By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
‘On Written, there is full transparency because it is on-chain.’
Earlier this year, the ebook platform Written was founded and launched by Andrew Baev and team with the goal to “revolutionize digital publishing through blockchain technology.”Formerly of the popular ebook subscription platform Bookmate and publishing houses Individuum and PopcornBooks, the team saw an opportunity to rethink how digital books could work in the next decade, when the companies were sold in 2022. In their research, they noticed a few key problems: Amazon controls a significant portion of the ebook market providing very little transparency on sales and readership to authors and publishers; writers are struggling to make a living wage; and readers complain about the lack of ownership of the ebooks they purchase through traditional bookseller channels.
Having spent his career in digital content delivery – first in music then in ebooks, Baev has been focused on providing simpler ways digital content is published and how readers are able to engage with it.
“My thought was that there should be a platform that concretely addresses the issues of the connection
between author and reader, but the technology was not there.
My futuristic idea was that there should be a platform where an author can come, have all the tools to publish their book on the platform, then readers can come to the app, buy the book with a credit card as usual, but have true digital ownership of the book.”
And that is what they have built. According to their thesis, “Written envisions a future where authors can publish their work in minutes rather than months, earn up to 90% of their book revenue, and build genuine connections with their readers.”
How it Works
Written relies on blockchain technology and powered by smart contracts, providing authors the ability to maintain complete control over their work – setting price of the book (for which they get 90% of every sale); regulating whether or not readers can resell the book, when, and if the author gets a portion of that sale (up to 40% of the sale); see how the readers engage with their work and if they read to completion; and even engage with the readers directly on the app.
Authors can add a cover, write the blurb, tag the book, add moods and tropes, release the book when they want, and anything else they want to do engage with their audience the way that they choose. The publication process puts control of the book and a much larger percentage of the sales in the hands of the author, setting the platform apart from competitors.
For readers, they gain true ownership of their digital libraries as they would with print books. If authors allow it, readers can even resell these books to other readers, providing a secondary market for these books that benefit readers.
Ultimately, the goal is simple: to build an ecosystem where authors are fairly compensated, can truly understand and engage with their readers, and where readers finally own — not just access — the books they love.
Understanding reader behavior
Another key aspect of Written is the ability to see how much of the book has been read. 
“On Written, there is full transparency because it is on-chain, so authors know who bought their book, when the book was bought, and they also know what is happening with the book once it is purchased, which is interesting feedback,” notes Baev. Authors can have a better understanding of whether readers complete the book or if there are points where readers stop. This information can also help authors better shape future stories.
Written is currently working with hundreds of writers and are looking to expand their stable of writers. Though Baev notes that Written might be better for writers who already have a following that they can bring to platform for direct sales, as more readers come to the platform, the more they will look to discover other writers on Written.
Engagement in the larger publishing ecosystem
Though ebooks is the foundation for the platform, Written is already working on audiobook applications and print on demand options for their authors.
Written may seem to take publishers and booksellers out of the equation with the direct author to reader connection, but Baev notes that he’s open to working with any partners noting that the platform “creates new use cases for books and for digital” which all players in the digital publishing ecosystem can take advantage.
To learn more about Written, visit written.app