Datafication and algorithmic processing in digital writing and self-publishing: A case study of Inkitt/Galatea.

This article examines how automated, data-driven practices and algorithmic procedures are transforming digital writing and self-publishing, focusing on the case of Inkitt, a startup that uses algorithms to analyze reader and writer behavior to predict story success. Inkitt’s platform and its mobile app, Galatea, operate within a platformized media environment where continuous data extraction and evaluation shape both content creation and publishing strategies, emphasizing standardized, mass-produced storytelling tailored for mobile consumption. The analysis employs the concept of "imaginaries" to explore how stakeholders envision and enact these technologies, highlighting Inkitt’s dual role as a creative interface and a data-extractive tool within platform capitalism. While Inkitt’s approach fosters new modes of digital authorship and monetization, the study offers tentative reflections on broader implications for cultural production and the evolving digital self-publishing ecosystem.