Kakao Surpasses 50,000 Brunch Writers... Published Books Exceed 4,600

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Kakao announced on the 16th that the number of writers registered on its content publishing platform 'Brunch' has surpassed 50,000. Brunch is a platform sought by those aspiring to be writers, connecting them with various creative opportunities such as publishing, audiobooks, and online classes.

Brunch is a content publishing platform launched by Kakao in June 2015 with the concept of ‘a space where writing becomes art.’ It is characterized by carefully selected Brunch writers who have passed a separate writer approval process and publish high-quality content.

As works introduced on Brunch have led to publication, among the 50,000 Brunch writers, about 2,900 have published books. The total number of books published by these writers reaches approximately 4,600 volumes.

Notably, “Welcome to Hyunamdong Bookstore” was published as an e-book, ranked first on Millie’s Library comprehensive chart, and later led to a print book publication. “The Sadness of Young ADHD” surpassed its 7th printing within six months after its release in June 2021. Other titles discovered through Brunch Books include “The 90s Are Coming”, “How to Smile and Deal with Rude People”, “I Almost Lived Diligently”, and “Study-Headed Reading Method”.

Brunch has established itself as a new gateway for emerging writers thanks to the continuous ‘Brunch Book Publishing Project.’ Kakao has been supporting Brunch writers who dream of publishing by holding the ‘Brunch Book Publishing Project’ annually since 2015.

From the 1st to the 9th editions, publishers have participated as judges each year to select 10 grand prize works from the ‘Brunch Book’ submissions and sign publishing contracts. Kakao provides prize money to the winners and offers marketing support benefits such as special exhibitions after publication. The project has accumulated 32,704 submissions and 279 award-winning works.

Since last year, the formats of secondary works based on Brunch Books have been expanded into various content areas. Together with ‘Millie’s Library,’ the Brunch Book e-book publishing project was held, and with ‘Willa,’ the Brunch Book audiobook publishing project was launched. In the 8th and 9th editions of the Brunch Book Publishing Project, special awards included participation from Tal-ing and Wadiz. Tal-ing produced three works as VOD, and Wadiz plans to produce and present content based on award-winning works through crowdfunding in March.

Seongjin Oh, head of Kakao Brunch, said, “We want to connect Brunch Books, which contain the great stories of ordinary people, to more readers,” adding, “We plan to support writers who express their own thoughts and perspectives in writing to gain various opportunities on Brunch.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.