The new product is a set of publishing and subscription tools to enable writers to create long-form content for their subscribers
Facebook’s Bulletin will serve as a platform for independent writers. (Credit: Austin Distel on Unsplash)
Social media giant Facebook has launched a newsletter product called Bulletin in the US, designed to serve as a platform for independent writers.
The new product comes with a set of publishing and subscription tools.
Facebook said that Bulletin will include support, which will be centred on the creation of content, monetisation and audience growth.
The company said that it is developing tools to allow creators to launch their own publications and write long-form articles.
Each creator on the platform will have an independent website under their own brand and can customise it to the name, logo, and colour palette of their publication.
Creators can also customise their articles by having multi-media embeds and other styling options, said Facebook.
According to the company, writers using Bulletin will get all of their subscription revenue for the length of the partnerships and will also be able to take their lists of subscribers and content with them.
Facebook Pay will handle the subscription payments and will allow subscribers to pay with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal.
By using the new platform, writers can provide a variety of subscription-based features. These include content, commenting abilities, and Facebook groups which can be accessed only by subscribers.
The social media firm said that it will provide writers with a multi-year licensing deal to give them time to develop a relationship with their readers.
Content created on the Bulletin platform will be distributed in Facebook News and other discovery surfaces. This will enable audiences to easily find the content and subscribe.
Creators will also get tools for distributing podcasts apart from long-form writing. The tools include externally hosted podcasts and other audio features, which will be offered shortly.
For enabling publishing across various multimedia formats, Bulletin will be integrated with Facebook Pages.
Facebook global news partnerships VP Campbell Brown and Facebook news product manager Anthea Watson Strong, in a blog wrote: “Throughout this year, we’ll roll out new investments, products and services aimed to support more independent writers and experts.
“We’re working on more ways for writers to promote their work across other platforms outside of Facebook and to make it easier for them to collaborate with other creators.”