Storyteller Community
Xsolla · Writing
Story3, also listed as Storyteller Community, is an Xsolla-backed interactive storytelling platform where readers shape branching stories and writers earn from paid twists.
About Storyteller Community
What Is Story3
Story3 is a web platform for reading and writing fiction that splits into paths. Xsolla, the game commerce company based in Los Angeles, announced it on January 31, 2024. The pitch was direct: skip the publisher and let writers sell story continuations to readers.
Every story opens with a free segment. Each continuation after that is a twist. Some twists cost nothing. Others cost Orbs, the platform's virtual currency, and that purchase is where money changes hands. A writer earns 50% when a reader buys a twist placed directly after one of theirs. Another 10% can come from sharing links that bring in buyers.
The limits matter. A twist caps at 1,200 characters, so this is a place for short, punchy segments rather than novel chapters. The catalog is small next to established fiction apps. Xsolla described the community at launch as more than 700 writers and readers, and the site still reads like an early-stage product rather than a mass reading app.
Getting Started
- Create a free account at story3.com with an email address or a social login.
- Browse by genre, or open a story and read the free opening twist.
- Pick a path. Free twists cost nothing. Paid twists ask for Orbs, which you buy in packs inside your account.
- To write, open the story editor, draft a twist under 1,200 characters, and attach it to an existing plot or start a new story.
- Watch purchases and payouts in your profile, then share story links to collect the referral cut.
Product Information
A quick look at Storyteller Community's pricing, supported platforms, and performance.
Best for
The users, tasks, and scenarios where this tool fits best.
Users
- Writers who want readers to pay per continuation
- Readers raised on choose your own adventure books
- Writing groups and classroom clubs
Tasks
- Serializing a short story
- Testing a premise
- Earning from recommendations
Scenarios
- A 20-minute commute read
- A weekly writing prompt with friends
- Building a paid serial on the side
Key features
Twist-Based Branching
A twist is a continuation a reader picks at the end of a segment. The story builds into a tree with one root and many branches, and readers see the paths they have taken. Because each branch stands alone, a writer can add a new direction without rewriting what came before.
Orbs Virtual Currency
Orbs are the tokens readers spend on paid twists. You buy them in packs from inside your account, and the balance covers purchases across the catalog. Free twists stay free, so a reader can finish a story without spending anything if the writer leaves that option open.
Writer Revenue Share
The split is the reason to write here. Buy a twist that follows a writer's twist and that writer takes 50% of the sale. Share a story link and the sharer can take another 10% when the click turns into a purchase. Earnings show up in the profile area, and the payout rules sit in the Terms of Service.
Short Twist Editor
Every twist is capped at 1,200 characters. That is roughly 200 English words, or one scene. The cap forces writers to end on a hook instead of a paragraph of description, and it keeps the gap between starting and publishing small. Draft on a phone browser during a commute and post the same day.
Genre Catalog and Discovery
Stories are grouped by genre, and writers can set genres for their own work. Browsing is simple by design: pick a genre, open a story, follow a path. Discovery is the weak spot. With a catalog this size, a new story needs its author to push links rather than wait for the front page.
Earnings and Payout Tracking
A dashboard lists story revenue, twist purchases, referral revenue, and Orbs spending in one place. Writers see purchases as they happen instead of waiting for a monthly statement. That feedback loop helps you learn which branch readers pay for and which one they skip.
Agent Referral Program
The Agent program pays a share of revenue from authors you bring to the platform. It suits writing communities, teachers, and moderators who already have an audience of writers. You track referrals in the same account area and cancel the membership from there.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free to join: reading, writing, and publishing cost nothing, and free twists let readers finish a story without paying.
- A 50% cut on direct continuations is generous for fiction, and the extra 10% for sharing rewards writers who promote their own work.
- The 1,200-character limit makes publishing fast, which suits writers who never finish a 90,000-word draft.
- Co-writing is built in: readers can add twists to your story, so a popular plot keeps growing without your input.
- Runs in a browser on desktop and phone, with no install and no app store account.
Cons
- Income depends on paid twists, so a story with readers but no buyers earns nothing, and monthly totals swing hard.
- The short format limits depth: 1,200 characters is a scene, not a chapter, and long arcs need many twists to land.
- The catalog is thin, so discovery leans on the author's own sharing rather than on the platform's recommendation engine.
- Orbs prices and payout thresholds are not posted on the public pages, so you only see the numbers after you sign in.
Frequently asked questions
Story3 is an interactive fiction platform from Xsolla where readers pick continuations called twists and writers earn when readers buy them. It launched on January 31, 2024, and runs in a web browser.
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