If there’s anything Filipinos love, it’s a
good story - funny, drama-riddled, or romantic, we’re quick to sniff out a saga
and follow it to its conclusion. Whether fact or fiction, there’s nothing quite
like having oneself immersed in the twists and turns of finding out who said
what, did what where, and who were they
with?
Plots and characters have come to life on any
number of platforms throughout the years, but one relatively recent emergence
is quickly finding its legs: TypeKita
is a newly launched app that aims to empower young Filipino storytellers by
rewarding their creativity with accessible and self-determined monetization,
while gifting readers with an interactive and visually stimulating reading
experience. While the rest of the world criticizes Millennial and especially Gen Z readers for choosing shorter, digital formats,
TypeKita promises to inspire and encourage the diversity already present in
reading material available today.
At TypeKita’s official launch on August 16,
Head of Growth Ysabel Yuzon, Vice President of Strategic Management Dana de la
Vega, and Creator Manager Erich Valdevioso took questions from attending
members of the press and detailed the ins and outs of the app, as well as its
growing potential to “open doors even for those who may not have considered
writing before,” according to Yuzon. Live readings of current TypeKita
favorites Babalik Sa’yo (Rej
Martinez), The Day I Said Goodbye
(Miyuki Jeishi), and Hush Lucas (Arki
Aaron) were then performed by rising stars Nour Hooshmand, Ian Pangilinan, and
Benedix Ramos, bringing to life all the ups and downs of romance in fiction.
Finally, singing champion and Silver Badger Featured Live Kumu Streamer
Kathleen Anne wrapped up the program with some contemporary classic love songs,
as well as her own single, Nagkulang.
The app is a localized version offrom the Thai
original Joylada, and is further powered by homegrown social entertainment
platform Kumu—a partnership that speaks to the
growing online fiction community. “We have always been on the lookout for
talent of all kinds, and TypeKita is the space we’re dedicating to the written
word,” says Rexy Dorado, Kumu President and Co-founder. “We believe creative
people always find their way to each other, but this is where we can also help
people find the creativity within themselves, bolstered by a safe community.
Both Kumu and TypeKita share a similar moderator system to keep things
appropriate and any hate out of the picture.”
But that safety doesn’t mean stifled
storytelling; if anything, the shorter bursts of creativity that TypeKita champions
through the chat-fiction format effectively refashion the digital novel
experience, making both creation and consumption that much more
accessible—providing a gateway to long-form in the future if creators are so
inclined. This is further enriched by the wide range of genres at the readers’
disposal on the app, but the top categories so far are reflective of its
current audience and what is meaningful to them. They gravitate not only to
romance, but to diversity within romance via LGBTQ+ themes; to young adult,
coming-of-age stories; and to fantasy and mystery, indulging imagination and
curiosity. And yet, TypeKita serves as a new content platform that fits our
modern habits—just like getting a friend’s whole story from a single screenshot
of a private chat.
Prior to its launch, TypeKita has seen a
steady growth in terms of users, showing potential for genres such as romance
(including sub-genres in BL and GL), coming-of-age, mystery, and fantasy.
TypeKita showcases the best of Filipino storytelling with a majority of its
featured stories written by talented Filipino writers. It also boasts an
intuitive and user-friendly chat editor that makes creating that much easier
for writers, an immersive reading experience that allows readers to be part of
the conversation, and shareable stories that lets you instantly connect and
share your experience via social media, email, or messaging apps.
While many of its best features are free, the
app also has the makings of the ultimate side hustle for writers of all kinds,
as seen in their monetization feature for creators. This is where everyone can
read or write what they love, directly support the creators they believe in,
and gather around the digital campfire, as it were, for a good story—because
one of the best things about online fiction communities is the connections
they’ve made organically throughout the years, and TypeKita will be no
different.
Ready to find your audience, or your next
favorite source of kilig? Download
TypeKita today via App Store and Google Play and discover more how you can be
part of a growing community of digital creatives.
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