Why should you choose Literary Universe?

Tapas vs. Literary Universe

Which platform fits better your writing goals?

Literary Universe is an all-in-one online writing and publishing platform for indie authors in sci-fi and fantasy, offering interconnected creative tools, monetization, and community features, with comics, manga and webtoons published beside the stories they belong to. Tapas, owned by Kakao Entertainment, is a freemium reading app where webcomics and web novels are unlocked with Ink, and most of its front page is licensed Korean IP. Literary Universe gives independent creators the tools to build a universe, keep their rights and sell directly, instead of competing for attention inside someone else's storefront.

Writing Tools

Web creator dashboard for uploading and scheduling episodes of vertical-scroll comics or prose novels, with daily stats. No editor beyond the upload form, no world-building or collaboration tools, and generative AI content of any kind has been banned since January 2023.

Story editor and comic editor in one Workshop: paged comics, manga and vertical-scroll webtoons with layered pages, translations and encyclopedia hotspots that link panels to your universe. Timelines, writing challenges, collaborative editing and an AI assistant that answers questions about your own story rather than drawing or writing for you; AI-assisted content is labeled.

Publishing Tools

Episodes go live free or behind Ink paywalls once you qualify. Early Access needs 5,000 Tapas subscribers, two updates a month and a three-episode buffer, and paid episodes stay exclusive to Tapas. Premium and Originals contracts add exclusivity and editorial support; Originals applications are closed and the Free Access program ended in July 2026.

Publish free under Creative Commons or sell comics, chapters, full books, bundles and audiobooks from day one, per chapter or per volume, in multiple currencies. Comics can link to the stories and encyclopedia of the same universe, and IP management keeps every asset in one place.

Community & Social Features

Comments, likes, subscriptions and creator walls, plus forums, the reader-voted Inkies awards and regular contests and giveaways. About 10 million registered readers, most of them on mobile.

Social feeds, private messaging, groups, forums, fan clubs with exclusive content, courses and reader comments on every chapter and page. Smaller, but built around your universe rather than a front-page ranking.

Monetization & Revenue Opportunities

Ad revenue share from 100 subscribers (about 70% of ad revenue, roughly $7 per thousand impressions), Ink tips from 250 subscribers at 100% after fees, a merch shop from 500 subscribers, and Early Access or Premium contracts for series with thousands of subscribers. Creators must be 18 or older, and payouts go through PayPal.

Sales of comics, stories and audiobooks with a 10% platform fee under an exclusive license and 30% non-exclusive. Fan clubs, early-access chapters, organization licenses and payouts in multiple currencies via Stripe. No subscriber threshold to start selling.

Reader Experience

Mobile-first app with Ink, free episode tickets, Wait Until Free timers and bulk unlock discounts. Older webcomic episodes cost 450 Ink each since March 2026, and mature licensed series are hidden in the apps.

Web reader for paged comics, manga and webtoons alongside prose, with a personal library, progress tracking, notes and encyclopedia links from panels and text. Dyslexia-friendly fonts and reading modes.

Ownership & Publishing Rights

Creators keep ownership and grant Tapas an ongoing, non-exclusive, worldwide license for digital publication with no end date. Early Access, Premium and Originals contracts add exclusivity, and a 2017 attempt to add a right of first refusal to the terms was withdrawn after backlash.

Full author retention of rights and IP control, with centralized management to consolidate all creative assets and clear license choices from Creative Commons to exclusive. Transparent sales data and no lock-in.

Price Comparison

Free for creators to publish. Readers buy Ink packs from $1.99 (1,600 Ink) to $99.99 (130,000 Ink); there is no reader subscription or ad-free tier. Earnings depend on ad impressions, tips and unlocks, and the platform's share of Premium revenue is not published.

Free plan, then Explorer at €3/month, Adventurer at €14/month and Storyteller at €30/month. Writers keep full copyright. The platform fee on sales is 10% under a Literary Universe Exclusive license and 30% under a non-exclusive one. No hidden fees.

Overall Summary

Tapas is a strong home for creators who already have an audience and want a mobile storefront for episodic comics or novels. Literary Universe is for creators who want comics, prose and world-building in one universe, their rights intact, and a way to earn without waiting for a threshold.

Write. Publish. Earn.
Build your universe, only on Literary Universe!

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