancel the automatic membership renewal at any time in Preferences - Subscriptions.

How do I get paid as an author?

Getting paid as an author or creator on Inkspired never has been that easy. Using the "sales" tab in the Monetization section, you can be in total control of how many sales you are making each month, what status they have, and where they come from. You can see if the sale is a one-time payment for a story or a payment part of one of your recurring memberships.

Fees remain the same on Inkspired, and you can see your brut and net price, and how much are you going to get in the payout in total at the end of the payout cycle. At the moment we are accepting payouts via Bank Transfer for bank accounts in the US, the European Union, Canada, Australia, Singapur, UK, Ecuador, plus transfers via PayPal, Revolut, Payoneer, and Wise. It is also possible to go self-service and transfer your funds to your Inkspired Wallet. All funds stored in your wallet can be used anytime inside the platform to purchase anything.

Pre-sales

Pre-sales are coming on Inkspired too in the next couple of weeks, and you will be able to manage them in the same place where you manage everything else related to selling your content: that's right, you guessed it! It's on the same Monetization section.

Pre-sales work differently on Inkspired compared to all previous Selling Options. As a standard, having your story published and verified is required for selling. However, stories that are eligible for pre-sale must have never been published before, but have all their future chapters in an advanced state of writing (at least with titles) as they will count as the table of contents. Pre-sales also come with the chance to have bundles and limited-time pricing. You can also set up a countdown to the publishing date, and when the countdown runs out, it's up to you as an author to decide what happens next: the story goes live on Inkspired, a download link is activated or set up a redirection link to elsewhere.

Pre-sales are cool to create momentum, raise awareness and start selling before even releasing your product!

New Premium plans

Inkspired is evolving into a professional publishing/authoring tool for creators and writers alike. In the same line, we felt we could enhance our value proposition, even more, to cater to more advanced authors and help them manage their content with more flexibility, sell more, and grow their audience. We have revamped our Premium page. From today, our former Writer Premium becomes only "Premium", same pricing and same good ol' subscription :-) However, we have added two new plans called Premium Plus and Premium Pro, aimed at the most ambitious authors with a mission to sell their content, and monetize their audience by converting their followers into paying subscribers. They also come with the introduction of the new amazing benefit of newsletters for creators. You can upgrade today in monthly or annual plans (2 months free)!

Check our new premium plans at this link.

A list of other minor fixes and announcements

With the latest update, we have had the chance to make many fixes and small tweaks to improve the overall user experience of Inkspired. While they are not as "shinny" as memberships and the new premium plans, they indeed make a difference to a lot of people:

Interactive Stories can now have chapters linking to old chapters, allowing you to re-use previous chapters and create circular stories.
We have increased the price limit for one-off sales of your stories from 9.99 to 49.99.
Access (and apply) to your BETA reading requests directly from your Library.
In your account section, under preferences, now allows you to add your Instagram and Youtube account, bank details for payouts, and business information.
Simplified the application process to activate payments. You just need to do it once now!
New $10 bonus for you and your friend whenever a referral you invite upgrades to an annual premium plan.
Earlier this summer we introduced the ability to apply to a priority verification for your author's profile.
We have fixed a bug when creating Visual Stories.
VAT handling for EU customers.
Upcoming Pre-sales as a sales method and Newsletters to reach your paying subscribers and e-mailing lists.
We have made the Story's performance metrics for free! Non Premium members just need to have a Level 3 to access it from now, without purchasing the service.
More actions to give you Rewards Credits.