Koji, the link-in-vibration platform that gives creators a digital storefront on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, has launched a new e-book tool that allows users to sell e-books and audiobooks, the company announced yesterday.
The new tool is basically a template that creators can use to sell any ebook or audiobook from within social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, etc.) and elsewhere on the web. Koji also allows creators to create custom addons and shareable previews.
Note that every time a customer buys an ebook or audiobook, Koji takes a 10% fee.
Customers can download and view their purchases via the original Koji reader and audio player. They can also choose to download and open the files in their favorite e-reader such as the Kindle app, or as an EPUB, PDF, or chapter audio file.
Kogi previously launched a separate template for e-books last year, which was among the most popular Kogi templates, says Paul Backus, Kogi’s chief creative officer. However, that template will be replaced with this new eBook template, which gives users access to all-new features like the ability to add comments as well as giving buyers a free preview of chapters before being asked to pay and unlocking the full version. Bakaus also told us there’s an option to sell bundled eBooks and audiobooks.
The new e-book tool is likely to be a hit with many users and their followers, especially the creators of “BookTok,” a subculture within TikTok where people recommend books to their viewers. As of this writing, the hashtag BookTok on TikTok has over 113 billion views.
Overall, e-book reading has increased in popularity since the start of the pandemic, with 30% of Americans choosing e-books over physical books in 2021, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Image credits: koji
Koji was founded by Dmitry Shapiro, formerly of Google and Myspace Music, and Sean Thelin, a self-taught programmer. The link-in-bio platform launched in March 2021 and now serves more than 500,000 content creators, the company told TechCrunch. Notable creators and celebrities include Emily Dobson and Alice Cooper, as well as slightly “younger” influencers like Brown Girls Who Write, Lauren Giesting, and Tasting Thyme.
Coogee is free for everyone to use and can be accessed by anyone regardless of the number of followers.
Koji is similar to many other biolink tools in which creators can link their social media accounts, merch stores, and other projects to a single custom URL. However, the company also develops a variety of products formerly called “widgets”. Now dubbed “Templates,” Koji has optional add-ons that each have a separate functionality but are all designed to generate additional income. The company takes a commission on most products ranging between 5% and 15%.
For example, the company recently launched an “Exclusive Article” app, which allows content creators to lock written content such as articles, blog posts, and recipes behind a paywall. Linktree, a major player in the link-in-bio world, recently tested a paywall feature, “Payment Lock,” so users can build payment links around their content.
In 2022 alone, Koji has launched more than 100 templates, such as the “Shopify Storefront” app, “Video Shopping”, “Watch Party”, “Listening Party”, “Tip Jar” and many more. All in all, Koji provides access to over 200 of these templates, so creators can sell everything from exclusive images to custom shoutouts and more.
Image credits: koji
In addition to templates, Koji also gives users access to analytics via the seller dashboard, where users can see their earnings as well as get insights about their customers, such as where they are from, what they are buying, top customers etc. .
Other features offered by Koji are videos and gif backgrounds as well as “Highlights”, where users can move their most important links and apps to the top of the link-in-bio page.