ByteDance Shuts Down Paid Fiction App After Six Months
ByteDance has ceased operations for its paid fiction app, Red Candle Stories, just over six months after its launch. The service was shut down on August 17, with servers taken offline.
ByteDance has closed down Red Candle Stories, its paid fiction application, after operating for just over six months. The service stopped on August 17, with its servers being taken offline, preventing users from logging in or accessing the app.
Unlike ByteDance's existing free fiction platform, Tomato Novel, Red Candle Stories featured a hybrid model. It combined a free section with a paid membership tier, which offered users a 20% discount on selected paid books.
The closure of Red Candle Stories comes as ByteDance continues to experiment with various content platforms and business models. The decision may reflect challenges in monetizing paid fiction services or a strategic shift in its digital publishing ventures.