VOL.77/2024.12

Write the Story You Want to Read

Self-publishing platforms in Korea: The reasons for growth and the current state

2024.11.04

While there is no established academic definition, “self-publishing” refers to authors planning, editing, publishing, and distributing their own manuscripts without working through a publishing company. As opposed to “vanity publishing,” which involves paying an upfront fee to a publisher to produce and distribute a book, it is used almost interchangeably with “independent publishing” in Korea (some researchers and book critics use the two terms separately). The desire to document one’s story in writing is an ancient and fundamental desire that has existed since the moment humans invented letters. However, in the modern world, most publishers are private companies that are run for profit. Hence, one of the most important factors in deciding which manuscripts to publish is commercial viability (traditional publishing). So, self-publishing is a kind of “phenomenon” that has emerged because traditional publishing hasn’t been able to capture the demand for people wanting to write their own stories.There are three main reasons why this phenomenon has accelerated, or in other words, why self-publishing has become more popular and the market pie has gotten bigger.

Why self-publishing gained popularity in Korea

First of all, independence and uniqueness. Through self-publishing, you can publish your manuscript without anyone’s interference or engagement. Even if the story doesn’t have much meaning or interest to others, or even if it has meaning but is not likely to sell, there is no barrier with self-publishing. Self-publishing makes the saying, “If you write half the story of your life, you get a novel,” a reality. It also has to do with the fact that people don’t want to be put in a situation where they have to go through the frustration of having their manuscripts revised, evaluated, and criticized by professionals (publishing editors) when they are not trying to become full-time writers or make a lot of money from writing books. The fact that retired seniors and Gen Z are the two main pillars of self-publishing tells us many things.
Second is affordability. For vanity publishing, it is said to cost anywhere from 3 to 5 million won, though it depends on the circumstances. It might be manageable for some people, but for most people, it is too much. Plus, if the book doesn’t sell well, it can quickly become a sunk cost. On the other hand, self-publishing “theoretically” costs very little to publish. Being able to publish your own book without burning a hole in your pocket is, therefore, a very strong selling point.
Third, the emergence of “self-publishing platforms.” These platforms helped publishing become “affordable” in the first place. They either take over or help with other areas of publishing besides writing the manuscript. You can easily take care of the “trickier” tasks, such as designing the cover and inside layout, getting an ISBN, registering with bookstores, and distribution. Furthermore, these platforms maximize affordability by offering zero upfront publishing costs through a so-called POD (publish on demand) system, where books are produced when orders are placed. The slogans of “BOOKK,” a leading self-publishing platform in Korea, are “zero upfront” and “become an author in 5 minutes.”

Various self-publishing platforms and future outlooks

Some of the self-publishing platforms currently used by many authors are “BOOKK (북크크),” “Barochulpan POD (바로출판 POD),” “Upaper (유페이퍼),” and “Jakkawa (작가와).” Established in 2014, BOOKK is the first and currently the largest self-publishing platform in Korea. To date, about 36,000 titles have been published through BOOKK, and 31,000 authors were born. The biggest advantage of BOOKK is that it covers e-books as well as paper books, and the “Make Your Book” process, which has been developed through 10 years of experience, is very user-friendly and stable. Also, besides having its own website, it is available in major Korean online bookstores such as Yes 24, Kyobo Book Center, and Aladin, and its “Service for Authors” menu for members having difficulty making covers and interior pages is also well liked.
Barochulpan POD is an in-bookstore self-publishing platform run by Kyobo Book Center. It stands out for its fast release and variety of book options (binding method, paper types, etc.), with books produced in the bookstore’s own facilities. It has a relatively large focus on professional publishing, such as dissertations and academic books. Next, Upaper and Jakkawa are ebook-based self-publishing platforms. Upaper has the largest collection of e-books, and its greatest feature is that you can use its web editor to create EPUB files, the standard e-book format. Likewise, Jakkawa, which launched in 2018, specializes in detailed practical books, and is known for hosting writing classes.

As of August 2024, the self-publishing market in Korea has grown by about 128% compared to 2020, the first year of COVID-19 in Korea (refer to the article published on September 4, 2024 in Chosun Ilbo), and this growth is expected to continue. The biggest self-publishing hit in Korea this year was Tomato Cup Noodles, a poetry collection published by BOOKK. Written by Cha Jung-Eun, who is currently in her third year of high school, the book has sold 15,000 copies, including POD and recovered versions, and is holding the number one spot on the bestseller list for poetry on major online bookstores such as Yes 24. Cha chose to self-publish because she “thought that other publishers would intervene in various parts of the book, from the cover to the manuscript, even though it is a work that she wants to publish.” The Newsletter for Homeroom Teachers, published by Jakkawa, is also a standout. Published exclusively as an e-book, the book is a kind of an “encyclopedia of classroom management” in which 14 teachers respond to the concerns of their colleagues who have difficulties working as homeroom teachers and summarize what they need to know about homeroom management based on their experiences. The small but clear target audience of “teachers” and the detailed topic of “classroom management” are all the benefits of self-publishing. As more people want to “write the books they want to read,” it won’t be long before there are bestsellers that started out as self-published books, including novels, essays, humanities books, and test preparation books, in addition to poetry.

Written by Park Su-Ho (BOOKK Business Division Director)