Get to know… XinXii
What is behind the platform with the enigmatic name XinXii? In our series “Get to know…” we asked Dr. Andrea Schober to explain the concept behind the page. This is what she told us:
What exactly is XinXii?
XinXii is a platform where every user can publish and sell their own texts, this is, make them available for download. Thus XinXii is a singular supplier for unpublished texts, e.g. books by unknown talents, guidebooks or short texts like manuals, seminar documents or presentations.
When did you start the platform?
In 2008.
What does XinXii mean and why did you choose this name?
Our name says it all: On XinXii everyone can buy and sell information so to say – and due to this we looked at this word in different languages. We liked the chinese expression best: xìnxi means “information”.
What kind of resonance have you had yet?
A very good one! XinXii was the first platform in the German-speaking area; by now we are multilingual and the leading platform in Europe, which means that XinXii.com has the highest stake of market volume among all european market participants – and this is the case for user numbers as well as the amount of authors and the level of awareness. We receive praise from the users (who come from 123 countries at the moment) for usability and the range of offered functions.
On XinXii users can publish their own texts. Is there a preselection or do you check what kinds of texts have been uploaded?
Our basic idea is: Everyone is allowed to upload their text in the kind of form and presentation they like. There are no rules concerning Genre, amount of pages or text type: Painting instructions, travel diaries, novels and comics can be published on XinXii as well as your doctoral thesis. It is not obliging to proofread, and we don’t check texts in advance. However, texts that do not agree with our policy, will be deleted. That may be content violating the copyright or are obscene dubious in any kind of way. Books that were bought via a selling licence are not allowed as well.
How do users benefit from the platform?
With XinXii there es a free and uncomplicated way to publish your work and sell it worldwide – independently and under your own management: All you need to to is register on xinsii.com and put in your information like title, category, description, amount of pages and price. After the file has been uploaded it is directly available for download. We care for customer service, order processing and payment.
In which categories do you have highest amount of new texts?
Taking the category of ficition, most new texts are short stories, whereas in the non-fiction section several manuals and scientific papers have been added.
How is the page financed?
XinXii is based on provision, which means that we receiva a percental part of the net price: At 1,99 Euro the author receives 70% of the net price, at a price between 0,99 Euro and 1,98 Euro still 40%. Thus XinXii benefits from the success of its users.
What are your plans for the future of XinXii?
XinXii was started three years ago, last year we expanded internationally. We want to support all writers worldwide to use the web successfully. We’re having a look at the mobile platforms as well: Currently we’re working on an App. Our aim is to become the leading Do-it-yourself platform for the digital publishing and online sale of texts.
What kind of artwork can we find in your office?
We have a collection of contemporary art dealing with “communication”.